The design and development of a scaleable e-learning authoring system

This flexible and scaleable e-Learning Resource Authoring (ERA) system is designed to support the rapid development of content structures, instructional features and user interfaces. By separating content from design, we execute rapid global refinements to the user interface while maintaining reliability in large-scale e-Learning resource development. The user interface elements include multiple navigation strategies with pagination and position indicators, a main table of contents and sub-menus that support a modular design allowing lessons to be used independently. Interactive features include: multiple choice and open-ended assessments with tailored remediation and hyperreference links to context sensitive glossaries and other instructional features. The primary instructional components are the lesson previews and presentations that are available in a text format and streaming media versions with segmented play lists. Over fifty e-Learning modules have been developed with ERA. Modules can be easily mirrored on remote servers using commonly available web and streaming media software. Key Words: online instruction, e-learning, e-learnin