Introduction What is eXe? The eLearning XHTML editor (eXe) is an authoring environment to assist teachers and academics in the design, development and publishing of webbased learning and teaching materials without the need to become proficient in HTML or complicated web-publishing applications.
eXe Authoring window showing a "Reading Activity" iDevice for the Wikipedia article on e-learning The Web is a revolutionary educational tool because it presents teachers and learners with a technology that simultaneously provides something to talk about (content) and the means to hold the conversation (interaction). Unfortunately, the power of this hypertext medium is constrained in educational settings because the vast majority of teachers and academics do not have the technical skills to build their own web pages, and must therefore rely on the availability of web developers to generate professional looking online content. eXe has been developed to overcome a number of identified limitations: •
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Much web-authoring software entails a fairly steep learning curve, is not intuitive or designed for publishing learning content. Consequently teachers and academics have not adopted these technologies for publishing online learning content. eXe aims to provide an intuitive, easy-to-use tool that will enable teachers to publish professional looking web pages for learning; Currently, learning management systems do not offer sophisticated authoring tools for web content (when compared to the capabilities of web-authoring software or the skills of an experienced web developer). eXe is a tool that provides professional web-publishing capabilities that can be easily referenced or imported by learning management systems; Most content management and learning management systems utilize a centralized web server model thus requiring connectivity for authoring. This is limiting for authors with low bandwidth connectivity or no
connectivity at all. eXe has been developed as an offline authoring tool without the requirement for connectivity. •
Many content management and learning management systems do not provide an intuitive WYSIWYG environment where authors can see what their content will look like in a browser when published, especially when working offline. eXe's WYSIWYG functionality enables users to see what the content will look like when published online.
Why use eXe over web-publishing applications like Frontpage or Dreamweaver? Applications like Frontpage and Dreamweaver can offer users a fairly sophisticated tool for web design, however the learning curve to become proficient in these applications can often be steep and time consuming. With eXe we have tried to identify many of the elements which make up learning resources and present these in forms that are technically simple and easy to use. In the eXe environment, these forms are known as iDevices (Instructional Devices). By building a learning sequence that includes a content structure and a number of iDevices users can begin to develop their own templates for content creation and reuse. eXe also provides assistance for authors in the form of 'Pedagogical Tips' around the inclusion of iDevices; these tips can help authors make informed decisions around when and how to use iDevices for teaching. Tips are also provided near each iDevice's form fields to assist authors in generating appropriate content. With eXe, users can develop a learning structure that suits their content delivery needs and build a resource that is flexible and easily updated. A rich text editor is available with the input fields in the iDevices providing basic formatting and editing functionality.
Installation eXe can be installed on Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS X, and Linux systems. To begin installation, download the appropriate package from our Eduforge downloads page . Windows Installation For Windows, we offer two formats. The exe-install-xxx.exe file is an executable installer that installs exe files directly onto your PC hard drive in the standard way. •
Note: Because eXe stores some path names in its configuration file, we recommend always using the same installation directory for eXe (like `C:\Program Files\eXe\`) as you upgrade from one version to the next.
Where access rights for installing applications is restricted or you are simply borrowing a PC and don't want to do a complete installation the exeready2run-xxx.exe file can be downloaded onto an external memory device like memory stick or CD-ROM and run directly from that device. No installation is required. It expands its required files into the temporary directory and runs from there. To install to PC
1. Save the executable file from Eduforge onto your desktop. 2. Double click the eXe installer file. This will launch the eXe Setup Wizard. Click Next. 3. The installer will install eXe into a folder called C:\Program Files\eXe\ . Click Next to accept this default location. 4. The installer will now install eXe. 5. Close the Setup Wizard. Mac OS X Installation To install eXe, simply drag the application to your Applications folder. Linux Installation eXe binaries are available for Fedora Core 6, Fedora 7, and Ubuntu Linux distributions. These install an exe executable into `/usr/bin` and also add eXe to the standard Accessory menu. (The RPMs may work on other distributions, but it has not been tested. It may be more productive to rebuild eXe from source, perhaps using the included exe.spec file with a command like `rpmbuild -tb exe-x.x.x.x-source.tgz`) The Fedora RPM can be used to install http://exelearning.org/HowTos/OpenSUSE
eXe
on
OpenSuse,
see:
Source installation There are some instructions on the eXe Wiki on how to use Subversion to check out the eXe source code: Source Control. The background information on building eXe from source is also available on the wiki.
