e-Learning Technology Review

Jennie File
Tim L. Wentling, Alaina Kanfer, Jason J. La Fleur

Authoring | Delivery | Integrated| Portals | TMS

Authoring Tools - General Information

Authoring tools provide a way to create content. A variety of different methods exist to author the content used in e-learning and vary in their approach and degree of difficulty. Many of these are mentioned in the Internet Standards section, such as HTML, DHTML, and XML. The development of training and performance support in HTML and its derivatives using traditional tools is efficient and easy, compared to the development of computer-based training on CD-ROM (Curtin 1997). Many third-party authoring tools are available and frequently used in e-learning content creation such as Macromedia Authorware and Dreamweaver (with CourseBuilder plug-in) and Click2Learn's ToolBook, among others. Some provide simple features and offer drag and drop interfaces for designing content. Others require programming in HTML, Java, or other languages. Typically, the courses that are authored in a more complicated environment offer more media-rich interactivity (Hall 2000a).

With the adoption of Internet Standards for new web languages (such as DHTML and XML), we may see a decay in the use of some third party authoring tools for e-learning content.

General | Trends | Delivery Options | Media | Features
Contact Information Partners Technical Requirements

click2learn.com, inc.
(formerly Asymetrix)

Toolbook II Assistant

110 - 110th Avenue N.E., Suite 700
Bellevue, WA 98004

Phone: (425) 462-0501 or (800) 448-6543
Fax: (425) 637-1504

URL: www.click2learn.com
Email Address:email@click2learn.com
ToolBook II Assistant is an e-Learning authoring program that is specifically designed for ease of use. Its intuitive interface is ideal for those who want to create interactive learning applications quickly, without programming. Using the simple drag-and-drop interface in Assistant allows anyone with information to convey to author effective courses. 		Content Partners:
Active Education
Adacel
Catapult
Competence Software, Inc
ComputerPREP
Crisp Puplications
CyberStateU.com
DiscoverWare
FirstNet Learning, Inc
InfoSource
Jossey-Bass Publishers
KnowHowZone
Knowledge Quest
KT Solutions
Learn2.com
Macmillan Publishing
Master Point Learning Systems
Maxim Training
NETg
NetSyndicate
OTSI

Technology Partners:
Arthur Andersen
Apex
DataBeam
ILINC
Iprax Training Solutions
Plateau Systems
Silton-Bookman Systems.

Technical Requirements
Pentium 90 processor minimum (Pentium 166 or higher recommended)

Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows NT 4.0 (or later)

16 Megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM) for playback

20 MB minimum for authoring (32 MB or more recommended)

70 MB or more free hard disk space (up to 300 MB for all optional components)

CD-ROM drive (double-speed or faster recommended)

Video graphics adapter (VGA) able to display at least 256 colors at 640x480 pixel resolution (VGA capable of displaying 32,768 colors at 800x600 pixel resolution recommended)

Windows-compatible sound card (optional)

click2learn.com, inc.
(formerly Asymetrix)

Toolbook II Instructor

110 - 110th Avenue N.E., Suite 700
Bellevue, WA 98004

Phone: (425) 462-0501 or (800) 448-6543
Fax: (425) 637-1504

URL: www.click2learn.com
Email Address:email@click2learn.com
ToolBook II Instructor is a high-end authoring tool designed for creating e-Learning courses and applications. Instructor offers a full-featured development environment for creating sophisticated courses that you can deliver over the Internet, an intranet, or on a CD-ROM. Its wide array of tools includes the Actions Editor for creating custom functionality that converts automatically to DHTML to produce unique Web pages. You can quickly create an application by using the preprogrammed objects in the Instructor catalogs and the convenient templates. For specialized needs, Instructor includes the powerful OpenScript programming language for preparing simulations, utilizing AcitveX controls, and creating other types of object behaviors. 		Content Partners:
Active Education
Adacel
Catapult
Competence Software, Inc
ComputerPREP
Crisp Puplications
CyberStateU.com
DiscoverWare
FirstNet Learning, Inc
InfoSource
Jossey-Bass Publishers
KnowHowZone
Knowledge Quest
KT Solutions
Learn2.com
Macmillan Publishing
Master Point Learning Systems
Maxim Training
NETg
NetSyndicate
OTSI

Technology Partners:
Arthur Andersen
Apex
DataBeam
ILINC
Iprax Training Solutions
Plateau Systems
Silton-Bookman Systems.

