PeakSkills eLearning Authoring Tutorial

Section 1 – Getting Started Developing a Course

1.1???? To Navigate to the Authoring Area:

  • If you are not in the Authoring Area, click on the Authoring link on the gold bar. That will bring you to the main page of the Authoring Area.

1.2???? To Develop a Course:

  • First, click ?General Instructions? and read.
  • Second, click ?Create New Course? in the left menu
  • Read ?Create New Course? Instructions?
  • To start a new course from scratch, click the button ?Select a Template? next to the blank Template listing.
  • To start a new course from a saved Template, click the button ?Select a Template? next to the saved course?s name. (Note: no listings to select from means that no courses have been saved as Templates yet.)
  • On the Course Information page, add or edit the requested information regarding your course (Note: You can get started by simply adding the name of your course for now.)
  • Click ?Submit Changes?. You are ready to develop your course as described in Section 2.

1.3 ? ?? To Add To/Edit a Course Listed in the ?To Develop? Column of the main Authoring Page:

  • Select a title and click on it.
  • You are ready to develop your course as described in Section 2.

1.4???? To Add To/Edit a Course Listed in the ?Published? Column of the main Authoring Page:

(Note: Any course listed in the ?Published? column is ready for learner enrollment – see Admin Area.)

  • Select a title and then click ?Edit Course?
  • You are ready to edit your course as described in Section 2.


Section 2 ? To Set Up /Edit Your Course Menu

2.1.? ??? Introduction ? Important! Please read:

  • Once you clicked the link in the ‘To Develop’ column of the main authoring page, or clicked ‘edit’ in the ‘Published’ column, you will find yourself at the Page Layout view of your eCourse.
  • Here you will set up:
    • Your eCourse menu/table of contents.
    • Each page of your course.
  • You will also add/edit content for each page of your course.
  • Read this Introduction and then follow the detailed directions starting at 2.2 below.
    • The eCourse Area has four Views, accessed by clicking the tan ?Views? bar below the blue ?Edit Menu? bar:
      • Page Layout – Your course menu is on the left of the Page Layout. The Course Title is the first entry in that menu.
      • Page Layout – Your course menu will show up in the authoring area. The same menu will show up in the learners? view of your course.
      • Page Layout – Courses are divided into Lessons and Pages. Their names are shown in the left column menu as they are added. Lesson names will be indented under the Course Title, and Page names will be indented under Lessons.
  • Page Info – In the Page Info View, you will:
    • Enter name of Lesson or Page.
    • Select Action Plans, Pre-assessments and Post-assessments to add to the course and/or to each lesson.
    • Choose the page layout design for each page. Each page can be divided into one to four ?frames?. Each ?frame? will display its own custom content, developed in the ?Templates? area. (See Section 4 for ?Templates? overview and Section 8 for ?Templates? details.)
  • Note: At any point in development, you can add to or edit the course menu as well as the layout and content of a page.
  • Page Layout – From the Page Layout View, you can access the ?Templates? area to add content to each page. Once the content of a page is developed and ?submitted?, a preliminary version of your content will appear in the Page Layout View of the main Authoring area. To view what the page will look like in final version, click ?Page Preview? on the tan ?Views? bar, or ?View Course? on the gold ?Resources? bar.
  • Page Audio – In the Page Audio view, add streaming audio to any page of your course.
  • Use the ?Developer Notes? link on the gold ?Resources? bar to keep notes on your course.
  • Any custom content developed in the Templates areas can be saved in the Resource Library for reuse by clicking on ?Add Template to Resource Library? on the beige ?Template? bar under the ?Views? bar.
  • When custom content is saved in the library, it becomes a reusable Template. You can add the reusable Template to a new course, lesson or page and edit it without changing the original content.
  • In addition, any page of content or any lesson can be saved in the Library to be used again.
    • Page Layout View will display a preliminary version of your page layout and content, and allow you to access the ?Templates? area to add/edit/delete content.
    • Page Preview View will show the finalized look of your page layout and content.
    • Page Info View will offer/display information and choices regarding any page.
    • Page Audio View will enable adding a streaming audio file to each page.

2.2 Setting Up Your Course

  • Go to the Page Layout View of your course. The Course Title appears in the left hand menu.
  • Click the name of the Course in the left hand menu.
  • Click Page Info on the tan ?views? bar to the right of the main menu.
  • The name of the ?Course Title Page? should appear in the name box toward the top of the page. (Note ? changing the name of the ?Course Title? page does not change the name of the course. That can only be done in the administrative area.)
  • In Step 1 ? Course Architecture:
    • In the ?Course Type? area, choose either parallel or serial by clicking in the appropriate box.
      • Choose ?parallel? for a learner to access lessons and pages in any order.
      • Choose ?serial? for a learner to proceed serially through a course.
    • In the ?Course Options? area, select any of the following as course options:
      • Action Plan ? guides learners to apply learning from the course to their professional or personal life. In the Action Plan, learners will add Challenges, Goals, Action Items and Progress Reports. The Action Plan will be accessible to learners, instructors and/or coaches. Action Plans also include a communications area, connecting the learner with an instructor, coach or mentor.
      • Pre-Assessment ? a course pre-test whose results are recorded. As an option, the pre-assessment can be set to allow learners to skip the course if they score high enough. (Setting up the pre-assessment will prompt you to choose a cut-off score as an option.)
      • Post-Assessment ? a course post-test whose results are recorded. As an option, the course post-assessment can be set so that the learner has to retake the test depending on the score (Setting up the post-assessment will prompt you to choose a cut-off score as an option.)
  • In Step 2 ? Page Layout:
    • Choose the page layout for the ?Course Title Page? by clicking in the circle above a layout design. (Note: You will choose a page layout for every separate page in the course. The ?One Frame? is the default.):
      • A one-frame layout – one type of Template can be added to the page. .ex. a video Template or a textbox Template.
      • A two-frame layout – two types of Templates can be added to the page?ex. an animation Template and an interactive workbook Template.
      • A three-frame layout – three types of Templates can be added to the page?ex. a notes Template, a video Template and a goal-setting Template.
      • A four-frame layout – four kinds of types of Templates can be added to the page?ex. a ?how to? steps Template, a graphics Template, a table Template, and a text message Template.
  • Click ?Submit? to save changes and return to the Page Layout View of the Authoring area.