Starting eXe Windows To start the eXe, double-click the eXe icon that should have appeared on your desktop after installation. If you don't have an eXe icon on your desktop you will need to find the application's icon in your Windows Start menu under Programs. You should probably maximise the eXe window to utilise all the space you have available to work in. Mac OS To start eXe click on the eXe icon. Linux Type exe from the command line. This will launch Firefox running eXe.
Working with eXe eXe has been designed to provide users with the flexibility to develop learning content or learning resources in a way that best suits their personal development processes. Some users for example, may prefer to outline the structure of their content before settling the detail of their content. Others might prefer to put in the detail and structure the content once they know the detail they have to cover.
For eXe users that prefer to design the structure of their content first, the Outline pane will enable you to construct an outline or course design that reflects your own preferred hierarchy and even taxonomy, e.g. topics-sectionsunits, or books - chapters - notes, etc. The outline structure can be easily adapted as content detail is added. The iDevice (instructional Device) pane is a collection of structural elements that describe learning content and activities. Examples of these include, objectives, pre-knowledge, case studies, or even free text. Learning content is created by selecting iDevices from the iDevice menu and entering your learning content. A learning resource may consist of as few or as many iDevices as needed to deliver the learning content. New iDevices are in development and recommendations for additional iDevices are constantly sought from the wider learning community. If the iDevice you need is not amongst those generic iDevices listed in the iDevice pane you may be able to create your own new iDevice using the iDevice Editor. This is covered later in the manual. Users can also embed the majority of current video formats as well as embedded mp3s. Once authoring is complete content can be exported using eXe’s Export facility. Content can be saved as a self contained web site for publishing to a web server, or as a SCORM Content Package or IMS Content Package, which should enable the resource to be imported into most SCORM compliant Learning Management Systems (LMS). eXe also includes exports for flat text files as well as an experimental iPod notes format export. eXe pages also format well for the printing of resources.
eXe Menu Options The Menu contains the following options: File, Tools, Styles, and Help. These are described briefly below:
File
contains options for Opening previous content you have worked on, Saving content, Exporting content as a Web Site or SCORM package, or Merging a previously authored package into the package you are currently working on
Tools
launch the iDevice editor, or select the language (preferences) that you would like to use eXe in, or refresh the display (if eXe seems to stop responding)
Styles select a style for your content Help
information to report a bug or learn more about eXe
About the Authoring Workspace eXe's authoring workspace is made up of two work areas. The left sidebar contains the tools that content authors can use to enter and organise content. While the authoring space behaves as a drafting board where content authors using the iDevice tools can edit and view content. Currently, a properties tab is
also accessible in this work space. The properties tab is designed to enable content authors to define basic metadata and taxonomy for the project as well as add header graphics and a title.
eXe Sidebar Located at the far left of the screen is the eXe sidebar containing the Outline and iDevice panes. The basic tree type structure allows users to add content pages (branches, children or nodes) to the trunk (Home page). Multiple levels can be added under this structure however guidelines for good content design suggest a fairly flat structure to be ideal for most learning content.
The Outline Pane
The Outline tool set allows you to define the structure your project will take. This is particularly useful for large or complex projects that contain many parts or topics. The Outline pane uses a tree structure to organise related pages. This first page or node is the Home page. This is the top level page and will always display as your project's home page when published. Function
Description
Home Page
The Home page is the first page displayed when the project is exported to the web or an LMS. This is a parent page and additional child level pages can be added under this page.
Adding pages
To add additional pages select the parent node by highlighting the parent level and click the <Add Child> button.
To delete a page, select the page you want to delete and click Delete pages the delete button. A dialogue message displays to check this action. Click OK to continue.
Renaming pages
Select the page you want to rename and click the rename button or double click on the node. A dialogue message prompts you to enter the new name. Enter the name and click OK. Merging pages allows you to take an elp file and merge the content of that file into another elp file, or to take a page from an elp file and extract it to create a new elp.
