Rapidly Create Online Courses

Rapidly Create Online Courses

The Microsoft Learning Content Development System (LCDS) is a free tool that enables the Microsoft Learning community to create high-quality, interactive, online courses. The LCDS allows anyone in the Microsoft Learning community to publish e-learning courses by completing the easy-to-use LCDS forms that seamlessly generate highly customized content, interactive activities, quizzes, games, assessments, animations, demos, and other multimedia.

Create

Preview

Refine

Delight

Set up your course structure, select a template for each topic, and author your content. Upload your images, demos, videos, and audio. Add links, attach files, and more.

Experience your course from the learner’s perspective at any time. Use the Preview feature to view, verify, and interact with the full course as it is at that moment.

Make your desired changes and save your work.

Publish your course and distribute it to your audience via the Web or a learning management system.

Download the latest version of LCDS

The latest version of the LCDS is ready to download. This new release has been updated to be compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 and Microsoft Silverlight 2.0. You will find new features such as spell check, the ability to output courses to a Microsoft Office Word document, indexing to enable search functionality, and new templates. For more details, see What's new in LCDS version 2.3? at the bottom of this page. Register to download LCDS version 2.3 today!

What does the LCDS offer?

With the LCDS, the Microsoft Learning community can:

  • Develop and deliver content quickly, while it is timely and relevant.

  • Deliver Web content that conforms to Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) 1.2, and which can be hosted in a learning management system.

  • Upload or attach existing content. (LCDS supports multiple file formats.)

  • Choose from a wide variety of forms for authoring rich e-learning content and Silverlight-based interactive components.

  • Develop course structure and easily rearrange it at any time.

What's new in LCDS version 2.3?

The new features of LCDS version 2.3 include the following:

  • Spell check for topics

  • Indexing for course search

  • Output to an Office Word document

  • New templates: Show/Hide and Click Table Animations

  • Compatibility with Internet Explorer 8 and Silverlight 2.0

Register to Download LCDS

The Microsoft Learning Content Development System (LCDS) provides a library of templates to help you design e-learning courses. You can create content with text and pictures, interactive activities, quizzes, games, assessments, animations, demos, and other multimedia.

The LCDS sample courses demonstrate how you can use different course structures and a variety of templates to create engaging e-learning courses.

Download the sample courses and browse through the contents. You can modify each sample course, save it, and use it for personal use. Each of the six courses varies in length, template use, and course structure. The following table describes each of the sample courses and provides a link so that you can download it.

Note In order to use these sample courses, the LCDS must be installed on your computer.

To view the following sample courses after you have downloaded them, open the LCDS and click Open on the toolbar. The courses will appear in the open dialog box.

Sample course title

Windows Vista downloads

Windows XP downloads

Computer Basics

This course introduces the fundamentals of computing. It uses animations to provide an overview, and interactive templates like Sort Game and Drag and Drop to help users test their knowledge.

Templates used in this course: Sort Game, Click Table, Drag and Drop, Animation with Transcript, and Multiple Choice.

What's New in Windows Vista

This course demonstrates some of the new features in Windows Vista. It uses the Click Table template to lay out different feature areas, and demonstrations to show users how to accomplish certain tasks.

Templates used in this course: Click Table, Drag and Drop, Tile Game, and Demonstration

Getting Started with Office Groove 2007

This course introduces new users to the client side of Microsoft Office Groove 2007. It uses the Adventure Activity template extensively in the self-test to assess real-world applications of Office Groove.

Templates used in this course: Adventure Activity, Tile Game, Sort Game, Click Table, and Labs

New Features Of SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services

This course introduces key features of Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services. It uses interactive templates like the Sort Game and the Tile Flip to test users' knowledge, and then uses a series of demonstrations to illustrate reporting in action.

Templates used in this course: Sort Game, Tile Game, Click Table, Demonstration, Multiple Choice, and Drag and Drop

Getting Started with Silverlight 1.0

This course highlights the features of Microsoft Silverlight. It uses the Animation template to combine a series of animations with Silverlight product information. The Animation template allows users to view the animation while they read along with the transcript.

Templates used in this course: Animation, Sort Game, Click Table, and Tile Game

The Best Way to Get Your Certification

This course discusses three certifications that are designed for people with varying skills. First, the course uses templates, such as the Animation and Click Table, to present overview information. Next, the interactive Drag and Drop template allows users to test their knowledge. This course also uses the Sort Game and Tile Game templates to enable users to learn by interacting.

