Question: Tracking CBTs
A reader asked a question that I’m not really sure how to answer. My experience has mostly been in higher ed, so I’ve always needed to do grading or more tracking than what this reader needs:
I am the sole person involved with e-Learning in my branch, and I am mostly limited to using freeware. At present we are developing self-paced CBTS using PowerPoint, a PowerPoint-to-Flash converter, and HTML. My client wants two things that I am stuck on:
1) good server software for posting CBTs and then having basic tracking of student usage. The ideal vendor solution might be the Adobe Connect training module. Things like Moodle are overkill, as we don’t need grading, blogging, wikis, etc., however fashionable they may be. We just want to post the modules and have some level of reporting.
2) a means to track % completion of course topics on the course menu (I think Skill Soft uses empty-, half- and full- moons to show completion). We have created a home-grown HTML template with a course menu in the left navigation bar (the Flash files play in the main window), but the best we can do is change the HTML link color once it is clicked. While this is better than nothing, it is a far cry from the “real” tracking of CBT course players.
What would you suggest for administering and tracking CBTs for this reader? Is there an open source solution that isn’t a full LMS but does what’s needed here? Has anyone done anything like this before?
I’m really not sure what’s available for this, so I’m hoping someone out there in the blogosphere will. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Sam, I think Moodle would work for what this reader wants to do too. However, I understand the desire to do something smaller scale. Moodle can be a pain to set up by yourself if hosting isn’t an option, as sounds like the case here. As the reader said, Moodle is overkill. It can definitely do everything needed, but it does so much more that it’s also harder to set up an maintain.
Hi,
I think Moodle will work beautifully for your application. You can also try a totally free new authoring tool, that is fairly easy to use called “CourseLab”. You can download and install Course Lab for free. If you need to import Power Point, you need to buy an addon for a small fee (NOte: I am not an affiliate or something, I am just trying to help)You can design a course or test in Course Lab, publish it in a SCORM 1.2 or SCORM 2004 format and upload to Moodle. My experience is that Moodle is pretty easy to install as well (there are several sites like Siteground, where the installation is in one click, after you purchase a hosting plan that costs something like $8 a month).
Once you do this, you have all the infrastructure that you want and you can track student scores, how many times they were online and many other things for almost no cost.
Hope this helps!
Hi Robert,
Good tip on Articulate. That isn’t a product I’ve actually used. My guess is that their tracking only works if you’re developing your learning with Articulate, but I could be wrong. I’m not sure what this reader is using to develop CBTs.
Thinkwell isn’t a company I’d heard of at all before. They do look more academic than corporate, but it still might work.
Thanks!
I am not 100% sure because I have not used it yet, but I believe Articulate’s suite has something that helps with tracking etc. The website lists ARticulate online as the part of the suite that tracks the online quizzes, surveys, etc. Here is the info for the Articulate online: http://www.articulate.com/products/articulate-online.php.
Additionally, the college I used to work for used a company called Thinkwells that allowed for tracking of online tests, training, etc. I am not sure what mechanisms they used but it may be worth checking them out to find out.