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SoftChalk 6 Enhances Educational Content Sharing
SoftChalk has updated its Web authoring tool, SoftChalk 6. The latest release has been enhanced to allow users to publish material directly into the open access MERLOT educational content sharing Web community.
Self-described as being "designed for teachers and content experts who don't have time to learn complex software," SoftChalk aims to allow producers of educational content--lessons, exercises, activities, games, and even entire electronic courses--to create, publish, and post their material while requiring them to have a level of programming knowledge or capability greater than is necessary to use a conventional word processor.
MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Teaching Online) is a free Web site for sharing and locating educational content via online communities under a variety of classifications, including general and specific subject area and type of learning material desired. The site also offers content related to academic support services for educators, as well as materials provided by content partners covering peripheral areas of interest, such as international studies, education financing, and data resources.
The accommodations SoftChalk has made in version 6 of its software, explained a spokesperson, will allow for a symbiotic integration of content creation and its online dissemination "in an effort to support the easy creation, discovery, and adoption of Open Educational Resources (OERs) throughout the education community."
"This partnership is another step towards our mission to improve teaching and learning by expanding the quantity and increasing the quality of online learning materials," said Gerry Hanley, executive director of MERLOT.
A detailed brochure of the features and capabilities of SoftChalk6, including enhancements offered in the newest version, is available as a PDF here.
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Scott Aronowitz is a freelance writer based in Las Vegas. He has covered the technology, advertising, and entertainment sectors for seven years. He can be reached here.