Authoring Systems

Evaluating Digital Authoring Tools

http://www.irrodl.org/content/v5.2/technote3.html
A wide range of inexpensive courseware authoring tools has emerged, enabling courseware designers to develop effective in-house materials and delivery platforms. Seven software tools are evaluated, representing the following categories: single purposes; activity creation; course development and presentation; general presentation; testing and assessment.

E-Learning Center

http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/eclipse/vendors/authoring.htm
E-Learning Center web site provides a long list of links to sources of content development tools for the production of online web-based courses.

Instructional Design: Choosing the Proper Authoring Tool

http://www.stc.org/intercom/PDFs/2004/2004011_24-27.pdf
This document contains lists of full-service authoring tools and software application simulation programs.

Overview of Authoring Systems and Learning Management Systems

http://www.peak.co.uk/AuthoringSystem.pdf
This regularly updated report contains annotated lists of the widely authoring systemsand learning management systems. PDF Version. Last updated December 2002

Moodle

http://moodle.org/
This is an Open Source authorship and management system.

Macromedia Authorware 7

http://www.macromedia.com/software/authorware/?promoid=home_prod_aw_082403
Macromedia Authorware helps create rich-media courseware for CD/DVD and the internet. It creates multimedia content with PowerPoint, and integrates graphics, sound, animation, text and video into engaging content for Web and online learning.

Macromedia Director MX  

http://www.macromedia.com/software/director/
This software allows you to integrate all sorts of multimedia, from video stream to audio to text, which can then be deployed on DVD or the Web. Text-to-speech capabilities are available for the visually-impaired, and users with disabilities can use the keyboard to maneuver rather than the mouse.

Course or Learning Management Systems

Online Collaborative Tools: Evaluation Reports (Atabasca University)

http://cde.athabascau.ca/softeval/index.htm
This instrument compares the features of software packages that facilitate web-based collaborative learning. Information is provided on the following categories of software: course management systems for delivering web-based distance courses, asynchronous discussion/bulletin boards, chat messaging, voice and video e-mail, audio conferencing, video conferencing, polling with delayed feedback and polling with immediate feedback. Up to 30 features are reported for each software package within a given category. (Available in html or PDF format.)

COL Evaluation of open source learning management and content management systems

www.col.org/Consultancies/03LMSOpenSource.htm
This instrument includes criteria to evaluate open source LMSs. The criteria were applied to 35 products and the short list was systematically evaluated using hands-on testing.

EduTools Course management systems

http://www.edutools.info/course/
This site offers a database of about 40 content management systems that have been researched and reviewed. The site allows users to search by product name or by features, and to compare all or some products by some or all features.

E-Learning Center

http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/eclipse/Resources/choosing-lms.htm
E-Learning Center  web site provides a long list of links to sources of LMSs for online or CD-based web-based courses.

Overview of Authoring Systems and Learning Management Systems  

http://www.peak.co.uk/AuthoringSystem.pdf
This regularly updated report contains annotated lists of the widely authoring systems and learning management systems. PDF Version. Last updated December 2002

Open source Course management Systems

http://www.edtechpost.ca/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/EdTechPost/OpenSourceCourseManagementSystems

An annotated list of about 50 systems

intraLearn

http://www.intralearn.com/1000_Products.asp
IntraLearn technology can be used by teachers to develop and deliver online educational courses. With minimal IT skills and a standard browser, teachers can help students make the most of features such as email, chat rooms, streaming multimedia and other communication tools.