With CBT People Learn the Product as They Use It

A slim application enables rapid creation of an effective computer-based training for guiding people around any program, presentation, or a website while they are actually operating it.

Engineering Adventures today announces the release of Active Software Tutor 2.03.

This program enables anyone to create an effective, real-world computer-based training that teaches people how to use a software application, a presentation, or a website.

Unique to Software Tutor is the proactive approach to training, which means people get instructed as they actively operate the product.

Similar to real life, people are guided around the product by a software tutor, a floating speech box that sits over an application or a website and automatically moves around the screen explaining what to do at each point.

Instructions are provided as descriptive text shown in the speech box and voiceovers.

The concept behind Active Software Tutor according to Gary Molton, director of Engineering Adventures, is to apply a more real life approach to computer-based training while making it downright simple.

"People learn by doing things".

"In this process, they are usually guided by someone, who shows them which button to push and explains why".

"That's exactly what our Software Tutor does".

"It provides you with step-by-step instructions as you explore the actual product".

"This approach is far better than simply watching a video demonstration because the tutorial is a part of the product it is teaching on, and you learn from your own experience".

"Another good thing is that Software Tutor is always available and will work at your own pace, allowing you to go back over the sections you didn't understand at the first playback".

"Besides, Software Tutor costs a tiny fraction of the price you would pay to a human instructor." Creating a tutorial with Active Software Tutor is surprisingly quick and doesn't require any advanced skills or complex media scripting.

With your mouse and keyboard, you select a background image for the speech box, drag the box to the correct position, add some text and a sound file, and then set the duration pause for this step.

Then you repeat this for every step in the sequence.

Upon launching the tutorial, a series of speech box pointers will automatically move through a recorded sequence to show and tell the user what to do next.

Clicking on the forward and backward arrow keys on the speech box or on the keyboard allows you to learn the product at your own speed, slower or faster.

The newest tutorials can be delivered to learners by automatically downloading RSS style XML feeds, so the training is never out of date.

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