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E-Learning Solutions (Content & Assessment Authoring)

RapidGuide v1.0 is XStream's 100% programming-free Performance Support and Guidance Technology. It delivers dynamic knowledge support in the form of step-by-step instructional guidance sessions displayed on the user's live desktop.

All information within RapidGuide is organized as a searchable list of topics and subtopics that users can access. These topics and subtopics represent the simple and complex tasks that users need guidance on or help with in a software application. For each topic or subtopic, the developer records a series of sequential steps from any live desktop or web application (representing a live task to be completed).

When the developer records a task within RapidGuide, the system creates two files simultaneously. The first file is a "Guide Me" instructional guidance file, which is used to provide real-time guidance (i.e., text or audio-based instructions and supporting screen snapshots that guide the user step by step in performing a live task on the desktop); this guidance file can be edited/enhanced using the elements provided within RapidGuide. The second file is a "Show Me" simulation or "movie" of desktop activity that demonstrates the same steps that the end user must perform on the live screen as part of the guidance session; this simulation file can be edited/enhanced using the elements provided within XStream's RapidBuilder simulation-authoring technology.

RapidGuide and RapidBuilder are independent software technologies that can also work together. RapidGuide can be used with or without RapidBuilder. The simulation files recorded by RapidGuide are ready made and do not require any editing in order to be played. However, a developer using RapidGuide has the option of acquiring RapidBuilder at any point in time if he/she wishes to customize and enhance the recorded simulations. When a recorded simulation file is accessed from within RapidGuide, the system automatically launches RapidBuilder (assuming RapidBuilder is installed on the system) and displays the simulation file so that it can be edited using the large variety of objects, properties, events, and feature sets provided within RapidBuilder.

For each topic/subtopic created in RapidGuide, the developer may also assign multiple Associated Knowledge Documents (AKDs), which are supplementary documents or files (of any type or extension) that the user may access to obtain additional information or related knowledge about the topic/subtopic.

During playback, upon searching for and locating the desired topic or subtopic, the user is provided with step-by-step instructions (as text or audio or both) required to perform the task(s) within the application. The user can work with these step-by-step instructions in two (2) modes:

• "Guide Me" Mode - The user receives instructional guidance as he/she works with one or more desktop or web applications in the live Windows environment. On the live desktop, a sequential list of text/audio instructions is presented to the user. Displayed with each instruction is a supporting screen snapshot (which serves a visual aid and provides a context for performing the step). By browsing through the instructions and performing each live step as directed, the user is guided step by step in accomplishing a live task.
  
• "Show Me" Mode - The user views a recorded desktop simulation demonstrating how the step-by-step task is supposed to be performed. While the "Guide Me" mode guides the user in performing steps on the live desktop, the "Show Me" mode plays a pre-recorded "movie" of desktop activity that shows the user how each step is performed and the result of each step.

RapidGuide works with XStream RapidShare™ Learning Management System(LMS), which is XStream's secure, wide-ranging and completely web-basedLMS module within the XStream RapidShare hosted web environment and digitalworkspace. XStream RapidShare LMS works with XStream's RapidBuilder,RapidExam, Performance Analyzer, and RapidGuide technologies. The LMSincludes full capabilities for registering, tracking, and reporting onlearning content files created with RapidBuilder, RapidExam, PerformanceAnalyzer, and RapidGuide. The LMS module can also schedule, track, andreport on Offline Events of all types (such as instructor-led trainingsessions, meetings, workshops, seminars, conferences, trade shows, etc.),and it provides many other features and capabilities, including e-mailnotifications, extensive reporting capabilities, self-registrationcapabilities, learning paths, course catalogs, prerequisite definitions,bookmarking capabilities, offline exam generation, interface customization,archiving capabilities, 508 compliance, multi-language support, optionalcommunication and collaboration capabilities, and more.