SoftChalk Overview 

September 18, 2013, 2-3 pm in the CTLE 

Use SoftChalk LessonBuilder to easily create interactive lessons designed to engage your students in your subject. LessonBuilder allows you to quickly turn Word or PowerPoint documents into web pages for your students that include interactive learning games, quick response questions, and pop-up text annotations for definitions--all without being a programmer!

Bring a Word or PowerPoint document containing lesson information with you to the workshop. A Word document containing vocabulary words and definitions is needed to make interactive learning objects such as crossword puzzles, word searches, flash cards, and more. **Softchalk does not work well in Chrome. Please use Firefox or IE.

Agenda 

• Quick Overview of what SoftChalk is
• Where to get the software
• Creating a Lesson from a Word Document
• Insert Page Breaks 
• Headings 
• Adding an Image - Insert Image 
• Adding a YouTube video - Insert Widget
• Adding audio using the Windows Sound Recorder  (Windows Media Audio format- wma) - Insert Media
• Adding QuizPoppers
• Choosing Style Properties 
• Export to Canvas (not Cloud version) 

Quick Overview 

Quick look at some examples - what is it, how does it work, etc.

• ENG102 Online Lessons - Click on Lessons 1.1 (audio & print score summary at end) and 2.2 (video).
  

Where to get the software 

Maricopa is entitled to use SoftChalk Version 7 under the agreement.  Here is the information:

Please see http://www.pvc.maricopa.edu/SoftChalk/

• username:  MCCD
• password: (email me if you were not in the workshop)

Creating a Lesson from a Word Document

Basically, you can copy and paste your information from Word to SoftChalk. Your formatting comes over as well as your images.

When you copy images from Word and save your lesson in SoftChalk, the images get copied into your lesson folder. 

• Insert Page Breaks – CTR + Enter (return)
• Headings to Create
• Practice Word Document - Download to create a lesson
  

Adding an Image - Insert Image  

• FAQ: Media & Hyberlinks
• Find an image and save it to your computer. Then Click Insert - Image.
  
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 Adding a YouTube video - Insert Widget 

• FAQ: Media & Hyberlinks
• Choose a video from the list - Grab the imbed code from the Share menu
  
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Adding audio using the Windows Sound Recorder - Insert Media

• Can use built in audio recorder on Windows or Audacity
• You can link to a variety of media within a lesson including the following. Type Fomats of supported audio: aiff, au, mid, midi, mp3, ra, ram, rmf, wav, wma  

 Adding QuizPoppers 

• Add Quiz Questions to your lesson
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Choosing Style Properties

Personalize your lesson by changing the style, title and layout.

Export to Canvas 

Non-scored lesson - Loading a Lesson into a Learning Management System

1. Within SoftChalk, open your lesson.
2. Go to File/Package Lesson/Zip Format.
3. Within your Learning Management System, upload your .zip file.
4. Unpackage your .zip file.
5. Link to index.html within your resulting lesson folder.

NOTE: You can have an e-mail scores button and/or print score buttons even with this type of lesson.