 With
a complete multimedia e-learning environment in mind, the
goal for this project was to recreate or imitate the advantages
of a classroom setting thus reducing or eliminating training
staff. The combination of text, screen shots, animated simulations
and narration, enhance the learning process and keep users
interested throughout the entire course.
The e-Learning program is comprised of seven modules with
numerous lessons in each. The program focuses on teaching software
applications
such as Windows 2000, Outlook, Remote Printing, Remote Networking,
Remote Access and Richter's in house accounting software.
The Richter e-Learning program was developed to be used
over Richter’s LAN, however the program was also developed
to be delivered, if necessary, through the Internet. The program
uses a standard browser to showcase lesson and quizzes therefore
eliminating the need for stand-alone software.
 The
project demanded a flexible framework that could load lessons
for various courses; control and record student progress,
and offer quizzes that tested the student's mastery of the
material. Macromedia Flash™ MX was the platform of choice,
since it offers rich-client functionality with the ease of
distribution of a browser application. Using the powerful
object-oriented and XML features of Macromedia Flash™
MX, we were able to quickly create a "shell" for
the lessons to load into.
 Server-side
ASP pages performed the back-end database connections. The
main shell as well as all quizzes, were loaded from the database.
The quizzes pull six random questions from a pool of twenty
questions in the database. The questions are then displayed
to the student and the results posted back to the database
for student performance assessment and analysis of the effectiveness
of the questions themselves.
The Richter e-Learning program also includes a full line
of reports which not only track the user throughout the
program, but also
counts the number of times each answer was clicked in reference
to the correct answer, the number of times the user took the
quiz, and how long each lesson and quiz took to complete. The
reports are available to the client to review at any time.
Using actual screen shots of the programs, simulations showing
the necessary steps to complete tasks, corresponding text
and a narrator, the program doesn't leave much to the imagination.
Each step in the lesson is timed to work together so that
the narration and simulation cue each other. If a user would
rather read through the lessons, the audio could simply be
turned off.
The final product is an enhanced user experience, eliminating
the need for live staffed classes and giving the client
the ability to evaluate user progress and the program effectiveness.
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