Authoring environment

Draft

Definition

• An authoring environment is toolkit to build software or digital contents.

• An educational authoring environment allows to create artifacts like web sites, interactive hypermedia, microworlds, simulations,

Some authors make finer distinctions, e.g. in Locatis and Al-Nuaim historical review and analysis (1999), “the term authoring tool refers to a range of software products having utilities for composing, editing, assembling, and managing multimedia objects, while the term authoring system refers to a subset of these products allowing multimedia development without having to program.”

A short history

• PLATO-like systems
• Programming toolkits for Videodisks
• Programming toolkits with multimedia extensions
• Multimedia authoring systems
• Web authoring systems
• Learning object repository and educational object communities
• Half baked systems (see Teacher empowerment)

See also:

• Educational technology for general overview of the field and Educational technologies for other technologies
• Design methodology

Genres

According to difficulty, e.g.

• Programming toolkits, often used together with an integrated development environment (IDE)
• Visual languages to author interactive systems
• Content authoring systems

According to data formats

(see various entries)

• Multimedia formats in various forms (bitmap graphics, vector graphics, etc.), e.g. tools for formats like:
  • Macromedia Flash
  • Macromedia Director
• Interactive educational multimedia (see: Multimedia authoring systems)
  • Macromedia Authorware
  • Hypercard and followups like Revolution
• E-learning standards
  • Most LMSs do include an authoring environment through web-based forms. See IMS Content Packaging.
  • Better systems offer support for standards like IMS Simple Sequencing (and hopefully IMS Learning Design in some near future).
  • Activity-based systems like LAMS and CeLS
  • Stand-alone editors like the Reload Editors, exe or the IMS Learning Design Reload editor.

According to educational function

• Editors for microworlds, e.g:
  • Squeak, in particular its visual eToys scripting language.
  • LEGO Mindstorms
  • ToonTalk
  • AgentSheets

• Editors for simulations
  • STELLA

• Editors for drill and practise programs (see also CBT)

• E-learning content editors
  • E.g. exe

• Editors for quizzing
  • E.g. IMS QTI tools

Sociology of authoring and reuse

Authoring by teachers

"Lessons learned" of the East/West group (Spohrer, Summer