narrative presentations

Goals: This session will provide an overview of some of the tools that can be used to create narrative presentations. Tips and suggestions will be provided to help determine when and if narrative presentations should be used in a course.

introduction

Many faculty and instructional staff want the ability to convert existing PowerPoint materials so they are suitable for an online or hybrid course within Learn@UW. There are many ways to give students an online PowerPoint presentation. Depending on the goals to be achieved with students, one of the following methods can be used to deliver an online presentation.

  1. Upload an original PowerPoint file for the students to download.
  2. Give students a PDF file of a PowerPoint presentation, such as three slides per page with an area for taking notes.
  3. Convert PowerPoint into HTML by saving as "Web page" within PowerPoint.
  4. Synchronize PowerPoint slides with a narrative script (audio file).

This session will provide a brief overview of the available tools. Focus will be on narrative presentations using Breeze Presentation, one of the tools presented on the PowerPoint to the Web web site. The formally Macromedia Breeze Presentation, now Adobe Breeze Presentation, along with a few of the other tools presented at the URL above, allow video and/or Flash animations to be displayed within the online presentation.

Faculty often create PowerPoint presentations to enhance classroom lectures. Some faculty want to deliver classroom lectures over the Web using video streaming technologies. This process can be time consuming and, without the proper equipment and knowledge, full-motion video recordings of lectures can be less successful than anticipated.

One excellent delivery alternative is to use Adobe Breeze Presentation to convert an existing PowerPoint presentation into full motion video. The benefits of this approach are:

  • Smaller files.
  • Greater clarity.
  • Faster download to students.

Before getting started with the Breeze Presentation tool, an appointment with a DoIT Learning Technology and Distance Education consultant is recommended to discuss the instructional goals and determine which technologies best fit those goals. To set up an appointment with an LTDE consultant, call 262.5667 or email ltde@doit.wisc.edu.

resources

Study of various tools used to convert PowerPoint to the Web

introduction to macromedia breeze

The Breeze Presentation plug-in makes it possible to create a complete animated multimedia show with audio and synchronized animations, from an existing PowerPoint presentation. Within the Breeze Presentation tool, a presentation can be converted and uploaded to a Web server, where participants can view and interact with it. Participants only need the Macromedia Flash player to view the converted presentations on the Web.

Breeze Presentation can also be used for integrating audio from live events or for integrating specially produced audio narration. To add an interactive component to a presentation, use the Adobe Breeze Quiz feature. An LTDE consultant is available to assist with the process of importing and editing audio, creating quizzes and publishing a presentation. Call 262.5667, or email ltde@doit.wisc.edu, for an appointment.

Design Tips

To create the best online presentations, we suggest using the following guidelines:

  • Design the online presentation to optimize the bandwidth capabilities of the audience. If the audience has fast, broadband connections to view the online presentation, one can create a graphic intensive presentation that includes many animations. However, if the audience has slower connection speeds (<56kbps), graphic images should be used judiciously to insure the audience has a good viewing experience.

  • HINT: To allow for a faster download of the content, do not have audio on the first two slides of a presentation. This works best with presentations that use the automated slide changes.

  • Create a written script of the audio presentation. Speaking into a microphone can often be more difficult than giving the presentation to a live audience. To insure a smooth delivery covering all important points, we recommend completely scripting the presentation before recording.

  • HINT: PowerPoint notes can be imported into a Breeze presentation.

  • Add animations to the presentation. Breeze Presentation supports PowerPoint animations, so powerful, animated, multimedia presentations can be created and delivered. Animations add impact to a message and will improve the overall viewing experience of the audience.

  • View the presentation online before releasing it. During the conversion process to an online presentation, the original PowerPoint presentation may undergo some slight changes.

  • Create unique slide titles that appear in the interactive timeline. The Adobe Breeze Plug-in uses the PowerPoint outline to provide viewers with fast access to any slide. Make sure slide titles show up in the PowerPoint outline for all slides, including graphic only slides, before uploading it.