2.3. FYI: Options After Formatting your Course:

  • Add lessons to your course menu by following the instructions in section 2.5. below.
  • Add content to your ?Course Title Page? by going to Section 4 below.

2.4 ?? FYI: Functions of the ?Blue Bar? at the ?Course Title Page? Level:

  • The blue bar is dynamic. Its content changes at each menu level of the course – Course Title, Lesson, and Page.
  • In the left menu, click on the ?Course Title?.
  • Add Lesson? – On the ?Blue Bar?, click ?Add Lesson? to add a Lesson to the course. (See section 2.5. for details.)
  • ?Save Course as Template? – On the ?Blue Bar?, click ?Save Course as Template? only when you are ready to turn your completed course into a Template to serve as a guide for other courses you will develop (optional).

2.5 ?? Adding a Lesson to the Course Menu and Setting Up its Structure:

  • Click the Course Title in the left hand menu. (Important Note: To add a Lesson or Page to the course, as the first step always click the menu item one level above where you want to add your item. In other words, to add a Lesson, start by clicking the Course Title in the left menu; to add a Page, click its Lesson in the left menu.)
  • On the ?Blue Bar?, click ?Add Lesson?. You will now be in Page Info View.
  • Option: Click the link above the Lesson Name box if you want to add a previously developed/saved lesson to your course.
  • Enter the name of the Lesson into the Lesson Name box at the top.
  • In Step 1 ? Lesson Architecture:
    • Choose the Lesson Type – parallel or serial – by clicking in the appropriate box.
      • Choose ?parallel? for a learner to access lessons and pages in any order.
      • Choose ?serial? for a learner to proceed serially through the lesson.
    • Choose Lesson Options. Select any of the following:
      • Action Plan (for the Lesson) ? guides learners to apply learning from the Lesson to their work or personal life. In the Action Plan, learners will add Challenges, Goals, Action Items and Progress Reports. The Action Plan will be accessible in the learner?s course through the gold resource bar. Action Plans also include a communications area, connecting the learner with an instructor, coach or mentor.
      • Pre-Assessment ? a Lesson pre-test. It can be set to allow the learner to skip the Lesson if he/she scores high enough. (Setting up the pre-assessment will prompt you to choose a cut-off score as an option.)
      • Post-Assessment ? a Lesson post-test. It can be set so that the learner has to retake the Lesson depending on the score. (Setting up the post-assessment will prompt you to choose a cut-off score as an option.)

 

  • In Step 2 ? Page Layout, choose the page layout for the ?Lesson Title? page by clicking in the circle above one of the layouts.
    • A one-frame layout means that a single customizable Template can be added to the page.
    • A two-frame layout means that two types of customizable Templates can be added to the page.
    • A three-frame layout means that three types of customizable Templates can be added to the page.
    • A four-frame layout means that four types of customizable Templates can be added to the page.
  • Click ?Submit? to save changes and return to the Page Layout View of the ?Lesson?.
  • You are now back in the Page Layout View. Your Lesson has been added to the course menu. The left menu should reflect any Lesson level pre or post-assessments you added.

2.6? FYI: Options After Formatting Your Lesson:

  • Add additional Lessons to your course by repeating the above process in Section 2.5.? (Note: See Section 2.7 for how to change the positions of Lessons in the menu once they are added.)
  • Add a Page under your Lesson by going to Section 2.8 below.
  • Add content to your ?Lesson Title Page? by going to Section 4.0.

2.7 FYI: Functions of the? ?Blue Bar? at the ?Lesson? level:

  • The blue bar is dynamic. Its content changes at each menu level of the course – Course, Lesson, Page.
  • In the left menu, click on the Lesson name.
  • ?Add Page? – Click ?Add Page? on the Blue Bar to add a Page under the Lesson.
  • ?Delete Lesson? – Click ?Delete Lesson? if you wish to delete the entire Lesson. Whatever content, Templates, Pages or Lessons that have been previously saved in your Resource Library will remain even though the Lesson is deleted.
  • ?Move Up? or ?Move Down? – Select the Lesson name in the left menu and then click ?Move Up? or ?Move Down? on the Blue Bar after each move until you position the Lesson where you want it.
  • ?Save Lesson in Library? – Click ?Save Lesson in Library? only when you are ready to turn your completed Lesson into a Template to serve as a guide for other Lessons you will develop (optional).

