SELECTING AN APPROPRIATE MULTIMEDIA AUTHORING LANGUAGE

Multimedia is the integration of sound, pictures, videos, and text in such a way that users can navigate, explore, investigate, and create, The essence of multimedia computer-based training (CBT) is the use of conditional branching. Five multimedia authoring programs were compare d: Multimedia Toolbook CBT, Director, Authorware Professional, IconAut hor, Action!, Quest, and Supercard. Comparisons include such factors a s initial cost, distribution costs, platform, metaphor and logic, stre ngths, and support. The most critical factors, and their order of impo rtance, in selecting an authoring language are delivery platform, leve l of interactivity required, need for database connectivity the kind o f support available, and the metaphor. We chose Multimedia Toolbook CB T for our use because of the availability of outside support, low cost , platform, the book metaphor, and similarity to other familiar langua ges (HyperCard and BASIC).