To insert a file select the node you wish to insert the content into then select Merge, Insert Package from the File menu. Alternately, you can right-click on a node and select Insert Extracting & Package. The Browser dialogue is displayed. Browse to the elp Merging file you want to insert and click Open. The new file content pages will now appear in your open elp file. To extract a node, select the node from your open elp file, select File, Merging, Extract Package (or right-click). A save dialog is displayed. Enter a file name for the node you are extracting and click Save. A confirmation message will be displayed. The promote/demote arrows are located beneath the outline Promote/De pane. Selecting a node and clicking on one of the arrows will mote arrows change the position of that node with the outline structure.
The iDevice Pane
The eXe iDevice pane The iDevice (instructional device) pane is a collection of structural elements
that describe learning content. Examples of these include, objectives, preknowledge, case studies, free text. Learning content is created by selecting iDevices from the iDevice menu and entering your learning content.
iDevice Descriptions iDevices
Description
Activity
An activity can be defined as a task or set of tasks a learner must complete. Provide a clear statement of the task and consider any conditions that may help or hinder the learner in the performance of the task. A case study is a story that conveys an educational message. A case study can be used to present a realistic situation that enables learners to apply their own knowledge and experience to. When designing a case study you might want to consider the following: •
Case Study
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What educational points are conveyed in the story What preparation will the learners need to do prior to working on the case study Where the case study fits into the rest of the course How the learners will interact with the materials and each other e.g. if run in a classroom situation can teams be setup to work on different aspects of the case and if so how are ideas feed back to the class.
Cloze Activity
Cloze activities prompts learners with a piece of text with significant phrases or words missing. Learners demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the concepts presented in the text by filling in the missing phrases or words. A useful device for testing reading comprehension and language skills.
External website
The external website iDevice allows you to attach an external website url to your content. This feature allows learners to browse the external website without the need to open a new browser window.
The majority of a learning resource will be establishing context, delivering instructions and providing general Free Text Area information. This provides the framework within which the learning activities are built and delivered. Image Gallery
The gallery iDevice allows you to upload and label multiple images.
Image Magnifier
The image magnifier allows the learner to view parts of an image in a magnified state.
Java applet
This is iDevice that allows users to load simple java applets
into the eXe content. Although more often used in formal testing situations MCQ’s can be used as a formative testing tool to stimulate thought and discussion on topics students may feel a little reticent in responding to. When designing a MCQ test consider the following: Multi-choice Question
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What learning outcomes are the questions testing What intellectual skills are being tested What are the language skills of the audience Gender and cultural issues
Avoid grammar, language and question structures that might provide clues. Multi-select Question
This iDevice provides the ability to choose more then one correct response to a question.
Objectives
Objectives describe the expected outcomes of the learning and should define what the learners will be able to do when they have completed the learning tasks. Prerequisite knowledge refers to the knowledge learners should already have in order to be able to effectively complete the learning. Examples of pre-knowledge can be:
Preknowledge
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Learners must have level 4 English Learners must be able to assemble standard power tools
RSS
The RSS iDevice allows users to import a snapshot of RSS content into your authoring environment where it can then be edited. This iDevice requires that the author be connected to the internet.
Reading Activity
Provide learners with structure to their reading activity. This helps put the activity in context for the learner. It is also important to correctly reference any reading materials you refer to as this models best practice to the learners. Not always essential if covered in the course content but providing feedback to the learner on some of the main points covered in the reading may also add value to the activity.
Reflection
The Reflection iDevice allows you to pose a question for the learner to consider of set an activity for learners to complete before receiving some guidance by clicking on the Feedback button.
SCORM Quiz
The SCORM Quiz iDevice bundles questions to form a quiz assessment. This assessment is then managed by the Learning Management System (LMS) to enable scoring.
True/False Question
True-false questions present a statement that requires the learner to make a determine whether or not the statement is true or not.
Wiki article
The wiki article idevice takes a snap shot of an article and embeds it into your eXe content. This iDevice requires that the author be connected to the internet. Changes made to the article will not automatically be updated to Wiki so changes made on your local machine to the wiki content in your content should be submitted back to the wiki where appropriate.
Authoring Window
The authoring window (to the right of the screen) displays the editable areas in the iDevice templates selected. Various editing tools are available to assist in the development of text.
Adding an iDevice
Formatting content using Rich Text Editor Using the iDevice rich text editor you enter your content as you would if you were using standard word processing type applications. Formatting of your content at this stage is relatively simple and the editing toolbar located above each editable frame provides some basic formatting, searching and linking functionality.