2.8? Adding a Page Under a Lesson and Setting Up its Structure:

  • In the left menu, click the name of the Lesson where you want to add a page.
  • On the ?Blue Bar?, click ?Add Page? to go to the ?Page Info? View.
  • Option: Click the link above the Page Name box if you want to add a previously developed/saved page to your course.
  • Enter the name of the Page into the Page Name box at the top.
  • In Step 1 ? Page Type
    • Choose the Page Type as ?parallel? or ?serial? by clicking in the appropriate box.
      • Choose ?parallel? for a learner to access pages in any order in this lesson.
      • Choose ?serial ? for a learner to proceed serially through the pages in this lesson.
  • In Step 2 ? Page Layout, choose the page layout for the Page by clicking in the circle above one of the layouts
    • A one-frame layout means that a single kind of customizable Template can be added to the page.
    • A two-frame layout means that two kinds of customizable Templates can be added to the page.
    • A three-frame layout means that three kinds of customizable Templates can be added to the page.
    • A four-frame layout means that four kinds of customizable Templates can be added to the page.
  • Click ?Submit? to save changes and return to the Page Layout view of your course where your Page has been added to the course menu under the appropriate Lesson.

2.9 ?FYI: Options after Formatting your Page:

  • Add additional Pages to your course by repeating the process in Section 2.8.
  • Add content to your ?Page? by following the instructions in Section 3.
  • Add additional Lessons to your course by repeating the process in Section 2.5.

2.10. FYI: Functions of the? ?Blue Bar? at the ?Page? Level:

  • The blue bar is dynamic. Its content changes at each menu level of the Course – Course, Lesson, Page.
  • In the left menu, click on the name of the Page.
  • ?Delete Page? – Click ?Delete Page? on the Blue Bar if you wish to delete the entire Page. Whatever content, Templates, or Pages have been previously saved in your Resource Library will remain even though the Page is deleted.
  • ?Move Up? or ?Move Down? ? Select the Page name and then click ?Move Up? or ?Move Down? to move your selected Page up or down in the menu. That way, you can add Pages where you want them. Continue this process until your page is positioned where you want it within your lesson. If you wish to put the page in a different lesson, you must save it as a page in library, and then select it when you add a new page.
  • ?Save Page in Library? – Click ?Save Page in Library? to reuse this page in a different location.

Section 3? – Preparing To Develop Your Course

3.1 ????? ?FYI: Designing your Content:

  • Design your content using the PeakSkills Certified Developer Training Manual.
  • Make sure to use a variety of P1-Prepare, P2-Present, P3-Practice and P4-Perform lessons and screens.
  • Make sure you to use a variety of authoring Template types to make the course rich, interactive and interesting so that learning is both accelerated and transformative.

3.2 ????? Using Developer Notes

  • Click Developer Notes on the gold resource bar to add developer notes to guide you in course development. The notes will remain throughout your course development.

Section 4 -? Adding/Importing Content to the Course Title Page, Lesson Title Pages, and Pages

4.1?????? Important ? Please Read!

  • All pages including Course Title Page, Lesson Title Pages, and just plain Pages have page layouts made up of one to four frames. You can add custom Templates to each frame on a page, up to four frames.
  • In the Page Layout View of the PeakSkills Authoring Area, content is added to a page frame-by-frame by clicking ?Add? or ?Modify? on the beige ?Template? bar above the frame. Clicking ?Add? brings you to the Template Menu where you will select one of sixteen custom content Templates by clicking on it. In the selected Template page, you will develop or select that type of custom content. Once you submit your custom content, you will be returned to the Page Layout View. (Note: The Page Layout View will show you a preliminary version of the content added to the frame. To see the final version of that content, click the Page Preview View or View Course.)

* Below is an abbreviated explanation of how to add a Template to a frame on a page. See Section 8 for a detailed step-by-step explanation of how to use each Template.

4.2?? ??? To Add Custom Content:

  • Click the word ?Add? in the beige Template bar above a frame.
  • Choose a Template from the Template Menu.
  • Click on the icon below the Template name to access that Template.

4.3 ????? To Modify Custom Content:

  • Click the word ?Modify? in the beige Template bar above any frame.
  • Modify the content and click ?Submit?.

4.4?????? To Delete Custom Content:

  • Click the word ?Delete? in the beige Template bar above any frame.
  • The content will be deleted.
  • Alternately, if you click ?Add? in the beige Template bar and you have already added content to the frame, you will be given a choice to delete existing content or return to the previous screen.

4.5??? FYI: Selecting a Template:

