Redbird Software Releases New Version of Trident IDE for Development of E-Learning Materials

JavaScriptSearch
Wednesday, September 20, 2006; 05:07 AM

Redbird Software, creator of professional SCORM development tools, announced the latest release of Trident, the integrated development environment (IDE) for creating, testing, and packaging SCORM e-learning content.

“We're continuing to innovate on the Trident development platform by adding tools and technologies that make standards-based e-learning development with SCORM easier,” says Ben Edwards, Redbird Software's founder and Trident's lead developer. “Trident's latest release, version 1.2, has increased support for authoring shareable content objects and describing them with learning object meta-data for cataloging and reuse.”

SCORM, or the Shareable Content Object Reference Model, is a collection of technical standards for web-based e-learning. SCORM defines how e-learning content is described, packaged, and delivered to facilitate reuse and interoperability. The SCORM standards, published by the Advanced Distributed Learning Initiative, are widely adopted by government, academia, and industry.

Trident provides support throughout the full SCORM content development life-cycle. Users can create reusable content objects, organize them into learning experiences, test and validate the content, and package the results for deployment to any SCORM learning management system.

Trident goes beyond disparate utilities to bring together a comprehensive, integrated tool-set. This type of application, providing an end-to-end solution, is known as an integrated development environment, or IDE. Edwards adds, “Trident is the SCORM IDE.”

“Trident provides users the ability to use one tool for SCORM content creation and packaging, from start to finish,” says Edwards. “All of Trident's output is based on open-standards and doesn't use proprietary file-types or formats, so it can be used with other tools and existing content as well.”

SCORM development typically requires understanding of several technologies, including XML, HTML, and JavaScript. Trident has integrated tools and editors to support each of these. Additionally, Trident supports and understands the specific vocabularies, application programming interfaces, and data models standardized by SCORM.

Edwards believes that more powerful tools in the hands of developers results in more effective e-learning, adding, “E-learning developers new to SCORM will appreciate Trident's ease of use. Those already familiar with SCORM will appreciate its power. Trident has been built from the beginning to make SCORM conformance easier to achieve.”

E-learning developers interested in SCORM conformance or already using SCORM technology can download a free trial version of Trident from Redbird Software's website at www.scormsoft.com.

Trident is currently being offered at an introductory sale price of $199 (USD) through the end of September of 2006.

Trident IDE screenshot. Credit: www.scormsoft.com.