Clear field content Font styles: bold, italic, and underlined Font size selection menu Font family selection menu Text and text background colors Font styles: subscript and superscript Text alignment: left, center, right, and full Lists: unordered and ordered Text margins: outdent and indent Cut and copy to, and paste from, clipboard Paste clipboard as text, and paste from Word (to cleanup Word formatting) Help button for TinyMCE, the rich text editor Image: insert an image URL or embed an image file using its file browser; or edit its properties
See Embedding Images for more details Media: insert a media URL or embed a media file using its file browser; or edit its properties See Embedding Media for more details Math: generate or edit an embedded math image using LaTeX (see mimetex's LaTeX tutorial ) See Embedding Math for more details Insert an advanced horizontal rule Insert a table Table properties: row and cell Table rows: insert row before or after, or delete Table columns: insert column before or after, or delete Table: split and merge Text Link: insert a URL link or embed and link to a file attachment using its file browser; or edit its properties; or remove the link See Embedding Attachments for more details Undo and Redo edits or formatting Insert a custom character symbol HTML raw source editor (advanced users only) Remove formatting from selected text
iDevice Control Buttons
Each iDevice comes with a standard set of iDevice control buttons. These controls are described below. Green check mark Each time you enter content into a field you must click on the check mark. This records the content in the iDevice and switches the view to preview mode. Note This does not save your work!!!
Red X By clicking on the red X you will delete the iDevice and any content entered. Up and down arrows The up and down arrows allow you to change the order of the iDevices displayed on your screen. Move To menu You can move iDevices containing content between and within nodes. This is done by opening the drop down menu and selecting the node you wish to move it to. Edit iDevice The page and pencil icon that appears in preview mode beneath each iDevice enables you to edit that particular iDevice. This is done by clicking on the icon which opens the iDevice in edit mode.
Properties Tab
The properties tab allows capturing relevant project related data. Within this tab you will find three sub-tabs created to collect the data. The Package tab allows you to record basic project information like project title, author details and taxonomy. Authors can now also add a header graphic to a package which will display in the title area of the screen page.
The Metadata tab allows you to enter details which may prove useful for searching at a later stage. eXe currently supports Unqualified Dublin Core for IMS Content Packages. That same metadata is wrapped in a subset of the IMSLRM (which itself is a subset of the IEEE-LOM) for SCORM 1.2 exports. If the metadata entries are not filled in, eXe uses the package title, author, and description as fallback values. If you don't set the package title either, eXe will default to using the package filename. Field
IMS Content Scorm 1.2 Package
Title
dc:title
general.title
Creator
dc:creator
lifecycle.contribute (role=Author) Note: should be entered with VCARD tag such as FN:Joe Author or ORG:Big University
Subject
dc:subject
unused
Description
dc:description
general.description
dc:publisher
lifecycle.contribute (role=Publisher) Note: should be entered with VCARD tag such as FN:Joe Author or ORG:Big University
Publisher
Contributors dc:contributors
lifecycle.contribute (role=Unknown) Note: should be entered with VCARD tag such as FN:Joe Author or ORG:Big University Note: only one allowed.
Date
dc:date
used for lifecycle.contribute dates
Type
dc:type
unused
Format
dc:format
technical.format
Identifier
dc:identifier
general.catalogentry
Source
dc:source
unused
Language
dc:language
general.language
Relation
dc:relation
relation.resource
Coverage
dc:coverage
unused
Rights
dc:rights
rights.description
The Export tab allows you to select additional SCORM export features. SCORM features will be listed in this tab as they are developed and can be selected by activating the relevant checkboxes. In eXe 1.0, the only feature available is for the addition of next and previous links to be made for SCORM exports. This feature adds next and previous page
navigation buttons to each page when viewed through an LMS browser. At present this feature has been tested with the Moodle and Interact LMS. It relies on special functionality in the LMS and so should not be expected to work in all cases.
Menus and Toolbars Loading files Native eXe files are held as .elp files. When authoring existing files in eXe a file must be loaded to the eXe before they can be edited. eXe files are saved as .elp extensions (see Chapter 5 File Management for more detail). Loading .elp files to eXeSelect <file, open> in the toolbar. The <select a file> window opens allowing authors to browse to the folder or file sought. Select the file by double clicking on the file or selecting the file with a single click and clicking <open>. The file will open in the eXe authoring window.