  • Chose from sixteen Templates to add custom content to a frame.? See Section 8 for a detailed explanation of how to use each Template to create custom content. (Note: PeakSkills Learning Systems will continue to develop Templates that fit the needs of our clients, in addition to PeakSkills? first sixteen Templates.)
  • To choose a Template, click the word ?Add? in the beige Template bar above any frame. You will then be at the Template Menu.
    • ?Previously Developed? Template – Click ?Previously Developed? Template icon to use a previously customized Template in a current course. Once you select the ?Previously Developed? Template, it will show up in the Page Layout View of the Authoring Page. You will then be able to modify the Template by clicking ?Modify? on the beige bar.
    • Textbox? Template – Click ?Textbox? Template icon to add text and images, Word Art and Shapes, bullets, and tables. Change fonts and colors of a text message. Change background colors. Select any part of a text message or image and link it to a pop-up URL or email form. Cut and paste directly from Word into this area.
    • ?Self-Assessment? Template – Click ?Self-Assessment? Template icon to develop a custom Self-Assessment. The result is a Self-assessment or Survey measured on a five-point scale. For each designated category in the Self-assessment or Survey, customize recommendations to learners based on their average score in that category.
    • ?Image? Template – Click ?Image? Template to access the image catalogue and add an image to a frame. In this Template, you can add additional images to the catalogue.
    • ?File? Template – Click ?File? Template icon to select a file stored in the Library. The file can be a powerpoint, html page, spreadsheet, word doc, flash animation or some other type. In this Template, you can add additional files to the library by uploading from your own server.
    • ?Notes? Template – Click ?Notes? Template icon to add a notes area in a frame. In the actual course, the learner will add notes to this area and the notes will be saved in his/her Journal, accessible on the gold learner resource bar. Notes can be labeled brainstorms, points of view, etc.
    • ?Challenge? Template – Click ?Action Plan: Challenge? Template icon to add a Template that allows the learner to write up and save a personal challenge as part of internalizing and practicing what he/she is learning. Once the learner adds a Challenge, the Challenge will be saved in the learner?s Course Action Plan, accessed on the resource bar of the learner?s course.
    • ?Goals/Resources/Obstacles? Template – Click ?Action Plan: Goals/Resources/Obstacles? Template icon to add a Template to a frame that allows the learner to write up and save Goals, Resources and Obstacles as part of internalizing and practicing what he/she is learning. Once the learner adds a Goal, the Goal will be saved in the learner?s Course Action Plan, accessed on the resource bar of the learner?s course.
    • ?Action Item? Template – Click ?Action Plan: Action Item? Template icon to add a Template that allows the learner to write up and save Action Items as part of internalizing and practicing what he/she is learning. Once the learner adds an Action Item, the Action Item will be saved in the learner?s Course Action Plan, accessed on the resource bar of the learner?s course.
    • ?Progress Report? Template – Click ?Action Plan: Progress Report? Template icon to add a Template that allows the learner to write up and save Progress Reports as part of internalizing and practicing what he/she is learning. Once the learner adds a Progress Report, the Progress Report will be saved in the learner?s Course Action Plan, accessed on the resource bar of the learner?s course.
    • ?Assessment? Template – Click ?Assessment? Template icon to develop a custom Assessment that can be added at any position in the Course. (Note: These Assessments scores will not be saved in the learner results section. Only Pre and Post-assessment scores will be saved in the learner results section). Assessments can be either multiple-choice or true/false. Results are fed back to the learners at the end of each Assessment.
    • ?Interactive Workbook? Template – Click ?Interactive Workbook? Template icon to develop a custom workbook page. In the workbook, a statement or question will be presented to the learner; the learner is prompted to respond in writing, and then feedback or a model answer is presented. Multiple statements or questions with prompts for the learners to respond can be presented on the same page.
    • ?Skills Drills? Template – Click ?Skills Drills? Template icon to develop a custom drill or interactive exercise. Prompt the learner with a scenario or problem.? The learner gets to read the scenario, choose one of the four answers, and read feedback.
    • ?How To Steps? Template – Click ?How To Steps? Template icon to develop a custom ?How To? list of steps to present to learners with pop-ups for full descriptions of each step. The learner clicks on each step in the ?How To? list to read the full description.
    • ?Audio? Template ? (Note: Please use Page Audio ? Section 5 – rather than ?Audio? Template wherever possible. The Page Audio player takes up very little room on your page. The ?Audio? Template takes up at least ? of the page.) Click ?Audio? Template icon to upload and add an audio file to a page. Audio files must be compressed using ?streaming? technology (ASF or WMA files) before they can be uploaded. Call our Support Desk for help with this.
    • ?Video? Template – Click ?Video? Template icon to upload and add a video file to a page. Videos must be compressed using Windows streaming media (WMA, WMV or ASF) technology before they can be uploaded. Call our Support Desk for help with this or purchase Video Cleaner utility to stream your video.

Section 5 ? Adding Audio to a Page

5.1 ????? ?To Add Audio to a Page:

  • Click Page Audio in the tan ?Views? bar to view the audio catalog or to upload new audio to the catalog. Make sure your Audio file is saved in the asf or wma format.
  • Click the Audio file you want played on your course page.

5.2? ???? To Have the Audio Play Automatically:

  • Check to automatically start audio when page is loaded. Otherwise you must indicate that the learner click on the audio player at the bottom of the learner?s course player to hear the audio.

5.3????? To Test Your Audio on the Page:

  • (Note: The Audio file will not show up in Page Layout View or Page Preview View.)
  • Click ?View Course? in the gold resource bar. Select the page that has audio on the left menu. Listen to your Audio file if it starts automatically or click the Audio Player to start the Audio file.

Section 6 ? Previewing Your Work

6.1?????? To Preview Any Page

  • Click Page Preview in the tan ?Views? bar to see the actual way content will look once published in your course.
  • Click ?View Course? link on the gold bar to see a preview of the entire course as it will look to the learner.

6.2 ????? To Preview Your Course:

Section 7 ? Publishing or Unpublishing Your Course

7.1 ????? ?To Publish Your Course:

  • Click ?Publish Course? on the gold bar when you are ready to add your course to the Learner?s Catalog.

7.2? ???? To Unpublish Your Course:

  • Click ?Unpublish Course? on the gold bar when you want to remove a course from the Learner?s Catalog.

Section 8 – Using Custom Content Templates

8.1 ????? Important ? Please Read!

  • See 4.1 for description of each Template. This Section 8 assumes you have just accessed a Template from the Template menu, or directly by clicking ?Modify? on the Templates bar.

8.2 ????? ?Previously Developed? Template:

  • Click on ?Previously Developed/Saved? when you want to reuse a previously saved Template such as a Self-assessment. You will be able to edit the ?Previously Saved? Template. (Note: At any time, to save a Template to the library for reuse, click ?Add Template to Resource Library? on the beige Template bar in the Page Layout View.)
  • To add a saved template to your page, in the Resource Library of Saved Templates:

    Step 1. Scroll down until you find the correct category for the file you wish to add to your ???????????????????page.

