Technologies Supporting Highly Interactive Learning Resources on the Web: An Analysis.Advances in desktop computer technology have made possible the development of interactive learning resources, which allow the learner to explore, experiment, and construct within graphical environments. Such resources are consistent with contemporary educational theory, and in particular the constructivist con·struc·tiv·ism n. A movement in modern art originating in Moscow in 1920 and characterized by the use of industrial materials such as glass, sheet metal, and plastic to create nonrepresentational, often geometric objects. view of teaching and learning, which emphasizes learners actively constructing their own knowledge representation. However, there seem to be very few examples of web-based learning resources employing these interactive techniques. This article analyses the technological capabilities of the Web as a delivery platform for highly interactive learning resources, consistent with a constructivist view of learning. The analysis shows that all of the required software capabilities can be implemented by web technologies, but that developers will need to master a number of complex techniques. The article also discusses some of the barriers to the use of the Web as a medium for such resources, including bandwidth, the lack of standardisation Noun 1. standardisation - the condition in which a standard has been successfully established; "standardization of nuts and bolts had saved industry millions of dollars" standardization of web browsing See browse. software and the complexity of web technologies. During the 1990s the World Wide Web (WWW WWW or W3: see World Wide Web. (World Wide Web) The common host name for a Web server. The "www-dot" prefix on Web addresses is widely used to provide a recognizable way of identifying a Web site. or Web) began to capture the imagination of many educators. The massive increase in the number of computers connected to the Internet Internet Publicly accessible computer network connecting many smaller networks from around the world. It grew out of a U.S. Defense Department program called ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), established in 1969 with connections between computers at the , both in homes and educational institutions, along with the usability How easy something is to use. Both software and Web sites can be tested for usability. Considering how difficult applications are to use and Web sites are to navigate, one would wish that more designers took this seriously. See user interface and usability lab. of web browsers The following is a list of web browsers. Historical Historically important browsers In order of release:
The Web has the potential to support a wide range of learning activities. These activities can be grouped into the following classes: * communicating with teachers and other learners without the need to synchronize See synchronization. in time or place; * attending to static learning resources, which may include text, graphics, animations, audio and video; * researching and independently seeking information, with the Web effectively providing access to a huge virtual library; and * constructing and articulating ideas, exploring and manipulating models, and solving problems, within an interactive learning resource. The first three classes of activity have been the focus of the majority of the web-based learning materials that have been developed to date. Resources facilitating the fourth class of activity are much less common on the Web. This is despite the strong body of research support (e.g. Jonassen, 1996; Rieber, 1994; Alessi Alessi may refer to: People:
The term interactive is widely used within the educational technology literature and the software industry in general. However, as discussed by Sims (1999), a range of different meanings has been attached to the term. In this article, the term interactivity refers primarily to human-computer interaction Human-computer interaction An interdisciplinary field focused on the interactions between human users and computer systems, including the user interface and the underlying processes which produce the interactions. , rather than human-human interaction. Using this definition of the term interactive, highly interactive learning resources can be defined as resources that facilitate a high degree of interaction between the learner and the resource. Although web-based learning resources incorporating Computer Mediated Communication (messaging) Computer Mediated Communication - (CMC) Communication that takes place through, or is facilitated by, computers. Examples include Usenet and e-mail, but CMC also covers real-time chat tools like lily, IRC, and even video conferencing. (CMC (Common Messaging Calls) A programming interface specified by the XAPIA as the standard messaging API for X.400 and other messaging systems. CMC is intended to provide a common API for applications that want to become mail enabled. 1. ) tools can allow a great deal of interaction between people, they do not necessarily facilitate interaction between the learner and the resource, and thus they are not termed highly interactive learning resources within this article. The article analyses the capabilities of the Web as an interactive learning platform. As well as discussing fundamental web technologies, such as the Hypertext Markup Language (hypertext, World-Wide Web, standard) Hypertext Markup Language - (HTML) A hypertext document format used on the World-Wide Web. HTML is built on top of SGML. "Tags" are embedded in the text. A tag consists of a "<", a "directive" (in lower case), zero or more parameters and a ">". (HTML HTML in full HyperText Markup Language Markup language derived from SGML that is used to prepare hypertext documents. Relatively easy for nonprogrammers to master, HTML is the language used for documents on the World Wide Web. ) the article also discusses the capabilities of interactive enhancements, including Dynamic HTML (1) A general term for (HTML pages) Web pages that are customized for each user; for example, returning different values from a search. Contrast with a "static HTML" page, which is the same for all users. See dynamic Web page. , Java Applets A Java program that is downloaded from the server and run from the browser. The Java Virtual Machine built into the browser is interpreting the instructions. Contrast with Java application. and plug-ins such as Shockwave A 3D animation and interactive learning technology and format from Adobe/Macromedia. Adobe Director generates Shockwave files, which can be viewed through a Web browser plug-in (the Shockwave player) or multimedia applications that access the player directly. . The use of interactive learning resources is well supported by contemporary educational theory and especially constructivist theories of learning. The analysis begins with an overview of Computer Assisted Learning (CAL (1) (Computer-Assisted Learning) Same as CBT. (2) (Conversational Algebraic Language) A timesharing language from the University of California. ) resources that are consistent with constructivist theory, with particular emphasis on those that can be classified as highly interactive learning resources. Having identified the types of CAL resource that are the focus of the article, the software capabilities necessary to implement each are identified. An overview of web technologies is provided, before an analysis of the extent to which the technologies address the required software capabilities is presented. Finally, additional barriers to the use of the Web as a medium for interactive learning resources are discussed. INTERACTIVE LEARNING RESOURCES Constructivism constructivism, Russian art movement founded c.1913 by Vladimir Tatlin, related to the movement known as suprematism. After 1916 the brothers Naum Gabo and Antoine Pevsner gave new impetus to Tatlin's art of purely abstract (although politically intended) The constructivist view of learning, which has become widely accepted within the educational community in recent years, can be summarized with three broad principles. The fundamental principle, attributed to Kant and later adopted by Dewey, is that people form their own representation of knowledge (Von Von. For some German names beginning thus, see under the proper name; e.g., for Otto von Bismarck, see Bismarck, Otto von. (Voice On the Net, Video On the Net) A trade show sponsored by pulver. Glaserfeld, 1984). The second principle, normally attributed to Piaget Pia·get , Jean 1896-1980. Swiss child psychologist noted for his studies of intellectual and cognitive development in children. , is that people learn through active experience, and that learning occurs when the learner's exploration uncovers an inconsistency in·con·sis·ten·cy n. pl. in·con·sis·ten·cies 1. The state or quality of being inconsistent. 