Introduction
If we imagine or think or discuss about the present and future learning environment, it is difficult and maybe even impossible that it is not sustained without the support of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and its tools for digitization and management of content. (www.mhrd.gov.in)
When looking at the current widespread diffusion and use of ICT tools in modern societies, especially by the young – the so-called digital generation – then it should be clear that these ICT tools will affect and alter the entire learning process today and in the future. In India Ministry of Human Resource Department (MHRD) has taken very good efforts and providing resources to promote and implement of ICT in teaching and learning through National Mission on Education through ICT (NMEICT) where individual teacher of higher education will get grant for content development using open source/free ware ICT tools. This text is devoted to an open source /freeware ICT tools useful for developing e-content based on four quadrate methodologies adopted in NMEICT-SAKSHAT.
Everyday we pass and experience through the process called learning, regardless of the fact that we are kids or adults. Few years back learning process was known as simply “learning” and not so much time ago, the expression “adult learning” is mentioned more and more often. During the last few years there have been many deliberations on lifelong learning and much thought has been pointed out seeking to catch latest technologies, creation of awareness, computer literacy, communication and etc. This text is based on one of the results of ‘Sakshat thi Sikshit’ mission of Gujarat Government’s academic initiative called Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG). It seeks to create an adult teacher training methodology which will be based on the creating the awareness about NMEICT as well as to conduct training programmes across the state, based on four quadrant approach for developing e-content using various open source / free ware ICT tools like Open Office, Audacity, eXe learning, Xerte, Pencil, Wing and learning management tools like Moodle and use it in practice. This might be the first step in development not just in technological knowledge but also in teacher’s pedagogical capacity related to their specific subject areas.
The concept of education is rather wide, however, regardless of the fact whether it is formal or informal, secondary or higher, youth or adult education it can be defined as a teaching process during which knowledge is transmitted. Knowledge can be offered using various ways, for example, orally, in a written form or visually. Thus, a particular learning content such as audio, written, visual or any other is used. Moreover, having well developed information and communication technologies, learning content is created and presented in an electronic way, thus, it is defined as e-learning content. A four quadrant approach includes four assets in content which are text, pictures/video/animation or simulations, web links and self assessment. A text, pictures, audio and video records and animations are separate elements of e-learning content. The aim of text is to present tools that may help teachers to develop content of e-learning courses in an attractive way.
Basic assets of e-learning content like text, pictures, and audio visuals are always perfectly mapped when e-learning content is developed. Audio, visual elements and animation are less in use but still quite often. Sometimes the assets are used alone; however, most often they are incorporated together when creating e-learning materials. Therefore, the developer of e-learning content should be aware of the basic tools that could be used to create, develop, process and review the basic assets of e-learning content. A variety of tools can be used when developing e-learning materials and e-learning content assets . Still, e-learning material can have diverse forms, thus, developers of e-learning content have to be conscious not only of the essential tools that could be used to build e-learning material, but also of the fact what kind of material should be used and how it could be reviewed and used later.
Formatted text is an essential asset of e-content and static and basic e-learning material is usually developed creating text documents that might include not only a text but different pictures as well. Such documents are usually created using the ‘Microsoft Word’ of the commercial tool developed for office applications called Microsoft Office, or with the help of the ‘Writer’ of the open source tool developed for office application called ‘OpenOffice’that works with various OS. A lot of teachers still consider that text documents might be viewed as e-learning material. This could be so, if the text document includes not only the learning materials but aims, self-control tests and answers, descriptions of practical works and other learning activities. Though, even such text documents are not appropriate to be posted on the Internet because of editable format as well as size of the document. In order to do this, these documents have to be converted into PDF documents that can be exchanged and used by the learners to print the learning content. ‘Writer’ of the Open-Office can able to create PDF document from the Text document.
A very important and also bit complicated asset is ‘Picture’ for developing e-content. In context of multimedia, pictures are ordinary assets but appropriate integration gives more aesthetic and rich look to the content and one can able to present learning content more colourfully and efficiently. To create and process ‘picture’ is not straight forward because various tools and picture formats are available for use. Three basic format of picture which are JPEG, GIF and PNG are usually used for creating e-learning content for presenting on the Internet there for publishing Creating pictures for e-learning materials that will be presented on the Internet. For processing the pictures, it is worthwhile to use open source software ‘GIMP’.
Sound or to be more precise voice is the oldest way of transmitting knowledge. Some time ago when there were no e-learning contents developed, audio records were made and used for language learning. At the moment audio records in e-learning have become especially popular under the name of Podcasts that are audio and sometimes video records broadcasted on the Internet and present monologues or entire dialogues, records of books and lectures, courses or even conferences and many more. Audio records can also be integrated with texts or pictures and, thus, compose e-learning materials. Audacity is a free, easy-to-use and multilingual audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and other operating systems. Audacity can:
• Record live audio.