Technical Requirements
Pentium 90 processor minimum (Pentium 166 or higher recommended)

Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 2000, or Windows NT 4.0 (or later)

16 Megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM) for playback

20 MB minimum for authoring (32 MB or more recommended)

70 MB or more free hard disk space (up to 300 MB for all optional components)

CD-ROM drive (double-speed or faster recommended)

Video graphics adapter (VGA) able to display at least 256 colors at 640x480 pixel resolution (VGA capable of displaying 32,768 colors at 800x600 pixel resolution recommended)

Windows-compatible sound card (optional)

Macromedia Authorware

600 Townsend Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

Phone: (415) 252-2000
Fax: (415) 525-0554

URL: www.macromedia.com
Email Address: customerservice@macromedia.com
Macromedia Authorware 5.1 is the leading visual rich-media authoring solution for creating Web and online learning applications. As a training developer, instructional designer, educator, or subject matter expert, you can create engaging rich-media learning applications, deliver them to employees and customers on the Web, LANs, and CD-ROM, and track student results and the return on your training investment. 		Partners:
Macromedia has partners for other products but not Authorware		 Technical Requirements
Windows

Authoring
Intel Pentium processor
Windows 95/98, or Windows NT 4 or later
16+ MB RAM
CD-ROM drive
640 x 480, 256-color display (higher resolution and color depth recommended)
40 MB of free hard disk space
Sound Blaster-compatible sound card
AVI and QuickTime for Windows support

Playback
486/66 or higher processor, including Intel Pentium processor
Windows 3.1, Windows 95/98, or Windows NT 4 or higher
8 MB RAM required (12 MB recommended)

Mac

Playback
PowerPC or 68040 or greater
System 7.5.1 or later
8 MB RAM required (12 MB recommended)
640 x 480 resolution and 8-bit color (256 colors) monitor or higher

Macromedia CourseBuilder for Dreamweaver

600 Townsend Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

Phone: (415) 252-2000
Fax: (415) 525-0554

URL: www.macromedia.com
Email Address: customerservice@macromedia.com
Macromedia CourseBuilder for Dreamweaver is a powerful extension application to Macromedia Dreamweaver for creating Web-based learning content and interactive Web pages. With CourseBuilder for Dreamweaver and Dreamweaver 3, you can quickly create engaging Web sites and compelling, Web-native learning content and deliver them across multiple platforms and browsers.		 Partners:
Macromedia has partners for other products but not CourseBuilder for Dreamweaver 		Technical Requirements
Windows
Intel Pentium processor, 133 MHz or equivalent
Windows 95/98 or Windows NT 4
32 MB of RAM
30 MB of free hard disk space
Color monitor capable of 800 x 600 resolution
CD-ROM drive

Macintosh
8500/120 or equivalent
Mac OS 8.1 or later
32 MB of RAM with virtual memory set to 64 MB+
30 MB of free hard disk space
Color monitor
CD-ROM drive

Mentergy Quest

(Was Allen Communications)

Allen Division
5 Triad Center
5th Floor
Salt Lake City, UT 84180

Phone: (800) 325-7850 or (801) 537-7800
Fax: (801) 537-7805 (main) or (801) 799-7378 (sales)

URL: www.mentergy.com
Email Address: info@allencomm.com
Quest is a high-performance, 32-bit authoring system that provides a dynamic, visual authoring environment for both novice and expert learning developers. It simplifies the authoring process, while at the same time giving trainers unlimited options for interactivity. Quest is widely praised for its true object-orientation and unique architecture. Users can move seamlessly between content screens and design levels and between authoring and run-time views. 		  Technical Requirements
For Authoring
PC compatible, running Windows 95, 98 or NT 4.0 or higher (NT recommended)

Minimum Pentium 133 Processor (Pentium 200 or higher recommended)

Minimum 64 MEG RAM (128 MG recommended)

SVGA graphics card

For Delivery
PC compatible, running Windows 95, 98 or NT 4.0 or higher

Minimum Pentium 90 processor (Pentium 133 or higher recommended)

Minimum 32 MEG RAM (64 MEG RAM or higher recommended)

SVGA graphics card

Because Quest 6.0 takes advantage of the newest technologies, it requires 32-bit, Windows operating systems only (Windows 95 -- and higher -- and Windows NT). Courses created in Quest 6.0 can only run on 32-bit playback systems.