Save Content IMPORTANT NOTE You must use the procedure described below to save your .elp file. The green checkmark closes edit mode for each idevice but does not save your package. Any edits made to idevices will be lost if not manually saved using the procedure outlined below. To save authored content Select <save> from the <file> menu in the toolbar. The <select a file> window opens allowing authors to enter a file name for the project. A dialogue message is displayed confirming the location of the saved file.
Exporting Content Content created in eXe can be exported as a web package ready for publishing to a web server, as a SCORM 1.2 package for delivery to a SCORM compliant LMS, an IMS Content Package, a Single Web Page suitable for printing, a plain text file for display on mobile devices, or iPod Notes files. To export a package For the Web Select <export> from the <file> menu in the toolbar. Select <Web Site> and then choose either <Self-Contained Folder> or <Zip File>. If you select <SelfContained Folder> select the folder you want to export to by selecting a folder from the <browse to folder> window, or create a new folder and click<OK>. A new folder can be created to store files by clicking on the <make new folder> button in the <browse to folder> window. Label the newly made folder and click <OK>. You can also export your web site as a zip file. This will help if you need to email your site to a webmaster, or if you have an LMS that can unzip files itself
(like Moodle). For SCORM / IMS Content Package Select <export> from the <file> menu in the toolbar. Select SCORM 1.2 or IMS Content Package. The <export SCORM package as> window will be displayed and you will be prompted for the package title. Enter the package title and click <save>. A similar process occurs for the IMS Content Package export. Packages exported this way are saves as .zip files. You do not need to unzip these files in order to import into an LMS.
Preferences The Preferences dialog currently enables you to change the language in which the eXe interface is rendered. Select a language from the pulldown list and hit OK to change to another language. Your selection will be remembered when you restart eXe.
Styles eXe currently offers seven page styles. Each style combines a different colour theme and icons appropriate to a theme. Styles are selected from the <Styles> menu on the toolbar.
iDevice Editor and iDevice tools
The iDevice Editor allows you to design your own iDevices.
Menu Item
Description
The Edit drop-down allows you to edit an existing iDevice Edit Drop-down or create a new iDevice. Menu
Note: Not all iDevices can be edited, only those with simple functionality are editable.
Menu Item Description Text Line
Add a single text line field
Text Box
Add text box field. This will allow multiple lines of text
Feedback
Add a feedback box that is activated with a show hide button
Menu Item
Description
iDevice Editor Actions Pane
The Actions pane provides a range of editing functionality.
Preview Button
The preview button allows you to preview the layout of the iDevice. Selecting preview displays the field items chosen with any tips, hints and labels assigned. In preview mode the preview button changes to Edit. Clicking on Edit returns you to the edit mode where you can continue to edit the iDevice.
Cancel Button
The cancel button is used with existing iDevices and cancels any change made in the current editing instance. All the origninal fields remain only fields added in this new editing instance will be cancelled.
Delete Button
The delete button removes the selected iDevice from the iDevice list.
Save Button
The save button saves changes to existing iDevices.
Import iDevice Button
The import button allows you to import an iDevice someone has exported for you.
Export iDevice Button
The export button allows you to export the newly created iDevice in a format that can be shared with other resource developers.
Quit
The quit button exits the iDevice editor.
Creating an iDevice To create an iDevice 1. Select Tools from the toolbar menu and select iDevice Editor. The iDevice
editor window will open. 2. Enter the device name, author name, and the purpose for the iDevice. 3. Enter any pedagological help you might give to other users on how you see the device being used. 4. Select the type of emphasis you want to place on the content entered with this idevice. No emphasis means that the content will display as plain text, Some emphasis differentiates the text slight and Strong emphasis highlights the text. By selecting emphasis you will be presented with an icon menu. Click on an icon to attach it to your iDevice. This icon will appear alongside the iDevice title. 5. The next step is to build your iDevice by selecting the elements you want to appear in your iDevice. The Add Text Field button provides you with a single line input field. The Add Text Area button gives you a multiple line input field. You can also add a Feedback field (similar to the Case Study iDevice). 6. Give each element a label and provide instructions on using each one. 7. Click Save. The new iDevice will appear in the iDevices Pane. This iDevice now behaves in the same manner as the other iDevices.
