Thanks to Jane Hart, I was introduced to Xerte today. Xerte is an open source software package for creating interactive eLearning content.
The learning object interface feels a little awkward, but that is easily overlooked for its price tag … free. It appears to have decent documentation to help you get started, and you don’t have to know any scripting to create interactive learning content (including quiz questions and drag-and-drop features). If you are comfortable with ActionScript, you can extend its functionality with code.
Here’s a brief learning object demo from the Xerte (University of Nottingham) website.
Xerte – Learning Object Demo
Xerte supports popular media formats such as .jpg, .gif, .png, .swf, .flv, and .mp3. Xerte is also SCORM compliant. Similar to Adobe Presenter / Captivate and Articulate Presenter, Xerte publishes web-ready videos to html pages that call swf files (minus the price tag, of course).
If you are looking for a free tool to generate interactive eLearning content, give Xerte a try.
As you have heard we have been developing a global e-learning concept called E-Learning 4 Globalisation, with the support of the http://www.vukanitrust.com . The platform is now live but still in beta phase – http://www.elearning4globalisation.com
This platform will drive the global custom training solutions whilst giving each country and their members individual consultancy services and profiles.
Simply go to the website and click on your country or visit the partners section to access your country’s profile. We are still busy developing the individual company profile sections and the individual member sections. You will be updated as we progress through the different development phases.
If your organisation is not listed under your country’s members list feel free to contact us and we will make sure it is updated. Those members already added but with links to your site not working please supply us with your website link and we will update the platform.
This is an open source project so those of you who feel like you would like to contribute to the platform development feel free to contact us or launch a discussion on the site forum.
Future developments:
• Personal Company and User Profiles
• Online document sharing
• Live Video Chat
• New Learning Portal
• Regional drill down on world map
These are just a few of the developments on their way. As the platform grows and members collaborate the update phases will change but all registered users will be informed of any significant changes to EL4G.
If you have registered on the learning platform in the past please register on the main site as well, the next build of the learning platform and profile section will use these login details.
The project team is also busy with a number of other projects and are keen to expand our partners, if you are interested see list below for any area that may be of interest:
• Publish and Thrive – with Rhodes University School of Language we have developed a model to assist senior students and young academics start their publishing careers see http://www.elearning4africa.com Publish and Thrive tab. Since the launch 4 subsidy earning papers have been published with three more in process, we believe that this model is easily scalable and are now seeking partners with the view to securing funding for local partners.
• Indigenous Knowledge Systems – using the http://www.pezone.co.uk as a model and the work done for the Foundation for Human Rights (on Nelson Mandela praise poetry) the team aims to develop http://www.indigeniousknoweldgesystems.com the team is developing a proposal for submission to agencies and hope to include a wider partnership base for the submission.
• With Walter Sisulu University and a number of other partners we are exploring the establishment of an Institute for Public Policy and Traditional Systems – this is still in early conceptualisation phase but we would be keen tom identify any other partners who may be interested to engage with this exercise.
• The team is also engaged in securing funding for an HIV/AIDS stand alone USB based VLE for care workers in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, the model will establish translation templates and the initial release will be in isiXhosa with the view to expansion to other indigenous languages. If you are interested in being a partner please contact the team.
The Vukani Trust has committed to supporting the project team for two years to drive these and other projects and we aim to use this support to develop a vibrant and supported project based structure.
By: pezone on October 29, 2008
at 8:27 am
Can the output file from this tool be hosted on any website or is there a requirement for hosting on a specific site?
By: Amy Dreher on February 5, 2009
at 9:08 am