| Authoring is the term used to
describe the process of creating an electronic document that incorporates the artifacts
and the learners' reflections on the importance of those artifacts. The essential tasks
for planners preparing for ePDC authoring are these: 1) Decide the software that will be used to author the ePDC's.
Whatever title is selected for use, the software must be
capable of working with text along with whatever formats are used to store the artifacts.
Most programs that are advertised as "multimedia authoring" or "multimedia
presentation" have the features necessary for ePDC's. Key features to look for when
choosing software for authoring are summarized in this presentation.
A key feature to understand about the files created with
multimedia programs is the way files are organized. The metaphor of a stack of cards or a
slide show is frequently used to organize multimedia files. An important aspect of these
files is navigation between the pages that compose the file. The most effective ePDC's
allow authors (and subsequent readers) to navigate to any page from the current page. Some
multimedia programs create files that are linear-- readers must view the pages in the
order they were created. Such linear organization does not work well for ePDC's.
Educators in southwestern Vermont have developed ePDC's
using a number of software packages including MetaCard,
Revolution, PowerPoint, and web pages. Some of the key
aspects of workign with multimedia authoring programs are outlined in this presentation.
A web page template for an ePDC organized around Veront's
Vital Results and including ample "jump stations" for non-linear navigation is
included here. Some
advice for those new to web authoring is provided in this presentation.
2) Prepare a template for ePDC creators to follow.
Most ePDC's will have a structure or organization defined
in part by the learning that PDC authors are expected to demonstrate. This organization
also guides the preparation of a template for authors to follow. In brief, a template is a
complete ePDC, with each page titled as it will be in the final version and with all
navigation tools included and operational. As learners complete the ePDC, the file becomes
more individualized, but it still retains some connecting features with the ePDC's created
by other authors.
Preparing a fully operational template is a key aspect of
ePDC planning. Especially early in the development of a ePDC practice within a school,
templates will be updated on a regular basis, but be advised that once templates have been
individualized, it becomes exceedingly difficult to distribute updates or fixes to
templates. Once in use, templates must be fixed on each individual file, so prototyping
and evaluating templates is a key activity.
Perhaps the best advice for those who lack the skill with a
multimedia authoring program necessary to be confident of producing an operational
template is to seek experienced individuals to help build the prototype, but learn how to
use the program and manipulate the parts of the template independently.
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