Templates used in this course: Animation, Click Table, Sort Game, and Tile Game

How to Build a Popfly Mash-up

This course introduces Microsoft Popfly mash-ups and demonstrates how to build a mash-up. It uses demonstrations and labs as well as interactive templates to give users a hands-on learning experience.

Templates used in this course: Adventure Activity, Tile Game, and Click Table

General

 

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The Learning Content Development System, or LCDS, is a free, forms-based tool that the Microsoft Learning community can use to create e-learning content. By using the LCDS, you can:

  • Author rich, Microsoft Silverlight-based interactive content by completing the easy-to-use LCDS forms

  • Set up a course structure that you can easily rearrange at any time

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The Microsoft Learning community includes the following groups:

  • Microsoft Certified Partners for Learning Solutions

  • Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCPs)

  • Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs)

  • Microsoft Courseware Library (CWL) community

  • Microsoft Learning Volume Licensing (VL) customers

  • Microsoft Learning Software Assurance (SA) customers

  • Microsoft IT Academy members

  • Microsoft Learning Digital Literacy (DL) community

  • Other subject-matter experts

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The following links describe the difference and provide more information.

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A timeline for this tool has not been determined. Please submit feedback about the tool by using one of the following methods.

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You own the content that you create by using the LCDS.

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If you are authoring courses that you do not plan to host on a learning management system (LMS) or courses for which you simply need an additional distribution method, you can distribute your course files. Using the following instructions, you could place your course files on a Web site (for download) or on a CD, or you could send an e-mail message to select people.

  1. Open your courses folder. The following chart shows the path to the courses folder.

    If you are running:

    Your courses folder will be located here:

    Windows Vista

    C:\ProgramData\Microsoft Learning\LCDSc\courses

    Windows XP Service Pack 2

    C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Learning\LCDSc\courses

  2. Locate the course that you want to distribute.

  3. Depending on how you plan to distribute, you may want to zip or compress the folder with the course name on it; otherwise, you can copy the folder to your specified destination. (If learners will not be downloading the course from a Web site or intranet site, or if you plan to send the course in an e-mail message, zipping or compressing the folder will save on download time and inbox space.)

  4. Your learners will need to open the folder (if zipped or compressed, they will need to unzip or decompress before they open it), and then open the wrapper.htm file to view the course. Be sure to provide your audience with instructions directing them to the wrapper.htm file, as this might not be intuitive.

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This is a known issue for computers that run on Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 installed. To avoid this issue, please upgrade your browser to Internet Explorer 7.

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Some keyboard shortcuts might not function at this time. If the keyboard shortcuts for redo and undo do not work for you, please use the redo and undo buttons that are part of the LCDS user interface.

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The maximum characters that you can use depend on the type of title:

  • Course title: 95-character maximum

  • Module title: 80-character maximum

  • Topic title: 70-character maximum

Installation and setup

 

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To run the LCDS on your computer, you need the following minimum system requirements:

  • Operating system: Windows XP Service Pack 2

  • Browser: Microsoft Internet Explorer 7.0

  • Developer platform: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0

  • XML software development services: Microsoft Core XML Services (MSXML) 6.0

  • Installation and configuration service: Windows Installer 3.1

  • Multimedia player: Adobe Flash Player 8, Microsoft Silverlight 1.0

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LCDS is optimized for Internet Explorer. It does not support Firefox, Safari, or Opera.

Templates

 

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When you create a glossary, enter the term in bold text and the definition for the term in non-bold text. Do not bold any of the text in your definitions. If you use bold text in your definitions, some of your content will not appear.

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If you enter any spaces at the beginning of the glossary term, the spaces might be sorted as a category, which would appear as a blank header. To avoid this, do not enter any spaces at the beginning of a glossary term.

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The text does not wrap correctly if the words are too long to fit next to the image. If you can reword your text by using shorter words, the text will wrap around the graphic properly.

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Refer to the LCDS Help for instructions on how to upload the simulation Shockwave Flash (SWF) or Windows Media (WMV) file to the course media folder. In addition to the simulation file, you must also upload the simulation .xml file into the same media folder. The simulation .xml file contains the steps information and is required for the Flash file to function correctly.

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No. The AVI file format is not supported in the LCDS.

