Introduction & Description

TOPCLASS INTRODUCTION & DESCRIPTION

Introduction

TopClass, developed by WBT systems, is a versatile IMS and as such can be put to a wide variety of uses. WBT systems has corporations and other companies as their main clients, but undoubtedly they also have educational institutions in mind.

Description

TopClass can be divided into six different components (WBT Systems Solutions)

TopClass server

The server can integrate any web-compatible application to offer multimedia content, animation and videoconferencing. An interesting feature of the server is that any Microsoft Office document can be automatically converted into training content for TopClass without any technical hassles. In the latest version (TopClass 3.0) there is a tool called TopClass Assistants for Office 97 by means of which any PowerPoint presentation can be converted into TopClass course material. This can also be done with any Office document, including those that feature multimedia parts, such as graphics or video. The company claims this conversion will only take a few minutes (WBT Systems Solutions).

The server can also customize the content of the course depending on the needs of individual students. Tests can also be individualized.

When it comes to sharing content, the server offers a tool called Training Module Library that allows students to share web-based material such as data bases or media content.

The server also provides a discussion groups tool that lets students and instructors collaborate and communicate with each other. The features provided by this tool are moderated discussion, threading and file attachments. Also, the server provides an built-in e-mail system.

The server can handle communities of 10,000 individuals or more.

An interesting feature is that the latest version allows the off-line use of the software. Any user can download course material for use in any standard browser without the need to be connected to the web. Users can also download this material into a CD. The company (WBT Systems Solutions) claims that users can easily and seamslessly switch from on-line functions to off-line functions without having to use different interfaces.

Their latest 3.0 version is also year 2000 compliant.

As for technical requirements, the company has a web page with the features required for each platform.

TopClass player

As stated above, the off-line accessibility is one of the newest features. The content of this off-line part of the course is also controlled by instructors and administrators. The fact that Player can function off-line turns it into a mini-server that can offer multimedia content, all of it previously downloaded from the real web-server. The player can also offer students off-line auto tests to practice before they take the real on-line test.

TopClass assistants

The TopClass assistants for PowerPoint 97 and Word 97 allow the transformation of material elaborated with PowerPoint (note pages, audio narrations, video and animation) or Word into TopClass course content without requiring any knowledge of HTML.

The Test assistant is a wizard interface that permits the design of tests based on the course content, and as such integrated with the rest of the material created through the use of the other assistants and of TopClass itself.

TopClass creator

The creator facilitates the construction of web-based course content through a web-browser interface (which WBT Systems claims is intuitive and easy to use). One of its interesting features is that modules from pre-existing courses can be used for new ones. As for tests, the creator features 20 different types of questions that can be automatically tested, as well as essay and document submission questions. The content of the course can be renewed or automatically modified according to the results of these tests, and new remedial material can be added as needed.

TopClass converter

The converter is one of TopClass' most interesting features. In addition to facilitating the transformation of Word documents and HTML coded material into course material, it also makes possible the use of any type of tool in combination with TopClass-generated courses. As a result, a great variety of different materials can be added through the use of complementary tools (i.e., streaming media, simulations, etc.) Pre-existing web-based course material can be added in a fast and easy way by using the batch conversion tool, which facilitates the transformation of whole courses in a single move instead of having to do so page by page. TopClass also supports embedded Java Applets and Javascript as well as ActiveX controls.

TopClass analyzer

This feature allows the user to gather information from different TopClass courses and elaborate statistics and reports using that information. The creators of TopClass suggest that this feature will be useful for corporations and business-oriented institutions, since it facilitates, for instance, return-on-investment analyses.

Other services and features

Class, material and student tracking: TopClass has also a feature that can track whether course materials and messages are new or old, read or unread. Instructors can also view the status of courseware for any of their assigned students individually, to allow them monitor how a student is progressing.

There is a Class Announcements page, as well as a Utilities page, which offers the possibility to change the student's password or view the student's online picture (which the student can supply to the system administrator at will). The Utilities page also facilitates the user the possibility to change preferences, such as border, items per page, background color, visited link, active link, and several others.

There is also a course material seach tool with the usual options: all words, key words only, search in titles only or in titles and content too.

At any given moment, the instructor can send a student a message, view a student's profile, see his grades, and interestingly also modify a student's coursework.

WBT Systems offers support in different areas. They offer training in the areas of administration, course creation and help desk support. Their website features a support page that includes a library of useful information, a discussion group and on-line user conferences.

Back to the home page of our group's IMS critique.
Home page of the Multimedia Group.
See my contribution to the Multimedia Group Project.
Page created by José María Pérez Fernández. Last update: May 16 1999.