Table of Contents

Aims and Objectives

1. To understand the purposes of using authoring tools in FLT&L

2. To familiarize with the features of authoring tools in FLT&L
3. To utilize authoring tools for teaching practice in FLT&L
4. To create activities and tasks appropriate for four language skills
and three sub-skills using authoring tools in FLT&L

Chapter 6 Authoring Tools

Introduction
Authoring tools
Allow users to create content, using hypertext and a variety of multimedia
applications
Being frequently used to create e-learning modules and link together
multimedia objects, such as texts, images, sounds, and videos
The authors can create useful modules, content, or applications by defining the
objects relationships to each other and by sequencing and integrating the
objects (Jones, 2003; http://en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Authoring_system).
Authoring tools
Hot Potatoes (http://hotpot.uvic.ca)
Winwida (WIDA Authoring Suite)
(http://authoring-suite-ii.software.informer.com)
4

Chapter 6 Authoring Tools

Hot Potatoes
An educational freeware developed by Half-Baked Software for producing
web-based exercises for language teachers
Allowing teachers to make interactive, web-based exercises that can be accessed
by students at any Internet-capable computer terminal with a standard Web
browser
Using both HTML and JavaScript
The programs exercise templates: allowing the users to create exercises on
webpages which can be uploaded to a server for easy access
Teachers can develop unlimited numbers of new exercises to suit the level of
the learners using texts, sounds, images, moving pictures, and others.
They can utilize Hot Potatoes to use various types of teaching and learning
materials, create new exercises, and edit preexisting exercises.
The activities produced using Hot Potatoes are easily saved and run on the Web.

Chapter 6 Authoring Tools

Hot Potatoes
Download: Hot Potatoes homepage (http://hotpot.uvic.ca)

Figure 6.1 The homepage of Hot Potatoes

Chapter 6 Authoring Tools

Hot Potatoes
Install: Hot Potatoes 6.3 installer, Hot Potatoes 6 Setup Wizard

Figure 6.2 The installation process of Hot Potatoes

Figure 6.3 The main screen of Hot Potatoes

Hot Potatoes
6 modules of Hot Potatoes
Creating six different types of web-based exercises which can stand alone or be
linked to other exercises to form a sequence of tasks
Each module can be used to create a different type of interactive, web-based
exercise.
Table 6.1 The modules of Hot Potatoes
Modules Activity type
Fill-in-the blank
JCloze
exercise
JCross
Crossword

What students do

Enter the missing words in a text

Complete a crossword puzzle
Arrange jumbled words into sentences or
paragraphs
Match the items in the left column with
those in the right column
Choose the right answer for multiple
choice questions or fill in the blank with
the right answer

JMix

Jumbled-word exercise

JMatch

Matching exercise
Drag and drop

JQuiz

Multiple-choice quiz
Text-entry quiz

The
Masher

Integration of the above activities

1. JCloze
Cloze (cloze test)
A technique used for measuring text difficulty regards to language structure
The text has certain words deleted systematically, and the reader has to
supply the information that should go in the blank.
In designing a cloze activity, the gapping, or deletion, of words can be based
on selection of certain grammar features or be gapped by automatic gapping
function, depending on what is being measured.

The automatic gap is created by designating the intervals (every 2-5 words), so
that the blanks are regularly created at a certain interval.

1. JCloze
Creating a new activity with JCloze
1)

10

Click JCloze icon to get to the screen. Type in the title in the Title area and
write the content in the large box.

1. JCloze
Creating a new activity with JCloze
2)
3)

11

Choose and double-click the word you wish to be made blank for gap filling
activity. Then click the Gap button.
Add the hint or definition in the Clue box and click OK. You can write
other possible answers in the Alternative correct answers box.

1. JCloze
Creating a new activity with JCloze
4)
5)

12

Click the save button on the top menu bar to save the exercise. Then click
the web button to save it as a web assignment for learners.
To verify that the exercise is saved on the Web, click on View the exercise in
my browser.

