Please can anyone advise on any other products (other than Macromedia, Flash, Director, Authorware, Toolbook, Asymmetrix etc.) that I can look at for developing our own e-learning / tutorial modules - e-learning/authoring packages that require little training and that would enable us to develop modules in house rather than paying for contractors / companies to do it for us at massive cost. The package needs to be able to handle software application simulations that the user can "interact" with. Thank you.
Graeme Edwards
4 Responses
Developing yourself vs Someone doing it for you
Graeme
You seek something like the holy grail!
This is a question that I have asked many times. I work as an e learning consultant for MMT but before that for Lloyds TSB.
Many products promise much but fail to deliver, or underestimate how much experience people need in IT and Instructional Design.
One different product I have come across before is TrainerSoft, if you would like more details drop me an e-mail [email protected]
My experience of bespoke work is that the costs are reducing and when we undertake projects for clients we have content administration systems developed so they can continue to populate and update their sites once the project is finished.
I have posted a question on learning portals in this forum, if you get a chance please let me have your thoughts on my questions.
Regards
Gareth
([email protected])
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Authoring packages
Graeme
As well as Trainersoft (trainersoft.co.uk) which Gareth has mentioned, you could also look at a product which may offer you more opportunity for creativity in the design and that’s Dazzler (dazzlersoft.com). From both companies I believe you can get a 30 day or so demo disk.
I shall shortly be evaluating another piece of kit for a Cambridge software house so if neither of the above offers you what you are seeking drop me a line (address below).
Interesting that you should be going the DIY route to save on the ‘massive costs’ of external specialists. Just to check that out, keep tabs on the cost of hours and materials spent on your project and, even though the above products have good tutorials, note any problems experienced. When the project is finished (flexible launch date?) compare all the costs against the quotation from outside to do the work – which I take it you’ve got to justify the comment and the DIY route – and you may find, depending on your usual workload, the difference is not ‘massive’ enough in your favour to DIY on a regular basis.
I wish you a happy learning curve and a soft landing.
Arthur Homes
[email protected]
Try “Control” or “XpressTrain”
I don’t know if it will be in line with what you are trying to achieve, but we have recently invested in a product called “Control” from Nimbus Partners (Email [email protected]), and I am very pleased with it as a piece of software that is enabling me to create a site on our intranet where people can access information on training.
Also, we have gone with a company called H2O Fluid Solutions for a training support and development software product called XpressTrain(email Kelvin Hicks, their Director on: [email protected] or visit their website at http://www.h2ofluidsolution.co.uk).