Globalization

 

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When you localize a course in the LCDS, the language string must be correctly specified in the imsmanifest.xml file. Look for the following code string:

<imsmd:langstring xml:lang=

For non-English courses, the attribute should read the two-letter language code. For example, a Danish language course string should read as follows:

<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="da"

The following is not the correct code string for a Danish language course:

<imsmd:langstring xml:lang="da-DK"

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Japanese glossaries are sorted by phonetics. To sort by phonetics, you must manually edit the XML content file to include the phonetic characters. To do this, open the XML topic file that corresponds to your glossary topic. (You can find the file from the status bar in the LCDS.) In this file, look for the following code string, where "sample_term" would be replaced by your term name:

<definition term="sample_term">

To the beginning of the definition term, add the phonetic character followed by a space, then a hyphen, and then a space. Use the half-width alphanumeric mode on your keyboard to enter the spaces and hyphen. When the glossary is viewed in Internet Explorer, the phonetics and the hyphens will be stripped from the glossary terms, and the glossary will be sorted by the phonetics.

Note If the glossary includes English terms, each English term will appear under its alphanumeric character. The English alphanumeric characters will be displayed first, followed by the Japanese terms.

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When a localized course is created outside the LCDS and it includes a glossary, make sure that you open the course in the LCDS and use the "Save" functionality to save the course. This ensures that the glossary sorts correctly and the alphabet list appears correctly.

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When a course is localized outside of the LCDS, you need to open glossary pages within the LCDS and re-save them. If you localize the courses externally to the LCDS, the sorting order of the terms within the XML content file changes. During an LCDS re-save, the LCDS re-establishes the correct sorting order within the glossary XML content file.

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This is an issue with Microsoft Internet Explorer 7, for Japanese. To resolve this issue, download the Internet Explorer 7 hotfix.

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Localized content is supported only on an operating system of the targeted language. If non-English content is loaded into a computer that has the English language installed, non-ASCII characters will be lost when saving the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) package. SCORM packages are saved by using the ZIP file format, which supports only ASCII characters for file and directory names. If you develop non-English content, you must do so on a non-English operating system, or on an operating system with a non-English language pack installed and active. Once the content is developed, it must be packaged on a similarly configured computer. When using the non-English language pack, that language's ASCII values will align with the ZIP file and everything will work as expected.

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When you enter Japanese text in the half-width Katakana or half-width alphanumeric mode, the Yen mark displays as "\". This is a known issue with many editors. To display the Yen symbol, use one of these input modes: Hiragana, full-width Katakana or full-width alphanumeric.

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This issue occurs if you created the simulation by using an older version of the simulation Flash template (simulation SWF). To fix this, you can modify the German global XML files (de.xml and de-de.xml) in the CCS. The variable "simulation_showMe" has to be modified to remove the text

"<b>"

and

"</b>"

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The truncation does not happen in a JPN environment. No truncation appears with Japanese Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 Service Pack 2 at 1024 x 768 and higher resolutions.

Help

 

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The LCDS is a free tool that was created by Microsoft Learning and is community-supported. Please refer to the LCDS forum to see if your question has already been answered or to submit your question.

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A timeline for the next version of this tool has not been determined. Please submit feedback about the tool by using one of the following methods.

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The following file formats are supported:

  • For audio: The Voice of the Expert component requires .MP3 files.

  • For video: Animations can be SWF, XML, or .WMV file format, and demonstrations can be SWF or WMV format.

  • For static graphics: The LCDS supports JPG/JPEG and PNG formats.

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The Help topic "Templates > Play > Tile Game > About tile games" explains that the default number of submissions is eight.

The Help topic "Templates > Play > Tile Game > Using the Tile Game template" indicates that by default, eight turns display in the Number of Turns field. It is best to have anywhere from 6–9 turns in the Tile Game for the best learning experience.

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Yes, both terms refer to the allowed number of turns that a user has. The LCDS default for a turn (submission) is eight. Authors can change the default as needed for special cases.

Job aids

 

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When you create job aids, you must save the file with the MHT file extension by using the Microsoft Office Word Save As > Single File Web Page option. If you try to save the file by using the Internet Explorer Save As Web Archive, single file option, you will lose the images.

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This might be a formatting issue within the MHT file. To correct the numbering, follow these instructions:

  1. Open the MHT file by using Microsoft Office Word.

  2. Click Continue Numbering for the step that is incorrectly numbered.

  3. Save the file.

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The click to print icon has been phased out and there is no option for such an icon within the jobaidtemplate.dotx file. You can use the Internet Explorer print functionality.

Upgrade

 

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No. However, when a new version is available, you must download the new version and install it.

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You can continue working on courses you created in the previous version of the LCDS by upgrading the course. To upgrade a course from LCDS version 2.2 to version 2.3, simply open your existing course after you have installed the new version.

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To access courses that you started developing when using an earlier version of LCDS, you must move the courses folder.