Known Bugs and Issues We acknowledge that there will be issues that maybe difficult for us to resolve from time to time. Sometimes this will be because building something that doesn't exist means the tools to create it may not have quite caught up with our design ambitions. On the other hand it might just be something we haven't worked out how to fix quite yet. Where this happens we will keep you updated with the bugs and issues we do know about. Current bugs and issues •
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Currently you cannot have more than one SCORM Quiz per node or page. You can however make a SCORM Quiz in each node, there is no limit to how many quizzes you have throughout your resource. We will continue to try to fix this problem but it has been set as a low priority. Ticket No. 265 The eXe file format has changed between versions. Now that version 1.0 has been released, we expect fewer changes. While newer versions of eXe can open old packages, old versions of eXe will not be able to open packages created with newer versions. This means if you are collaborating in authoring a document and sharing .elp files, you all should use the same version of eXe. The package format is compatible across platforms, so there is no problem sharing .elp files between Windows, OS X, and Linux. eXe does not do any file locking or transaction control that would allow multiple authors to safely edit the same package at the same time on a shared volume. Instead, each of the authors could work on components of a resource, and then use eXe's Merging... Insert Package feature to build the components into a single package.
Embedding eXe resources WARNING: This page is UNDER HEAVY CONSTRUCTION! eXe allows you to embed several different types of resources into your elearning package. These include images, media (video and audio clips), mathematical graphics (using LaTeX), and attachment files. First, a quick distinction between actually embedding resources into your eXe content, and merely linking to externally hosted objects. Resources which have been embedded into your content will be saved along with, and as part of, your e-learning package, and will therefore always be available within your content (even when offline). This portability does come at a cost, though: the file size. Any resource which is embedded will correspondingly increase the size of your .elp and any exported content. Please be aware that - especially with large multi-media resources - exported SCORM packages (for example) can quickly grow to exceed the maximum size allowed for your particular LMS. Linking to externally hosted objects, rather than actually embedding them as resources, will keep the size of your e-learning package down to a minimum, but will then require access to the web servers hosting your external objects. An externally hosted object can easily be specified with a valid URL for the object that begins with "http:". You may also link to external objects within a locally accessible filesystem by specifying a valid URL that begins with "file:", but be aware that this same filesystem must likewise be accessible from anywhere you would like your final exported learning content to be viewed. As you can tell, there are trade-offs in either embedding or linking. In some circumstances, you might want to ensure that your e-learning package is as self-contained as possible, embedding your resources such that your content may stand alone without any network connections at all. Other times, you might prefer to keep keep your e-learning package as small as possible and not actually carry around the extra size of any additional resources. You may mix and match as necessary - embedding some resources while linking to other externally hosted objects. The choice is yours. ???? Pros/Cons - table of comparison for embedding -vs- linking? AND/OR: any purtty pictures to help illustrate this?
Embedding Images â&#x2C6;&#x161; This is a lot of stub text - real content coming soon! + SIZES!!!!!!! + borders + aligning using tables (courtesy of Willy!) + linking (? save it for the attachments bit? or at give a brief mention of here, anyway?)
Embedding Media Allows the following media types: ShockWave Flash (SWF, YouTube, or Google Video), QuickTime, Windows Media, or Real Media (audio) The above media types also require the appropriate additional plugin support. With only Flash installed, may also embed media of type: mp3 or FLV.
√ This is a lot of stub text - real content coming soon!
Embedding Math √ This is a lot of stub text - real content coming soon!
Embedding Attachments √ This is a lot of stub text - real content coming soon!
Tips and Tricks for embedding eXe resources of any type √ This is a lot of stub text - real content coming soon! And perhaps some general tips and tricks for embedded resources? Q: should these appear in an ending category? At least.... some words of caution: - in general, do not copy & paste - do not drag and drop, even within the same iDevice field! - discuss the entire chain of events at all? NO - too complicated! + discuss what "embedding" really means (done, above!), then, that it will be included within the .elp, and that it will be available in any exported content (such as, web sites or SCORM packages). Possibly even a mention of how the resource directories are currently referenced within eXe?
File Management eXe File Formats .elp eXe content packages are saved as .elp (elearning packages); this file format is primarily for internal eXe use, but can be used to exchange content between users who have a need to collaborate. SCORM export The content package is saved to a zip file which packages all the pages created along with an IMSmanifest.xml file for use with SCORM compliant learning management systems (LMS). This document provides the LMS with instructions on how to display and structure the content package. IMS export This format packages the content in a similar way to the SCORM export HTML export Two options are available for Web Site Export. Self Contained Folder creates a folder of HMTL pages, images and style sheets required to publish the content package to the web. Zip File will generate a zipped file of all your content as a web site for easier delivery of content to a web master, or for uploading into an LMS that can unzip files. . Currently if using Windows environment eXe files will be saved to the My Documents folder. This is the default and can be changed by entering the path you wish to save your files to.
