Yes, but there are limited capabilities to edit the audio track once it is inserted.
Does it allow for auto-advance?
Yes, it can advance based on mouse click, on a set timer, or on the completion of an audio/video track.
Does it allow for animations?
Yes, but limited in scope and compared to PowerPoint. Has similar timing mechanism as Presenter for associating animation triggers with audio cues.
Does it allow for video? Talking-heads? Web-video?
It allows for video, included embedded web-video from sources like YouTube. Supports .flv, .mp4, .mov, .avi, .wmv, .mpg, .mpeg, .asf, .3gp, .m4v, and .vob formats for uploaded videos.
Does not allow for traditional talking-heads, but could be reproduced through embedded video on the slide.
Is the final presentation accessible?
No, the presentations are not 508 compliant.
What are the available formats for the final presentation?
Online Flash streaming, proprietary online players for Windows and Mac, PowerPoint presentation, Adobe PDF.
How can the presentation be distributed?
Streams online from sliderocket.com proper, or can be embedded within any webpage. Offline delivery through proprietary players.
Does it allow for quizzes? If so, are they SCORM compliant?
No. It has polling, but no quizzing.
Is the UI similar to/integrated with PowerPoint, or is it different in significant ways?
It is similar to PowerPoint. Menus are different, but the core capabilities and metaphors are similar.
Licensing: business/education or individual?
Enterprise and individual. Discounts for K-12, but higher education discounts must be negotiated.
Cost?
Individual: $24/month, $240 annual
Enterprise: K/12 $999/year for 501-1000 students with 50GB storage( http://www.sliderocket.com/solutions/education_free.html )
No documented higher education prices.
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- Does it allow for Audio Narration?
Yes
- Does it allow for auto-advance?
It records the screen. (Yes?)
- Does it allow for animations?
There are a number of special effects. Of course it will capture whatever special effects are in the presentation
- Does it allow for video? Talking-heads? Web-video?
The output is video; can't embed links or frames as such
- Is the final presentation accessible?
Not accessible.
Would have to be accompanied by a separate text transcript
it may be possible to add text titles/captions in another tool
- What are the available formats for the final presentation?
many choices of video (web, mobile, etc)
- How can the presentation be distributed?
distributed as native video, HTML5 based video, embeddable on web page, uploadable to services like iTunesU or YouTube
- Does it allow for quizes? If so, are they SCORM compliant?
No
- Is the UI similar to/integrated with PowerPoint, or is it different in
significant ways?
no integration with powerpoint, beyond being able to capture a presentation session
- Licensing: business/education or individual?
Individual licenses at reduced cost for education. Probably can negotiate volume or site discounts.
- Cost?
Individual licenses for education: $99 per copy of Camtasia Mac, $179 per copy of Camtasia Studio for Windows.
Does it allow for Audio Narration?
• Does it allow for Audio Narration?
"Retain Embedded/Linked audio, narrations and audio on animations in PowerPoint files"
• Does it allow for auto-advance?
The website doesn't say.
• Does it allow for animations?
"Retain animation effects in PowerPoint files"
• Does it allow for video? Talking-heads? Web-video?
"Retain linked videos in PowerPoint files"
"Sync Live audio/video with PowerPoint Files"
"Sync pre-recorded audio/video files with PowerPoint files"
• Is the final presentation accessible?
See "Known Issues" at http://www.authorgen.com/authorpoint-lite-free/aplite-known-issues.aspx
• What are the available formats for the final presentation?
"Save as SCORM Compliant Flash presentation"
"Get an unbranded version of output player"
"Compile CD/DVD of your Presentations"
• How can the presentation be distributed?
"Share through authorSTREAM"
• Does it allow for quizzes? If so, are they SCORM compliant?
"With WizIQ, students can practice online tests."
• Is the UI similar to/integrated with PowerPoint, or is it different in significant ways?
"You will find the authorPOINT menu and tool bar in your PowerPoint window. Simply install authorPOINT. Then open your PowerPoint presentation and you are ready to begin capturing your synchronized authorPOINT presentation by clicking the capture button."
• Licensing: business/education or individual?
