Viewletbuilder3: Creating Screen Sequence Tutorials for any Windows-based Software

Ross E. Vanderbush Pharm.D.

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy, Little Rock, AR, USA

ABSTRACT:

The very user-friendly software product ViewletBuilder3 will be demonstrated on how to design compelling animated web-based instruction that either has been developed by the instructor or available commercially. Instead of individually and laboriously capturing individual screenshots for tutorials, the ViewletBuilder3 software seamlessly captures user defined screen shot sequences and mouse cursor movements creating a movie running on the flash engine. After your screen sequence has been captured by single clicks, this tool allows the instructor to visually communicate with captions, pointers, interactive feedback, and even voice overlay. Further, multiple image file formats can be imported into the "viewlet" presentation. The instructor developed "viewlets" are very easy to load to the server. More importantly they are small files that download quickly on even the end-users slowest modem-based equipment (large imported image or sound files will obviously slow the load time). Examples can be found at http://www.uams.edu/classinformatics/pda/PDAanim.html and http://www.qarbon.com

BENEFIT TO PARTICIPANTS ATTENDING SESSION:

The "viewlets" can reduce your technical questions and speed acceptance by students of any computer-aided learning program or assignment you are trying to orient those students to. Further the "viewlets" can be used to promote your software product to students, colleagues, customers or the public. By producing short professional appearing "viewlets" instructing the student how to properly use the software or complete the computer-based assignment, you can increase your teaching and the students learning efficiency.

Ross E. Vanderbush

Mail #522

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Pharmacy

4301 West Markham St.

Little Rock, AR 72205

Phone: 501-686-6485

Fax: 501-526-6872

Email: vanderbushrosse@uams.edu

Website: http://www.uams.edu/classinformatics/pda/PDAanim.html