Our goal in designing GISTware was to make it fast and easy for authors to learn the system and create effective courses, while at the same time providing robust and somewhat flexible instructional design capabilities.
We also wanted a seamless integration between our performance support/knowledge management features (our information-on-demand library publication system) and training courses. This allows some or much of the content used in a web course to be easily maintained and continually current and available to authorized users/learners before, during and after their use of a training course. Accordingly, client content libraries, and the hyperlinks they create, are managed via a powerful database which makes such content dynamically available for any number of separate courses, course modules and reference purposes. Thus GISTware provides so called "re-useable content objects."
We achieve ease of authoring by having authors use tools they already know and understand. There is no need to learn a scripting language or HTML, though authors wishing to take control of their HTML may do so at any point in the process.
Text authoring, and the placement of graphic and media objects into a client GISTware library may be accomplished using any popular word processor (e.g., Word or Word Perfect). Web courses and all administrative functions are created using an Internet browser and GISTware web forms.
Graphics and media files can be created using whatever tools an author may already be comfortable with (e.g., illustrations and graphics may be created/edited using Visio, Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, Corel Draw and PhotoPaint, or other similar applications; media clips may be created using a variety of capture and editing means, and then prepared for streaming via popular codecs from Real Media, Microsoft or Apple).
A web "course" is an administrative "unit of assignment," and may consist of any number of "lessons," each of which may contain:
A "course" may also be used as a vehicle to direct and/or assess (pre-assess and post-assess) off-system learning (e.g., instructor-led, video, seminal or other self-directed learning assignments).
Within a course, lessons may be re-sequenced as needed and re-deployed to other courses as well.
Course modules may dynamically draw content from any content domain, internal or external, to which the author/organization is subscribed (i.e., authorized by the content owner). Course authors drawing from their own content domains will also need to understand GISTware source document authoring features and the assessment/exercise system.
There are a variety of means by which a course may be assigned to a learner. GISTware also includes course scheduling, progress tracking and notification options; automatic posting of course completions to user training records; automatic issuance of course completion certificates, and a variety of other training administration and management features.
We are continuously adding new features and capabilities in response to client requests as well as our long term development agenda. If you don't find a feature you are interested in, please contact us. (staff@gistware.com or call 1-310-376-3888.)
Feel free to contact us (GISTware) at staff@gistware.com, or at +1.310.376.3888 (06:30-18:30 US/Pacific time, Monday through Friday).