Chapter 11. Creating eLearning Applications

To consider Captivate as being nothing more than an "industrial strength" screen capture utility or application would be a huge mistake. The simple fact that you can add interactivity through the use of click boxes and so on means you can also create extremely effective eLearning presentations.

For example, instead of showing the viewer which button on the interface to click, why not ask the user to click the appropriate button? A caption could then appear explaining if the choice was the correct one. Alternatively, rather than ask a question, ask the viewer to enter the answer into a text box and, again, provide the appropriate feedback.

You can even provide the viewer with feedback captions. Hint captions suggest a correct answer, while Success and Failure captions appear in response to a specific action. Text boxes also give the viewer the opportunity to enter the answers to questions, and Captivate lets you define multiple correct answers to a question. For example, a question might be: "Captivate is an example of ______." The correct answer could be either "program," "application," or "software." In this case, the answer typed into the text box will be checked against the three possible answers, and the appropriate feedback to the answer will be presented.

You can also add an extra dimension to your movies by adding true/false or multiple-choice quizzes to your movies. Quizzes are useful for providing the viewer with feedback regarding how well he or she comprehended the content. For multiple-choice quizzes, you have quite a degree of flexibility. You can include a single correct answer or multiple correct answers. You can even branch to other Captivate movies based upon the viewer's responses.

Branching permits you to create what Captivate calls Learning Objects (LOs), which are individual Captivate movies focusing on a single aspect of the overall learning objectives. These objects use buttons, click boxes, text boxes, and quizzes to jump to different slides in the movie or to even different movies. In this manner, the content is tailored to the viewer's learning style. For example, if a viewer is having problems understanding a particular concept or operation, you automatically redirect the presentation to another presentation that offers a bit more practice or a slightly less complex version of the subject matter.

Captivate provides three types of movies than you can use for eLearning purposes:

• Demonstration This is a straight screen capture of a software procedure or technique. It employs the use of captions and highlight boxes to demonstrate the lesson. This is a linear presentation format, which is, essentially, self-running (requiring no interactivity).

• Simulation The student proceeds through the movie performing the tasksclicking boxes, entering information, etc.that one would perform normally when using the technique.

• Training This mode adds the all-important element of eLearningthe quiz. In Captivate, answers can be graded and sent to your Learning Management System (LMS). Also, the use of branching and feedback enable you to mold the movie to the student's knowledge.

Finally, all of the interactivity in your movie can be tracked and scored because Captivate content is both SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) 1.2 certified and AICC compliant. This makes your movies able to integrate fully with any LMS by automatically generating the XML manifest that the LMS requires.

An LMS is, essentially, a database that uses LOs as the presentation to the student. The LMS then brings the "results" of the LO into the LMS database for storage. Typically an LMS contains information such as when, where, and how often has this student taken this test; the student's name and position; and passing and failing grades or efforts.

Standards and Learning Management Systems

There are several LMSs that range from off-the-shelf software to custom applications. The key to any system is how the scoring data moves from Captivate, for example, into the LMS. How that happens is the role of standards. If standards weren't in place, organizations switching from one LMS to another would also have to change all of their courseware.

LMS standards, therefore, describe the metadata involved in the course definition. This datacontaining, for example, the author, objectives, and course structureis usually contained in an XML document referred to as a manifest.

These standards are not independent of each other. In fact, they are interrelated because the members of standards organizations are usually members of the other standards organizations. There are four major LMS standards:

• Advanced Distributed Learning (ADLor ADLSCORM) This is a U.S. governmentsponsored initiative to facilitate instructional content development and delivery using current and emerging technologies. SCORM focuses on the next generation of open architectures for eLearning applications.

• Aviation Industry Computer-Based Training Committee (AICC) The AICC has developed the most widely accepted interoperability standards for computer-based training (CBT) or eLearning applications. AICC-compliant applications meet the guidelines for deployment, delivery, and evaluations of digital training materials.

• IMS Global Consortium (IMS) This organization sets the standards for K-11 and postsecondary education. Its focus is maintaining an open standard for locating and using educational content, student progress, and tracking, and enabling the exchange of student records between various administrative systems.

• Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Learning Technology Standards Committee This group focuses on software components, tools, and technologies used for digital learning.