[flashxmlengine] Re: xerte evaluation
- From: "Tenney Julian" <Julian.Tenney@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <flashxmlengine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2007 13:45:33 +0100
Thanks for taking the time to have a look at Xerte and post your
comments. I'll look into the issues you raise and let you know what
happens. One thing though - in this case 'beta' does not mean
'unstable'. It means we are aware of some bugs and have a list of
functionality we'd like to implement when there is time. Xerte will
probably always be in beta! What's important is the build number, as
that will give people an idea of when they last updated it. The files on
the server are changing all the time: we constantly update the setup
files with new functionality and bug fixes. Where possible we will fix
bugs before writing new code. I'd encourage all of you to post any
issues to this list and make us aware of them.
Thanks again Tony,
Julian
-----Original Message-----
From: flashxmlengine-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:flashxmlengine-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tony Delahunty
Sent: 12 June 2007 12:59
To: flashxmlengine@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [flashxmlengine] xerte evaluation
Hi List: I'll post some comments here as there's no other conatct
address on the xerte home page. We got one of our team to try xerte out
and his comments here might be useful to others, including the bug
reports (Of course, some of these may already have been addressed, as I
see there've been new xerte releases in the last few days...)
----Evaluation report follows------------------------
2.1 Overview
Xerte is an xml editor and run time engine that is used to create and
deploy interactive learning objects. The user can choose from a range of
media to include in a learning object. This includes text, images, video
(FLV format only), and sound. Besides, the user can include built in
components e.g. drawing editor, interaction, decision etc. The user can
also insert scripts.
The documentation says that the users of Xerte need to be familiar with
ActionScript or JavaScript. One of the project team members Xerte had
this to say on Xerte forum:
'I think it's unlikely that your average academic would download Xerte,
make sense of it and start producing interactive multimedia, unless they
have some experience of flash, or JavaScript. There are other tools more
suited to non-technical users, and that's not what we're trying to do.'
2.2 Advantages
Any learning object developed in Xerte will automatically include
accessibility options like colour and size change options and text to
speech. Though the size change option does not work properly.
2.3 Drawbacks
The tool is in its Beta version and hence not stable. Further, the
information in the help section is inadequate and a new user does not
have an idea where to start. Besides, there are some basic features
which are not user friendly. For instance, when the user wants to insert
an image, the path of the image to be inserted needs to be typed
manually rather than from a 'file browse' dialog box as is the standard.
Similarly, colour code of text needs to be specified manually rather
than from a colour palette.
There are other functions in the programme which do not work properly.
They are as follows:
Only those properties of an icon can be deleted which are in the drop
down box. User defined properties cannot be deleted.
Preview command, when selected from the View menu, does not work.
Changing the position of text and images did not take effect some times.
Drag and drop activity requires the user to calculate coordinates of
drop target which is not user friendly.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Regards, Tony
____________________________________________
Tony Delahunty
E-Learning Development Co-ordinator
College of North West London
020 8208 5460
Tony.Delahunty@xxxxxxxxxx <mailto:Tony.Delahunty@xxxxxxxxxx>
P - B505
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