Where your courses are located will depend on whether you are running Windows Vista or an earlier version of Windows. You can always access your courses by opening the LCDS and then clicking Open (in the toolbar). All of your courses appear in the Open dialog box. The following table lists the paths where your courses are saved, depending on what version of Windows you are using.

If you are running:

Your courses folder will be located here:

Windows Vista

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft Learning\LCDSc\courses

Windows XP Service Pack 2

C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Learning\LCDSc\courses

If you are running Windows Vista and you have courses that you started developing by using LCDS versions earlier than 2.2, and you want to view or edit them in LCDS 2.2, you must move those courses into an updated file path, as follows:

  1. Go to C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Learning\LCDSc\courses. This is where your course files are located for those courses you developed by using LCDS versions earlier than 2.2.

  2. Select and cut (CTRL + X) all the courses you are moving.

  3. Paste (CTRL + V) the courses into this folder: C:\ProgramData\Microsoft Learning\LCDSc\courses.

  4. Open the LCDS, and then click Open (on the toolbar). The courses that you just moved are displayed in the list of courses in the Open dialog box.

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The new features of LCDS version 2.3 include the following:

  • Spell check

  • Create an index – creating an index enables search functionality for people using the course

  • Create a Word document – this feature allows users to create a Microsoft Office Word document version of their course

  • New templates:

    • Click Table Animations – allows users to add media in a table format

    • Show/Hide – allows users to create content that expands to show more detail

  • New template category: Classroom – includes the Table, Text, and Picture templates

  • Revisions to the Slider template

  • Compatibility with Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 and Microsoft Silverlight 2.0

  • Ability to create a Learning Snack if the user has the Snack Converter tool installed

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To upgrade a course:

  1. Open the course by using the Open functionality in the LCDS.

  2. You will be prompted to upgrade. Choose OK to upgrade.

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No, when you install the newer version, the courses do not automatically upgrade. You must use the LCDS to open each course to upgrade it.

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No, you do not need to save each page. The course will upgrade when you open the course by using the newer version of the LCDS.

Viewer

 

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To change the course title, you must change the title by using the Save As button in the LCDS. You must open the specified course within the LCDS, click Save As, and rename the course. This will create a new course folder (which corresponds to the new course name) and change the title of the course, which will change the white title at the top of the viewer.

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Do not use the ampersand (&) in topic names. Spell out the word "and" instead.

Known issues

 

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  • A horizontal scroll bar appears when the click table page is viewed in Internet Explorer.

  • In the Demonstration Transcript window, the title on the blue banner displays the topic name, not the lesson name.

  • Within the LCDS Help file, go to "Templates > Try > Simulation > Using the Simulation Template." The first bulleted line under the Simulation heading reads Demo. This should read Simulation.

  • When a user creates a non-English course in the LCDS, the files located within the Platform and Viewer folders are set to Read-Only by default. Files located outside these two folders are not set to Read-Only.

  • In the instructions for the Tile game, the word arrow needs to be added after the word Submit.

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In previous versions, if you were running the Windows Vista operating system, you needed to be logged on as administrator to run LCDS on your computer. This issue has been resolved in version 2.2.

The difference between the LCDS and Microsoft Semblio

 

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Microsoft Learning builds innovative products and solutions that enable IT professionals, developers, and information workers to make the most of their investment in Microsoft technology. Microsoft Learning offers a diverse range of programs, which includes Microsoft training and certification, Microsoft Press books, skills assessments, and e-learning solutions. The primary focus of Microsoft Learning is on IT training that supports Microsoft technology for aspiring and existing IT professionals.

The Microsoft Education Product Group (EdPG) mission is to empower people to realize their social and economic potential by enabling access to quality education experiences for everyone through technology. The primary focus is to enhance and develop Microsoft products specifically for educators, students, and teaching institutions in primary, secondary, and tertiary education. Microsoft Semblio (code name: Grava) is a new tool being developed by this group.

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The Learning Content Development System (LCDS) is a free software tool that enables the Microsoft Learning community to easily create and customize e-learning. The Microsoft Learning community includes the following groups:

  • Microsoft Certified Partners for Learning Solutions (CPLS)

  • Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCPs)

  • Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs)

  • Microsoft Courseware Library (CWL) community

  • Microsoft Learning Volume Licensing (VL) customers

  • Microsoft Learning Software Assurance (SA) customers

  • Microsoft IT Academy members

  • Microsoft Learning Digital Literacy (DL) community

  • Other subject-matter experts

The LCDS enables the Microsoft Learning community to create interactive, online courses in the Official Microsoft e-learning user experience by filling out forms that generate customized content, interactive activities, quizzes, games, and assessments—as well as animations, demos, and other multimedia. The overall goal of LCDS version 2.3 is to provide Microsoft Learning communities with an easy-to-use, form-based tool that allows them to create e-learning in the Official Microsoft Learning user experience. Another goal of the LCDS is to showcase Microsoft Silverlight technology. All interactive elements and media in LCDS version 2.3 are based on Silverlight.

