AContent 1.0 Released

August 26, 2010

AContent 1.0 was released today. This is the initial public release.

AContent is an Open Source content authoring tool and repository used to create standardized, accessible, adaptable learning materials. It can be integrated with many Web-based learning environments as a tool to author, share, and store reusable content. To try the demo, or to download a copy, visit the AContent site, and read on for a list of key features.

*AContent Demo*
http://www.atutor.ca/acontent/demo.php

*AContent Development Site*
http://www.atutor.ca/acontent/

* *AContent Features* *

*Repository Search*: Search for content by keyword.

*Browse Content*: Browse through a list of content, or sort content by category.

*Export Content*: Export Creative Commons content in standardized IMS Common Cartridges, or IMS Content Packages, and import that content into other systems that support these standards.

*Bookmark Content*: Keep a personal list of content for future reference.

*Web Service Key*: Generate a Web service key that allows you to link AContent search, import, and export features into learning management or content management systems.

*Content Authoring Tools*: Develop rich elearning content, as simple or as complex as you like.

*Test/Quiz Authoring Tools*: Develop assessments to accompany content, or to present on their own in a learning management system.

*AccessForAll Authoring Tools*: Develop content that adapts to each learner, providing alternative formats to accommodate learners of different abilities and learning styles.

*Common Cartridge Import/Export*: After developing content and tests, download them in standardized IMS Common Cartridges to share or to import into other systems.

*Content Package Import/Export*: Download content in standardized IMS Content Packages, and import those into system that support the content packaging standard.

*QTI Tests Import/Export*: Download tests in standardized test packages or question banks, and import those into systems that support IMS QTI test packaging standards.

*Lesson Samples*: Download AContent Lesson Cartridges, and import them into AContent for sample content, and as additional documentation. See http://www.atutor.ca/acontent/docs/index.php

*User Management*: Create and manage users on the system, and control their access and authoring privileges.

*Group Management*: Create and manage groups on the system, and assign group access privileges to different features of AContent.

*ATutor Integration*: Integrate AContent with ATutor in minutes, providing a central content repository from which instructors can import content for their courses.

*Web Service API*: Develop a Web service interface in third party software to search, preview, import content from, and export content to the AContent repository.

*OAuth API*: Authenticate AContent users using OAuth, developing a single sign-on between a host system and an AContent repository connected to it.

*Customizable Look and Feel*: Modify the AContent theme templates and stylesheets to create a look that matches your online learning environment.

* *AContent Translation* *
Tools have been included with AContent for translation. Currently available in English, it can be translated into just about any language. If you would like to participate in translating AContent, register at atutor.ca, and let others know you are translating in the Translation Forum. You can find others there to help, and you can avoid duplicating work if others are already translating.

*Register*
http://www.atutor.ca/my/register.php

*Translation Forum*
http://www.atutor.ca/forum/4/1.html

* *AContent RoadMap* *
There's lots more planned for AContent, and we do want community feedback, and feature suggestions. Some of the features we have in our plans include:

*Live Content Web Service*: An extension of the Web services is being planned to allow content to be generated in remote applications directly out of the repository. A single copy of a piece of content can then by updated across all systems accessing it, with an edit at a single central location.

*AccessForAll Preferences Web Service*: Content end users can define their learning preferences in a single central location, access those preferences from remote systems, and have content adapted to their specific needs generated from the repository.

*Content Licensing*: In addition to current support for Creative Commons content, we are planning to add a feature that allows authors to grant access to privately licensed content.