2. Something inconsistent: many inconsistencies in your proposal. between their current knowledge representation and their experience (McInerney The name McInerney (mac-en-er-nee) - also spelt McInerny, McInnerny or McEnearney - is of Irish Gaelic origin where it is found in the modern Irish form of Mac an Airchinnigh (pronounced mock-on-arc-kenny) and in the old and literary form of Mac an Oirchinnigh and Mac an Oirchindig. & McInerney, 1994; Slavin, 1994). The third principle, normally attributed to Vygotsky, is that learning occurs within a social context, with interaction between learners, their peers and other members of the learning community being an important part of the learning process (Vygotsky, 1978). Although there is general agreement about the broad principles, there are differing interpretations, which emphasize different aspects of the way people learn and different approaches to the process of facilitating learning. For example, individual learning, involving exploration of objects, the environment, or a computerized computerized adapted for analysis, storage and retrieval on a computer. computerized axial tomography see computed tomography. simulation, is very consistent with Piaget's theories. On the other hand, collaborative learning Collaborative learning is an umbrella term for a variety of approaches in education that involve joint intellectual effort by students or students and teachers. Collaborative learning refers to methodologies and environments in which learners engage in a common task in which each , which may involve the use of the computer to mediate MEDIATE, POWERS. Those incident to primary powers, given by a principal to his agent. For example, the general authority given to collect, receive and pay debts due by or to the principal is a primary power. the communication process, is very consistent with Vygotsky's theories. Constructivist Learning Resources A consequence of the different interpretations of constructivism is that a wide range of GAL (1) (Generic Array Logic) A programmable logic chip (PLD) technology from Lattice Semiconductor. A GAL is a variation of a PAL (programmable array logic). See PAL and PLD. (2) "Get a life." See digispeak. (hardware) GAL - Generic Array Logic. resources have been labelled constructivist (see Harper & Hedberg, 1997 or Dalgarno, 2001, for an analysis of the consequences of constructivism for CAL). This section describes the various types of CAL resources that tend to be labelled constructivist and identifies those that can be considered to be highly interactive for the purposes of this article. Hypermedia hypermedia: see hypertext. The use of hyperlinks, regular text, graphics, audio and video to provide an interactive, multimedia presentation. All the various elements are linked, enabling the user to move from one to another. environments, which consist of static text, graphics, and other media, and allow learner-controlled exploration of information are consistent with the constructivist emphasis on active exploration and individual knowledge construction. However, the degree of learner-computer interaction is limited, with learners simply clicking repeatedly to follow hypermedia links. Consequently, such resources are not considered to be highly interactive learning resources for the purposes of this article. Resources that include CMC tools are consistent with the constructivist emphasis on learning within a social context and on interaction with members of the learning community. However, because the degree of learner-computer interaction is quite limited (as distinct from learner-learner or learner-teacher interaction), such resources are not considered to be highly interactive learning resources within this article. Resources that allow the learner to explore conceptual ideas, manipulate manipulate To cause a security to sell at an artificial price. Although investment bankers are permitted to manipulate temporarily the stock they underwrite, most other forms of manipulation are illegal. information, and construct their own representation of knowledge and which provide support and feedback on the learning process are also very consistent with constructivist principles. Such resources facilitate a high degree of learner-computer interaction, and consequently it is these resources that are the focus of this article. They include the following: * simulations and microworlds, which allow the learner to explore, manipulate or construct within a world and consequently to discover real or abstract concepts within the domain; * resources containing animated guides or intelligent agents, which provide adaptive guidance to the learner as they explore an environment or carry out tasks; * cognitive tools, which assist the learner in constructing representations of their knowledge; * practice tools, which require the learner to carry out specific tasks or answer specific questions and provide feedback on the learner's performance; and * scaffolding tools, which provide support as learners carry out authentic tasks. Highly Interactive Learning Resources A simulation can be defined as an interactive model of a real world environment (Thurman Thurman is the name of several towns:
Although a high degree of learner control is desirable in constructivist CAL resources, there is usually a need for pedagogical ped·a·gog·ic also ped·a·gog·i·cal adj. 1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of pedagogy. 2. Characterized by pedantic formality: a haughty, pedagogic manner. guidance, to assist with constructing learning goals and selecting tasks. This guidance could be in the form of a context-sensitive help Context-sensitive help is a kind of online help that is obtained from a specific point in the state of the software, providing help for the situation that is associated with that state. system, an animated guide or an intelligent agent, monitoring the browsing patterns of the learner (Wills, 1996; Oren, Salomon Noun 1. Salomon - American financier and American Revolutionary War patriot who helped fund the army during the American Revolution (1740?-1785) Haym Salomon , Kreitman, & Abbe, 1990). Oren et at, (1990, p. 381) described guides as interface objects that provide "canned additions to the database rather than intelligent reformations of the content" and agents as "autonomous software entities that make choices and execute actions on behalf of the user." Consistent with the constructivist emphasis on the learner's knowledge construction process is the use of metacognitive strategies, that is, strategies employed by the learner to improve their comprehension comprehension Act of or capacity for grasping with the intellect. The term is most often used in connection with tests of reading skills and language abilities, though other abilities (e.g., mathematical reasoning) may also be examined. , retention, and individual construction of knowledge. It has been proposed that the use of computer-based cognitive tools can be of assistance with these strategies. