Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Externalizing Content: Part 2 - Flash/XML Sample Files

Before reading this topic, you may want to read Part 1.

As promised in my last post on this subject, I'm providing some sample files that should help you get started if you want to build a Flash and XML e-learning course architecture from scratch. 

Steve Hancock and I wrote an early book on using Flash to create e-learning. Some of the examples are somewhat outdated now, especially since we haven't updated it since Flash 8 and it's only available in e-book format now, but the Flash and XML samples are still relevant and may be helpful in figuring out how to get started.

These samples are fairly primitive, but the intent here is to help you grasp what is going on. If you want some examples of complex Flash/XML solutions, look at the output from ProForm Rapid eLearning Studio or Unison. Both of these tools offer free trials, so you can build something and check out the output. These tools use a similar approach not only for architecture, but for interactive content as well. The Flash and XML these e-learning tools output is more complex but much more powerful as well.

I hope you enjoy the examples!

Download Flash/XML Chapters from Book (this explains the sample files)
Note: This contains chapters 17 & 18 from Using Flash to Create eLearning. Chapter 17 isn't really about XML at all, but it is a primer on externalizing content using ActionScript rather than XML. Then chapter 18 builds on the concept by using XML .