Step 2. Select the file you wish to add to your page by clicking on the ?Select? button to the left of the file. Your ?Previously Saved Template? will show up in the Page Layout View. To edit the content of that Template, click the ?modify? button above the Template.

8.3?????? ?Textbox? Template:

  • Select the ?Textbox? Template when you want to add text, images, bullets, URL links, email links, and/or tables to a page. You can copy and paste from Word in the text editor and add Word Art and Shapes.
  • The ?Text Editor? is a Word-based editor, based on technology from Ephox. When you first click on the ?Textbox? Template, the Ephox editor will download a small file to your computer. Then you will be ready to edit. If the download is refused by your machine, lower the setting of your security on your machine temporarily. Return the setting to high after downloading the Ephox file.
  • To add text to a course page:

 

Step 1.

  • Adding text – To add text to your page, type in the textbox, using the Word- like menu to:
  • Formatting – As you are typing your text, if you do not like any choices, simply select your typing, and click the right mouse button. Then select ?undo formatting? and your formatting will return to the default setting.
    • o Spell check – Select the ?check? on the bar to do a spell check.
    • Cutting and pasting from Word – To cut and paste from Word, simply paste into the text box. Your text will be pasted in without the formatting. Ephox editor removes the formatting.
    • Adding Word Resources – To add Word Art, Graphs and Shapes from Word, deselect what you want to copy and then roll over it with your mouse. Select ?copy? to copy the selection, and then paste the selection into your text editor page.
    • Adding a Table – To add a table, simply click the grid in the upper textbox menu and edit the table in the pop up. You can add a background color to a table which will show up on your course page.
    • Adding an Image – To add an image, cut and paste into the textbox editor page, or click the little picture in the upper menu. Search for an image on our server (remote) or your own (local) and select it. If you are getting an image from the remote serve, once the image shows up on the Image page, drag it to the Image Box and then click ?OK?, once ?OK? turns black. Sometimes you need to drag it twice before it registers. Click ?Insert Image? next to return to the textbox area.
    • Manipulating the Image – Once the image is in the text editing area, you can manipulate the size of the image, its alignment and border. You do that by right clicking on the image and then selecting Image Properties. Here you can set the size of the image, the alignment of the image, the positioning of the image, and a border around the image.
    • Wrapping Text Around the Image ? Once you have right-clicked on your image and selected Image Properties, you can set the image up to wrap text around it. To do so, select a setting other than ?default? for the image. (Note: You will need to play with the settings to get the text to wrap as you want it to.)
    • Adding a URL or eMail Link – To add a URL link or e-mail link to a frame, select text or an image and then click the chain link on the upper menu of the text editor. A pop-up will appear. Add your URL or click the email icon and add an e-mail address. When learners are on this page in the actual course, they will click the underlined link and either get a pop-up html page, or an email form to fill out and send to the designated person.
    • Changing the Background Color of a Page ? In the textbox editing area, right click on the text area with your mouse. Choose Page Properties and then ?body?. Click on the background color button and set the background color for that page to whatever you want. You must click ?Submit? in the textbox editor to save your color.
    • Caution ? occasionally the Ephox DHTML will create an error due to the way it parses tags. If this happens, simply remove formatting and start again. Ephox is working on a fix for this problem.
        • change fonts, colors, size of font
        • add bold or italics
        • underline
        • indent
        • add bullets or numbered list
        • change alignment

Step 2. When you have finished entering all you work, click ?Submit? to save. IMPORTANT: if you do not click ?Submit? and you exit the page, your work will be lost.

8.4?????? ?Self-Assessment? Template:

  • Select the ?Self-Assessment? Template when you want your learner to take a self-assessment or survey.
  • Your ?Self-Assessment? Template has been designed to allow you to group self-assessment statements into categories, so that you can write recommendations that will relate to how a person scores in each category. This feedback will be offered to the learners after they take the Self-Assessment. *You do not have to group your statements into categories if you do not want to.
  • Right now, the system offers you five Self-Assessment options for each statement including: strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree. (Note: Other choices will be added in the next version of PeakSkills.)
  • To add a ?Self-Assessment? to your page:

Step 1. ????? Optional: Add instructions in the Instructions textbox. The instructions will show up on the course page above the ?Self-Assessment?. They will guide the learner as to what to do in the ?Self-Assessment?. (Note: You can cut and paste from Word into the instructions box but not into the other boxes of the Self-Assessment.)

Step 2. Optional: Category Area:

  • Add categories for grouping your statements if you want to give feedback to learners based on how they score in each category. Do this by adding category names to the add/edit box on the left and clicking ?Add?. Your category names will show up on the right.
  • To edit or delete, just click the appropriate box to the left of the category.
  • (Example: You might want to put some of your self-assessment statements into the category ?success?, some into ?family life?, some into ?self-worth? and some into ?friendships?. You can then offer learners recommendations based on their average scores in each category.)

Step 3. ????? Statement Area:

  • In this area, you will enter your statements one at a time.
  • *You must enter your statements into this area in the order you want them to appear to the learner, rather than grouped by category name. (Note: The next version of PeakSkills will have a feature that will allow automated resorting of the order of the statements.)
  • If you are using Categories, select or enter the name of the Category associated with your first statement. Then write your statement in the ?Statement? box.
  • Next enter a 5 for ?Strongly Agree? down to 1 for ?Strongly Disagree? in the boxes to the right. These values will be used to generate average scores for learner?s choices.