  • When recording audio, find a quiet space to record. Unplug the phone, turn off the fan, radio and any other background noise, and post a “Do Not Enter” note on the door to better ensure no interruptions. When recording audio, pause before and after advancing to then next slide. If the speaker tries to advance to the next slide while talking, a portion of the audio may be lost.

Getting Started -- Request a Breeze Account

Currently, Breeze Presenter is offered through Instructional Communication Systems (ICS). To request an account contact the ICS ExtendLMS Coordinator:

Rich Berg
608-263-4262
extendlms@ics.uwex.edu
http://www.uwex.edu/ics/extendlms/

Provide:

  • contact information
  • the name of the origination campus
  • name of instructor or staff member leading the course
  • number of seats needed
  • name of the course associated with this meeting, and
  • unique course number associated with this course.

(Example: UW-Madison, Professor Smith, Mathematics 101, id: mat101003)

Download the Breeze Presentation PowerPoint Plug-In

To get the new plugin for Breeze Presenter you first need an account. Then log in to ExtendLMS (http://extendlms.ics.uwex.edu). On the home page, click on the link that says Getting Started. In the new window that opens, click on "Install Macromedia Breeze Presenter" in #1 in the first section. Please note that it is a violation of our contract agreement to distribute or share the executable file for this plugin. Each person wishing to use the plugin must log in to ExtendLMS and download it themselves.

Audio Recording

There are a number of different microphones that can be used to record audio. Here are the most common types of recording devices:

  1. Standard PC microphone—these are usually inexpensive microphones that provide fair quality recordings. When using these microphones, it is important to use the Set Microphone Recording Level function and follow the tips for proper microphone usage.

  2. High quality audio microphone—these microphones are designed for audio recordings and will provide good quality audio recordings. However, in some cases, they may not work well with the computer's PC sound card. In those cases, a microphone with a mixer may need to be used.

  3. Microphone/Mixer combination—this combination will provide good quality audio recordings. Connect the microphone to the mixer, then take the analog output of the mixer and connect it to the line in connector of the computer's sound card.

Note: Overall audio quality will be a function of the microphone and sound card. Using an expensive microphone doesn’t insure high quality audio – a cheap sound card can greatly degrade audio quality.

Connecting the microphone

Before recording audio, connect the microphone. In most cases, there are two primary sound input connectors on the computer's sound card:

  • Microphone - This input is used to connect to most microphones.

  • Line In - Select this option if the line in connector of the sound card is used and the audio input is a line level input. Line in is often used when an external device (e.g., audio mixer, DAT recorder) is connected to the sound card – the microphone is connected to this external device.

Note: Some high quality audio recording microphones may not work well with the microphone input to the computer's sound card. An audio mixer and the line in input to the sound card may be necessary.

Using a microphone

The way a microphone is used can greatly affect the quality of an audio recording. Here are some tips for using a microphone with Breeze Presentation:

  1. Position the microphone the correct distance from the speaker. Microphones are designed for use at a specific distance. If the microphone is too close, it may pick up unwanted sounds like “breaths” that will degrade the audio quality. If the microphone is too far, it may provide a very low level signal.

  2. Keep a constant distance between the speaker and the microphone while recording. Keep a constant distance between the speaker's mouth and the microphone during the entire recording. Changing that distance will degrade the overall audio recording.

  3. Position headset microphones at the side of the speaker's mouth. To prevent unwanted sounds like “breaths”, position the headset microphones at the side of the speaker's mouth, not directly in front.

  4. Record in a quiet environment. Loud background noise can affect recording quality. In addition, carpeted floors and padded walls help improve the recording environment.

  5. Add a windscreen to the microphone. Windscreens help reduce the effects of “breaths” that may be picked up during recording.

  6. When recording audio, advance the slide first, then pause, then start recording. Do this for each slide. If the speaker tries to advance to the next slide while talking, a portion of the audio may be lost.

  7. Hint: Pause before and after each slide transition when recording the narration.

Note: During the conversion of audio for online streaming, the audio quality will degrade slightly.

