• Services
  • Grants & Funding
  • Training & Office Visits
  • Consulting
  • Materials Development
  • DDI
  • Labs & Equipment
  • Graduate Student Training
• Examples
  • Project Examples
  • How Can I
  • Case Studies
• Resources
  • Getting Started
  • Teaching & Learning
  • Assessment & Evaluation
• News
  • Events Calendar
  • Events List
  • Events by Theme
  • Custom Training
  • Showcase
  • My Events
• Reports
  • Annual Reports
  • Strategic Plans
  • Professional Activities
  • Reports By Type
  • Year in Progress
    
• Blog
• About
  • Advisory Board
  • FACIT
  • CIT Staff
  • CIT Mission & Goals
  • CIT At A Glance
  • Getting to CIT

Overview

SoftChalk LessonBuider is a content authoring tool to build web-based lessons using its built-in templates. It is a word processor like editor, which is easy to create professional looking, interactive content, html pages that contain pop up text descriptions, quizzes and games.

A 30-day evaluation version of LessonBuilder is available by visiting http://softchalk.com/lb_trial.html.

Uses as an Instructional Technology

• Create interactive web pages easily, using technology as simple as word processing.
• Engage students with lessons include pop-up text annotations to define terminology, or to enhance the interactivity of lesson content; self-assessment quizzes; and interactive learning games, such as hot spot, matching, sorting and ordering activities, cross-words and flashcards.
• Package lessons that can be delivered in a variety of formats. CD-ROM, as a stand alone web site, or integrate with a course management system like Blackboard, Sakai, or Moodle using industry standard SCORM format*.
• Students can print certificates of completion at the end of lessons.

* The current Blackboard 6.3 version at Duke University supports both SCORM 2.1 and SCORM 2004. To learn how to integrate lessons into Blackboard visit http://softchalk.com/pdf/LessonBuilder-Packaging-Bb.pdf

How does it work?

For an overview of the Softchalk LessonBuilder feature set, with screen shots that demonstrate how it works, click here.  

Things to consider

• File size limitations. An error occurs when importing a large lesson package over 25 MB to Blackboard. Duke University sets up a policy that 25 MB is the maximum file size allowed to be uploaded to a Blackboard course site. If you need an exemption for your course contact cit@duke.edu

What do I need to use it?

LessonBuilder runs on Microsoft Windows computers (WIN 98, ME, 2000 XP), as well as Macintosh OSX. LessonBuilder is a Java Web Start application. The Sun™ Java JRE version 1.5 or higher is required for the installation of LessonBuilder. The LessonBuilder installer will install or upgrade the Java JRE as part of the LessonBuilder installation process.