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Jonassen (1992, p. 4), such tools "amplify thinking and facilitate knowledge construction," while Wild and Kirkpatrick Kirk·pat·rick , Mount A mountain, 4,531.1 m (14,856 ft) high, of Antarctica near the edge of the Ross Ice Shelf. (1996, p. 414) state that these tools can "provide the means by which learners can construct, manipulate and evaluate representations of knowledge." These tools include text and hypertext hypertext, technique for organizing computer databases or documents to facilitate the nonsequential retrieval of information. Related pieces of information are connected by preestablished or user-created links that allow a user to follow associative trails across the editing tools, modelling tools, and concept mapping tools. An important element of the instructional process is the provision of opportunities for the learner to put their knowledge into practice and receive feedback on their knowledge constructions. Simulations and microworlds can be very effective for this, but for some knowledge domains, simple practice modules, such as multiple choice, single word or numeric numeric see numerical. numeric cluster see ten-key pad. answer quizzes, or the graphical matching or grouping of words and symbols, can be quite effective. One consequence of constructivist theory is the idea that learners should be given the opportunity to carry out realistic tasks. The provision of assistance or scaffolding to enable learners to complete the larger tasks without needing to learn all of the sub-tasks involved, is consistent with Vygotsky's emphasis on learners undertaking activities just beyond their capabilities, in what he terms their zone of proximal development Lev Vygotsky's notion of zone of proximal development (зона ближайшего развития), often abbreviated ZPD (ZDP ZDP Zero Dividend Preference Share (UK) ZDP Zamin Dis Pars (Iran) ZDP Zero Defect Program ZDP ZeroDayPhoto (Danville, CA) ZDP Zeta Delta Phi ) (Vygotsky, 1978). Scaffolding can be provided in part by the computer through support software. The software may be designed specifically for the purpose, such as the lesson planning tool described by Wild and Kirkpatrick (1996); alternatively, general purpose software such as a language translator, a spell checker A separate program or word processing function that tests for correctly spelled words. It can test the spelling of a marked block, an entire document or group of documents. Advanced systems check for spelling as the user types and can correct common typos and misspellings on the fly. , a thesaurus, or a spreadsheet spreadsheet Computer software that allows the user to enter columns and rows of numbers in a ledgerlike format. Any cell of the ledger may contain either data or a formula that describes the value that should be inserted therein based on the values in other cells. program can fill a similar role. REQUIRED SOFTWARE CAPABILITIES Having described the various classes of highly interactive learning resource, this section discusses the software capabilities that support the implementation of each. It begins with a discussion of general software capabilities that are likely to support the development of most classes of such resources. Software capabilities that support specific classes of resource are then identified. Finally, a table is presented that summarizes the capabilities supporting the development of each class of resource. This list of software capabilities is used later in the article as a basis for analysing the functionality of web technologies. General Software Capabilities The capabilities discussed in this section support the development of most classes of highly interactive learning resource. * Displaying precreated pages of text, graphics and other media * Jumping to new pages in response to user actions These first two are fundamental software capabilities for the development of both static and interactive learning resources. * Accepting text and numeric data Refers to quantities and money amounts used in calculations. Contrast with string or character data. entered into text boxes or fields * Displaying generated text and calculated numeric data within text boxes or fields These two capabilities support the development of less graphical simulations and microworlds, and cognitive, practice, and scaffolding tools. * Detection of specific mouse and keyboard operations This capability particularly supports the development of graphical simulations and microworlds, as well as graphical cognitive, practice, and scaffolding tools. * Positioning precreated text, graphics, and other media within the page This is an important software capability for all resources that include dynamic content, that is, content presented in response to user actions. * Generation of images through software controlled drawing or painting This is subtly different from displaying stored graphics. It is particularly necessary for graphical simulations and microworlds, and also the more graphical cognitive, practice and scaffolding tools. * Internal representation of data structures * Processing of text and numeric data These two capabilities are important for any type of adaptive resource, where the content generated depends on the current state of an environment, a model that the learner has constructed, or a sequence of tasks undertaken by the learner. * Saving of data structures to disk Interactive resources Interactive Resources is a Richmond, California, United States-based architectural firm headed by president and city councilmember Tom Butt. The company has performed large projects and studies mainly for the government, both local and statewide. that are to be used multiple times by a user need storage capability so that learners can resume their constructions, explorations, or manipulations. * Support for modular, component-based, or object-oriented 1. (programming) object-oriented - (OO) See object-oriented programming. See also object-oriented analysis, object-oriented database, object-oriented design. 2. (graphics) object-oriented - vector graphics. software architectures Most simulations and microworlds and the more complex cognitive, practice, and scaffolding tools, will involve nontrivial nontrivial - Requiring real thought or significant computing power. Often used as an understated way of saying that a problem is quite difficult or impractical, or even entirely unsolvable ("Proving P=NP is nontrivial"). The preferred emphatic form is "decidedly nontrivial". programming, including many lines of code The statements and instructions that a programmer writes when creating a program. One line of this "source code" may generate one machine instruction or several depending on the programming language. A line of code in assembly language is typically turned into one machine instruction. and manipulation of complex data structures. Software engineering theory suggests that modular or object-oriented software aschitectures allow such programs to be more robust and reusable re·use tr.v. re·used, re·us·ing, re·us·es To use again, especially after salvaging or special treatment or processing. re·us (Meyer Mey·er , Annie Florance Nathan 1867-1951. American writer and a founder of Barnard College at Columbia University (1889). Her plays include The Dominant Sex (1911) and Black Souls (1932). , 1988). * Linking to other software, through software component architectures Cognitive and scaffolding tools may make use of standard software components, such as HTML editors The following is a list of HTML editors with articles in Wikipedia. Text editors
Plain text editors may be used to produce webpages. , spreadsheets The following is a list of spreadsheets. Freeware/open source software Online spreadsheets
v. em·bed·ded, em·bed·ding, em·beds v.tr. 1. To fix firmly in a surrounding mass: embed a post in concrete; fossils embedded in shale. standard applications within a larger resource is important. Software architectures such as Microsoft's Component Object Model or the Java Beans See JavaBeans. architecture support this type of cooperation between applications. Specific Software Capabilities The following software capabilities support specific types of interactive learning resource. They tend to be higher level, in that they allow the generation of interactive resources without having to program the specific interactions from scratch. * Support for navigating (networking, hypertext) navigating - Finding your way around. Often used of the Internet, particularly the World-Wide Web. A browser is a tool for navigating hypertext documents. through precreated virtual environments Instead of programming a simulation or microworld from scratch, there are now standard data formats for virtual environments and standard software modules for navigating through such environments. Examples include QuickTime VR The virtual reality version of QuickTime. It allows subjects to be viewed on screen in 3D space. Scenes are compiled from renderings or from multiple still shots taken of all sides. See QuickTime. and the Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) A 3D graphics language used on the Web. After downloading a VRML page, its contents can be viewed, rotated and manipulated. Simulated rooms can be "walked into." The VRML viewer is launched from within the Web browser. ). * Support for display of predefined agents and scripting of agent actions Standard software modules are now available that allow the definition of the animated persona persona /per·so·na/ (per-so´nah) [L.] in jungian psychology, the personality mask or facade presented by a person to the outside world, as opposed to the anima, the inner being. per·so·na n. of an agent, and which will then display the agent's various possible actions under the control of simple software commands. * Maintaining a record of learner actions