Audio Recording Using PowerPoint

  1. Create a folder to save your WAV files to
  2. Choose Slide Show | Record Narration
  3. Check the "Link Narrations in:" check box and Browse to the folder you created
  4. After you are done recording audio go to Breeze | Import Audio... and click Import from Presentation
  5. Your .wav files will appear under the File column
  6. Click OK
  7. Do NOT remove your embedded audio from the presentation when asked. Click NO.
  8. Publish your presentation

Note: If you do not choose "Link Narrations in:" prior to recording the narration you will have to choose File | Save as Web Page. Then choose Save As Type: Web Page. A folder will be created that will give you access the stand-alone WAV files.

Audio Recording Using Breeze Wizard

The Run Wizard command provides the easiest method for creating an online presentation. The Breeze Presentation wizard walks the user through each step required to create a complete online presentation.

To start the Wizard for creating a multimedia presentation:

  1. Select the Run Wizard command in the Breeze menu.

  2. Setting the Microphone Recording Level insures good quality audio is generated for the online presentation. Connect the microphone before starting this process. Test the microphone level by reading the sentence that is provided on the screen. Be sure to read the sentence at the level the speaker will used during the recording process.


    Read the sentence provided and look for the Green OK signal. Click NEXT.

  3. Record narration for each presentation slide, including adding animations. Click the From this window, the presentation can be played back. After completing these steps choose to either Publish a Presentation or Return to PowerPoint.

Publishing a Presentation

After recording and previewing a multimedia presentation, it is ready to be uploaded for online conversion and viewing using Adobe Breeze.

To upload a presentation to the streaming server, be connected to the Internet, preferably a high bandwidth connection. Upload a presentation using the Run Wizard command or the Publish command in the Breeze menu.

To publish a presentation:

  1. From the Breeze menu select Publish. This will open the Publish Presentation window, which will initially show the Login to Adobe Breeze screen.

  2. Login to Adobe Breeze using the user name (email address) and password provided by the Breeze administrator.

  3. After a successful login, the Set Presentation Location screen will open. Select the folder to which the presentation will be uploaded, by clicking on the folder names to navigate.

  4. After the correct location has been determined, select the appropriate presentation or action:

    • Adding a new presentation -- Select the Publish button.
    • Updating an Existing Presentation -- Click on the presentation title to be updated.

  5. The Enter Presentation Information screen will open. Add or modify the presentation information. After entering all the requested information, press the NEXT button.

  6. The Select Presentation Features screen will open. Select the desired options and press the NEXT button. Continue with the wizard until all the settings for the presentation have been set.

  7. After completing the Wizard, click the FINISH button and the presentation will begin uploading for conversion.

Note: Uploading a presentation may take a long time depending on the size of the presentation/ audio files and the Internet connection speed. For example, over a 56 kbps connection, the estimated time for uploading a 1 Mbyte file will be about 2 minutes.

Managing a Presentations

Open PowerPoint to access the Adobe Breeze account and manage all published presentations.

  1. Go to the Breeze menu within PowerPoint
  2. Select Manage Account.
  3. The Login to Adobe Breeze screen will open.
  4. Log into Adobe Breeze using the user name (email address) and password provided to the Breeze administrator.
  5. After a successful login, modify or update additional presentation information.

Making a Presentation Available to Learners

Now that the presentation is on the streaming server, participants need to be given access to it in some manner.

Download the Breeze Presentation File from the Server

  1. Log into Breeze Presentation via the Breeze | Manage Accounts menu.
  2. Click on Content.
  3. Click on the name of the presentation to be delivered.
  4. Click on Download Content.

    manage account

  5. Scroll down to the appropriate zipped folder link.
  6. Click on the link and choose Save.
  7. Save the zipped folder to the Desktop.
  8. Click Close.

