Showcase
Using Articulate Presenter
At its simplest, this software simply imports standard PowerPoint slides and prepares them for web delivery. Its real power, however, comes from the fact that conditional paths can be defined through a presentation in relation to in-line quizzes or decisions made (buttons pressed) by the learner.
For example, if a student can solve a problem on slide X then go to slide Y, if not go to slide Z. The ability to create non-linear materials with paths dictated by learner interaction makes for much richer online learning. It allows just the right kind of information to be presented as and when it is needed. Working from existing materials the task of the instructional designer becomes focused on finding creative ways of re-authoring linear materials into multidimensional problem-based activities.
When working from source materials that are mostly PowerPoint presentations, a development tool like Articulate Presenter allows a developer to get away from the kind of fragmented e-learning that first asks learners to click through a set of slides and then to open a separate quiz to test their knowledge. This kind of 'tell and test' method of instruction is unfortunately too common in CBL (Computer-based Learning) circles. Its focus on short-term retention, rather than deep learning, tends to give e-learning a bad reputation. Here a more challenging exploratory framework is used to provide more effective tuition.