Authorware

Authorware is a multimedia authoring system (environment, tool) for creating computer-based Wikipedia (Multimedia learning applications). It is a multimedia authoring program designed explicitly for learning. Among Authorware's features is that it enables developers to create sophisticated interactivity without having to write any scripts or do any programming. Authorware also comes with scripting capabilities for developers who want to create even more complex interactivity in Authorware.

Features

• Visual programming language (drag and drop icons to create your application's logical outline, and use menus to add content) 
• Built-in data tracking (built-in variables for student activities)
• Support for all sorts of rich media
• Scriptable

Authorware is particularly well suited to creating electronic educational technology (also called e-learning) content, as it includes highly customizable templates for CBT and WBT, including student assessment tools. Working with these templates, businesses and schools can rapidly assemble multimedia training materials without needing to hire a full-fledged programmer. Intuitively-named dialog boxes take care of input and output. The flow chart model makes the re-use of lesson elements extremely straightforward.

Educational technology

Educational technology is the effective use of technological tools in learning. As a concept, it concerns an array of tools, such as media, machines and networking hardware, as well as considering theoretical perspectives for their effective application. Educational technology is not restricted to high technology. Modern educational technology includes (and is broadly synonymous with) e-learning , instructional technology, information and communication technology (ICT) in education, EdTech, learning technology, multimedia learning, technology-enhanced learning (TEL), computer-based instruction (CBI), computer managed instruction, computer-based training (CBT), computer-assisted instruction or computer-aided instruction (CAI), internet-based training (IBT), flexible learning, web-based training (WBT), online education, virtual education, personal learning environment s, networked learning, virtual learning environments (VLE) (which are also called learning platforms), m-learning , and digital education. These labels have been variously used and understood, and conflate to the broad domain of educational technology and e-learning. These alternative descriptive terms are all more restrictive than "educational technology" in that they individually emphasize a particular digitization approach, component or delivery method.

Digital Video

Digital video is audio/visual in a binary format. Information is presented as a sequence of digital data, rather than in a continuous signal as analog information is.

Digital video comprises a series of orthogonal bitmap digital images displayed in rapid succession at a constant rate. In the context of video these images are called frames. We measure the rate at which frames are displayed in frames per second (FPS).

Since every frame is an orthogonal bitmap digital image it comprises a raster of pixels. If it has a width of W pixels and a height of H pixels we say that the frame size is WxH.

Pixels have only one property, their color. The color of a pixel is represented by a fixed number of bits. The more bits the more subtle variations of colors can be reproduced. This is called the color depth (CD) of the video.

An example video can have a duration (T) of 1 hour (3600sec), a frame size of 640x480 (WxH) at a color depth of 24bits and a frame rate of 25fps. This example video has the following properties:

pixels per frame = 640 * 480 = 307,200
bits per frame = 307,200 * 24 = 7,372,800 = 7.37Mbits
bit rate (BR) = 7.37 * 25 = 184.25Mbits/sec
video size (VS) = 184Mbits/sec * 3600sec = 662,400Mbits = 82,800Mbytes = 82.8Gbytes

Types of Video Formats

Windows Media Video (.wmv)

Developed and controlled by Microsoft. WMV is a generic name of Microsoft's video encoding solutions and doesn't necessarily define the technology what it uses -- since version 7 (WMV7) Microsoft has used its own flavour of MPEG-4 video encoding technology. The only difference between ASF files and WMV or WMA files are the file extensions and the MIME types. The basic internal structure of the files is identical. The change in extensions was made to make it easier for an application to identify the content of a media file. A .wma file extension designates a file containing only audio. A .wmv extension designates a file containing both video and audio.

Advanced Streaming Format (.asf)

D.asf Advanced Streaming Format Developed by Microsoft as a multimedia successor to AVI and other individual media file formats, ASF files can contain up to 7 media types including streaming video. ASF is optimized for network distribution and desktop playback. Currently, Microsoft is shifting to the new video file format WMV (Windows Media Video). eveloped by Microsoft as a multimedia successor to AVI and other individual media file formats, ASF files can contain up to 7 media types including streaming video. ASF is optimized for network distribution and desktop playback. Currently, Microsoft is shifting to the new video file format WMV (Windows Media Video). 

QuickTime movie (.mov)

An industry standard developed as part of an entire multimedia architecture by Apple, the QuickTime movie is an open multimedia format which has multi-platform, multi-browser support. Currently (Apr 2003), QuickTime 6 is the newest version and it incorporates streaming and virtual reality capabilities.

Audio-Video Interleave (Video for Windows) (.avi)

The precursor to ASF, AVI files are limited to audio and video only and are not streamable.

RealMedia (.rm)

RealMedia is an industry leader in streaming video technology and is utilized by many Internet real-time video broadcasting sites. Currently, Real One player 6.0 is available.

Various Programs (.mpg)
MPEG-4 is the latest standard for video compression and file format developed by an industry group.  

Graphics Acceleration

A graphics acceleration is a process of sending and refreshing of images to the display monitor and the computation of special effects common to 2-D and 3-D images. Graphics accelerators speed up the displaying of images on the monitor making it possible to achieve effects not otherwise possible - for example, the presentation of very large images or of interactive games in which images need to change quickly in response to user input. Many new personal computers are now sold with a graphics accelerator built in. The power of a graphics accelerator can be extended further if the personal computer is equipped with the Accelerated Graphics Port ( AGP ), a bus (data path) interface between the computer components involved in image display.

Each graphics accelerator provides an application program interface ( API ). Some support more than one API. Among the most popular API's are the industry standard OpenGL and Microsoft's DirectX and Direct3D.

A type of video adapter that contains its own processor to boost performance levels. These processors are specialized for computing graphical transformations, so they achieve better results than the general-purpose CPU used by the computer. In addition, they free up the computer's CPU to execute other commands while the graphics accelerator is handling graphics computations.

The popularity of graphical applications, and especially multimedia applications, has made graphics accelerators not only a common enhancement, but a necessity. Most computer manufacturers now bundle a graphics accelerator with their mid-range and high-end systems.

Aside from the graphics processor used, the other characteristics that differentiate graphics accelerators are:

• Memory : Graphics accelerators have their own memory, which is reserved for storing graphical representations. The amount of memory determines how much resolution and how many colors can be displayed. Some accelerators use conventional DRAM, but others use a special type of video RAM (VRAM), which enables both the video circuitry and the processor to simultaneously access the memory.
• Bus : Each graphics accelerator is designed for a particular type of video bus. As of 1995, most are designed for the PCI bus.
• Register width: The wider the register, the more data the processor can manipulate with each instruction. 64-bit accelerators are already becoming common, and we can expect 128-bit accelerators in the near future