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The LCDS has the following highlights:

  • Creates courses in the Official Microsoft e-learning user experience.

  • Follows a proven instructional design model used to develop more than 2,000 hours of e-learning courses on Microsoft.com.

  • Includes an automatic preview and automated build process that is seamless to the user.

  • Provides 20 templates for creating e-learning content in the following categories: interact, watch, play, read, and try.

  • Allows users to easily create Microsoft Silverlight-based interactive games and other components by filling out simple forms.

  • Provides support for Silverlight animations, demos, videos, simulations, and Silverlight-based media players.

  • Outputs content in Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) 1.2 format.

  • Provides SCORM tracking for assessments, including multiple choice, true or false, and essay questions.

  • Allows Microsoft Learning communities to easily customize Official Microsoft e-learning courses by simply loading the course into the LCDS.

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Microsoft Semblio (code name: Grava) is a new set of tools designed to provide the education community with the ability to easily author, assemble, and publish rich interactive content.

This product's toolset has three building blocks:

  1. Software developer kit (SDK): A set of APIs and developer tools that allow content professionals to develop and design digital content.

  2. Assembly Tool: An interactive canvas that allows teachers, students, and subject-matter experts to create and assemble rich digital content.

  3. Player: Displays content and allows users to interactively engage with the rich digital content.

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The Assembly Tool has the following highlights:

  • Enables the education community to create, within a single application, multimedia-based classroom lessons or out-of-class assignments that incorporate audio, video, animation, illustration, pictures, and text.

  • Features familiar navigation, icons, tools, templates, and menus, making it quick and easy to learn and use.

  • Provides access to an online educational content exchange where educators can find, share, and download ready-made educational materials from peers or content professionals.

  • Features simple but powerful design tools for creating multimedia content and customizing existing materials.

  • Includes features and tools for creating buttons, links, and setting actions that allow educators to control the navigation of a lesson or assignment.

  • Includes built-in functionality for creating and automating the grading of quizzes within lessons.

  • Provides tools for testing student comprehension and redirecting students to additional content based on their responses.

  • Includes technologies that integrate and work with existing learning management systems and educator and student file-sharing systems.

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The fundamental differences between the LCDS and the Assembly Tool center on four main areas: audience, extensibility, delivery platform, and support.

Audience:

  • The LCDS tool is for Microsoft Learning communities. Output generated from the LCDS is aimed at the Official Microsoft E-Learning user experience and supports the Microsoft Learning instructional design model and Microsoft Learning standards and styles.

  • The Assembly Tool is for nontechnical educators and subject-matter experts who want to create and assemble rich, interactive learning objects. Output generated from this product does not restrict users to one specific instructional design model and works both in and outside the classroom.

Extensibility:

  • The LCDS tool is used to create e-learning courses according to the Official Microsoft E-Learning user experience and instructional design model. The LCDS provides a template format for structuring e-learning courses according to the Microsoft Learning style, user experience, and instructional design model.

  • The Assembly Tool provides a flexible way to create interactive learning materials that the user controls. Users have several ways they can customize the interactive canvas in the Assembly Tool to suit the needs of their project and work habits.

Platform:

  • The LCDS tool focuses on enabling Web-based e-learning courses and leverages Microsoft Silverlight technology. Courses created with the LCDS can be deployed in a learning management system (LMS), on a Web server, on a user’s hard drive, and on a CD. For deployment on a Web server, CD, or hard drive, additional configuration steps must be followed.

  • Semblio is designed for rich media content and leverages Windows desktop capabilities via Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF); however, this product also targets a lighter Web-based experience via Silverlight.

Support:

  • The LCDS is a community-supported tool. The LCDS is not supported by Microsoft Product Support, and one uses the LCDS at his or her own risk as it is not an official Microsoft product.

  • Semblio will be a fully supported Microsoft product and will be targeted to all Microsoft customers.

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Microsoft Learning and the Microsoft Education Product Group are working together on long-term integration plans. In the meantime, when the Semblio platform is released, Microsoft Learning will investigate ways to provide LCDS output that works with the new product.