Solution Brief for Education
Adobe Solutions for Learning Management Systems (LMS)
Discover exciting, new ways to create and deliver high-impact
eLearning content and provide interactive online learning experiences
Learning Management System (LMS) is the term used to describe a server-based system
that is designed to manage learning content and learner interactions. The LMS enables the
learning content to be available online, allowing students to view and interact with learning
materials through a web browser on essentially any computer—with any operating system—
or even on a mobile device with browsing capability.
There are many commercial LMS products available today as well as several open-source
options from which educators and institutions may choose. The specific features and
functions of these systems vary considerably, but certain core functions can be found across
all of them. These functions include administration features such as student registration,
course assignment, and tracking of test or quiz scores and completion status. From the
student or learner perspective, the LMS provides personalized access to assigned course
materials, messaging and notifications, and access to scores and transcripts.
To learn more about Adobe® Acrobat®
Connect™ Pro in education, visit:
www.adobe.com/edu_connect
Today’s preference: Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS)
Most of the systems that are used widely today in education may be more accurately
described as Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS) because they also provide
tools to deliver and manage instructor-led synchronous and asynchronous online training
based on learning object methodology. Other terminology distinctions are based on the
learning object tracking standard that is used in the system such as AICC or SCORM.
According to Wikipedia, there is a new acronym, Computer Learning Content Information
Management System (CLCIMS), which is an attempt to combine these terminologies in
order to describe the type of system that is most commonly used today, a SCORMcompliant LCMS.
A few examples of SCORM-compliant LCMS that are commonly used in education today are:
• Blackboard Academic Suite
• Blackboard Vista and Campus Edition
• Moodle
• Angel Learning Management Suite
Adobe has several products that work in conjunction with today’s Learning Content
Management Systems. We have divided these tools into two categories to better explain
how they map to LMS or LCMS learning methodologies:
• Asynchronous learning—Electronic content or files that may include rich media,
documents, web pages, and audio and video files.
• Synchronous learning—Virtual classrooms, enhanced online communication tools.
Adobe eLearning Solutions
• Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro: Engage
online audiences with highly interactive
web meetings, multimedia virtual
classroom experiences, and hands-on
training sessions. Easily incorporate
Microsoft PowerPoint and Adobe
Flash® content.
• Adobe Presenter: Rapidly create Flash
based presentations and eLearning
material from Microsoft PowerPoint.
• Adobe Captivate: Create engaging
online content without programming
or multimedia skills.
• Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro Training:
Create and deploy high-impact training
material and interactive simulations,
and track the effectiveness of
coursework and training.
• Adobe Acrobat Pro Extended: Create,
combine, distribute, and review mediarich PDF documents that support
electronic workflows. Combine a
wide range of content in a single
PDF Portfolio.
• Adobe Contribute CS: Easily update
existing websites and blogs.
•Adobe eLearning Suite: Engage your
audience with powerful visuals, audio,
video, and interactivity using Adobe
Captivate, Adobe Flash Professional
with Learning Interactions, Adobe
Dreamweaver® with CourseBuilder
Extension, Adobe Presenter, Adobe
Photoshop® Extended, and Adobe
Soundbooth® software.
Asynchronous learning: Create and deliver effective eLearning content
LCMS-supported course materials may include any number of file types to assist with
communicating the course material. Most LCMS systems have basic tools for importing
electronic documents, images, audio files, and videos. Some systems may also offer internal
document-creation tools for creating content directly in the system. In addition to providing
the leading tools for video, audio, and graphic production, Adobe has several specialized
rapid eLearning production tools for creating asynchronous learning content that can
interact directly with an LMS or LCMS.
Adobe’s Asynchronous Rapid eLearning tools include:
• Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro
• Adobe Presenter
• Adobe Captivate®
• Adobe Acrobat Pro Extended
• Adobe Contribute® CS
Learning content created with Adobe Captivate or Adobe Presenter software can easily be
configured to track in any LMS or LCMS that supports at least one of the two most widely
used learning object tracking standards, AICC or SCORM. eLearning content authors can
easily add trackable tests, quizzes, or surveys to their project without having to know how to
write the accompanying AICC or SCORM code or wrapper. The content developed can be
published to the LMS or LCMS as a course or as a component of a course. eLearning authors
using Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro as a delivery platform need only publish their content to
the Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro server in order to track and report the results of their tests,
surveys, or quizzes.
