User:Conversar/sandbox

IMC Content Studio is an authoring software for educational purposes, especially the production of content for e-learning areas, for example MOOCs. The program is developed and distributed by IMC AG, a German company based in Saarbrücken. The software is mostly used by teachers and trainers in Colleges, Universities and in adult education and continuing education, in particular at occupational training institutions like Corporate Universities.

Interface and operation
As common with authoring software, the users are usually no software-experts. Therefore, authoring software programs rely on good usability and are designed to be intuitive and easily understood and used. In addition, the interface of IMC Content Studio resembles the design of Microsoft products. One example is the ribbon, used in Microsoft Office since 2007, which is also a characteristic feature of Windows 8. The program therefore allows the import of Microsoft Power Point templates and slides as well.

Beside producing content for e-learning, the software can be used to design graphic novels, interactive books and presentations. In addition to visual content, the program offers the option of producing audio-content via speech synthesis.

Software
The software is based on HTML 5, allowing it to run on computers using Windows, MAC OS, but also on tablets and Smartphones. The program is compliant with the SCORM standard drawn up by the Pentagon authority ADL for E-learning, as well as with the newer standard PENS of the AICC Committee, jointly developed by the European and US aviation industry.

Beside producing content in English, the software offers an interface in more than 30 languages, as it is designed especially for the usage in international companies, where English may be not the only language used. One example is six sigma training, offered by the corporate university of a multinational company for its engineers in Italian and Spanish-speaking affiliates.

The usage range varies from basic training, often with multiple choice tests, up to complex MOOCs at Corporate Universities.

Cultural context and informal learning
The application is unusual for a software made in Germany. Even if the company now has development studios in the US, the UK, Australia and other countries, the developer has its roots in the e-learning and training industry in Germany. Process Guide supports informal learning and training on the job, while training in Germany traditionally relies heavily on formal learning, especially in manufacturing. Basic vocational training as an apprentice can last three years and certificates in vocational training have a high reputation in Germany, even compared with graduations.

US-President Obama mentioned the German dual system as a standard for vocational training in his State of the Union address in 2012. While the so called dual education system provides "technicians, engineers and skilled workers through a … apparatus of vocational training and technical apprenticeships", it has downfalls when it comes to lifelong learning, as recommended by both the OECD and the European Commission.

As well it does not prepare for rapidly changing working conditions, like technological innovations or changes in the legal framework of a profession. In addition, informal training has proven to be efficient. According to Cross, organizations spend 80% of their training budget on formal learning and 20% on informal learning, while informal learning accounts for 80% of the learning success. Unlike in formal training, usually no certificates or diplomas are handed out though.

EPSS and virtual assistants
Advanced context-sensitive assistance programs like EPSS should not be confused with simple help applications that are usually keyword-triggered. An example for the latter is the well-known, but highly unpopular Clippy. This animated paperclip popped up whenever users typed a certain word or term in Microsoft Office. Clippy was often seen as annoying and removed by Microsoft in 2007. A new generation of virtual assistants, like Microsoft’s Cortana uses smarter methods of assessing when and how to offer what help. Help options can appear for instance after a pre-defined time of inaction between two usually connected process-steps, instead of popping up whenever a certain word is typed.

The boundary between online-help from advanced virtual assistants like Microsoft’s Cortana or Apple’s Siri and EPSS is not always clear. Both can work like a knowledge navigator or GPS for software. But while Cortana and Siri are more software-specific, an EPPS like Process Guide is more organization-specific. The program does not explain how a certain software works, but instead offers assistance in handling different programs that are in use in an organization as a whole.

Weblinks

 * Website of IMC AG