SoftChalk Cloud Upgrades its e-Learning Software for Seamless Mobile Delivery and LMS Integration

Award-winning education technology leader, SoftChalk, LLC (softchalk.com) today announced the launch of new features and enhancements to SoftChalk Cloud, its cross-platform learning object repository and content authoring platform that works with virtually any learning management system (LMS).

“One of the things that educators really love about SoftChalk is the ability to create learning activities such as crossword puzzles, sorting activities, HotSpot images and interactive timelines. Today’s SoftChalk Cloud update is significant because now all of the learning activities that SoftChalk creates are viewable on iPad and Android mobile devices,” says Sue Polyson Evans, CEO of SoftChalk. “Our SoftChalk users are excited – this makes it really easy to create engaging, interactive learning content for students who are using mobile technology.”

Along with a significant feature upgrade, SoftChalk is announcing integration of its cloud-based platform with an expanded list of learning management systems, including Blackboard, ANGEL, Moodle, Canvas, Desire2Learn, Jenzabar and BrainHoney. “SoftChalk Cloud enables educators to create, manage and share portable, interoperable and accessible online learning content that integrates with virtually any learning management system (LMS),” says Evans. “This means that one content item in SoftChalk Cloud can be used simultaneously in multiple courses in multiple learning management systems. Content can be updated in one place without having to modify the LMS course at all. It’s an extremely efficient way to manage learning content.”

“SoftChalk Cloud continues to set the standard as the easiest, most flexible way for educators to create, manage and deliver e-learning content either inside or outside of an LMS,” said Evans.

Enhanced features of SoftChalk Cloud include:

• Mobile Friendly Interactive Activities. All of the “Flash” Activities are now available in mobile-friendly HTML/Javascript versions that work great with iPads, Android tablets and many smart phones.
• SoftChalk’s Smart Mobile technology, which uses “browser detection” to display the version of the Activity best-suited to the browser being used by the learner. This means that learners using older web browsers will automatically view the old “Flash” activities, while learners using newer browsers and mobile devices will automatically view the new mobile-friendly versions. The end result—seamless delivery of SoftChalk content to all users, no matter their device or browser.
• Expanded LMS Integration. Thanks toSoftChalk Cloud’s Learning Tools Interoperability (LTI) feature, SoftChalk Cloud supports integration with more LMSs than ever before including Blackboard, ANGEL, Moodle, Canvas, Desire2Learn, Jenzabar e-Learning and BrainHoney. When learners access the content, their scores are tracked by SoftChalk Cloud’s ScoreCenter and their score results are passed directly into the LMS gradebook.
• Accessible Learning Content. New features are available to help reach all learners, including: keyboard accessibility features for most interactive activities allowing keyboard-only learners to more easily navigate SoftChalk content. New MathML functionality allowing screen reader software to “read” equations, and text descriptions for audio and video content, as well as content presented using iframes and widgets.

For more information, email learnmore@softchalk.com

A detailed list of new SoftChalk Cloud features is available at softchalk.com/whatsup.