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SWIFT Author FAQ

SWIFT Author is an XML-based WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) environment that makes it easy to create SWIFT courses and/or SWIFT adaptive and fixed-length tests.

For other related FAQs, see GeMS SWIFT FAQ, SWIFT Environment FAQ, and GeMS Server and Administrator FAQ.

Questions:

  1. My concepts do not show up when viewed in my browser. What might cause this?
  2. Can I assign goals to a topic or module and have this assignment inherited by all the underlying concepts?
  3. Why do I get the "A connection with the server could not be established" message when I try to publish a course?
  4. My course always restarts from the beginning. I thought GeMS SWIFT was supposed to keep track of my current location.
  5. I am having problems viewing WYSIWYG Content and/or SWIFT Author crashes on a regular basis. Why is this happening?
  6. Why do I keep getting an "all ready logged in" message?
  7. Why does my content disappear from view in SWIFT Author?
  8. How can I "View Source" in the browser window?
  9. Why does content display correctly in SWIFT Author but does not appear correctly in the browser once I publish?
  10. How do I publish to a remote server?
  11. I have a JavaScript function in my course that is supposed to open a separate window, but the window doesn't appear in my browser. What is wrong?
  12. Why do some learners see the Seven SWIFT Steps when they first log in?
  13. Does SWIFT Author support SCORM or AICC?
  14. What is happening when I publish a course?
  15. What type of content can I create with the SWIFT Author?
  16. When I preview a question in a browser I only see the question text. Why is this?
  17. How does testing work in the SWIFT Environment?
  18. What are the different question pools and how can they be used?
  19. Why, when I try to preview a question in a browser, do I get the error "The link is unavailable."
  20. When publishing my course I get a "course exists" error message, but the course files are not there. What happened?
  21. Can I create hyperlinks to different locations within my SWIFT course?
  22. Can I use Anchor tags?
  23. Are there any other applications that would be useful while creating my eLearning course?
  24. Can courses be created in other languages?
  25. I am testing my course in Netscape and some of my multimedia files will not display. What is the problem?
  26. I have included some VB Script in my course and it does not show up in Netscape. Why?
  27. Some of the XML content in my Flash animations is not being displayed. Why?
  28. I copied my HTML text from Word (using the clipboard) and the formatting disappeared in SWIFT Author? What happened?
  29. I did a spell check in Dreamweaver© and now I can't open my file in SWIFT Author. What happened?
  30. SWIFT Author will not open. Why?
  31. Using SWIFT Author, I changed some content to one of my externally referenced files and I get the error message "There has been an error retrieving content from the DHTML Edit control. Changes to the current content cannot be saved. Do you want to undo changes and continue?" What do I do?


Answers:

  1. My concepts do not show up when viewed in my browser. What might cause this?

    2. There are two things that might cause this problem:

    a) ensure you have assigned at least one goal to each concept;
    b) check that you have not used duplicate concept titles.

  2. Can I assign goals to a topic or module and have this assignment inherited by all the underlying concepts?

    3. Yes. In the topic and module properties there is an option to apply the goals to all lower levels in the hierarchy.

  3. Why do I get the "A connection with the server could not be established" message when I try to publish a course?

    4. You must start GeMS Server before you publish your course. This problem may also surface if you attempt to reinstall GeMS SWIFT while GeMS Server is still running. (Note: If you are running Windows NT/2000© GeMS Server is running as a service.)

  1. My course always restarts from the beginning. I thought GeMS SWIFT was supposed to keep track of my current location.

    2. GeMS SWIFT does keep track of the learners' location; however, it must be a registered course. Your course is in demo mode. In demo mode no learner files are saved. To change your course from demo to registered status you must purchase the full version of GeMS SWIFT and register your course in GeMS Administrator.

