Building Database- and LMS-Driven Authorware Applications Training

Authorware Training Outline

• Introduction
• Overview of approaches to be taught
• ODBC (Open Database Connectivity)
• Connection with a database via a middleware application on a Web server
• LMS integration via the LMS (Initialize) and LMS (Send Data) Knowledge Objects
• SQL review (taught if attendees aren't familiar with Structured Query Language or would like a refresher)
• Discussion of typical database structures for storing questions, learner profiles, assessment data, and other key e-learning information
• Creating and dropping tables
• Using SELECT to retrieve records from the database
• Basic SELECT statements
• Selecting records from multiple tables
• Inner joins
• Outer joins
• Logic operators
• LIKE clauses and wildcards
• Using INSERT to create new records
• Using UPDATE to change records in the database
• Using DELETE to remove records from the database
• Using ODBC for Authorware-database integration
• Origins of ODBC
• Basic ODBC architecture
• Advantages of ODBC
• Ubiquitous on Windows
• Support for most Windows databases
• Disadvantages of ODBC
• Obstruction by firewalls
• Inability to connect to file databases (Access, Paradox, etc.) across a network
• Connection to a database other than SQL Server or Access requires a DSN (Data Source Name) to be registered on the user's computer
• ODBC.u32 as a solution for database connectivity
• Using ODBCOpen() to connect to a database for which a DSN is available
• Using ODBCOpenDynamic() to connect to Access and SQL Server databases without need for a DSN
• Executing SQL statements via ODBCExecute()
• Closing the database connection via ODBCClose()
• Using ODBCHandleCount() to troubleshoot database connection issues
• Building common database-driven applications
• User login
• Save assessment data to the database
• Retrieve assessment data from the database
• Retrieve questions and answers from the database
• Store learner progress in the database
• Integrating with databases via Web server-based middleware applications (Note: By default, this section uses Microsoft Active Server Pages [ASP] as the middleware language. However, this class can be easily modified to use ASP.NET, ColdFusion, Java servlets, JSP, PHP, Perl, or another server-side language)
• Advantages of using Web server-based middleware applications
• Less prone to firewall difficulties
• Doesn't require loading of drivers or creation of ODBC DSNs on the user's system
• Ability to make the client application "thin," with business logic residing on the Web server
• Flexibility to create multiple front-ends (including Web-based front-ends in HTML) to the same application
• Database does not have to be exposed directly to the Internet (or, for intranet-based courses, your intranet)
• Disadvantages of using Web server-based middleware applications
• Necessity of writing a Web server-based middleware application (takes additional time, requires additional programming skills)
• Sending data from the Authorware client application to the server takes a little more work than the ODBC approach
• Deciding which tasks should be handled by the Authorware client and which should be handled by the middle-tier Web application
• Using a "dumb" middle tier versus a "smart" middle tier
• Elegant design via Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture
• Preparing data for transmission
• Assembling a query string
• Encoding the query string via URLEncode()
• Submitting data to the server
• Via ReadURL()
• Via PostURL()
• Retrieving and processing results from the server
• Building common database-driven applications using a Web-based middle tier
• User login
• Save assessment data to the database
• Retrieve assessment data from the database
• Retrieve questions and answers from the database
• Store learner progress in the database
• LMS integration
• The role of LMS systems in learning management and modern e-learning applications
• E-learning-related tasks commonly handled by LMS systems
• Overview of relevant standards
• AICC-LAN
• AICC-HACP
• ADL/SCORM
• Setting up the Authorware LMS Emulator (if you're developing in an environment where you don't have immediate access to an LMS)
• Using the LMS (Initialize) Knowledge Object to initialize a connection to an LMS
• Entering variable names (core data)
• Entering variable names (other data)
• Setting Resume preferences
• Setting LMS preferences
• Using the LMS (Send Data) Knowledge Object to send assessment results and other information from Authorware to the LMS
• Configuring which data to track and pass to the LMS
• Controlling how the data is preprocessed
• Sending the appropriate exit command to the LMS after transmitting the tracking data
• Using the Authorware Learning Object Content Packager to package a learning object for deployment to an LMS
• Using the Authorware Learning Object Metadata Editor to configure all the metadata for a learning object being deployed to an LMS
• Conclusion
• Topics for further learning
• Suggested approaches for further learning