internally and on disk This is a fundamental requirement for agents and guides. * Ability to integrate with artificial intelligence software engines The more complex intelligent agents require the system to maintain an internal representation of the learner's current understanding of the domain, which is then used to generate appropriate guidance. Standard Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques are used in this process, and consequently the ability to make use of an AI software engine is important. * Support for the generation of quizzes Such quizzes might consist of multiple choice or numeric answer questions, or might involve graphical exercises such as matching or grouping of words or pictures. Summary of Required Software Capabilities Table 1 lists the general and specific software capabilities identified above and indicates which classes of resource are likely to be supported by each capability. The software capabilities identified in this section are used as the basis for analysing the capabilities of web technologies as a platform for highly interactive learning resources, later in the article. First, however, the following section provides an overview of web technologies. WEB TECHNOLOGIES In analysing web technologies, there are two sets of technologies to be analysed. First, there are the core technologies, which are implemented by all web servers and all web browser The program that serves as your front end to the Web on the Internet. In order to view a site, you type its address (URL) into the browser's Location field; for example, www.computerlanguage.com, and the home page of that site is downloaded to you. versions. Second, there are a number of addon For the computing term, see . Addon - low, one of the persons named in Neh. 7:61 who could not "shew their father's house" on the return from captivity. This, with similar instances (ver. 63), indicates the importance the Jews attached to their genealogies. technologies that provide additional capabilities, and particularly enhanced interactivity. These are termed interactive web technologies in this article. Core Web Technologies The Web is based upon a set of platform independent protocols to allow text, graphic, and multimedia information to be easily located and retrieved over the Internet. The important protocols are the Hypertext Transmission Protocol (HTTP HTTP in full HyperText Transfer Protocol Standard application-level protocol used for exchanging files on the World Wide Web. HTTP runs on top of the TCP/IP protocol. ), which provides the mechanism for transmitting transmitting, v to send and receive information, signals, and so on; allows a therapist to perceive a client's physical, emotional, and spiritual states. the information, and the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), which defines the format of the pages that are displayed on the Web. Because HTML is a markup language markup language Standard text-encoding system consisting of a set of symbols inserted in a text document to control its structure, formatting, or the relationship among its parts. The most widely used markup languages are SGML, HTML, and XML. and not a programming language, the only interactivity possible in pages created using HTML alone is the following of links to other pages. Another limitation faced by designers is that direct media support is limited to GIF GIF in full Graphics Interchange Format Standard computer file format for graphic images. GIF files use data compression to reduce the file size. The original version of the format was developed by CompuServe in 1987. and JPEG JPEG in full Joint Photographic Experts Group Standard computer file format for storing graphic images in a compressed form for general use. JPEG images are compressed using a mathematical algorithm. images in most web browsers. Additional technologies that enhance the interactivity and media capabilities of the Web are discussed in the following section. Interactive Web Technologies The main technologies that enhance the interactivity provided by basic web pages, are plug-ins, Active-X controls, Applets, client-based scripts and server-based programs. These are discussed in the following sections. First, however, an earlier mechanism for linking to external software components, termed helper applications An application that adds additional capabilities to the program that is running. See browser plug-in. , is discussed. Helper applications. When a user clicks on a link to a media or interactive element rather than an image file or another web page, this element must be handled by another application. Such an application is termed a helper application. A helper application is a program external to the web browser, which opens up a separate window before displaying the media or presenting the interactive component. This tends to distance the information from the text relating to relating to relate prep → concernant relating to relate prep → bezüglich +gen, mit Bezug auf +acc it. An alternative is to embed the element within the page, and this can be done through the use of plug-ins or Active-X controls. Plug-ins and Active-X controls. Plug-ins and Active-X controls will handle media content or interactive components embedded Inserted into. See embedded system. at a particular position within the page. Plug-ins are programs written to a Netscape (1) (Netscape Communications Corporation, Mountain View, CA, www.netscape.com) Part of America Online (AOL), Netscape specializes in Web software, including the Netscape Web browser. specification, and preinstalled on the local (client) machine. A particular plug-in An auxiliary program that works with a major software package to enhance its capability. For example, plug-ins are widely used in image editing programs such as Photoshop to add a filter for some special effect. is normally designed to handle content of a specific type. For example the QuickTime Apple's audio and video framework for the Macintosh, introduced in 1991 with the Mac System 7 operating system. QuickTime is the underlying engine in QuickTime Player, the media player that comes with QuickTime, as well as iTunes. plug-in displays QuickTime movie files. Both Netscape and Internet Explorer Microsoft's Web browser, which comes with Windows starting with Windows 98. Commonly called "IE," versions for Mac and Unix are also available. Internet Explorer is the most widely used Web browser on the market. It has also been the browser engine in AOL's Internet access software. support plug-ins. Active-X controls work just like plug-ins, but are written to a Microsoft (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA, www.microsoft.com) The most successful and influential software company. Microsoft's software and Intel's hardware pioneered the PC and revolutionized the computer industry. specification. They are only directly supported by Internet Explorer. Plug-ins and Active-X controls can be used to handle particular types of media content, or alternatively can be used to support the embedding 1. (mathematics) embedding - One instance of some mathematical object contained with in another instance, e.g. a group which is a subgroup. 2. (theory) embedding - (domain theory) A complete partial order F in [X -> Y] is an embedding if of an interactive component on the page. The following sections discuss some of the main plug-ins and Active-X controls that support interactive learning resources. Note that the more general term plug-in is used even though many of the examples identified are available as either plug-ins or Active-X controls. CAL authoring plug-ins. A number of CAL Authoring tools allow the authored content to be embedded in a web page and handled by a specific plug-in. The two most widely used such tools are Macromedia Authorware Macromedia Authorware (now part of Adobe Systems) is an interpreted, flowchart based, graphical programming language. Authorware is used for creating interactive programs that can integrate a range of multimedia content, particularly e-learning applications. that uses a plug-in called Shockwave and Asymetrix ToolBook A courseware development and e-learning authoring system for Windows from SumTotal Systems, Inc., Mountain View, CA (www.sumtotalsystems.com) that uses a "page and book" metaphor analogous to Apple's HyperCard "card and stack." Its OpenScript language is also similar to HyperTalk. which uses a plug-in called Neuron neuron, specialized cell in animals that, as a unit of the nervous system, carries information by receiving and transmitting electrical impulses. neuron or