e-Learning Authoring Tools (eLAT)

Those clever folks at the University of Nottingham have been at it again! A while ago I asked via the Xerte Teachers JISC mailist what the best way was to correctly attribute images sourced via Flickr Creative Commons in a Xerte Toolits learning object. The suggested solutions were useful, if a little clunky, and mainly involved adding snippets of html to Xerte pages (some other solutions are proposed by Ron Mitchell in this learning object). However, Patrick Lockley and Julian Tenney at Nottingham have now come up with a far more practical and elegant solution.

The tool is distributed online via the JISC-funded Xerte Public E-learning Repository (XPERT). It is essentially an Ajax web search for images, video and audio that uses custom APIs to search for Creative Commons-licensed content from Flickr and Wikimedia Commons (the Flickr content should be ’safe’). Where it goes (way) beyond, say, an advanced search for reusable images in Google, is in the way it allows you to embed the attribution in the image itself, select an optimum size for using in Xerte Online Toolkits, and even choose to embed in a Powerpoint slide.

To test the tool, do the following:

• go to http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/xpert/attribution
• enter your search term in the search box and click the search button
• wait for 5-10 seconds for the results to appear
• choose a suitable image/sound/video and click ’select’
• click on your output option (e.g original size with attribution, a size optimised for Xerte, Powerpoint etc.)
• the image will open in a new tab or window where you can save it (or embed the code if you use that output option)

This is a very useful tool for anyone searching for a way to correctly and efficiently attribute open content. Even better for Xerte Toolkits users is the news that the developers are planning to integrate the tool into a wizard in an upcoming release.

I’ve been in touch with Simon Ball and Alistair McNaught, who are both senior advisers at JISC TechDis. Their job is to provide expert advice and guidance on disability and technology. Where this fits in with the eLAT project is that JISC TechDis supports the development and dissemination of Xerte – one of the authoring tools we’re concentrating on here at the University of Bath.

The JISC TechDis website gives good background on Xerte, and highlights how it has been developed in order to factor accessibility into the learning objects you create. This is one area where Xerte is strong:

http://www.techdis.ac.uk/index.php?p=3_28

As well as introducing themselves, Simon and Alistair were helpful in providing links to presentations and to modules – learning objects created in Xerte that concentrate on the role of technology in enhancing accessibility in teaching and provide suggestions for technological solutions.

Alistair’s presentation: quality_elearning4masses.ppt

Simon’s modules:

1. Preparing Learning: http://xerte.techdis.palepurple.co.uk/play_37
2. Delivering Learning: Lecture/Classroom: http://xerte.techdis.palepurple.co.uk/play_39
3. Delivering Learning: Fieldwork/Practical: http://xerte.techdis.palepurple.co.uk/play_22
4. Delivering Learning: Online: http://xerte.techdis.palepurple.co.uk/play_36
5. Assessing Learning: http://xerte.techdis.palepurple.co.uk/play_34

In addition, they mentioned that training materials were being put together, which will be useful for this project – for me to feed into and to gain from. Finally, they pointed me in the direction of Thomas Rochford, who is involved in a USB stick implementation version including both Xerte and Moodle – Moodle and Xerte on a Stick, aka MAXOS – and in the Moodle client synchronisation project.

Very productive for introductory correspondence, giving me reassurance that Xerte appears to be well supported and beneficial at least from an accessibility point of view. Now I’ve got to familiarise myself with the software and start seeing its potential – and/or drawbacks.