Online Learning 2002 Europe, which takes place on 5-6 March, will host the UK’s first live software shootout in which vendor teams will compete, live on stage, to demonstrate the merits of their content development tools.
The contest requires each team to produce an online course to teach the use of a software application. The focus is on the development of simulation based instruction, a task that has traditionally proved challenging and time consuming.

Eight vendor teams will participate, representing the emerging category of content authoring tools designed specifically to ease the task of producing simulations. The contenders are: Global Competency Systems (RADAuthor), Global Knowledge (OnDemand Personal Navigator), MaxIT (DazzlerMax), Paragon Solutions (SoftSim), Productivity Center (Virtual Professor), Qarbon (Viewlet Builder), X.HLP (X.HLP Designer), Xstream Software (RapidBuilder).
Conference delegates will witness the real time use of these tools and be able to judge their performance and ease of use as each team produces the same piece of content. This offers a very different perspective from the usual sales demonstration on which many purchase decisions are made.

The software simulation shootout will be introduced and ‘refereed’ by Bryan Chapman, an analyst with Brandon Hall. Teams will work against the clock to a strict timescale.