Authoring tool to structure and create a computer-based training course, and having role-specific functions

• US 20050208461A1
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Published: 09/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP SE
• Inventors: Krebs, Andreas S., Erhard, Martin, Glatzel, Dina
• Granted Patent: US 9,324,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/365
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/00 Electrically-operated educational appliances working with questions and answers G09B7/00; simulators G09B9/00; advertising or displaying in general G09F
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

An authoring tool to structure and create a computer-based training course includes a role allocation module to facilitate an allocation of a user to at least one of an instructional design role and a content definition role with respect to the authoring tool. A function allocation module facilitates an allocation of a first set of functions, provided by the authoring tool, to the instructional design role, and also facilitates an allocation of a second set of functions, provided by the authoring tool, to the content definition role.

Claims

1. An authoring tool to structure and create a computer-based training course, the authoring tool including:

a role allocation module to facilitate an allocation of a user to at least one of an instructional design role and a content definition role with respect to the authoring tool; and

a function allocation module to facilitate an allocation of a first set of functions, provided by the authoring tool, to the instructional design role, and to facilitate an allocation of a second set of functions, also provided by the authoring tool, to the content definition role.

2. The authoring tool of claim 1, wherein the function allocation module is to allocate a first default set of instructional design functions to the instructional design role, and is to allocate a second default set of content definition functions to the content definition role.

3. The authoring tool of claim 1, wherein the function allocation module is to disallow the allocation of a second set of functions, provided by the authoring tool, to the instructional design role, and is to disallow the allocation of a third set of functions, provided by the authoring tool, to the content definition role.

4. The authoring tool of claim 1, wherein the facilitation of the allocation of the first and second sets of functions to the instructional design role and the content definition role, respectively, includes presenting first and second allocatable sets of functions for user selection, the first set of functions being user-selectable from the first allocatable set of functions and the second set of functions being user-selectable from the second allocatable set of functions.

5. The authoring tool of claim 4, wherein the function allocation module is to present the first and second allocatable sets of functions for user selection by presenting the first and second sets of allocatable functions within distinct first and second display areas in conjunction with a graphical user-selection mechanism so as to facilitate graphical selection of the first and second sets of functions by a user.

6. The authoring tool of claim 5, wherein the first and second display areas comprise windows presented within a graphical user interface, and the graphical user-selection mechanism is a collection of check boxes.

7. The authoring tool of claim 1, including a graphical user interface (GUI) customization module to customize a display of functions to the user based on a user role to which the user has been allocated, and functions allocated to the user role.

8. The authoring tool of claim 7, wherein the GUI customization module is to customize the display of functions by selectively displaying user-selectable indicia only for the functions allocated to the user role.

9. The authoring tool of claim 8, wherein the GUI customization module is to display the user-selectable indicia within the at least one of a drop-down menu, a pop-up menu, and function tabs within a graphical user interface generated by the GUI module.

10. The authoring tool of claim 1, including a customization module, wherein the role allocation module and the function allocation module comprise sub-modules of the customization module.

11. The authoring tool of claim 1, including a setup wizard, wherein the role allocation module and the function allocation module comprise sub-modules of a setup wizard.

12. A method to configure an authoring tool to author a computer-based training course, the method including:

facilitating an allocation of a user to at least one of an instructional design role and a content definition role with respect to the authoring tool;

facilitating an allocation of a first set of functions, provided by the authoring tool, to the instructional design role; and

facilitating an allocation of a second set of functions, also provided by the authoring tool, to the content definition role.

13. The method of claim 12, including allocating a first default set of instructional design functions to the instructional design role, and allocating a second default set of content definition functions to the content definition role.

14. The method of claim 12, including disallowing the allocation of a second set of functions, provided by the authoring tool, to the instructional design role, and disallowing the allocation of a third set of functions, provided by the authoring tool, to the content definition role.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the allocation of the first and second sets of functions to the instructional design role and the content definition role, respectively, includes presenting first and second allocatable sets of functions for user selection, the first set of functions being user-selectable from the first allocatable set of functions and the second set of functions being user-selectable from the second allocatable set of functions.

16. The method of claim 15, including presenting the first and second allocatable sets of functions for user selection by presenting the first and second sets of allocatable functions within distinct first and second display areas in conjunction with a graphical user-selection mechanism so as to facilitate graphical selection of the first and second sets of functions by a user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first and second display areas comprise windows presented within a graphical user interface, and the graphical user-selection mechanism is a collection of check boxes.

18. The method of claim 12, including customizing a display of functions to the user based on a user role to which the user has been allocated, and functions allocated to the user role.

19. The method of claim 18 including customizing the display of functions by selectively displaying user-selectable indicia only for the functions allocated to the user role.

20. The method of claim 19, including displaying the user-selectable indicia within the at least one of a drop-down menu, a pop-up menu, and function tabs within a graphical user interface generated by the GUI module.

21. An authoring tool to structure and create a computer-based training course, the authoring tool including:

first means for facilitating an allocation of a user to at least one of an instructional design role and a content definition role with respect to the authoring tool; and

second means for facilitating an allocation of a first set of functions, provided by the authoring tool, to the instructional design role, and for facilitating an allocation of a second set of functions, also provided by the authoring tool, to the content definition role.

22. A machine-readable medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform a method to configure an authoring tool to author a computer-based training course, the method including:

facilitating an allocation of a user to at least one of an instructional design role and a content definition role with respect to the authoring tool;

facilitating an allocation of a first set of functions, provided by the authoring tool, to the instructional design role; and

facilitating an allocation of a second set of functions, also provided by the authoring tool, to the content definition role.