Using Learn@UW to Deliver Presentations

Breeze Presentation can be delivered using the Content tool within a Learn@UW course by following these steps:

Import the file into Learn@UW

  1. Log into Learn@UW.
  2. Click on the course into which the presentation will be imported.
  3. Click on Edit Course.
  4. Click on Files.
  5. Create a New Folder and title it to reflect the presentation.
  6. Open the folder.
  7. Click Upload.
  8. Browse to the desktop and find the zip file.
  9. Click on Upload.
  10. Click on the Unzip Icon to unzip the file.

Make the Presentation a Topic

  1. Click on Content
  2. Click on Add Topic under the desired Module.
  3. Click on Create New File.
  4. Type information in the content area about the presentation.
  5. Click on the Quick Link icon.

    create new file

  6. Using the Category pull-down menu choose Course File.
  7. Click on Browse and find the presentation's index.html file in the folder into which the presentation was uploaded.
  8. Type in a Link Caption. Students will see this caption and click on it to enter the presentation.
  9. Choose New Window.
  10. Click Insert.
  11. Click Save.
  12. Choose where to save the new document within the Learn@UW File Manager area.
  13. Go to course and view the file to make sure it is working correctly.

Advanced Features

Audio Options

The Adobe Breeze Plug-in includes advanced features that let the user import audio and edit animation timings. These advanced features are designed for users who edit and produce audio for use with presentations. It is especially useful for importing audio recorded at a live event or for incorporating special audio effects.  Only wav files can be imported into Breeze Presentations.

publish in powerpoint

During the import process, the Adobe Breeze Plug-in allows for the matching of specific audio files to specific slides within a presentation. In addition, the Adobe Breeze Plug-in supports timing markers from the audio editing program Sound Forge

There are three basic methods for importing audio with Adobe Breeze Plug-in:

  1. Create and import one audio file for each slide. During import, each audio file will be assigned to a specific slide in the presentation.

  2. Import multiple individual audio files. If individual audio files have been created, they can be imported at the same time if they have been named appropriately.

  3. Create one long audio file with Sound Forge markers. During import, select the initial slide corresponding to the audio file the Adobe Breeze Plug -- in will automatically assign the audio and animations to the slides using the Sound Forge markers in the audio file.

Importing Individual Audio Files for Each Slide

  1. Choose Import Audio in the Breeze menu. The Choose Slides and Files for Import window will open.

    choose slides

  2. Select the slide for import by clicking on the slide name.

  3. Click on the Browse button to find the audio file associated with the selected slide. After selecting the correct audio file, click Open. The file will be read into Adobe Breeze

    Note: If the audio file is read incorrectly, for example the audio is spread over multiple slides, there may be timing markers in the file. To ignore all markers, click the Ignore Markers box below the Browse button.

  4. Continue assigning audio files to slides by repeating steps 2 and 3 above.

  5. After all audio files have been assigned, click OK to begin importing the selected audio files.

Importing Individual Audio Files for Each Slide All at Once

  1. Name individual audio files with a numeric extension (e. g. , slide1, slide2, slide3)

  2. Select Import Audio in the Breeze menu. The Choose Slides and Files for Import window will open.

  3. Select the first slide for import, by clicking on the slide name.

  4. Now, click on the Browse button to find the audio files associated with this presentation. Select all the audio files to be imported. To select multiple files hold down the Ctrl or Shift key when clicking on the file name.

  5. Click OK to begin importing the selected audio files.

Importing a single audio file containing Sound Forge markers

An audio editing program like Sound Forge will need to be used to place markers within the audio file.

  1. Select Import Audio in the Breeze menu. The Choose Slides and Files for Import window will open.

  2. Select the initial slide for import, by clicking on the appropriate Slide name.

  3. Click on the Browse button to find the audio file. After selecting the correct audio file, click Open. Markers must be placed in the file using sound editing program like Sound Forge to synchronize the slides and the presentation. Information about animations, length of the audio file and the name of the associated file should appear next to each slide name.

  4. Click OK to begin importing the selected audio files.

Set Timings

This feature allows for the adding or changing of animation timings of slides in a presentation. Instead of re-recording audio to change animation timing, use edit timings to change the timing of slide animations.

