Using authoring tools to produce

materialsHot Potatoes:

small windows or Mac program that creates a variety of exercises can be freely downloaded for educational purposes

http://hotpot.uvic.ca/

• This program will install on your computer• It will allow you to create web-based exercises such as;

Multiple choices Short answer Jumbled sentence Crossword Matching/ordering Gap-fill

• This program also allows you to include audio files in MP3 format• It will even allow you to store your exercises on a central server so that

they can be accessed from anywhere with an Internet connection

• To get started; Install the program Find it in your program folder

When you first start the program up you will be presented with a screen like the one on page 130

From here choose one of the tools. To create a simple exercise;

Click on JQuiz to get started (see page 130 top)Put the title of the exercisesStart by adding question 1

• There are four answers to the question, each with their own feedback, and answer B is marked as the correct one (see page 131 bottom)• Now, click the up arrow next to Q1 on the screen and add a second

question, with answers and feedback• Don’t forget to mark the correct answer• Continue doing this until you have made your quiz

Create the quiz as the web page

• Make sure you save your quiz so that you can turn to it later to make edits if you need to• Click on ‘File-Create Web page’• Choose the ‘Webpage for v6 browser’ option• Give the filename and save it• You should now be able to look at it in a web browser

• If you want to delve deeper into things like formatting the output, changing colours, and so on, then you should look in the Options menu or investigate the ‘Help’ file that comes with the program• Tutorial examples on the Hot Potatoes website (

http://hotpot.uvic.ca/tutorials6.htm)• Once you have created a set of exercises, you can package them all

together using ‘The Masher.’• Utility accessed from the start page of the Hot Potatoes program

which will guide you through linking a set of individual items into a small learning package• You can then distribute these on discs, or memory sticks or CD-ROMs,

or put them on a website if you or your school has one

Interactive Stories• Learners read scenarios and then make choices to decide what they

will do at certain key points• Good for reading comprehension practice or as small-group

discussions that encourage collaborative and critical thinking skills• Encourage learners to develop a wide range of skills from listening to

debating, agreeing and disagreeing and making points and supporting them• Since these are text-driven activities, you should be able to produce

them for any level

• You can see some examples of typical interactive stories here (http://www.halfbakedsoftware.com/quandary/version_2/examples/)• The examples on page 132 were made with a piece of software called

Quandary• a demonstration version of the software is available

(http:/www.halfbakedsoftware.com/quandary.php)• The full program costs $50 at the time of writing

How does it work?

• Give your maze a title ( Exercise Title) and then give the opening screen a title (Decision Point Title) see page 133• Now, start by describing the opening scenario of your maze (Decision

Point Contents) see page 133• To add two or more choices. Click on ‘+New Link’. Select ‘Create a

new decision point’• When you have finished, save it (File-Save File) and then convert it to

a web-based activity for your learners. • Click ‘File’, then ‘Export to XHTML.’

Clarity Software (http://www.clarityenglish.com/) • Clarity has a long history in producing English Language related

products, and their authoring tools are both reasonably priced and easy to use• Their Author Plus Pro and Tense Buster programs can be used for a

variety of different exercise types, including audio, graphics and video content• Allow for the creation of listening comprehension exercises,

interactive dictation and presentations• Allow you to see your learners’ progress through materials

Creative Technology-Software for Teaching(http://www.cict.co.uk/software/textoys/index.htm)

• Features Quandary and other useful tools including a marking program for incorporating into Word, a close program called WebRhubarb and a text reconstruction program called WebSequitor, where learners reconstruct written texts from smaller chunks.

QUIA (http://www.quia.com/subscription/) • Allow you to create different types of activities, surveys and web

pages, as well as extensive learner tracking options.• Offer a variety of ready-made templates for materials creation and

the ability to set up a study space for your learners, as well as access to over two million activities already in the library

Conclusions

• Considered various types of interactive exercises• Looked at websites which allow for the creation of interactive

exercises• Examined reasons for using interactive exercises with learners• Learnt how to produce a variety of exercise types• Produced an interactive reading maze