• Convert tapes and records into digital recordings or CDs.
• Edit Ogg, Vorbis, MP3, WAV or AIFF sound files.
• Cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together.
• Change the speed or pitch of a recording.
Video together with audio files are the most seldom used element of e-learning content as video files are even bigger than audio files. When accompanied by sound, the image becomes an element of traditional studies when the learners not only hear but see their teachers. Therefore, applying the appropriate video file where the image is compressed, it could be more often used as an element of e-learning content. Video records can also be integrated together with texts or pictures and would compose, in such a way, e-learning materials. The simplest way to create a video file is to use a digital video camera as no other software, a microphone or a webcam are needed. To make video records with the help of a computer it is necessary to have a microphone, and if the image has to be followed by the sound a computer webcam (for example, internet camera) and particular software are necessary. A special tool that is sold together with a camera fits best of all. However, this could be done with the help of a free tool VirtualDub that functions within Windows OS. The tool mentioned above can be used not only for making video and audio records, but for editing (cutting, pasting) and changing video and audio parameters. Seeking to compress the image and the sound, the tool indicated will need additional encoders, as for example open source software LAME that functions within various OS and allows encoding digital MP3 sound, which is usually used to compress the sound in video files. To watch a video file special players are needed. They can be integrated OS tools such as Windows Media Player, or separately installed and functioning within various OS such as VLC media player.
Animation as well as pictures is a more complex element of e-learning content but it provides possibilities to present knowledge more vividly and effectively. Animation could be generated when creating animated pictures with the help of vector graphics or using special programmes where images are drawn by the programme. The development of special programmes is a complicated process and that is why such programmes are very seldom used as elements of e-learning content. Animated GIF pictures are rather often used for learning. Such pictures are created from a sequence of pictures; therefore, the development of animation is not as convenient as every shot of the animated picture has to be drawn separately. Pencil is animation/drawing software for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux. It lets you create traditional hand-drawn animation (cartoon) using both bitmap and vector graphics. Pencil is free and open source.
To create real Flash animation that employs vector graphics, not only a special commercial tool such as Adobe Flash or SWiSH miniMax2 is necessary but also skills of programming and how to work with the tool mentioned. The truth is that this type of animation could also be developed with the help of open source software such as Ajax Animator. However, it has less functionality in comparison to the commercial ones. Therefore, it is easier to create non-standard Flash type animations, where the vector graphics is not used. For example, free software Flash Slideshow Maker, functioning within Windows OS, could be used to create presentations of photos, pictures or slides (or Microsoft Power Point presentations). With the help of a free tool Wink, operating within Windows or Linux OS, it is possible to develop tutorials for the work with computers, or computer software or similar, where not only screenshots but also commands with the mouse and audio or textual comments could be presented.
When developing e-learning materials it is not enough to save text documents as PDF files. In order to present and display the learning material on the Internet and LMS that are also Internet based text documents need to be converted into web pages with the help of text document editors. Still this is not the most appropriate way as only one HTML document with the entire learning content is obtained. E-learning material has to be subdivided into smaller units so that every chapter of the unit has a separate document. It is obvious that e-learning content could be presented in separate text documents and after saving them as HTML documents it is possible to have e-learning materials subdivided into smaller parts. Of course in this case, it becomes rather difficult to hyperlink the parts or units with links that could be used to go from one unit to another and, if needed, to return back. Thus, web pages should be prepared and edited using special tool such as the Open source tool NVU that functions within various OS could be used for this purpose as well.
As it was mentioned above, one of the greatest challenges when developing e-learning courses is the development of the content or e-learning material as it is not enough to modify the content of a book or slides that are used in traditional lectures. E-learning content should be different from the one presented in traditional, face-to-face lectures [19] or should not be presented for one hour lectures [20]. The learners using e-learning materials should be presented with sub-items of the content. Every unit or item or at least the entire e-learning material should contain learning aims and objectives, questions and answers, exercises and examples, and, if necessary, additional materials. Various PDF or HTML documents could be used to develop and display e-learning materials that could be presented on the Internet and LMS, printed and viewed with browsers. However, it is even better to create e-learning materials when employing specialized tool that have a default functionality to subdivide the material into parts/units and to present the key elements of e-learning content such as texts, pictures, aims, self-control questions and answers, navigation buttons and others. It is possible to develop HTML, or to be more precise XHTML e-learning materials, using open source tool eXe that operates within various OS. With the tool it is possible to subdivide the material developed into parts, as well as to indicate learning aims, self control questions, picture galleries and other. The material can be exported to content packages, corresponding to IMS or SCORM e-learning standards. This means that the material could be automatically uploaded to LMS that meet the standards as well.
@Mahesh N. Jivani : mnjivani@gmail.com