Markers

During the import process, the Adobe Breeze Plug-in supports Sound Forge audio markers. These markers can be used to identify slide transitions and animation locations during the import process. There are three basic ways to handle markers in the audio file to be imported:

  1. No marker names -- The Adobe Breeze Plug-in will automatically handle Sound Forge markers that use the default naming (e. g. , time) . These markers will be read in, and sequentially assigned to slide transitions and mouseclick animations as they occur in the presentation file.

  2. Named markers -- The recommended method for using Sound Forge markers is to change the name of the Sound Forge markers depending on the type of event trying to be identified. For slide transitions, use an s prefix (e. g. , s1, s2, s3) . For mouseclick animations, use an a prefix within each slide (e. g. , a1, a2) . If markers are named with s and a prefixes, the slide transitions will always take precedence. Thus, if there are an incorrect number of a markers, they will be discarded.

  3. Ignore all markers --  During the import process, an option to ignore all markers appears. By checking this box, any markers in the audio file will be discarded during the import process.

Note: If there are too many markers in the audio file, Adobe Breeze Plug-in will display a warning before discarding the extra audio.

PowerPoint Animations Features

Set Timings of Animations

The Adobe Breeze Plug-in allows for the setting and/or changing of animation timing within a slide. This feature does not change the audio recording associated with the slide, but allows the synchronization of the animations to the audio narration to be changed.

To change the timing of animations on a slide:

  1. Select Set Timings in the Breeze menu. The Edit Animation Timings window will open.

  2. Using the Next and Previous buttons move to the slide in which the animation timings need to be changed.

  3. Press the Set Timings button (identified by the stopwatch icon) to start editing animation timings. Playback of recorded audio will begin. The large Next Animation button should be highlighted.

  4. At the appropriate time, press the Next Animation button to trigger the next animation. Continue until all animations for that slide have been synchronized.


Embedding Multimedia (video and flash animation)

Insert Flash Movie or Video

Adobe Breeze allows Flash movie files to be embedded (files authored using Adobe Flash that are published with the . swf file extension) into presentations. These movies will be converted and played back in the published presentation.

If the source movie is in .mov or another format, Sorenson Squeeze or Cleaner must be used to convert the movie to .swf format before inserting the movie.

Using Sorenson Squeeze to Convert Movie Files

The file must be an uncompressed file or raw movie file.

Opening an Uncompressed Video File

  • Open the Sorenson Squeeze application to access the Main Sorenson Squeeze Interface.
  • Import a file by accessing the Open dialog box.

Compressing a Movie

  • From the Menu bar , select File | Import Source.
  • Select the Import File button on the Main Squeeze Interface.
  • Press the following keyboard shortcut <Ctrl + I>.
  • Drag the file on to the interface.
  • Locate and select the supported source file and select the Open button.
  • The movie appears in the Batch Tree area under a job number.
  • Select an output format.
  • Double-click SWF (.swf) from Format and Compression Settings.
  • Select an appropriate preset.
  • Apply it to the movie by clicking the Apply button .
  • Press the Squeeze It! button to begin compressing the movie. The progress bar in the Batch Tree begins to indicate the progress of the current compression job.

Inserting a Flash Movie or Flash Animation

  • Navigate to the slide where the Flash movie or Flash Animation is to be inserted.
  • Select the Breeze menu in PowerPoint.
  • Select Insert Flash Movie.
  • A dialog box will appear to select the location of the movie or .swf file to be inserted.
  • Navigate to the location of the .swf file. Select the file and press Open.
    The movie or Flash animation will be added to the current slide.
  • Drag the movie to the desired x, y position on the slide.
  • For Flash files requiring user interaction, or if precise movie duration is unknown, select Edit Audio and insert a Wait for User command at the beginning of the slide to ensure that any recorded narration does not play over audio contained in the Flash content.