nerve cell Any of the cells of the nervous system. . The interactivity of the resources produced using these tools can range from simple hypermedia links between pages, to graphical quizzes, to more complex graphical interactions. Authorware A popular visual authoring program for Windows and the Mac from Adobe. Widely used for creating interactive material for corporate networks, CDs, DVDs and the Web, Authorware generates output that conforms to various learning management system standards (see LMS). does not allow complex data structures to be stored and manipulated, but Toolbook provides a rich programming language with object-oriented data manipulation Processing data. capabilities. Multimedia plug-ins. Some authoring tools designed for the development of general purpose multimedia resources (rather than specifically CAL resources) also allow their content to be embedded in a web page and handled by a plug-in. For example Macromedia (Macromedia, Inc., San Francisco, CA, www.macromedia.com) A software company specializing in multimedia authoring tools that was acquired by Adobe Systems, Inc. in mid-2005. It was founded in 1992 by the merger of Authorware, Inc., which was founded in 1984, and MacroMind-Paracomp. Director content is handled by the Shockwave plug-in. Additionally there are now a number of tools specifically designed for creating web multimedia content. Macromedia Flash creates content handled by the Shockwave plug-in. Real Networks' Real Presenter, Real Producer, and Real Slideshow See slide show. each produce content handled by the Real Player plug-in. Apple QuickTime Pro allows content to be produced that is handled by the QuickTime plug-in. These tools allow the creation of multimedia resources including text, graphics, animations, video, and audio, with interactivity ranging from simply clicking to view another frame, in the case of Real Presenter, to complex graphical interaction, in the case of Director and Flash. Virtual environment plug-ins. There are a number of tools available for creating virtual environments, with the formats created supported by plug-ins. For example Apple's QuickTime VR authoring tools allow photo-realistic environments to be created. These can then be embedded within a web page and explored using the QuickTime plug-in. A more powerful alternative is the Virtual Reality Modelling Language (VRML), which is a standard for 3D environments. VRML includes support for scripting, so objects within the environment can respond to user actions, and complex graphical simulations can be created. VRML files can be embedded within a web page and are handled by VRML plug-ins, including Cosmo COSMO Consolidated Supercomputer Management Office (NASA) COSMO Coalition of Senior Membership Organizations COSMO Coalition of Self-Managed Operators COSMO Common Specifications for Mobile Player, World View and Blaxxun Contact. Other plug-Ins. In addition to those previously identified, there are a number of plug-ins that support specific types of interactive learning resources. For example, the Microsoft Agent Microsoft Agent is a technology developed by Microsoft which employs animated characters, text-to-speech engines, and speech recognition software to enhance interaction with computer users. Thus it is an example of an embodied agent. Active-X control allows web pages to include embedded agents with built-in built-in - (Or "primitive") A built-in function or operator is one provided by the lowest level of a language implementation. This usually means it is not possible (or efficient) to express it in the language itself. appearance and behaviour, controlled through client-side scripting Client-side scripting generally refers to the class of computer programs on the web that are executed client-side, by the user's web browser, instead of server-side (on the web server). (scripting is discussed later). Another example is Chime, a plug-in that displays a 3D representation of chemical molecules. Java Applets. Another way to embed interactive components is through the use of Java Applets, which are programs written in the Java language, and which are executed by the browser browser Software that allows a computer user to find and view information on the Internet. The first text-based browser for the World Wide Web became available in 1991; Web use expanded rapidly after the release in 1993 of a browser called Mosaic, which used . Java Applets can be programmed from scratch in the Java language. Alternatively multimedia and CAL authoring tools, such as Macromedia Director and Asymetrix Toolbook will generate Java Applets. Client-based scripts. A client-based script is a program integrated with the HTML file, which is executed by the web browser on the learner's computer. Such scripts are normally written in the JavaScript JavaScript Computer programming language developed by Netscape in 1995 for use in HTML pages. JavaScript is a scripting language (or interpreted language), which is not as fast as compiled languages (such as Java or C++) but easier to learn and use. or VBScript languages. Used in conjunction with Cascading Stylesheets (CSS (1) See Cascading Style Sheets. (2) (Content Scrambling System) The copy protection system applied to DVDs, which uses a 40-bit key to encrypt the movie. ), a mechanism that allows the exact position of images and text on the page to be specified, they can allow the visibility, size, and position of content to be changed in response to user actions. The use of stylesheets and client-side scripts A small program that is run on the user's machine. For example, JavaScript scripts are widely used on Web pages that are executed in the client machine. Contrast with server-side script. together is often termed Dynamic HTML (DHTML See Dynamic HTML. DHTML - Dynamic HTML ). As well as detecting mouse and keyboard operations, such scripts can also process data entered into fields within HTML forms. Server-based programs. All of the interactive web technologies identified above make use of programs executed on the learner's computer. However, there are a number of mechanisms for enhancing the interactivity of pages by executing programs on the web-server computer. This is particularly important if the learner needs to be able to resume their explorations or constructions at a later date, using another computer. There is also scope for the use of server-based programs that generate the HTML on pages dynamically, depending on learner actions. This is likely to be particularly useful for simulations and microworlds and for agents. THE WEB AS A PLATFORM FOR HIGHLY INTERACTIVE LEARNING RESOURCES Having discussed web technologies in general terms, this section looks at their capabilities for implementing highly interactive learning resources. First, the extent to which these web technologies are able to support the required software capabilities identified earlier is analysed. The specific capabilities supported by each web technology are shown in Table 2. The additional barriers to the use of the web as a medium for highly interactive learning resources are then discussed. Addressing the Required Software Capabilities Table 2 shows that all of the software capabilities that support the development of highly interactive learning resources are fulfilled ful·fill also ful·fil tr.v. ful·filled, ful·fill·ing, ful·fills also ful·fils 1. To bring into actuality; effect: fulfilled their promises. 2. by web technologies. This means that the development of highly interactive learning resources for the Web is certainly possible. However, each of the web technologies listed supports only some of the desired software capabilities. Consequently, highly interactive learning resources developed for web delivery may require the use of a number of different web technologies. This means that web development of such resources is likely to be more complex than development of the same resources for CD-Rom delivery. This additional barrier and other barriers to the use of the Web are discussed in the following section. Additional Barriers to Web Delivery Additional barriers to the development of web-based interactive learning resources include bandwidth limitations, the difficulties in ensuring that the learner's computer has the required software, and the complexity of web development. These are each discussed in turn. Bandwidth limitations. Currently the majority of home users of the Internet have relatively low bandwidth connections, ranging from 14,400 bits per second to 57,600 bits per second. This means that a one megabyte One million bytes, or more precisely 1,048,576 bytes. Also MB, Mbyte and M-byte. See mega and space/time. (unit) megabyte - (MB, colloquially "meg") 2^20 = 1,048,576 bytes = 1024 kilobytes. 