    Contact Gemini Performance Solutions Inc. for more information:

    • Phone: 1-403-263-8649
    • Toll Free: 1-866-499-9543
    • Fax: 1-403-261-4688
    • Email: info@gemini.com
    • Web: www.gemini.com

  2. I am having problems viewing WYSIWYG Content and/or SWIFT Author crashes on a regular basis. Why is this happening?

    3. SWIFT Author uses Microsoft's™ DHTML Edit Control© to provide browser-like functionality in editing and previewing HTML content. This control encapsulates limited functionality of a www browser (e.g., Internet Explorer© or Netscape Navigator©). It is distributed with Internet Explorer©, so it is recommended that you have the latest version of IE© installed.

    Microsoft™ has released many versions of the DHTML Edit Control©, and a different one comes with every version of Internet Explorer©. Some versions cause unexpected behavior (like inserting '?' before unrecognized HTML tags) and some versions do not work with SWIFT Author. First install the latest version of Microsoft™ Internet Explorer© and if problems persist, WYSIWYG Editing can be turned off in Preferences in SWIFT Author. Contact Gemini for support if you need more assistance.

  1. Why do I keep getting an "all ready logged in" message?

    2. GeMS Server does not allow simultaneous logins using the same account. This message most commonly occurs when you try to log into the server to publish a course and have not logged out of a previous session. This can easily happen when you are moving through the typical publishing--viewing--publishing cycle in course development. You can force a log in at anytime by selecting the Force Login button. This will effectively log you out and then immediately log you back in.

  2. Why does my content disappear from view in SWIFT Author?

    3. This can happen when you use the content linking functionality of SWIFT Author. If you reference an external document and that document is subsequently moved, the SWIFT Author will not be able to display its contents. If a referenced document is moved you will have to return it to its original location or re-specify the link to the revised location. This problem will typically surface if you are viewing an XML file originally created by another person or created on another location on a network.

  1. How can I "View Source" in the browser window?

    2. GeMS SWIFT disables the right click menu (used for viewing an HTML document source) for all server locations except http://localhost. Consequently, if you are publishing to any other server you will be unable to view the source. This allows course developers to debug any problems during development while maintaining a level of security when the courses are delivered to learners.

  2. Why does content display correctly in SWIFT Author but does not appear correctly in the browser once I publish?

    3. When courses are published to the server all conventionally referenced files are copied to the server location. If you reference files within, for example, JavaScript© functions, then they may not be detected during publishing and consequently may not be copied to the server. You can use the Upload Files option in any of the properties windows to list any files referenced as above and ensure that they are automatically copied to the server. You can also manually copy the files from your source location to the server location.

  1. How do I publish to a remote server?

    2. Save your course, then click on the Publish to GeMS Server option under the File menu. In the server text box of the Login to GeMS Server dialog, type in the computer name or ethernet address of the remote server and your course will be published to that computer.

  2. I have a JavaScript function in my course that is supposed to open a separate window, but the window doesn't appear in my browser. What is wrong?

    3. To get a JavaScript function to open a separate window in a browser you must append swBaseHref to the beginning of the window's URL.

    For example:

    function openWindow(URL,w,h){

swBaseHRef="";

LeftPosition = (screen.width) ? (screen.width-w)/2 : 0;
TopPosition = (screen.height) ? (screen.height-h)/2 : 0;
settings =
'height='+h+',width='+w+',top='+TopPosition+',left='+LeftPosition+',
status=no,scrollbars=yes,resizable=yes'

win = window.open(swBaseHRef+URL,'Glossary',settings)
\\The above line is what opens the new window.
}

    The values for URL, w, and h are passed in the HTML code like this:

    <a href="javascript:openWindow('instructions1.htm','500','600')">
         click to open window</a>
  3. Why do some learners see the Seven SWIFT Steps when they first log in?

    4. Seven SWIFT Steps is presented by default the first time a learner logs in. You can view the Seven SWIFT Steps at anytime by selecting "Welcome to SWIFT" from the My SWIFT tab.

  4. Does SWIFT Author support SCORM or AICC?

    5. SCORM, IMS meta-data, IEEE LOM, CanCor meta-data, and Dublin Core meta-data will be supported in GeMS SWIFT. GeMS SWIFT is AICC web-launch compliant. GeMS SWIFT will be AICC certified.

