[ARCHIVED] SoftChalk Alternatives?

[skaggss1]

Hello All,

I was wondering if anyone might be using a SoftChalk alternative?  We used it this year to build several modules for an adult learning/medical ethics class.  We included embedded quizzes.  As probably most everyone knows, the SoftChalk UI is not user friendly and, overall, it's somewhat sparse on features.  To complicate matters, we've had some issues with the scoring of the embedded quizzes.  My attempts to find solutions through support have been frustrating, to put it mildly.  That is, I emailed them several times but they have yet to respond.

Has anyone found an alternative that facilitates delivery of asynchronous learning modules with embedded quizzes?

Thanks!

Tony  

[kmeeusen]

Hi  @skaggss1  

I have used SoftChalk for ten+ years, and have always found the UI to be quite straight-foward, and easy to use, but that is beside the point.

Why not simply use the native Canvas tools for this purpose?

• Using a Canvas page to create your textual components,
• Create a Check-your-Understanding type of short quiz
• Provide a content link to the quiz in your text,
• On the quiz provide a content link beck to the page,
• Rinse and repeat for that lesson.

Or, using Canvas' built in module system....

• Build pages of text, external references etc,
• Add mini-quizzes wherever needed,
• Close module with a cumulative quiz.

There are many ways to accomplish what you need in Canvas, but what Canvas lacks are al those nifty activities you get in a tool like SoftChalk.

Our school had to drop SoftChalk about a year ago for budget reasons, and we actively searched for alternative applications we could easily integrate with Canvas for toys like croswords, word-search, hot-spot, labeling etc., but they are hard to find as a suite that has al the bells and whistles of SoftChalk.

I am going to turn your question into a discussion, since there will not be one correct answer for this. Then we wil have the synergy of 750,000 users for a collection of ideas to help you out.

Kelley

[drfederico]

Hi Kelley:  Did you turn this into a discussion?  Would like to follow it.  I have the same problem, cash-strapped university that can't afford SoftChalk.  Thanks, HF