1024 megabytes are one gigabyte. resource that loads in under a second on a CD-Rom, will take up to 10 minutes to load by way of the Internet. This is particularly a problem for resources that include substantial graphic, audio, or video content, or which make use of Java Applets or plug-in elements that have to be downloaded every time they are used. The Internet bandwidth for most educational institutions tends to be slightly better, with many using ISDN ISDN in full Integrated Services Digital Network Digital telecommunications network that operates over standard copper telephone wires or other media. , microwave or fibre optic links rather than phone lines. However, the effective transfer speed will almost always be slower than CD-Rom. It is generally agreed that the Internet bandwidth will continue to improve, but the limited bandwidth is a barrier to the use of web-based interactive learning resources at this time. Client software requirements. A number of the interactive web technologies discussed above are available only in some browsers and versions. Specifically: * Active-X is supported directly only by Internet Explorer; * Java is only supported by version 3 or later browsers, and many of the Applets available are only supported by version 4 or later browsers; * JavaScript for recognizing mouse operations and positioning content is only supported by version 4 or later of the browsers, and must be coded differently for Internet Explorer and Netscape; and * VBScript is supported only by Internet Explorer. Additionally, resources that use plug-ins require that the learner downloads and installs the plug-in the first time they use the resource. This may be time consuming if they have a low bandwidth connection and may be difficult if the learner is not familiar with the process of installing software. These issues are less of a problem when the resources are used within a known environment, such as in a university or school computer lab, but are nevertheless an additional technical problem that must be addressed either by the teacher or by support staff. Development complexity. The final barriers to the development of highly interactive learning resources on the Web are the tools available, and the expertise required. Technologies such as JavaScript or Java Applets, for example, require scripting or programming. This is in contrast to the leading tools for CD-Rom-based CAL resource development, such as ToolBook or Authorware which allow quite complex interaction without any scripting or programming (Dalgarno, 1998). As discussed previously, many multimedia and CAL authoring programs allow some form of web delivery either through Java Applets or through the use of a plug-in. However, in most cases only some of the capabilities of the authoring tool can be used for resources that will be delivered on the Web. If other capabilities are required they must be programmed directly, possibly in a language such as Java, which is more difficult to use than the programming languages provided by the authoring tools. An additional problem for developers is the fact that no one web technology addresses all of the required software capabilities. Consequently web developers must become familiar with a range of technologies and must be able to integrate the technologies together within the one resource. The rapidly changing nature of these technologies presents additional challenges to developers. CONCLUSION This article has identified five classes of highly interactive learning resource along with the software capabilities required to implement each. These software capabilities have been used as a basis for analysing the Web as a platform for highly interactive learning resources. A range of web technologies have been described and the extent to which each meets the required software capabilities has been analysed. This analysis will help designers choose technologies appropriate for the resources they are developing. Specifically, once designers are clear about the classes of learning resources their project will include, the summary tables will help identify the software capabilities required and the web technologies likely to be appropriate. The analysis found that all of the required capabilities could be fulfilled by one or another of the web technologies available. Consequently, it can be concluded that all of the identified classes of highly interactive learning resource can be implemented on the Web. However, the complexity of web technologies and the fact that multiple technologies, programming languages and tools must be mastered by the developer, present barriers to the use of the Web as a medium for highly interactive learning resources. Additional barriers include the limited bandwidth of many people's existing Internet connection and the problem of ensuring that each learner has the required software on their computer. Consequently, unless the electronic delivery of the developed resources or the use of the Internet's communication capabilities are important requirements, traditional CD-Rom delivery may be most appropriate for highly interactive learning resources. As the bandwidth improves, as web technologies become more standardized standardized pertaining to data that have been submitted to standardization procedures. standardized morbidity rate see morbidity rate. standardized mortality rate see mortality rate. across browser platforms, and as more powerful and simpler to use web development tools become available, the Web may become a more attractive platform for highly interactive learning resources. It is important that educational designers are aware of the capabilities and limitations of the various mediums (in particular the Web and CD-Rom) so that an appropriate choice of medium can be made. The decision to develop web-based resources should be made only after analysing the desired learning outcomes and the learner-computer, learner-teacher, and learner-learner interactions likely to facilitate the achievement of these outcomes. In too many cases a decision to use the Web is made very early, and the resources are then developed within the constraints CONSTRAINTS - A language for solving constraints using value inference. ["CONSTRAINTS: A Language for Expressing Almost-Hierarchical Descriptions", G.J. Sussman et al, Artif Intell 14(1):1-39 (Aug 1980)]. of the bandwidth, client platform, and available development expertise. This can result in materials that fail to make use of the full potential of CAL resources. References Alessi, S.M., & Trollip, S.R. (1985). Computer-based instruction: Methods and development. NJ: Prentice-Hall. Dalgarno, B. (1998, December December: see month. ). Tools for authoring constructivist computer assisted learning resources: A review. In R. Corderoy (Ed.) FlexibilITy: The next wave?, pp. 127-148. Proceedings of the Australian Australian pertaining to or originating in Australia. Australian bat lyssavirus disease see Australian bat lyssavirus disease. 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In P.A.M. Kommers, D.H. Jonassen, & J.T. Mayers (Eds.), Cognitive tools for learning, pp. 81-97. Berlin: Springer springer a North American term commonly used to describe heifers close to term with their first calf. Verlag. The geometer's sketchpad [computer software]. (1995). Berkeley: Key Curriculum Press. [Online]. Available: http://www.keypress.com [10 January 2001]. Harper, B., & Hedberg, J. (1997). Creating motivating interactive learning environments: A constructivist view. In R. Kevill, R. Oliver, & R. Phillips (Eds.), What works and why, pp. 11-31. Proceedings of the Australian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education '97 conference. Curtin University of Technology, Perth, 8-10 December. [Online]. Available: http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/perth97/articles/Harper/Harper .html [10 January 2001]. Harper, B., Hedberg, J., & Wright, R. (1996). Exploring the nardoo [computer software]. University of Wollongong, Interactive Multimedia Learning Laboratory. [Online]. Available: http://www.immll.uow.edu.au/IMMLL/index.htm [10 January 2001]. Jonassen, D.H. (1992) What are cognitive tools? In P.A.M. Kommers, D.H. Jonassen, & J.T. Mayes (Eds.), Cognitive tools for learning, pp. 8-26. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. Jonassen, D.H. (1996). Handbook
This article is about reference works. For the subnotebook computer, see .