  1. What is happening when I publish a course?

    2. A number of things occur when a course is published:

    • The course content is validated for errors and/or warnings
    • The GeMS SWIFT proprietary file is created
    • Files are copied to the server location
    • Existing files are overwritten
    • The course is created as a demo

    Note: The learner files for demo courses are not saved. To register the course and seat users in it, you must have purchased the full version of GeMS SWIFT. Gemini Performance Solutions Inc. for more information:

    • Phone: 1-403-263-8649
    • Fax: 1-403-261-4688
    • Email: info@gemini.com
    • Web: www.gemini.com

  1. What type of content can I create with the SWIFT Author?

    2. can create any HTML compliant content. This can include images, audio files, embedded multimedia, Flash©, DHTML, and Java© applets.

  2. When I preview a question in a browser I only see the question text. Why is this?

    3. the question is not "assembled" with selection options and feedback and only the question text is available for preview.

  1. How does testing work in the SWIFT Environment?

    2. Learners can be tested at three different stages in a SWIFT course:

    • before each module - used to adapt the content presented during the module
    • after each module
    • at the end of the course

    Testing is optional. If you do not assign any questions to the test pools then there will be no tests presented. You can use SWIFT Author to limit the number of times a test can be undertaken. The mastery level for each module and for the overall course can also be specified in the module and course properties. Tests can be reviewed by a learner at anytime in the SWIFT Environment by selecting the test from the Module or Course achievements windows.

    The default test type is "adaptive," i.e., the test adapts to the learner as he or she answers each question. Adaptive tests accurately predict the learners knowledge of the material and will normally shorten the time it takes them to complete the test.

    Tests can also be fixed length. During a fixed length test, all available questions in the pool are presented.

  1. What are the different question pools and how can they be used?

    2. SWIFT 6 allows five separate question pools: module pretest, module posttest, course posttest, exercise, and quiz.

    • Questions assigned to the module pretest pool are presented at the beginning of each module during the module pretest and are used to determine a learner's understanding of the module content. Concepts within the module may be adapted out of the module if GeMS SWIFT determines that the learner has mastered the content.
    • Questions assigned to the module posttest pool are presented at the end of each module during the module posttest. If GeMS SWIFT determines that the learner has mastered the test then they will be prompted to continue to the next part of the course, otherwise they will be prompted to review one or more of the concepts within the module.
    • Questions assigned to the course posttest pool are presented at the end of the course during the course posttest and are used to determine successful completion of the course. If the required mastery level is not attained then GeMS SWIFT will prompt the learner to review the appropriate parts of the course.
    • Any number of exercise questions can be created. These questions are presented during each concept and are used by the learner to practice what has been taught in the module. Feedback is presented for each correct and incorrect answer.
    • A quiz question may be presented at the end of each concept and is used by the learner to assess their understanding of the subject. Feedback is presented for each correct and incorrect answer.

  1. Why, when I try to preview a question in a browser, do I get the error "The link is unavailable."

    2. this happens if there is no application associated with ".htm" files. Either there is no web browser installed (i.e., Netscape Navigator© or Microsoft Internet Explorer©) or the "file association" was broken. The browser should have an option to re-associate file types, or it may have to be reinstalled.

  2. When publishing my course I get a "course exists" error message, but the course files are not there. What happened?

    3. Publishing a course also registers it with the server. Even if the course files are deleted from their server location, the course is still registered with the server. Choose "Overwrite Existing Course Files" and try to republish the course.

  3. Can I create hyperlinks to different locations within my SWIFT course?

    4. Yes, this can be done, although it requires the use of a Javascript© function with specific GeMS SWIFT references (also see question 22). Later versions of SWIFT Author will automate this process.

  4. Can I use Anchor tags?

    5. GeMS SWIFT uses a HTML Base tag to localize content on the server. This can interfere with the conventional use of Anchor tags. However, the following JavaScript© function can be used to replicate this functionality: 

    <a href="javascript:;" onClick = "document.
location.hash ='NameOfYourAnchor';return false;">Your Link 
</a> clicking on the above link will move the page to <a name = 
"NameOfYourAnchor">my specific anchor location</a>.

