Re: [seul-edu] [Fwd: File formats and distance learning]

[Les Richardson <richl@mail.tfsd.sk.ca>]

Hi,

Of course one can use the "freely available" PP Viewer from the MS site.

As well, once in this format, it doesn't "come out" easily. If the "new,
improved" version of MS-Office has XML markup as a file format, it might
get easier, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

Also, the file format is the tip of the iceburg (berg?) since the rest of
the equation involves:
a) Authoring Software - does it exist?
b) Viewing Software
c) Richness of alternative file formats (ie. able to support similar
feature set)
d) Accessibilty of Authoring - how easy to use, which leads to training
requirements for this vs a huge installed based of knowledgeable users in
PP.
e) Conversion tools - to export to relatively simple data models or markup 
(ie. HTML, LaTeX slides,) keeping structural info intact?

My 2 cents worth.

Les Richardson
H. Hardcastle School
Edam, Sk. Canada



On Wed, 29 Jan 2003, Doug Loss wrote:

> [I received this this morning.  I'm passing it along to stimulate 
> discussion (please do the discussion on the schoolforge-discuss 
> mailing list; if you're not already a subscriber, go to 
> http://schoolforge.net/sfdiscuss.php and sign up--This includes 
> you, James Michael DuPont :-) ).--Doug Loss]
> 
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject: File formats and distance learning
> Date: Wed, 29 Jan 2003 04:25:52 -0800 (PST)
> From: James Michael DuPont <mdupont777@yahoo.com>
> To: dloss@seul.org
> 
> Dear All,
> 
> I have gotten my first installment of a e-learning package from 
> my university, in Power Point format! I cannot easily view this 
> with free software (I mean openoffice is HUGE). I requested that 
> they provide me the files in Standard HTML and PNG format or PDF.
> 
> It turns out that my school is sponsored by Microsoft, and they 
> have these restrictive student licenses the "give" the students 
> Office for $10 and require the school to monitor their usage, 
> prevent them from using the software commercially, and delete it 
> when they are done with school.
> 
> After many letters to the directors and professors of the school, 
> I agreed to start converting the materials for them into standard
> format.
> 
> Many other people must have similar problems all over the world!
> 
> My question is to you : Are you interested in  promoting free
> software and open file formats in  schools and distance learning?
> 
> mike
> 
> 
> =====
> James Michael DuPont
> http://introspector.sourceforge.net/
> 
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