Accessible Online Presentations with Adobe Breeze Presentation

Adobe Breeze Training and Adobe Breeze Presentation include a powerful set of tools for authoring accessible online presentations to help instructors communicate content to students, regardless of disability. To build an accessible Adobe Breeze presentation, follow these easy steps.

  1. Set up the Breeze account to be accessible  - See note below.
  2. Build an accessible PowerPoint presentation.
  3. Add an audio transcript to the presentation.
  4. Publish the presentation with pauses between slides.
  5. View the Breeze presentation.

Note: When an account is set up by the Breeze administrator, make sure the account is configured to be accessible. Breeze solutions enable a user choose between publishing content for either Macromedia Flash Player 4 or Macromedia Flash Player 7. While Macromedia Flash Player 4 ensures greater backward compatibility, Macromedia Flash Player 7 provides support for accessibility. Each account must use the same player. A user cannot publish some presentations to be backward compatible and others to be accessible.

Building an Accessible Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation

Since Adobe Breeze presentations are authored in Microsoft PowerPoint, it is important that the PowerPoint presentation itself be accessible. Microsoft PowerPoint presentations often make use of graphics and animation. These elements must be described using text in order for their contents to be accessible to people who are blind using software called a screen reader to read the contents of the presentation to them.

Creating presentations that are accessible to everyone is an important consideration for content developers. PowerPoint presentations that are delivered to an end-users computer can reach a wider audience if accessibility is considered at the development stage. Here are a few steps to consider when creating a PowerPoint presentation.

  1. Add text equivalents to the images used in the presentation.
  2. Limit use of animations and transitions in the PowerPoint presentation.
  3. Ensure the accessibility of animations used.

Adding alt Text to Images in Microsoft PowerPoint

For images or objects (e.g., charts) used in the presentation, add text equivalents (alt text) using the steps below.

  1. Right-click on an image or object, or select an image or object and press Shift+F10.



  2. Select Format Picture or Format Object.
  3. Select the Web tab in the dialog box.

    format object menu

  4. Enter the alt text in the text area box provided. Be sure this text adequately represents the purpose of the image it describes. This text need not be a detailed description of the image but should convey the image’s function on the page.

Limiting Transitions

Accessible presentations should limit transitions to one per slide whenever possible. When a PowerPoint presentation is converted into a Adobe Breeze presentation, overuse of transitions can present difficulties for screen readers. Consider the example of a slide containing bullet points which fly in from the right: as each bullet transitions onto the screen, a screen reader will return to the top of the page and recommence reading the page’s contents from the beginning. This can create a very tedious experience for the screen reader user. While it is acceptable to use such transitions once in a while, it should not be done on every slide. Limiting the use of transitions and animation to one per slide will help to improve the readability of a presentation for screen reader users.

Ensuring the Accessibility of Animations

Animations used in a PowerPoint presentations should be accessible. Ensure that Macromedia Flash animations used in a presentations are accessible by following the recommendations for Macromedia Flash authoring at the Macromedia Accessibility Resource Center.

Carefully consider the use of decorative animations. Constant motion on the screen may cause a screen reader to refresh frequently, making the presentation more difficult to use. Keeping animations to a minimum or eliminating them altogether will increase the accessibility of the content.

Publishing Presentation with Pauses between Slides

When publishing a slide, the second screen of the presentation wizard will ask to select the presentation features. Be sure the option ‘Wait after each slide’ is selected. This will allow screen reader users to listen to the audio presentation and then go back and read through the contents of each slide using a screen reader.

Viewing a Breeze Presentation

Once a PowerPoint presentation has been published to the Adobe Breeze solutions server, a number of keystrokes can be used to help navigate the presentation. These keys allow all users the ability to control the presentation without relying on the use of the mouse.

  • Shift + Page Up – Next Slide
  • Shift + Page Down – Previous Slide
  • Play/Pause
  • Stop
  • Mute
  • Change View

If JAWS 4.5 is being used, turn off the Quick Keys mode by pressing Ins + N in order to use the Breeze solutions keyboard shortcuts.

