Various Uses of MacroVOLT™

Low-bandwidth Courses

• Conference Support and Enhancement
• Online Testing
• Quick Courses from Existing Materials
• Self-instructional Courses
• Supporting Traditional Training
• Live Webcasts
• Computer Application Training
• Low Bandwidth Courses

MacroVOLT™ courses are low-bandwidth capable. The overall system and course development platform are not bandwidth intensive. It's up to you to determine whether or not to create a course that requires a broadband connection.

This capability is important because even though high-speed Internet access is increasingly taken for granted, it is still unavailable or cost-prohibitive in many U.S. and foreign communities. Two thirds of U.S. Internet users are estimated to access the Web using a broadband connection (Nielsen NetRatings, March 2006). Even though this number continues to grow, millions of people still connect via a dial-up modem. And often, especially in developing nations, a high cost is associated with gaining broadband access, even if it is available. With the observance of a few simple design principles, MacroVOLT™ can be used to develop and deliver a quality learning experience across low speed connections.

If your objective is to design a low-bandwidth course, we can work with you. We recommend that you avoid using audio, video, and animation, and restrict the download sizes of graphics and illustrations. It's also advisable to test these courses in advance, using the lowest common denominator expected, and make further adjustments as needed. For example, subdividing longer pages into several smaller units may be helpful. MacroVOLT™ staff members will be happy to assist developers in designing and testing these courses as needed.

Low-bandwidth users benefit from the fact that MacroVOLT™ processing takes place on a central server and not on the user’s local machine. In other words, the scoring of an exam which involves considerable processing happens remotely, and only the page of results is sent across the Internet. Such pages transmit quite rapidly, even on a slow-speed connection.

Student records and data are also stored on the central server. This means that students who may be using, for example, a public library computer and later another in a school classroom will have no difficulties. MacroVOLT™ is Web-based, and nothing is stored on local machines. Your courses can be easily accessed by students in multiple locations easily.

Once developed, a MacroVOLT™ course may be designed in different versions. For example, you can create a multimedia-rich version of the course for high-bandwidth students, then modify it to provide text-based and low graphics means of conveying the same information to the low-bandwidth audience.