  1. Are there any other applications that would be useful while creating my eLearning course?

    2. A course can be created entirely using SWIFT Author. However, SWIFT Author allows content created in other applications to be referenced and/or imbedded. This gives great flexibility and allows the option of using other tools such as Macromedia Flash©, Dreamweaver©, or any editor that produces content that can be viewed in the target browser. It is not untypical for 90% of course development to be done outside SWIFT Author.

  2. Can courses be created in other languages?

    3. At this time multi-byte characters are not supported within SWIFT Author, but you can create your international content externally using your favorite HTML authoring tool and link to it via the SWIFT Author for publishing and deployment.

  3. I am testing my course in Netscape and some of my multimedia files will not display. What is the problem?

    4. When using the element embed in Netscape to insert multimedia, the browser has difficulty locating the files (e.g., .avi's, mp3's) because it is not looking in the correct directory. Placing the attribute base="." inside the embed element tells the player to look for the multimedia file in the same directory as the html file.

    For example:

    <embed src="question1.swf" base="." 
quality="high" pluginspage=" http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/
download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" 
type="application/x-shockwave-flash" 
width="550" height="400" 
name="game" id="game"></embed>

    If you are using Netscape 6.2 you may see the icon that represents a missing plug-in displayed. This is because Netscape 6.2 does not currently have a plug-in for the Windows Media Player.

  4. I have included some VB script in my course and it does not show up in Netscape. Why?

    5. Netscape browsers do not currently support VB script Unless you are sure your learners will not be using Netscape, it is better not to include VB script in your course.

  1. Some of the XML content in my Flash animations is not being displayed. Why?

    2. When you upload XML content from your Flash animations, SWIFT Author places them in the same folder as the course, (i.e.,program files/gemini learning systems/server/course/coursename). These files need to be in the docroot folder (i.e., program files/gemini learning systems/server/docroot/course/coursename). You will have to manually move the XML file into the proper directory.

  2. I copied my HTML text from Word (using the clipboard) and the formatting disappeared in SWIFT Author? What happened?

    3. You have to save the word document as an HTML file and then copy it into SWIFT Author.

  3. I did a spell check in Dreamweaver© and now I can't open my file in SWIFT Author. What happened?

    4. Spellchecking in Dreamweaver© or Frontpage© may incorporate proprietary information into the XML file and render it unusable by SWIFT Author. It is recommended that when doing a spell check, you only note the mistakes identified by the spellchecker and later manually correct them in SWIFT Author. A later version of SWIFT Author will include a spellchecker.

  4. SWIFT Author will not open. Why?

    5. This is likely because of the Microsoft® DHTML Edit Control, which is used for WYSIWYG editing. Most releases and versions of Microsoft operating systems have different versions of the Edit Control. Downloading and installing the latest version of Microsoft Internet Explorer should solve this problem.

  5. Using SWIFT Author, I changed some content to one of my externally referenced files and I get the error message "There has been an error retrieving content from the DHTML Edit control. Changes to the current content cannot be saved. Do you want to undo changes and continue?" What do I do?

    6. Occasionally the Microsoft DHTML Edit control cannot process changes made to the current content. Unfortunately if this happens, there is no way for SWIFT Author to retrieve the edited text from the control. If you select "Yes" then any changes made to the current content will be undone and lost; if you select "No", the changes will not be undone, but you will not be able to leave that content.

    Currently, one of the known causes of this condition is an "embed" tag in the document which uses Windows Media Player 6.x (e.g., .wav, .avi). A workaround is to only edit such documents from the "HTML" tab, or install another application to play the object in question. If you know of such an object in the document, and you are presented with the "Yes/No" question above, you can select and delete the object from the document and proceed to save it. You will have to restore the object either with an external HTML editor, or by using the "HTML" tab within SWIFT Author.
 
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