Interactive Components – The Quiz and Survey Feature

Breeze Presentation includes the ability to add quizzes and surveys to a PowerPoint presentations. Presentations can be uploaded to Adobe Breeze for conversion into a complete online presentation and quiz. Quiz results can be tracked using Adobe Breeze or an AICC-compliant learning management system.

The key features of this component are:

  • Add quizzes and surveys directly to a PowerPoint presentation. Add multiple quizzes and/or surveys to a single presentation.
  • Include scored test questions and unscored survey questions.
  • Create three types of questions: multiple choice, true/false, and multiple answer.
  • Customize the look of a quiz using standard PowerPoint features. After you quiz questions are created, use PowerPoint to change fonts, add graphics, and change the look of buttons.
  • Add animations and audio as one would with any other presentation.

The quiz feature allows different options to be set for a quiz, from navigation through results handling. It is a flexible and easy-to-use solution for most assessment needs.

quiz question

If there is interest in the Quiz or Survey feature, contact an LTDE consultant at ltde@doit.wisc.edu.

Demonstration of Articulate Presenter 5

Articulate Presenter is another PowerPoint to Flash conversion utility that allows instructors to integrate narration, animations and interactivity into any PowerPoint presentation for on-demand delivery via the Web. Articulate's menu options enable instructors to add narration to individual slides by importing sound files or recording live narration with a microphone.

powerpoint menu

Other features include:

  • simple quizzing & gaming activities
  • customizable user interface students
  • add attachments
  • presenter information/biography
  • presenter photo
  • ability to add hyperlinks

Users find Articulate Presenter an intuitive application. It installs into PowerPoint's pull-down menu structure allowing you to create a presentation using the built-in tools by opening only one application - PowerPoint.

You can create highly interactive and media rich online lectures by combining PowerPoint animation effects, Flash objects and movies, audio narration and links to external web resources. No streaming server is needed to examples of different articulate customizable interfacesdeliver your presentations. Since the Flash plug-in (Macromedia Flash Player) required to view the presentation is usually installed on PCs, there is no need to download and install bulky media players such as QuickTime or RealMedia.

On high-speed connections, Articulate presentations start fast and seem to perform better than presentations that use true streaming. Publishing a presentation to the Web is largely a matter of copying your Articulate presentation folder to a web server and linking to the index file in the root directory of that folder.  The same can be done in Learn@UW by zipping the files up, uploading to your Learn@UW course, and using the content tool to point to the index file.

The user interface has customizable color schemes and navigational controls. Instructors can set up presentations that automatically advance from slide-to-slide or allows users to click a forward button to move on. Such navigational control is especially desirable when Flash animations, quiz questions and web objects are embedded into specific slides. There is little noticeable quality loss in PowerPoint slides following conversion to the Flash format. The use of progressive download (pre-loading of subsequent slides) minimizes long delays between slides with low-bandwidth connections.

Each slide of your PowerPoint presentation is converted into a separate Flash movie or .swf file. These files can not be edited. Correcting or updating a single slide requires republishing the entire presentation – not just one slide.  Publishing can be a time consuming task if your presentation contains a lot of slides.

Articulate Presenter 5 does have multi-lingual support. Articulate can output content as SCORM 1.2, SCORM 2004 or AICC compliant. To meet Section 508 compliance one can add a text transcript and a map of keyboard shortcuts.  By placing the narration script into the PowerPoint speaker notes, the text gets converted and displayed within a notes tab of the user interface.  This provides an easily accessible transcript of each slide's commentary.

Examples of Articulate Presentations

Example with audio
Example with video
Example of 508 compliance

exercise

Take an existing PowerPoint and practice the following:

  • Import script from PowerPoint into Breeze Presentation.
  • Add narration using the Breeze Wizard .
  • View presentation to check the audio quality and make sure the audio starts and stops when desired.
  • Publish the presentation.
  • Use Manage Accounts to view the published version of the presentation
  • Upload the presentation into a Learn@UW course.