Over the time of the project, participants have spent time experimenting with and evaluating different tools, mostly freeware or open source, which might further support and enhance online delivery.
Our IT Manager participant gave the group a practical session with tips on how to ensure that web pages are easily accessible to users with low bandwidth internet access. Staff experimented with a product called Thumbs Plus, a user-friendly graphics program which easily converts graphics files to various formats, and seamlessly compresses these to bandwidth-friendly size.
Two of the staff experimented with several products which allow you to record actions (eg how to bold text in Word), and then incorporate this into the descriptive part of instructions. They were particularly impressed with the program Viewlet from http://www.qarbon.com. This program is available as a 30-day trial, but is quite expensive to buy for general use. There is, however, a similar program included on the Office97 distribution CD which performs a similar function.
Staff experimented with several of the tool published during Net*Working 2002:
Several of the staff experimented with the use of web cameras and communications tools such as ICQ and ICU , and with being able to access public communications spaces such as Yahoo Messenger for communications with students. While the technology and services are accessible, the TAFE firewalls are such that the video and audio communications can only occur outside these. Still, this type of communications could certainly be encouraged between students for communication and collaboration.
Many of the freeware and shareware tools sourced by TOFS participants have been collated onto a CD which will be available early in the New Year for any who might be interested. For further information, please contact Margaret Granger at Spencer TAFE.
