Wida Software Ltd's Program for Language Teaching. listed for information only

Wida's Authoring Suite Version 2 for Windows

Wida's Authoring Suite enables language teachers to write their own computer assisted language learning materials. This programme combines 7 of Wida's well-established authoring programmes into a single integrated package to work under Windows 3.1, Windows 95 / 98 and Windows NT4, Windows 2000. ME, XP

Wida's Authoring suite places the strongest emphasis on text-based exercises and sound / picture enhancements comes second. However, text based exercises can now be enhanced by video, still picture, sound clips plus Rich Text formatting.

One still picture, one video clip, and one sound clip can be attached to the exercise as a whole, and each gap, or question item can also have its own associated sound clip or picture as well as a text-based hint.

Graphics: Teachers can attach pictures to the exercise as a whole and to individual questions, gaps or items. To create pictures you need a standard paint programmes such as MSPaint or a scanner capable of producing pictures in bitmap (.bmp) format. Pictures can be in .bmp format created with standard Windows Paint programs

Sounds: a sound clip can be attached to the exercise as a whole and to the individual questions, gaps or items. To use sound you connect a standard cassette recorder to the line-input socket of the sound card at the back of your computer and use the standard digitising and editing software that comes with your sound card e.g. Wave Edit (.wav files) to import and edit the sound. Sound is best created off-computer on tape and then transferred to the computer (digitised) using the standard sound editing program that comes with your Sound Card, such as WaveEdit (.wav files).

Video sequences (.avi files) can be attached to an exercise directly from an existing cd-rom, without the need to copy them on to the hard disk or else transferred from a single camcorder video tape using a special analog to digital converter card such as VideoLogic, and then edited using a full low cost version of Video for Windows produced by Microsoft. If you don't need these enhancements you can do without them because in language learning words should come first.

Glossaries: Students can use a Glossary made by the teacher which can be attached to one or a number of exercises and which students can consult.

Rich Text: the appearance of text - in introductions, help screens, etc can be improved by the use of colour, different fonts, different sizes, emboldening, italics, underlining etc

Notepad: students can take notes while doing an exercise which can be printed or saved. these can also be used to leave messages for the supervisor.

When authoring with text and only a modest number of pictures, a hard disk will probably be adequate. Sound and videos take up too much of hard disk storage space and even a huge hard disk is unlikely to be enough.

From 2002 when you acquire the Wida Authoring Suite Version 2  only 1 cd-rom will be provided. It contains all the required the softwares, samples and manuals. You need a fairly powerful PC, a fast 486 with at least 64 MB of RAM & 10 MB of free HDD space running on Windows 95 / 98 /NT4 / 2000 / ME / XP and Sound Blaster compatible sound card are desirable. Intranet (Novell) compatible.

The basic bundled licence for all the 7 programmes present in Wida's Authoring Suite is UKP 475.00 for upto 5 concurrent users and the extended price for upto 25 concurrent users is UKP 915.00 Apply to us for special licensing arrangement if you need to cover a larger number of concurrent users. e.g. Wide Area Network Licence for the whole institution would cost UKP 2375 per site. Air shipping is UKP 36.00 . If individual titles are acquired each cost UKp 75.00 for the basic licence and UKp 150.00 for the extended licence. For users of WIDA Version 1 the upgrade charges are: Bundled Basic 7 titles for up to 5 concurrent users UKP252 and Bundled Extended 7 titles upto 25 concurrent users UKP504. Per title Basic 5 users is UKP 40 and per title Extended  25 users is UKP 80

Basic Licence: You are permitted to use the software on a maximum or 5 computers, or onto a network comprising not more than 5 computers , excluding the file server. All the computers must be located on a single physical site. The type of licence is stated in the start up screen.

Extended Site Licence: You are permitted to use the software on a maximum of 25 computers whether standalone or on a network on a single campus site.

Multiple copies of the Authoring Suite CD-ROM are essential when working on many standalone multimedia stations or when the network system is not powerful enough to deliver the video and sound clips simultaneously to many stations. These additional CD-ROM are available at UKP 10.00 each disc + UKP 8.00 for air shipping

Wida's Authoring Suite - Version II compatible for use with Windows XP

What does Wida's Authoring Suite II have to offer?