New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of : Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster U.S. publishing company. It was founded in 1924 by Richard L. Simon (1899–1960) and M. Lincoln Schuster (1897–1970), whose initial project, the original crossword-puzzle book, was a best-seller. Macmillan. McInerney, D., & McInerney, V. (1994). Educational psychology constructing learning. Sydney: Prentice Hall Prentice Hall is a leading educational publisher. It is an imprint of Pearson Education, Inc., based in Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, USA. Prentice Hall publishes print and digital content for the 6-12 and higher education market. History In 1913, law professor Dr. . Meyer, B. (1988). Object oriented See object technology and object-oriented programming. software construction. Hemel Hempstead Hemel Hempstead (hĕm`əl), town (1991 pop. 80,110), Hertfordshire, SE England. Hemel Hempstead was designated one of the new towns in 1946 to alleviate overpopulation in London. It is a market town and London suburb. , UK: Prentice Hall. Oren, T., Salomon, G., Kreitman, K., & Abbe, D. (1992). Guides: Characterizing the interface. In B. Laurel Laurel, cities, United States Laurel. 1 Town (1990 pop. 19,438), Prince Georges co., central Md., about halfway between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore; patented in the late 1600s, inc. 1870. (Ed.), The art of human computer interface design, pp. 367-382. Reading MA: Addison-Wesley. Papert, S. (1993). Mindstorms: Children, computers and powerful ideas. New York: Harvester harvester, farm machine that mechanically harvests a crop. Small-grain harvesting has been mechanized to a certain extent since early times. In the modern period the first harvester to gain general acceptance was made by Cyrus McCormick in 1831 (see reaper). and Wheatsheaf. Rieber, L.P. (1992) Computer-based microworlds: A bridge between constructivism and direct instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development, 40(1), 93-106. Rieber, L.P. (1994). Computers, graphics and learning. Debuque, IA: Brown & Benchmark. Sims, R. (1999). Interactivity on stage: Strategies for learner-designer communication. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 15(3), 257-272. [Online]. Available: http://cleo.murdoch.edu.au/ajet/ajetl5/sims.html [10 January 2001]. Slavin R.E. (1994) Educational psychology theory and practice. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Thurman R.A. (1993). Instructional simulation instructional simulation Graduation education A simulation used to help students acquire knowledge and skills through surrogate experiences; simulation success hinges on the degree to which it resembles a real experience from a cognitive psychology cognitive psychology, school of psychology that examines internal mental processes such as problem solving, memory, and language. It had its foundations in the Gestalt psychology of Max Wertheimer, Wolfgang Köhler, and Kurt Koffka, and in the work of Jean viewpoint. Educational Technology Research and Development, 41(4), 75-89. Von Glasserfeld, E. (1984). An introduction to radical constructivism. In P.W. Watzlawick (Ed.), The invented reality, pp. 17-40. New York: W. Norton & Company. Vygotsky, L.S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Harvard University, mainly at Cambridge, Mass., including Harvard College, the oldest American college. Harvard College Harvard College, originally for men, was founded in 1636 with a grant from the General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. . Wild, M., & Kirkpatrick, D. (1996, January). Multimedia as cognitive tools: Students working with a performance support system. In C. McBeath & R. Atkinson (Eds.), The learning superhighway superhighway - information superhighway . New world? New worries? pp. 412-417. Proceedings of the Third International Interactive Multimedia Symposium symposium In ancient Greece, an aristocratic banquet at which men met to discuss philosophical and political issues and recite poetry. It began as a warrior feast. Rooms were designed specifically for the proceedings. , Perth: Promaco Conventions. Wills, S. (1996, January). Interface to interactivity In C. McBeath & R. Atkinson (Eds.), The learning superhighway. New world? New worries? pp. 4 19-425. Proceedings of the Third International Interactive Multimedia Symposium, Perth: Promaco Conventions. Wright, W. (1989). SimCity. Moraga, CA: Maxis.
Table 1
Software Capabilities Supporting Each Class of Highly Interactive
Learning Resource
Simulations and Microworlds
Displaying pre-created pages of text, *
graphics, and other media
Jumping to new pages in response to *
user actions
Accepting text and numeric data entered *
into text boxes or fields
Detection of specific mouse and *
keyboard operations
Displaying generated text and calculated *
numeric data within text boxes or fields
Positioning pre-created text, graphics *
and other media within the page
Generation of images through software *
controlled drawing or painting
Internal representation of data structures *
Saving of data structures to disk *
Processing of text and numeric data *
Support for modular, component-based *
or object-oriented software architectures
Linking to other software, through
software component architectures
Support for navigation through *
pre-created virtual environments
Support for display of pre-defined agents
and scripting of agent actions
Maintaining a record of user actions
internally and on disk
Ability to integrate with
artificial-intelligence engines
Support for generation of quizzes
Guides and Agents
Displaying pre-created pages of text,
graphics, and other media
Jumping to new pages in response to
user actions
Accepting text and numeric data entered *
into text boxes or fields
Detection of specific mouse and *
keyboard operations
Displaying generated text and calculated *
numeric data within text boxes or fields
Positioning pre-created text, graphics *
and other media within the page
Generation of images through software *
controlled drawing or painting
Internal representation of data structures *
Saving of data structures to disk *
Processing of text and numeric data *
Support for modular, component-based *
or object-oriented software architectures
Linking to other software, through *
software component architectures
Support for navigation through
pre-created virtual environments
Support for display of pre-defined agents *
and scripting of agent actions
Maintaining a record of user actions *
internally and on disk
Ability to integrate with *
artificial-intelligence engines
Support for generation of quizzes
Cognitive Tools
Displaying pre-created pages of text, *
graphics, and other media
Jumping to new pages in response to *
user actions
Accepting text and numeric data entered *
into text boxes or fields
Detection of specific mouse and *
keyboard operations
Displaying generated text and calculated *
numeric data within text boxes or fields
Positioning pre-created text, graphics *
and other media within the page
Generation of images through software *
controlled drawing or painting
Internal representation of data structures *
Saving of data structures to disk *
Processing of text and numeric data *
Support for modular, component-based *
or object-oriented software architectures
Linking to other software, through *
software component architectures
Support for navigation through
pre-created virtual environments
Support for display of pre-defined agents
and scripting of agent actions
Maintaining a record of user actions
internally and on disk
Ability to integrate with
artificial-intelligence engines
Support for generation of quizzes
Practice Tools
Displaying pre-created pages of text, *
graphics, and other media
Jumping to new pages in response to *
user actions
Accepting text and numeric data entered *
into text boxes or fields
Detection of specific mouse and *
keyboard operations
Displaying generated text and calculated *
numeric data within text boxes or fields
Positioning pre-created text, graphics *
and other media within the page
Generation of images through software *
controlled drawing or painting
Internal representation of data structures *
Saving of data structures to disk *
Processing of text and numeric data *
Support for modular, component-based *
or object-oriented software architectures
Linking to other software, through *
software component architectures
Support for navigation through
pre-created virtual environments
Support for display of pre-defined agents
and scripting of agent actions
Maintaining a record of user actions
internally and on disk
Ability to integrate with
artificial-intelligence engines
Support for generation of quizzes *
Scaffolding Tools
Displaying pre-created pages of text, *
graphics, and other media
Jumping to new pages in response to *
user actions
Accepting text and numeric data entered *
into text boxes or fields
Detection of specific mouse and *
keyboard operations
Displaying generated text and calculated *
numeric data within text boxes or fields