1. JCloze
Creating a new activity with JCloze
6)

13

The exercise is put on the Web.

1. JCloze
Creating a new activity with JCloze
7)
8)

9)

14

Insert images, moving pictures, sounds, or other types of files, if necessary.

Click Insert button on the menu bar.
Find the picture to be inserted. In the window below, designate the size and
location and click OK.
In order to save and run image files, refer to steps 4), 5), and 6).

1. JCloze
Using options: Setting a time limit
1)
2)

15

Click Options and then Configure Output on the menu bar.

Check () on Set a time limit for this exercise, and set a time limit in minutes
or seconds. Write an expression to indicate that time is up. Then click OK
and Save.

1. JCloze
Using options: Setting a time limit
3)

The timed exercise is put on the Web.

The frequent use of the timer is not recommended, except for testing
purposes. Learners may feel anxious and get stressed when they care too much
about the time limit.
16

2. JMatch
JMatch can be used for general content and various purposes like checking
reading comprehension, grammar, and structure.
JMatch is useful for building vocabulary skills.
Visuals and audiovisuals can be inserted easily, making it interesting for
students to do the activity.

17

2. JMatch
Creating a new activity with JMatch
1)
2)

18

Click JMatch icon to get to the screen. Write in the title in the Title area.
Click the image button on the top menu bar to insert images that describes
the words on the left. Then write words, phrases, or sentences.

2. JMatch
Creating a new activity with JMatch
3)

4)

19

Click the save button on the top menu bar to save the added images and
descriptions. Then click the web button to save it as a web assignment for
learners.
The exercise is put on the Web.

2. JMatch
Creating a new activity with JMatch
5)

20

JMatch offers two types of matching questions: Drag-and-drop and dropdown forms. Click the drag-and-drop Web button to save it as a Web
assignment for learners.

2. JMatch
Creating a new activity with JMatch
6)

21

The drag-and-drop exercise is put on the Web.

2. JMatch
JMix allows to create jumbled sentence activities for writing and grammar skills.
Jumbled sentences activities
Used for developing students writing skills in logical thinking and paragraph
structure while activating learner strategies like inferring and ordering
strategies
Can be developed for phrases, sentences, or paragraphs which students have
to put into the correct order
Require knowledge of language structure and logical thinking ability
The full potential of JMix activity is for longer paragraphs and sentences.

The teacher can set alternative combinations so that various answers can be
accepted.
In order to give more support for students who may be struggling, the teacher
can set an alarm to warn students of wrong answers.

22

3. JMix
Creating a new activity with JMix
1)
2)
3)

23

Click JMix icon to get to the screen. Write the title in the Title area.
Write words, phrases, or sentences in the main sentence box.
Click the save button on the top menu bar to save it. Then click the web
button to save it as a web assignment for learners.

3. JMix
Creating a new activity with JMix
4)

24

The exercise is put on the Web.

4. JQuiz
JQuiz can be used mainly used to make quizzes, especially in reading.
A while-reading activity to check the students reading comprehension
A post-reading activity
Advantages of JQuiz
Teachers can develop a set of quizzes in various forms including a short
answer and multiple choice question.
Visuals and audiovisuals can be added to provide context and hint for the
students.
A hybrid type of quiz
Allowing a switch in the versions of quizzes
If a student is unable to answer the short answer question version, the
teacher can allow the student to switch to the multiple choice version.
JQuiz can provide students the opportunities to engage in problem-solving and
high order reasoning skills through short answers.
It also allows scaffolds by providing a more clued type of quiz to support the
students.
25

4. JQuiz
Creating a new activity with JQuiz
Creating a multiple-choice question
1)
2)

26

Click JQuiz icon to get to the screen. Write the title in the Title area.
Type a question in the Question area and choose Multiple-choice.

4. JQuiz
Creating a new activity with JQuiz
Creating a multiple-choice question
3)
4)
5)

27

Type the answer text in Answers area, and enter feedback next to each
answer in Feedback area. Then check the correct answer in Settings area.
Add questions if necessary (Q1, Q2, Q3, and etc.).
Click the save button on the top menu bar to save. Then click the web
button to save it as a Web assignment for learners.

