Each producer selected as a part of an e-learning project team applies a tool or set of tools to accomplish his or her duties. Here is an overview of some of the equipment and software choices available to would-be e-learning developers. Because of the fast pace of changing technology, a team's technology needs should be reviewed continuously to ensure that they are the most efficient and appropriate available. Be aware, it is very easy for technology wants to supplant technology needs. The information below is accurate at the time of writing. However, by the time you read this, the specs and prices will probably have doubled and been cut in half respectively, further proof that if you blink, you're behind the times.

Computers

Basically, the computing power of the machines necessary to create e-learning exceeds the technical specification of those systems used to distribute it. The common platform for personal and professional computers, the MS-Windows-based personal computer, is supplemented in creative fields such as e-learning production by the use of Apple's Macintosh computer. Graphic artists coming from Macintosh backgrounds are largely responsible for this dual platform development and the reason that so many Macs are still common in the industry. The figure below presents a ballpark minimum of the specifications of the computers used today to create e-learning.

In addition to these computers, peripherals not necessarily tied to one user are necessary. The two most notable are at least an 8 speed CD-Burner (the low end of which can now be purchased for $600) and a color scanner (with a $200-$400 price).

Audio/Video Equipment and Software

To independently produce audio and video for multimedia projects, here are some basic requirements. For audio, which in most cases will be voice-over narration, you will need a suitable environment to record sound. A soundproof studio is always best but an economical alternative is a small, one-person sound-deadening enclosure such as a "Whisper Booth". You will additionally need a quality microphone (ranging from twenty dollars to thousands of dollars but averaging about $250), and some variety of supporting hardware.

You will need to route your mic signal through a separate pre-amp or a mixer with pre-amp capabilities, either of which can be obtained for approximately $500. An investment in a compressor will help compress your talent's sounds, retaining sound quality and avoiding synchronization error if you later have to decrease the sound's bit-depth, a measure of the complexity of the representation of a sound in computer code. The audio product can then be recorded straight to digital audio tape and digitized afterwards or recorded directly into a computer using applications such as ProTools, Sound Forge, SoundEdit, or a nonlinear video system such as Media 100 or Avid. These applications can also be used to edit the content and most can add any specific effects that might be needed.

To record video for multimedia you will first need to choose a format and purchase a camera. For optimized image quality, a digital format such as DVCPro is best. A DVCPro camcorder package can be purchased for about $6,000. The image is crisp and with the appropriate equipment you can transfer your footage to an editing suite without going to analog first. Even though the majority of video for multimedia today is compressed, the best thing you can do to achieve quality compressed video is to begin with the best picture possible.

Depending on your budget and the quality of video you require, additional items ranging from production lights and backgrounds to a teleprompter may be required. All of these can be rented, or, if more cost effective, purchased.

After you have acquired your footage you will need to transfer it to an editing station. You will need to purchase a video deck appropriate to your selected format. Recorder/Player decks vary greatly in price depending on format and features with a basic DVCPro deck running $7,000. The editing system you decide to purchase depends upon it's intended primary use and factors of cost, speed, and platform. Some may find that a software application such as Adobe Premier suits their needs, while others will need a quicker and higher quality system such as Media 100, AVID Media Composer, or Trinity.

Instructional Design and Writing

Not many equipment costs are associated with instructional design, as most personnel will use common word processors with project-specific script templates. Design products such as Designers Edge from Allen Communications, a step-by-step product for creating CBT scripts, do exist and are frequently used at a relatively low cost.

Graphic Art

The software needed by graphic artists ranges wildly with productivity needs and designer preference. There is an overlap of products used to create multimedia and Web products, but specialized Web tools are required for optimal performance. See the table below for a brief list of tools.

Authoring

Authoring applications typically use a metaphor, such as an icon-based or slide-based interface, to make the structuring of content and combining of media elements into a cohesive program possible by the non-programmer. The term authoring system commonly refers to both multimedia production applications generally and those intended for training creation specifically. Deciding between the more than 100 different authoring systems entails a serious undertaking, shaped by costs, needs, specialties, and preferences. The icons and flowline systems produced by Macromedia (i.e., Authorware) and those that rely on scripted statements produced by Macromedia and Asymetrix (Director and Toolbook respectively) are those most commonly used in creating training applications.

WBT creation requires a different tool set, as the tools function as filters creating the languages HTML, DHTML, JavaScript, and Java, which make up Web environments. These tools include Microsoft's FrontPage and Visual Interdev, Macromedia's DreamWeaver, ColdFusion and Homesite, to name a very few. The discussion of authoring systems contained in Chapter Eight of Brandon Hall's Web-Based Training Cookbook is a perfect resource to begin exploring development tools.