Positioning pre-created text, graphics *
and other media within the page
Generation of images through software *
controlled drawing or painting
Internal representation of data structures *
Saving of data structures to disk *
Processing of text and numeric data *
Support for modular, component-based *
or object-oriented software architectures
Linking to other software, through *
software component architectures
Support for navigation through
pre-created virtual environments
Support for display of pre-defined agents
and scripting of agent actions
Maintaining a record of user actions
internally and on disk
Ability to integrate with
artificial-intelligence engines
Support for generation of quizzes
Table 2
Software Capabilities of Web Technologies
HTML Alone
Displaying pre-created pages of text,
graphics, and other media *
Jumping to new pages in response to
user actions *
Accepting text and numeric data entered
into text boxes or fields
Detection of specific mouse and keyboard
operations
Displaying generated text and calculated
numeric data within text boxes or fields
Positioning pre-created text, graphics
and other media within the page
Generation of images through software
controlled drawing or painting
Internal representation of data
structures
Saving of data structures to disk
Processing of text and numeric data
Support for modular, component-based
or object-oriented software architectures
Linking to other software, through
software component architectures
Support for navigation through
pre-created virtual environments
Support for display of pre-defined agents
and scripting of agent actions
Maintaining a record of user actions
internally and on disk
Ability to integrate with
artificial-intelligence engines
Support for generation of quizzes
Server-based Programs
Displaying pre-created pages of text,
graphics, and other media *
Jumping to new pages in response to
user actions *
Accepting text and numeric data entered
into text boxes or fields *
Detection of specific mouse and keyboard
operations
Displaying generated text and calculated
numeric data within text boxes or fields *
Positioning pre-created text, graphics
and other media within the page
Generation of images through software
controlled drawing or painting
Internal representation of data
structures *
Saving of data structures to disk *
Processing of text and numeric data *
Support for modular, component-based
or object-oriented software architectures *
Linking to other software, through
software component architectures
Support for navigation through
pre-created virtual environments
Support for display of pre-defined agents
and scripting of agent actions
Maintaining a record of user actions
internally and on disk *
Ability to integrate with
artificial-intelligence engines *
Support for generation of quizzes
Client-based Scripts
Displaying pre-created pages of text,
graphics, and other media
Jumping to new pages in response to
user actions *
Accepting text and numeric data entered
into text boxes or fields *
Detection of specific mouse and keyboard
operations *
Displaying generated text and calculated
numeric data within text boxes or fields *
Positioning pre-created text, graphics
and other media within the page *
Generation of images through software
controlled drawing or painting
Internal representation of data
structures *
Saving of data structures to disk
Processing of text and numeric data *
Support for modular, component-based
or object-oriented software architectures
Linking to other software, through
software component architectures
Support for navigation through
pre-created virtual environments
Support for display of pre-defined agents
and scripting of agent actions
Maintaining a record of user actions
internally and on disk
Ability to integrate with
artificial-intelligence engines
Support for generation of quizzes
Java Applets
Displaying pre-created pages of text,
graphics, and other media *
Jumping to new pages in response to
user actions *
Accepting text and numeric data entered
into text boxes or fields *
Detection of specific mouse and keyboard
operations *
Displaying generated text and calculated
numeric data within text boxes or fields *
Positioning pre-created text, graphics
and other media within the page *
Generation of images through software
controlled drawing or painting *
Internal representation of data
structures *
Saving of data structures to disk
Processing of text and numeric data *
Support for modular, component-based
or object-oriented software architectures *
Linking to other software, through
software component architectures *
Support for navigation through
pre-created virtual environments
Support for display of pre-defined agents
and scripting of agent actions
Maintaining a record of user actions
internally and on disk
Ability to integrate with
artificial-intelligence engines
Support for generation of quizzes
CAL Authoring Plug-Ins
Displaying pre-created pages of text,
graphics, and other media *
Jumping to new pages in response to
user actions *
Accepting text and numeric data entered
into text boxes or fields *
Detection of specific mouse and keyboard
operations *
Displaying generated text and calculated
numeric data within text boxes or fields *
Positioning pre-created text, graphics
and other media within the page *
Generation of images through software
controlled drawing or painting *
Internal representation of data
structures *
Saving of data structures to disk
Processing of text and numeric data *
Support for modular, component-based
or object-oriented software architectures *
Linking to other software, through
software component architectures
Support for navigation through
pre-created virtual environments
Support for display of pre-defined agents
and scripting of agent actions
Maintaining a record of user actions
internally and on disk
Ability to integrate with
artificial-intelligence engines
Support for generation of quizzes *
Multimedia Plug-ins
Displaying pre-created pages of text,
graphics, and other media *
Jumping to new pages in response to
user actions *
Accepting text and numeric data entered
into text boxes or fields *
Detection of specific mouse and keyboard
operations *
Displaying generated text and calculated
numeric data within text boxes or fields *
Positioning pre-created text, graphics
and other media within the page *
Generation of images through software
controlled drawing or painting *
Internal representation of data
structures *
Saving of data structures to disk
Processing of text and numeric data *
Support for modular, component-based
or object-oriented software architectures *
Linking to other software, through
software component architectures
Support for navigation through
pre-created virtual environments
Support for display of pre-defined agents
and scripting of agent actions
Maintaining a record of user actions
internally and on disk
Ability to integrate with
artificial-intelligence engines
Support for generation of quizzes
Virtual Environment Plug-ins
Displaying pre-created pages of text,
graphics, and other media
Jumping to new pages in response to
user actions *
Accepting text and numeric data entered
into text boxes or fields
Detection of specific mouse and keyboard
operations
Displaying generated text and calculated
numeric data within text boxes or fields
Positioning pre-created text, graphics
and other media within the page
Generation of images through software
controlled drawing or painting
Internal representation of data
structures
Saving of data structures to disk
Processing of text and numeric data
Support for modular, component-based
or object-oriented software architectures
Linking to other software, through
software component architectures
Support for navigation through
pre-created virtual environments *
Support for display of pre-defined agents
and scripting of agent actions
Maintaining a record of user actions
internally and on disk
Ability to integrate with
artificial-intelligence engines
Support for generation of quizzes
Other Plug-ins
Displaying pre-created pages of text,
graphics, and other media
Jumping to new pages in response to
user actions
Accepting text and numeric data entered
into text boxes or fields
Detection of specific mouse and keyboard
operations
Displaying generated text and calculated
numeric data within text boxes or fields
Positioning pre-created text, graphics
and other media within the page
Generation of images through software
controlled drawing or painting
Internal representation of data
structures
Saving of data structures to disk
Processing of text and numeric data
Support for modular, component-based
or object-oriented software architectures
Linking to other software, through
software component architectures *
Support for navigation through
pre-created virtual environments
Support for display of pre-defined agents
and scripting of agent actions *
Maintaining a record of user actions
internally and on disk
Ability to integrate with
artificial-intelligence engines
Support for generation of quizzes
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