Comments on: As an authoring tool, are YOU kidding?

By: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=27430875

www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=27430875 — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:15:41 +0000

I use Examview Pro Test Generator to create my exams and quizzes. You can export the assessment as in Blackboard/Vista/WebCT-ready format and import it into the course very easily. All that’s left to do after the import is set the date/time/accessibility properties and you’re done.
Much easier than Respondus.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 21:20:50 +0000

I know where you’re at – when you try to build a course in these environments you suddenly gain a deeper appreciation for the frustrations of faculty and students. That said, it’s better than the alternative of not knowing anything – there’s *a* way to get things done. But it’s certainly not the best way.
Re: HTML Creator size, there’s a button that you can click to full-screen the page. It’s still not pretty. I know some of our instructors work in Dreamweaver (or nVu) and upload via WebDAV which makes it feel more like web design.
Re: Default margins on learning modules, I know. They stink. I wish we could set some CSS across the board to change this – maybe in NG?

By: ez

ez — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 20:34:24 +0000

This is good. Now you know why it frustrates the faculty and students.
I edit the HTML externally in Notepad++ and paste it into the text box. Make sure the HTML Creator is not turned on or the Tidy tool could correct something you didn’t expect. Most designers probably would want a better WYSIWYG editor. nVu?
Making questions online really, really sucks. Respondus eliminates most frustration, but even it has issues. Other than using CSS to intercept the fonts, I can’t think of anything to help.