4. JQuiz
Creating a new activity with JQuiz
Creating a multiple-choice question

28

4. JQuiz
Creating a new activity with JQuiz
Creating a multiple-choice question
6)

29

The exercise is put on the Web.

4. JQuiz
Creating a new activity with JQuiz
Creating a hybrid question
1)
2)
3)

30

Type a question in the Question area, and choose Hybrid as the type of
quiz. Then include in M/C options will appear in Settings area.
Type the text for answer in Answers area, and enter in Feedback area. Then
check the correct answer in Settings area.
Click the save button on the top menu bar to save. Then click the web
button to save it as a web assignment for learners.

4. JQuiz
Creating a new activity with JQuiz
Creating a hybrid question

31

4. JQuiz
Creating a new activity with JQuiz
Creating a hybrid question
4)

32

The exercise is put on the Web.

4. JQuiz
Creating a new activity with JQuiz
Creating a hybrid question
5)

33

When the answer is wrong in the short-answer question, the multiple-choice

question will appear with a pop-up.

5. JCross
Crossword puzzle is one of the fun ways to deal with vocabulary in language
classes.
JCross allows teachers to easily design a crossword puzzle for vocabulary
activity.
The teacher can provide a list of vocabulary items or enter them one by one.

JCross automatically produces a crossword puzzle.

The clues for the vocabulary items are provided by the teacher, so they can
reflect the students level, needs, and knowledge.

34

5. JCross
Creating a new activity with JCross
1.
2.
3.
4.

35

Click JCross icon to get to the screen. Write the title in the Title area.
Write words in the grid to create a crossword.
Click Add Clues to write clues for the words entered into the grid and click
OK.
Click the save button on the top menu bar to save. Then click the web
button to save it as a web assignment for learners

5. JCross
Creating a new activity with JCross
5)

36

The exercise is put on the Web.

6. Masher
A tool for automatically compiling batches of Hot Potatoes exercises into units
Five Hot Potatoes exercises into a single unit of materials

Building HTML files from all the exercises, with the same colors and
appearance settings
Linking the exercises together using the navigation buttons and creating an
index file for the unit

37

6. Masher
Compiling Hot Potatoes exercises into units with Masher
1)
2)

38

Click The Masher icon to get to the screen.

Choose files to include in the unit. Then click Add files or drag all the Hot
Potatoes files you want to include into the Files box.

6. Masher
Compiling Hot Potatoes exercises into units with Masher
3)
4)
5)
6)

39

Adjust appearance (background graphic URL, font, color, etc.), user strings,
buttons, source, and index, if necessary.
Click Build unit to compile the Hot Potatoes exercises.
Click Yes to view the unit on the Web.
Click the save this project with a new name button on the top menu bar to
save. Then click the web button to save it as a web assignment for learners.

6. Masher
Compiling Hot Potatoes exercises into units with Masher

40

6. Masher
Compiling Hot Potatoes exercises into units with Masher
7)

41

The unit is put on the Web with an index page for the entire unit.

6. Masher
Compiling Hot Potatoes exercises into units with Masher
8)

42

The Hot Potatoes exercises are compiled on the Web in sequence.

Tasks for Study and Discussion

Think about how each module can be used to teach language skills and devise
activities appropriate for language skills and modules in the table below. Share
your work with your partners.
Modules

JCloze
JCross

JMix
JMatch

JQuiz
The Masher
43

Language Skills

Activities

Tasks for Study and Discussion

Produce two or three exercises using the six modules of Hot Potatoes. Make use
of various functions and options. Insert images, sounds, and videos that you
have produced using Tagxedo, Snagit, Toondoo, Goldwave, Camtasia, and
GoAnimate. Compile the Hot Potatoes exercises into a unit with Masher.
First, work individually and then share your work with your partners.
For example, develop a set of quiz with JQuiz and a match exercise with
JMatch for beginner level students in a reading class.

44