Step 4. ????? Click ?Add Statement to List Below?:

  • Click ?Add Statement to List Below? to save the category (if selected), statement and numerical values, 5 down to 1, for each statement.
    (Note: YOU MUST CLICK THIS BUTTON TO SAVE YOUR WORK.)
  • Your statement and category (if selected) will appear below the button.
  • Click the ?delete? box to delete the statement and the ?edit? box to edit it.
  • If you click ?edit? your work will appear back in the areas above. Make your changes and then resubmit by clicking ?Add Statement to List Below?.
  • Continue adding categories, statements and values in this way until all your statements are entered.

Step 5. ????? Recommendation Area:

  • To add recommendations for a given category, select the category on the left.
  • Then add the min average score and the max average score for your first recommendation in your chosen category. For example, you might want to put in min and max as 5 and add a recommendation for someone scoring an average of 5 ? Strongly Agree – in the first category. Or you might want to put a max of 5 and a min of 4 and add a recommendation for someone scoring an average of 4.5 in that category.
  • Click ?Add Recommendation to List Below? and then continue adding recommendations for each category range of score(s). (Note: YOU MUST CLICK THIS BUTTON TO SAVE YOUR WORK.)
  • Delete or edit your recommendations by clicking the appropriate box to the left of the recommendation.
  • Recommendations per category will show up as appropriate feedback to learners after they complete the Self-Assessment.

Step 6. When you have finished entering all statements, values and recommendations, click ?Submit? to save your work. IMPORTANT: if you do not click ?Submit? and you exit the page, your work will be lost.

8.5?????? ?Image? Template:

  • Add/upload an image in the ?Image? Template when you want to include an image on a page (Note: The Image Library will store all images that you upload for future use. Only jpgs and gifs can be stored.)
  • To add an ?Image? to your page:

Step 1. Optional: To add an Image from Your Home Computer to the Image Library:

  • Upload new image, by clicking ?browse?.
  • Select an image file (either a jpg or gif) and then click ?open?.
  • Name the image in the ?Image Name? box.
  • Add ?Keywords? to use in the Image catalog.
  • Click ?Add New Image to Library Below? to save the Image file in the Image Library. (Note: If you do not click ?Add New Image to Library Below?, it will not be saved in the Library.)

Step 2. Select an Image to add to your page:

  • Select the ?Image? file you wish to add to your page by clicking in the circle above the image. (Note: To find the Image you want, sort by Image Title, Keyword or Date in the Sort Box in the upper right bar of Library.)

Step 3. Select Image Specs in the ?Justify and Size Image? area below the Library.

  • Click left or right justification, depending on preference. The Image will show up on left or right of your frame if the frame is wider than the Image.
  • Click a size for your Image.
        • Clicking ?original size? will allow it to show up in a course page in its original size.
        • Clicking 100% means the Image will show up in the frame as full as possible. A square image will fit exactly. Other images will size according to the largest dimension, height or width.
        • Clicking 50% means the Image will show up in 50% of the frame.
        • Clicking 33% means the Image will show up in 33% of the frame.
        • Clicking 25% means the Image will show up in 50% of the frame.

Step 4. Click ?Submit? in the ?Submit Image Changes? area. The ?Image? will be displayed in the Page Layout View. IMPORTANT: if you do not click ?Submit? and you exit the page, your work will be lost.

8.6?????? ?File? Template:

  • Select the ?File? Template when you want to upload various types of files and add them to your page. (Note: The library will store all files that you upload for future use. You can upload Powerpoints, Word Docs, Text Files, Images, Flash Animations, Spreadsheets, PDFs. Contact our support center at support@peakskillslearning.com if you want to upload file types that we have not listed.)
  • To add a ?File? to your page:

Step 1. Optional: Upload new file, by clicking ?browse?.

  • Select a file from your hard drive and then click ?open?. Name the file in the ?File Name? box.
  • Click ?Add New File or Image to Library Below? to save the file in the Library. (Note: If you do not click ?Add New File or Image to Library Below?, it will not be saved in catalog.)

Step 2. Scroll down until you find the correct category for your file. Select the file you wish to add to your page by clicking in the circle to the left of the file.

Step 3. Click ?Submit? at the bottom of the page. Your file will be displayed in the Page Layout View. IMPORTANT: if you do not click ?Submit? and you exit the page, your work will be lost.

8.7?????? ?Notes? Template:

  • Select the ?Notes? Template when you want your learner to reflect, brainstorm, view from a new perspective, or report on their own experience. (Note: One good use of the ?Notes? box is to have the learner record what they have learned in the lesson or course. All entries will be saved in the Learner?s Journal, accessible on the gold resource bar of the Learner?s course. )
  • To add a ?Notes? Template to your page:

Step 1.?????? Select a title for your note. The title will show up below the ?Notes? box on the ???????????????????course page.
Step 2.?????? Add instructions or questions. The instructions or questions will show ???????????????????up on the course page above the ?Notes? box. The instructions or question will ???????????????????guide the learner as to what to do in the ?Notes? box.
Step 3. Click ?Submit?. Your ?Note? box with title will be displayed in the Page Layout ???????????????????View.? IMPORTANT: if you do not click ?Submit? and you exit the page, your ???????????????????work will be lost.

8.8?????? ?Action Plan: Challenge? Template:

  • Select ?Action Plan: Challenge? Template when you want your learner to challenge himself to carry out some new action or think through new possibilities, based on the learnings in your course. (Note: All entries will be saved in the Learner?s Action Plan, accessible on the gold resource bar.)
  • To add a ?Challenge? box to your course page:

Step 1.?????? Add instructions or questions. The instructions or questions will show up on the course page above the ?Challenge? box. The instructions or questions will guide the learner as to what to do in the ??Challenge? box.