Tips Inserting YouTube video into eXe You can now include the HTML code to insert YouTube (or Google) Videos into eXe content. This will display videos from either of these sites inside your content when it is published online. To insert the code, first locate the video you wish to include and select the embed HTML from the YouTube page.
Then, using any iDevice in eXe select the HTML button from the editing toolbar.
and paste the code you have copied from YouTube into the HTML editing window. Click on the Update button to insert the YouTube code into eXe. The code that you have inserted does not display in the editing environment but your video will appear in preview mode if you are authoring while online. If you are offline it will only display when exported and put online or inside your favourite LMS. You can still enter text and other formatting around the video, it's just a little tricky to figure out where the video is in relation to your entered text. Looking at the HTML view is an easy way to do some simple formatting to get your video to appear where you would like.
The Refresh Option If like me you often have that urge to follow a web link within your content you will discover that clicking on the link should open it in your preferred browser, not in eXe. If something does open in your eXe authoring pane, you can restore your original work by using the Refresh Display option in the Tools menu.
Close an instance of eXe completely To properly close an instance of eXe you must use the Quit option under the File menu. This is a particular problem with Windows users who are used to using the close button at the top right hand corner of an application to close it. If you somehow manage to close just the eXe display window (Firefox), the eXe server will continue to run in the background. On Windows if you have
closed the eXe display with the red close button, use the following steps to stop the process. • • • •
Press Ctrl>Alt>Delete and open Task Manager Select the Processes tab Select exe.exe from the list of processes currently running Click the End Process button
Utilizing the Homepage The very top level of the eXe hierarchy represents your content homepage. This is the only page that can be accessed at this level. This tip covers some options for using this page particularly where your content does not require the homepage as part of its hierarchy, in other words all the pages of your content are represented on the same structural level. Welcome and Instructions Use the homepage to Welcome learners to the content. • • • •
Provide some background about what they can expect from the resource, why it was produced, how it was produced and perhaps who produced it. Describe the overall learning objective for the content Provide references to any academic publications that may have been used to compile the content. Provide learners with instructions on how to work through or navigate the content
Glossary Application
Software that a user interacts with. The activity of producing learning content (usually written) Authoring from an idea or theory. A range tools designed to enable users to write, edit and Authoring Tools publish learning content. CBT Computer Based Training May also be referred to as learning content, describes the Content information entered through the authoring editor (eXe). Content Objects can be thought of as an iDevice with the Content Object content filled in. The facilitation of learning via electronic delivery mechanisms, e-Learning e.g. computers, CD/DVD, internet. e-learning XHTML editor – a web-based authoring eXe environment designed for teachers and academics. eXe Sidebar The control device that contains eXe authoring tools. HTML Hypertext Markup Language. Small graphic devices that are displayed on both the Icon authoring and presentation interfaces. Instructional elements that provide a framework for entering iDevice content.
A standard package format for bundling an educational IMS Content resource and metadata describing it for upload to a Learning Package Management System or repository. A plain text markup scheme that allows typesetting, and in LaTeX eXe, making print quality mathematical symbols and equations. LMS Learning Management System. Moodle A very popular Open Source Learning Management System. Defines the basic unit in the learning design (Outline) Node structure. Also referred to in the context of eXe as a page. Something published by eXe, e.g. a SCORM package, or a Output website. Package A Content Package is a collection of content. Pedagogical A template is a Content Package where the content objects Template are not yet filled in. Pedagogy The term used to describe teaching strategies. Presentation A definition on how a Package should be presented. Template Based on TinyMCE the rich text editor allows inputting Rich Text Editor formatted text, images, media, mathematical symbols, and attachments in eXe text areas.. Sharable Content Object Reference Model - a common SCORM technical framework for computer and Web-based learning. Tab Folder tab styled interface. Taxonomy Hierarchical classification of items e.g. Chapter, Page, Section. XHTML Extensible Hypertext Markup Language. XML Extensible Markup Language.