With all its powerful new features, PowerPoint 2010
lessens the need for many third-party applications. However, there are
still times when you might want to take advantage of the advanced
functionality of specialty software. This section covers a trio of
options worth considering.
Camtasia Studio
Camtasia Studio (www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp)
is a complete recording, editing, and publishing solution that can
convert your PowerPoint presentations to Flash, plus do much more.
The Camtasia Studio add-in for PowerPoint enables
you to record your presentation directly in PowerPoint and publish it
as a Flash movie (or in another format). You can also enhance your
movie by editing the audio and video, inserting title clips, adding
callouts and hotspots, and creating picture-in-picture recordings with
video. Saving presentations in DVD format for playback on TV is another
option.
If you want to create e-learning tutorials, Camtasia
Studio also offers interactive quizzes and SCORM (Sharable Content
Object Reference Model) compliance. Using PowerPoint with Camtasia is a
popular way to create e-learning programs quickly, in an environment
that’s familiar to any Microsoft Office user.
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If
you’re new to e-learning, some of its terminology might be unfamiliar
to you. Most e-learning solutions are SCORM-compliant. This means that
they meet the standards specified by SCORM for web-based e-learning
systems. Many e-learning solutions, particularly those run by larger
organizations, use a learning management system (LMS) to manage their
e-learning content and delivery.
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Figure 1 illustrates the use of Camtasia Studio in PowerPoint.
Articulate Rapid E-Learning Studio
Articulate Rapid E-Learning Studio (www.articulate.com)
offers the following suite of e-learning applications that integrate
with PowerPoint, each of which you can also purchase separately:
Articulate Presenter—
Create e-learning courses in PowerPoint and convert them to Flash.
Advanced features include animation support, voice synchronization,
presenter videos, learning game and quiz integration, SCORM-compliance,
LMS support, and more.
Articulate Quizmaker— Create custom Flash quizzes and surveys that integrate with Articulate Presenter and offer 21 different question types.
Engage—
Engage your audience with interactive content including timelines,
media tours, pyramids, guided images, glossaries, labeled graphics, and
tabs.
Video Encoder— Convert videos to Flash video format and edit, crop, and format videos.
Figure 2 shows the Articulate tab as it displays in PowerPoint.
Another option is Articulate Online, an alternative
to a complex LMS system, which provides online reporting and
quiz/survey tracking.
Adobe Presenter
Adobe Presenter (www.adobe.com/products/presenter)
enables you to create Flash multimedia presentations and on-demand and
real-time e-learning courses from within the familiar PowerPoint
environment. Then, you can extend your presentation with quizzes,
surveys, and interactivity before converting to Flash for delivery.
Presenter also integrates with Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro web
conferencing software for a complete delivery solution. You can
purchase Adobe Presenter on its own or as part of the Adobe eLearning
Suite of applications.