Step 2. Click ?Submit?. Your ?Challenge? box will be displayed in the Page Layout View. IMPORTANT: if you do not click ?Submit? and you exit the page, your work will be lost.

8.9?????? ?Action Plan: Goals/Resources/Obstacles? Template:

  • Select ?Action Plan: Goals/Resources/Obstacles? Template when you want your learner to set a goal with a due date, and add resources needed as well as obstacles that must be overcome to reach that goal. Use this Template when you want your learner to set a goal that applies some specific learning from the course. (Note: All entries will be saved in the Learner?s Action Plan, accessible on the gold resource bar.)
  • To add a ?Goals /Resources/Obstacles? Template to your course page:

Step 1.?????? Add instructions or questions. The instructions or questions will show up on the course page above the ?Goals /Resources/Obstacles? Template. The instructions or questions will guide the learner as to what to do in the ?Template?.

Step 2. Click ?Submit?. Your ?Goals /Resources/Obstacles? Template will be displayed in the Page Layout View. IMPORTANT: if you do not click ?Submit? and you exit the page, your work will be lost.

8.10???? ?Action Plan: Action Item? Template:

  • Select ?Action Plan: Action Item? Template when you want your learner to add an Action Item to his/her Action Plan. The Action Item will include date, item and description. (Note: Use this Template when you want your learner to carry out an Action Item as part of applying the learnings from the course. All entries will be saved in the Learner?s Action Plan, accessible on the gold resource bar.)
  • To add an ?Action Item? box to your page:

Step 1.?????? Add instructions or questions. The instructions or questions will show up on the course page above the ?Action Item? box. The instructions or questions will guide the learner as to what to do in the ?Action Item? box.

Step 2. Click ?Submit?. Your ?Action Items? Template will be displayed in the Page Layout View. IMPORTANT: if you do not click ?Submit? and you exit the page, your work will be lost.

8.11???? ?Action Plan: Progress Report? Template:

  • Select ?Action Plan: Progress Report? Template when you want your learner to write a progress report on his/her learnings or his/her application project. (Note: All entries will be saved in the Learner?s Action Plan, accessible on the gold resource bar.)
  • To add a ?Progress Report? box to your page:

Step 1.?????? Add instructions or questions. The instructions or questions will show up on the course page above the ?Progress Report? box. The instructions or questions will guide the learner as to what to do in the ?Progress Report? box.

Step 2. Click ?Submit?. Your ?Progress Report? Template will be displayed in the Page Layout View. IMPORTANT: if you do not click ?Submit? and you exit the page, your work will be lost.

8.12???? ?Assessment? Template:

  • Select ?Assessment? Template when you want to test the learner as he/she moves through the course. (Note: This Assessment?s results will not be saved in the learner results area. Only results from pre- and post-assessments will be saved.)
  • You will currently be able to use the ?Assessment? Template to create ?true and false? or ?multiple choice? questions. (Note: We will add more assessment choices later in development of the PeakSkills elearning suite.)
  • To add an ?Assessment? to your course page:

Step 1.?????? Add instructions in the Instructions textbox. The instructions will show up on the course page above the ?Assessment?. They will guide the learner as to what to do in the ?Assessment?.

Step 2. ????? Question/Statement Area:

  • Write your question/statement in the ?Question/Statement? box. Next list up to four answers below. Click the correct answer in the circles to the right. (Note: You can list ?true? and ?false? as answers if that is the type of question you are creating.)

Step 3.

  • Click ?Add Question/Statement to List Below? to save the question or statement, answers and correct choice. (Note: It is important that you click this button in order to save your work.)
  • Your work will appear below the button. Click the ?delete? box to delete the question and the ?edit? box to edit it.
  • If you click ?edit? your work will reappear in the areas above. Make your changes and then resubmit by clicking ?Add Question/Statement to List Below?. . (Note: It is important that you click this button in order to save your work.)
  • Continue adding questions/statements and answers in this way until all your statements are entered.

Step 4. When you have finished entering all statements and answers, click ?Submit? to save your work. Your ?Assessment? Template will be displayed in the Page Layout View. IMPORTANT: if you do not click ?Submit? and you exit the page, your work will be lost.

8.13???? ?Interactive Workbook? Template:

  • Select ?Interactive Workbook? Template when you want your learner to respond to questions, statements, a scenario, etc. Once the learner writes his comments and clicks ?Feedback?, he will be able to read feedback or a model response you have inserted into that section of the interactive workbook.
  • To add an ?Interactive Workbook? to your page:

Step 1.?????? Optional: Add instructions in the Instructions textbox. The instructions will show up on the course page above the ?Interactive Workbook? Question/Statement box. They will guide the learner as to what to do in the ?Interactive Workbook?.

Step 2. Enter a question or statement, something you want the learner to respond to, in the Question/Statement textbox.

Step 3. Enter feedback to the learner in the ?Response/Feedback? textbox.

Step 4. Click ?Add/Edit Above to List Below? to save the question/statement and the ????????????????????feedback. (Note: It is important that you click this button in order to save ????????????????????your?work.)
Step 5. ????? Editing:

  • Your Question/Statement will show up below the button, ?Add/Edit Above to List Below?.
  • To delete the Question/Statement and its accompanying Feedback, click the ?delete? box to the left of the statement.
  • To edit that Question/Statement and its accompanying Feedback, click the ?edit? box to the left of the Question/Statement. Your Question/Statement and its accompanying Feedback will appear in their original textboxes.
  • Edit the Questions and Feedback and then click ?Add/Edit Above to List Below? to save your changes. (Note: It is important that you click this button in order to save?your?work.)

