April 23, 2006

Microsoft's Gratis Learning Content Evolution System

When Microsoft firstly giving stuff away for free, it ever makes me curious, as well as when I spotted this gratis LCDS (Learning Content Development System) a spell dorsum I decided to download it as well as give it a try.

If similar me you've never had the patience (or the fourth dimension as well as money) to genuinely main a tool similar Flash, but similar the thought of creating interactive materials that tin run online (SCORM compliant to run inward an LMS), thus this could hold out a handy tool for you. I spent the best business office of a solar daytime working out how to operate it as well as creating some materials amongst it for a instructor preparation session as well as yesteryear the goal of the solar daytime I had 2 'modules' each of iv -5 unlike action types combining images, audio, video as well as swf animation. Considering that I hadn't used this earlier as well as I had to genuinely write all the materials to pose into it, I intend that's pretty skillful for simply i day, as well as having pose the fourth dimension into learning the program, I'm pretty certain that my side yesteryear side efforts volition hold out much quicker.

What I liked close it

  • It wasn't hard to larn how to use. The interface is quite intuitive as well as I didn't demand to consult the assist or whatever back upwards documentation.
  • It's all signal as well as click, no programming languages to learn.
  • The results hold off quite professional
  • It's SCORM compliant
  • It has some overnice chore types. These are a few of my favourites:

This i is grouping type action played against a timer. Users bring to click the right bucket to driblet each particular into.

When Microsoft firstly giving stuff away for gratis Microsoft's gratis Learning Content Development SystemThis is i of my favourites, it's called 'Adventure' but I know it every bit a reading maze. User are shown a province of affairs as well as given some options, They thus meet the lawsuit of the alternative they guide as well as bring to brand some other selection as well as thus on until they discovery the 'correct' means to resolve th problem. These tin hold out genuinely complex to write as well as arrange, but this i was quite slow to practise as well as to review as well as brand changes. I was also able to add together unlike images to each page.

When Microsoft firstly giving stuff away for gratis Microsoft's gratis Learning Content Development System
Another chore type I liked was this tile flip activity. It's a new variation on pelmanism, but it combines the matching pairs amongst a form of truthful faux activity. Basically each tile has a truthful contestation on i side as well as a faux i on the other, as well as the user has to work upwards rows of truthful statements. They also bring a express amount of cards they tin plough to acquire it right as well as if they transcend the issue of turns they bring to firstly all over again.

When Microsoft firstly giving stuff away for gratis Microsoft's gratis Learning Content Development System
Lastly, I liked that yous tin also prepare tasks using either video or swf files. This is i I created using a Flash tutorial as well as the built inward Note taking business office of the interface.

When Microsoft firstly giving stuff away for gratis Microsoft's gratis Learning Content Development System
What I wasn't thus certain about
  • It entirely seems to back upwards swf as well as wmv files for video, which is a flake annoying, peculiarly for MAC users.
  • When I came to 'publish' / upload the materials to run online, it turned out that they wouldn't piece of work without beingness uploaded to an LMS (with its ain viewer)
  • You demand IE vii amongst Silverlight installed to stance the files (though at that spot does seem to hold out a means to configure the files to run inward Flash instead, which I'm assuming would allow yous to stance them inward Firefox too).
Despite all of this, Microsoft's LCDS does seem to bring huge potential for people similar me who fighting amongst coding, but desire to attain something that looks skillful as well as industrial plant well.

If yous piece of work inward an establishment that has its ain LMS as well as yous desire to digitise some shape materials to run online, thus it could good hold out worth looking at every bit a inexpensive (free) solution.

If you'd similar to attempt out the materials I created for preparation teachers inward the operate of information technology as well as evaluating unlike chore types, yous tin download the null file of the whole session (9.4Mb) from here.

As I said inward a higher house though, you'll demand to bring MS's Silverlight installed, thus become to the file named 'wrapper.htm' as well as opened upwards it to start out working through the materials.

If yous desire to download the gratis LCDS as well as bring a play yourself, thus become here: https://www.microsoft.com/learning/tools/lcds/default.mspx

I'd hold out genuinely interested to listen from anyone else who's tried this, peculiarly if they've managed to acquire some working examples upwards online, thus practise driblet me a work as well as part your experiences.

Best

Nik Peachy

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