ooblick@eddie.MIT.EDU (Mikki Barry) (01/08/88)
Since there was an inquiry about authoring systems, I am working on a summary of all the wonderful and not so wonderful points about the many systems we have used for IVD. FYI, PLATO is not an authoring system. It is a computer system. We are familiar with TenCORE, Authority, PCD2 and 3, and have been exposed to many others. As soon as I finish running around to try to get new contracts (January slumps are soooo wonderful), I will write something up. Mikki Barry Learning Tree Software (703) 478-0010
jmo@ems.Ems.MN.ORG (John M. O'Shaughnessy) (01/11/88)
I can add to whatever Mikki enters regarding the Authoring Systems provided by Control Data (PCD1, PCD2, PCD3, TUTOR, MicroTUTOR). To further elaborate, PLATO is a complete environment running on a CDC Cyber mainframe. The authoring language provided with the PLATO System is called TUTOR. Now, in the days of off-line development and delivery, CDC has a product called micro-TUTOR (sometimes referred to as Micro-PLATO) which has most features of the Central System TUTOR language. TUTOR and micro-TUTOR are both interpreted languages which allow for very complex simulations to be produced. The language has a very rich set of graphics and answer judging facilities to allow users to progress through a lesson in many different ways, depending on how they respond to questions. PCD1 products were the "first generation" off-line "programmerless" authoring tools developed by CDC. PCD2 came along about the same time, but is better left unmentioned. Our current authoring product is known as PCD3, and uses a window based system to create courseware where content can be separated from strategy to allow for easy course modifications by non-programmers. -- John M. O'Shaughnessy jmo@ems.mn.org +1 612 921 6889 EMS/McGraw-Hill -guest ihnp4!meccts!ems!jmo