Hot News From XStream Software!
For Immediate Release
XStream Software Releases Performance Analyzer™ v3.0 Newest version of performance assessment tool gives developers much more flexibility to define scoring, penalties, and navigation paths. OTTAWA, Canada, October 30, 2007 - XStream Software, a developer of world class e-learning and collaboration tools, is pleased to announce the general availability release of Performance Analyzer v3.0, the latest version of XStream’s unique performance assessment tool. The Performance Analyzer v3.0 release is all about flexibility, removing previous authoring restraints and enabling the developer to more precisely define the functionality of a simulation-based assessment from top to bottom. Performance Analyzer v3.0 greatly extends the developer’s flexibility to drill down and customize various functionalities and behaviors, including score values, penalty parameters, navigation paths, and step repeating options, at multiple levels of a performance assessment.
New features and enhancements in Performance Analyzer v3.0 include: -
Customized Score and Penalty Values at Multiple Levels – For an assessment, the developer may specify any score value (from 0 to 9999) at the global level, and this specified score value can then be changed for individual tasks, steps, and objects within the assessment. Similarly, the developer may define a penalty value (expressed as a percentage or absolute decimal value) at the global level, and this specified penalty value can then be changed for individual tasks, steps, and objects.
-
Step Repeating Options – The developer may specify how the system will handle repeated steps (i.e., when an end user revisits a previously completed step during playback). Essentially, the developer can control whether tracking/scoring information is overwritten or continued for repeated steps, or whether each repeated step is counted as a new step. The step repeating options may be defined at the global, task, and step levels.
-
Step Repeat Feedback Text – For any step frame, the developer may customize repeat feedback text. This text will be shown next to each repeat occurrence of the step within the evaluation report (which is displayed after submitting the assessment).
-
Additional Step Navigation Options – There are additional options for defining navigation events at the step frame level. On any step frame, the developer may specify different target frames that playback will navigate to in response to different actions by the end user, such as performing a Correct/Incorrect/Neutral action, performing a Zero Score action (i.e., achieving a score of zero after having penalties applied), and performing a No Attempts action (i.e., exhausting all available attempts for the step). For each of these actions, the developer may specify that playback will navigate to the next frame, navigate to the previous frame, navigate to another specific frame within the current task, or jump to the next task in the assessment.
-
Additional Content Frame Support – The Mouse Click, Validation Key, and Validation Field objects are now supported on Content frames (in addition to Step frames).
-
SCORM 2004 Compliance – Performance assessments can now be delivered, tracked, and reported through any SCORM 2004-compliant Learning Management System. In addition, Performance Analyzer continues its support for the SCORM v1.2 and v1.1 standards (which are still widely used).
-
System Variables – Memory locations may be assigned with the name of a system variable, which contains navigation information that is dynamically and automatically assigned by the system during playback. System variables provide developers with another way to implement navigation between frames.
-
Hide and Show Events – Objects may be configured to repeatedly hide (disappear) and show (reappear) on the screen during playback. This is useful for creating pulsing or blinking visual effects.
-
Highlighter Object – The Highlighter object is used to realistically simulate the action of highlighting text, cells, or screen areas. This is an ideal feature to use when creating simulations of word-processing, spreadsheet, and drawing applications.
-
Enhancements to Various Objects – Additional properties/events are available to customize for the Mouse Click, Hyperlink, Validation Field, and Validation Key objects, including the capability to specify separate correct, incorrect, and neutral validation frame events for each of these objects.
-
Step Properties Defined Globally – The developer may define global-level settings for the "Attempts/Hint Properties", "Validation Message" and "Validation Error Message" frame properties. These global-level settings will be automatically inherited to each new step created in any task. On each individual step, the developer may modify the inherited values as desired.
"We believe that the value of any e-learning authoring tool rests with its ability to maximize creative freedom while minimizing complexity, allowing developers to create the specific learning content that they want in the shortest possible time," says Sunil K. Sethi , President and CEO, XStream Software Inc. "This was the core concept behind the development of Performance Analyzer v3.0."
"Since the last release of Performance Analyzer, our customers have been very clear in their desire for more flexibility," adds Dr. Johnson Kuruvila, Vice President - Research & Development , XStream Software Inc. "Our team went to work with this goal in mind, and they have certainly achieved it with the release of Performance Analyzer v3.0."
Visit http://www.xstreamsoftware.com/PAEvaluate.htm to obtain an evaluation version of Performance Analyzer v3.0 today.
About XStream Software Founded in January of 1998, XStream Software is an award-winning provider of interactive e-learning solutions, tools, and services that help organizations communicate more effectively with their employees, business partners, and consumers. XStream’s products and services incorporate e-learning, multimedia content & assessment authoring, streaming media, enterprise communication and collaboration, learning management, and advanced sharing and exchange infrastructure. XStream also offers a range of professional services, including Instructional Design and Content Development Services, Training/Mentoring Services, Custom Software Development Services, Installation and Configuration Services, and Support/Consulting Services. To learn more, please visit www.xstreamsoftware.com , or call 613-731-9443, or send an e-mail to info@xstreamsoftware.com. |