Step 6. ????????????Adding more than one Interactive Workbook form to a page:

  • At times you may want learners to respond to more than one Question/Statement on a page. If you want to add more Question/Statements with accompanying Feedback to your workbook page, return to step 2 and repeat the process, until a second Question/Statement appears below the ?Add/Edit Above to List Below? button.

Step 7. When you have added all the Question/Statements with accompanying Feedback that you want, click ?Submit? to save your work. Your ?Interactive Workbook? Template will be displayed in the Page Layout View. IMPORTANT: if you do not click ?Submit? and you exit the page, your work will be lost.

8.14???? ?Skills Drills? Template:

  • Select ?Skills Drills? Template when you want your learner to read a situation or challenge, and then choose amongst up to four alternatives. Clicking any of the alternatives presents feedback about that choice to the learner. (Note: You can create a long scenario or simulation over a series of pages by add a ?Skllls Drills? Template to each page of your scenario, to immerse your learner in an experience.)
  • To add a ?Skills Drill? to your page:

Step 1.?????? Add instructions in the Instructions textbox. The instructions will show up on the course page above the Skills Drill. They will guide the learner as to how to use the Skills Drill.

Step 2. Enter a question or statement, something you want the learner to respond to, in the Questions textbox. (Note: You must type your question/statement, responses and feedback. You can not paste from Word in this area.)

Step 3. Enter up to four possible responses in the ?Possible Responses? boxes.

Step 4. For each possible response, enter feedback to the learner in the ?Feedback? box to the right of that response.

Step 5. When you have added all the responses and feedback, click ?Submit? to save your work. Your ?Skills Drills? Template will be displayed in the Page Layout View. IMPORTANT: if you do not click ?Submit? and you exit the page, your work will be lost.

8.15???? ?How To Steps? Template:

  • Select ?How To? Template when you want to teach learners to follow a series of steps in a procedure, process or skill. In the ?How To? Template, you will list each step and then add a longer description. The learners will see a list of steps and will be able to click on each step to read a longer description of that step.
  • To add a ?How To? Template to your course page:

Step 1.?????? Add instructions in the Instructions textbox. The instructions will show up on the course page above the ?How To? list. They will guide the learner as to what to do in this Template.

Step 2. In the second box, write the first ?How To? step in brief. Try to keep it to one line.

Step 3. In the third box, write a longer description of the ?How To? step.

Step 4. Click the button, ?Add/Edit Above to List Below?, to save the ?How To? step and its description. (Note: It is important that you click this button in order to save your work.)

Step 5. ????? Editing the ?How To? Steps

  • Your ?How To? statement will show up below the ?Add/Edit Above to List Below? button. To delete the ?How To? statement and its longer description, click the ?delete? box to the left of the statement.
  • To edit that ?How To? statement and its longer description, click the ?edit? box to the left of the ?How To? statement. Your ?How To? statement and its longer description will appear in their original textboxes.
  • Edit the ?How To? statement and its longer description and then click ?Add/Edit Above to List Below? to save your changes. (Note: It is important that you click this button in order to save your work.)

Step 6. When you have added all the ?How To? steps and their longer descriptions, click ?Submit? to save your work. Your ?How To? Template will be displayed in the Page Layout View. IMPORTANT: if you do not click ?Submit? and you exit the page, your work will be lost.

8.16???? ?Audio? Template:

  • Select ?Audio? Template when you want to include audio on a page. (Note: PeakSkills has recently added Page Audio function. Since it takes up no extra space on the page, it is a far better choice than the ?Audio? Template which takes up at least a quarter of a page. See Section 5 for Page Audio.)
  • To add an ?Audio? Template to your course page:

Step 1.?????? Optional: Add instructions and/or an image in the instructions box. The instructions will show up above the ?Audio? player on the course page.

Step 2.?????? Optional: Upload new audio

  • Upload new audio, by clicking ?browse?.
  • Select an audio file and then click ?open?. (Make sure you select a file that has been saved as a streamed audio file in the format asf or wma. Call our support desk for details or send email to support@peakskillslearning.com.)
  • Name the file in the ?Audio Name? box. Click Preview Audio if you wish to preview the audio.
  • Click ?Add Audio to List Below? to save the Audio file in the Audio Library. (Note: If you do not click ?Add Audio to List Below?, it will not be saved in Library.)

Step 3. Select the ?Audio? file you wish to add to your page by clicking in the circle to the right of the file.

Step 4. Click ?Submit?. The ?Audio? player will be displayed in the authoring page. IMPORTANT: if you do not click ?Submit? and you exit the page, your work will be lost.

8.17 ??? ?Video? Template:

  • Select ?Video? Template when you want to include video on a page.
  • To add a ?Video? Template to your course page:

Step 1.?????? Optional: Upload new video

  • Upload new video by clicking ?browse?. Select a video file and then click ?open?. (Make sure you select a file that has been saved as a streaming? video with the extensions asf or wmv.. Call our support desk for details or send email to support@peakskillslearning.com.)
  • Name the file in the ?Video Name? box.
  • Click Preview Video if you wish to preview the video.
  • Then click ?Add Video to List Below? to save the Video file in the Video Library. (Note: If you do not click ?Add Video to List Below?, it will not be saved in the Library.)

Step 2. Select the ?Video? file you wish to add to your page by clicking in the circle to the right of the file.

Step 3. Click ?Submit?. The ?Video? player will be displayed in the Page Layout View. IMPORTANT: if you do not click ?Submit? and you exit the page, your work will be lost.