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Adobe Connect Pro and Presenter Beef Up eLearning Features
5/5/2008
Adobe has introduced a new version of Acrobat Connect Pro, the company's virtual meeting and eLearning tool. The new version includes enhanced integration with Blackboard, as well as several editing and management improvements.
Connect Pro integrates a number of eLearning features, including content authoring and management, curriculum management and tracking, and, of course, live virtual classrooms. The new version expands on these with a new Blackboard Building Block, providing enhanced integration, including:
- A Connect Pro tab within the Blackboard interface;
- A communications link within course community sections of Blackboard;
- Automated enrollment in virtual classes through Blackboard;
- Meeting setup capabilities from within Blackboard; and
- New reporting capabilities, including session and attendance reports.
Beyond Blackboard integration, Connect Pro also provides customization improvements, a calendar feature for managing classes, a new training module, reminders, support for archiving offline recordings, breakout rooms, and online editing. It also adds new compliance and administration features, including screen sharing and the ability to turn off chat.
Adobe also today announced a new version of Presenter, a plugin for Microsoft PowerPoint for publishing quizzes, recorded audio, and other informal learning content for eLearning applications. New multimedia features include video placement controls, cropping, new encoding options, video effects, new timing options, and new audio capabilities. New quiz features include randomization of questions and random selections of questions for a pool.
Adobe Connect Pro is expected to be available at the end of the month in several configurations. The Presenter and Authoring Quick Start Bundle license will run $5,499, with a hosted option costing $1,399. It allows five users to create and publish presentations and quizzes.
The Education Meeting Quick Start Bundle allows for five individuals to create and publish presentations and five individuals to host live meetings and virtual classrooms with 100 attendees. The hosted option runs $1,949. The licensed version sells for $6,099.
The Education Training & Meeting Quick Start Bundle Sampler Pack allows for 10 presenters, 10 organizers, and 10 "concurrent learners," with support for up to 100 attendees per virtual classroom. The hosted version runs $4,999. The licensed version sells for $8,749.
Other bundles and add-on packs for increasing the number of users, organizers, and presenters will also be available. Further information can be found at Adobe's site here.
About the author: Dave Nagel is the executive editor for 1105 Media's educational technology online publications and electronic newsletters. He can be reached at dnagel@1105media.com.
Have any additional questions? Want to share your story? Want to pass along a news tip? Contact Dave Nagel, executive editor, at dnagel@1105media.com.
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