[Eclass-users] EClass Updates

[Kevin O. <ke...@tu...>]

Hi all,

Welcome to the new EClass users mailing list!  This list is for support 
issues, discussion of new features/ideas, and announcements of new beta 
and testing releases. You are on this list because in one way or 
another you help with the testing and development of EClass. If you do 
not want to be on this list, please let me know and I will remove you 
from the list. I have several announcements to cover, so please bear 
with me on the long message!

1. EClass.Builder 2.0 FINAL: EClass.Builder 2.0 is ready, but I would 
like to undergo some final tests before making it public. I have 
uploaded EClass.Builder 2.0 final to the EClass.Net web site, and you 
can download it (for Windows) at:

http://www.eclass.net/Downloads/EClassBuilder20.exe

In two weeks (Jan 17) this will become the final release and made 
public on the EClass web site, so if you experience any major problems 
please be sure to let me know before that time. For the final release 
there will be Linux and Mac binaries as well.

I am also working on an evaluation questionnaire (with Phuong's help!) 
which should be ready for the final release as well. I will post a link 
to it on this list once it is available, and I would ask that whenever 
EClass is distributed at a training seminar or class that we give out 
this questionnaire to evaluate it's success.

2. EClass project site: There is now an EClass project site available 
where you can view mailing list archives, track support issues, and 
even see what new features I am working on (click on Tasks)! It is 
available at:

http://www.sourceforge.net/projects/eclass/

This will be a central repository for info on the development of the 
EClass software. Please post bug reports to this site (I will get them 
via email) as it will allow you to see where I am at in fixing it.

3. EClass.Builder 2.1: EClass.Builder 2.1 is due around mid-February or 
early March so I thought I would also mention quickly some of the 
things I am working on for this:

- Java search support: This will be an alternative to Greenstone and 
will "just work". It requires no configuration or extra tools to be 
installed. It also works cross-platform. Also, it works both with 
indexed and non-indexed EClasses, so for EClasses that need a fast 
searching solution, an indexing option will be available. (For more 
info on this tool, please see: http://housespider.sourceforge.net/)

- Quiz plugin: I am working on a plugin for developing Quizzes within 
EClass. Currently, there is only support for simple true/false or 
multiple choice, and the quiz gives feedback only to the learner, but I 
plan to add more reporting and quiz options to the system in the future.

- Presentation plugin: I am also developing a plugin that will add a 
page formatted similarly to the CDMHA conference format. (pic on left, 
flash presentation w/audio on right, PPT for download on bottom)

There are a couple more features in development, but they are probably 
going to be integrated into EClass.Builder 2.5, due out this summer.

Please let me know what you think, and please take a moment out to take 
the EClass.Builder 2.0 final for a test drive and see how it performs!

Thanks for all your help in moving the EClass project forward!

Kevin