Educational pricing is available.
• Cost?
"Special AuthorPOINT educational price of $99 only"
"WizIQ offers 25 teacher accounts for $199.95/month."
Full details at http://www.authorgen.com/
http://topalternatives.com/alternatives/elearning-presentation-software.html
Of the 8 listed:
Looks like they thought Presenter was the best option, but lots of info on the competitors.
]]>Here's what I've looked at so far, and how they've faired:
Not impressed. The resulting presentations look more like poor flash-based websites than narrated presentations.
Pros:
Cons:
Produces some visually compelling presentations. This would be my #1 recommendation if it wasn't lacking key features.
Pros:
Of the tools I've looked at, SlideRocket has the most going for it. Several of the key features we'd need in a Presenter replacement are only available for pay, but they are there.
Pros:
Well, let's take a step back and think about the sync problem and what the ideal solution for it would do:This response, though humorous, speaks to a point we might consider as we continue exploring academic technologies. There are a lot of good ideas out there, and our job is not only to find innovation but to look deeper. Many of the tools we're discussing are trying to address some underlying issue with today's student experience, so the tools which are focused and simple are probably also easier to pick up and use.]]>They built that.
- There would be a folder.
- You'd put your stuff in it.
- It would sync.
Why didn't anyone else build that? I have no idea.
"But," you may ask, "so much more you could do! What about task management, calendaring, customized dashboards, virtual white boarding. More than just folders and files!"
No, shut up. People don't use that crap. They just want a folder. A folder that syncs.
"But," you may say, "this is valuable data...certainly users will feel more comfortable tying their data to Windows Live, Apple Mobile Me, or a name they already know."
No, shut up. Not a single person on Earth wakes up in the morning worried about deriving more value from their Windows Live login. People already trust folders. And Dropbox looks just like a folder. One that syncs.
"But," you may say, "folders are so 1995. why not leverage the full power of the web? With HTML 5 you can drag and drop files, you can build intergalactic dashboards of stats showing how much storage you are using, you can publish your files as RSS feeds and tweets, and you can add your company logo!"
No, shut up. Most of the world doesn't sit in front of their browser all day. If they do, it is IE 6 at work that they are not allowed to upgrade. Browsers suck for these kinds of things. Their stuff is already in folders. They just want a folder. That syncs.
That is what it does.
Blog post from Duke's CIT
Basic overview of how they work and a list of some common examples.
7 ways higher education can use QR codes to connect with current and prospective students
Quick post by Noel Levitz around QR codes. Lists 7 ideas about how to use QR codes in academia.
For me, the self-guided tour of campus was the most interesting.
Use QR Codes for Flashcards You Can't Cheat On
Example of someone using QR codes as flash cards for learning a second language.
From their website:
Books2Barcodes is an ongoing effort to convert all the world's great books to QR codes (2D barcodes). Each work featured here is the entire text of a piece of classic literature translated into several thousand barcodes. With a mobile device equipped with a camera and a barcode-scanning app, you can experience the joy of a great book as read through 800-character fragments on your cellphone.
My reaction:
You might see this and respond like I did, "Why would anybody do this?" Obviously, this is not the use intended when QR codes were first used at an automotive assembly plant to keep track of parts more efficiently; you can read more about their history at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_Code if you'd like. Considering that, I see this as a proof of concept, rather than an implication that this is the future of the medium.
It is possible, of course, that books and QR codes could be intertwined in a library or bookstore environment in ways that are more sensical. Imagine the example of walking out the door with synopses and citations without writing anything down. But the possibilities for text embedded in a QR code go on.
Perhaps consider a course syllabus stamped on the inside of a course text, letting the student recall today's class topic without fumbling through a folder. How about ingredient lists (or even a full recipe) under buffet tables? I could also picture easy-scan nametags at conferences, so you could scan one another's nametag and avoid the pile of business cards that get lost on the way home.
Have I missed anything? Feel free to add your ideas.
]]>http://www.eee.hku.hk/~iclass/#1
]]>Popular Polling software (most used by some faculty at the U):
PollEverywhere:
iRespond AnyPlace - web-based version of clicker
Quizdom: