Sunday, December 13, 2009

Authoring systems

The "Intelligent tutoring system" research community uses the term authoring systems to refer to a computer based system that allows a general group (including non-programmers) to create (i.e., author) content for intelligent tutoring systems. While a few intelligent tutoring systems have been successfully created, they are very costly to construct.

A recent book reviews some attempts to build authoring tools.

In Tom Murray, Stephen Blessing, and Sharon Ainsworth, editors, Authoring Tools for Advanced Technology Learning Environ-ment. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, 2003

In the development of educational software, an Authoring System is a program that allows a non-programmer to easily create software with programming features. The programming features are built in but hidden behind buttons and other tools, so the author does not need to know how to program. Generally Authoring Systems provide lots of graphics, interaction, and other tools educational software needs.

Authoring Systems are related to Authoring Languages. An Authoring Language is the programming language that is behind the Authoring System, available for the programmer who is also developing educational software. This programmer can take advantage of the tools built into the Authoring System (easy graphics placement, color, animations, etc.) and then fine tune the product by accessing the language behind it.

While true Authoring Systems, with easy, effective use by a domain area specialist like an English teacher, may be few and far between, many educators can and do use commercial products such as Adobe's Dreamweaver and Flash, and Microsoft's Power Point to create tutorials for their students.

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