href=”http://sourceforge.net/forum/
forum.php?forum_id=328649
New releases of existing CMS don’t usually warrant a posting, but this one’s maybe an exception – the folks at the University of Toronto’s Adaptive Technology Resource Centre have been working hard to develop a full featured suite of accessible online learning and communication tools. Their latest effort is to include IMS compliant content packaging utilities for creating interoperable learning objects into the existing Atutor LMS. The software is PHP and MySQL-based. Where the software really excels, as might be expected, is in being immensely re-skinnable/reconfigurable to adapt to almost any device or user need. It is worth taking a look at if only for that reason, as an object lesson in adaptable, accessible design. – SWL
ATutor 1.4 has been released. ATutor is an Open Source Web-based Learning Content Management System (LCMS) designed with accessibility and adaptability in mind. New In this release: Templating, student roles and privileges, improved content packaging and testing features, a learning objects repository, work groups, and more.
Visit ATutor.ca for a full list of features, or read on for details about the new features in this release.
ATutor Features
http://www.atutor.ca/atutor/index.php
**New in this Release**
*Templates: Create your own custom look-and-feel for ATutor. Share ATutor themes
*Roles & Privileges: Create teaching assistants or additional instructors, or assign instructor privileges to students
*Test Module Updates: Automatically marked tests and random question tests now available
*Learning Objects Repository: Search the TILE learning objects repository, and import content packages directly into ATutor by entering a URL. Create content in ATutor, then export it to the TILE repository to share with others
*Accessibility Checker: Evaluate content with the content editor’s accessibility checker to ensure it conforms with international accessibility standards
*Visual Content Editor: WYSIWIG editor option to format content without having to know HTML
*Work Groups: Use the ACollab addon for conducting group activities within ATutor courses. Archive resources in the Library, collaborate on document authoring or collect assignments through the Drafting Room, schedule tasks and events with the Calendar, communicate with group members, and more (also available as a standalone application). ACollab will be available in the coming weeks.
*Improved Content Packaging: Better support for compiling and exporting complex content such as Java and Flash objects, and now import content packages by entering a URL.
ATutor 1.4 Demo
http://www.atutor.ca/atutor/demo.php
ATutor 1.4 Download
http://www.atutor.ca/atutor/download.php
**Coming Soon**
*ATutor Versioning System: In the coming weeks the ATutor versioning system will be opened so developers can access the live source code. ATutor has adopted the Subversion versioning system, the next generation CVS.
**Translator Call**
ATutor translators are encouraged to login to the ATutor Translation site and update any new and changed language. Inform the ATutor team when your translation is complete. Language for ACollab 1.1 may also be translated at this time, as we expect the ACollab addon to be available very soon.
ATutor Translator Login
http://www.atutor.ca/my/