In a SCORM tracking system, the resulting course component would be referred to as an SCO
(sharable content object). In an AICC system, the resulting learning object would be referred
to as an AU (assignable unit).
Both Adobe Captivate and Adobe Presenter have user-configurable eLearning output
options. In either application, eLearning authors can easily prepare content to be tracked by
an external LCMS that utilizes SCORM and/or AICC standards. Content can also be tracked
with the Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro Training module.
The following shows the eLearning output available in Adobe Presenter:
The LMS reporting tab in Adobe Presenter
Synchronous learning: Use interactive virtual classrooms with real-time interaction
Synchronous learning tools can be as simple as a chat or IM application that operates from
within the LMS, providing two-way, real-time communication between the student and
teacher. Today, students and teachers have far more online communication tools to choose
from than just basic chat, however. Voice-over IP technology now makes it practical to
conduct two-way audio communication inside an online or “virtual” classroom.
Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro is an ideal solution for providing a virtual classroom
environment. Using Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro to create and serve a virtual classroom
or meeting space is extremely quick and easy, and because the Adobe Acrobat Connect
virtual classroom needs only the free and ubiquitous Adobe Flash Player to run, virtually
anyone can access the virtual classroom instantly, and without having to download a special
application or player prior to entering the virtual classroom. Educators and students can use
any computer that supports the Adobe Flash Player on essentially any operating system,
including Windows XP or Vista, Macintosh OS X, and Linux.
The calendar view in Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro allows virtual classroom hosts or attendees to see all
scheduled classrooms at a glance.
Easily manage Acrobat Connect Pro meetings from within the Blackboard environment
Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro virtual classrooms can be managed directly from the user’s
web-based account through any browser on any platform. Alternatively, Blackboard (release
7.3 or higher) users can now access and manage Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro meetings
directly from the Blackboard environment. The Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro Building Block
for Blackboard is available for free to Blackboard administrators from the Adobe Acrobat
Connect Exchange. The Building Block can be installed and configured in a matter of
minutes, enabling the use of Adobe Acrobat Connect directly within Blackboard for both
students and educators.
For more information:
• To learn more about Adobe solutions for LMS and LCMS in higher education, visit:
www.adobe.com/go/hed_elearning
• To learn more about Adobe solutions for LMS and LCMS in K-12 education, visit:
www.adobe.com/go/k-12_elearning
Adobe LMS Integration for Blackboard Academic Suite
Create and deliver engaging learning, training, and collaborative
experiences within the Blackboard environment
Blackboard is one of the most widely used Learning Management Systems in educational
institutions today. Now Blackboard users can extend the reach and scope of their online
learning experience by using the advanced communication features of Acrobat Connect Pro
directly from within the Blackboard learning environment.
Easy setup
Faculty can quickly and easily assign students to an Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro virtual classroom.
It is easy for Blackboard administrators to install and configure the Adobe LMS Integration
for Blackboard. All you need is administrator rights in your Blackboard system and some
general knowledge of Blackboard Building Blocks for this to be a simple process. The
combination of ease of access for learners through Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro and the
close integration with Blackboard frees educators to focus on their content instead of
the technology.
Engage in virtual classrooms and collaborate in online meetings
Students and faculty can instantly engage in virtual classrooms or meetings by simply
clicking on a link in their Blackboard account or course. Faculty can easily create
online meetings for collaboration with colleagues and community or facilitate parent/
teacher communication.
In addition:
• Administrators can download, deploy, and configure The Building Block in just a few
short minutes.
• Educators can quickly and easily create, manage, and access Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro
meetings or classrooms from within a Blackboard course or community.
• Educators can view attendance reports on Acrobat Connect Pro meetings or classrooms
from any Acrobat Connect Pro access point within Blackboard.
• Educators can easily assign course enrollees or community members to a meeting
or classroom.
• Students can view and access any scheduled or assigned meetings or classes right from
the initial sign-in or home page.
• Only a single sign-on is necessary—no need to enter credentials a second time when
attending or managing a meeting.
Only the free Adobe Flash Player is needed to attend an Acrobat Connect Pro meeting
Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro offers an ideal platform for virtual classrooms and meetings.
In most cases, there is no need to add additional software to student or faculty computers:
With Acrobat Connect Pro, only the free Adobe Flash Player is needed to enable or attend a
virtual meeting room. Advanced communication features such as web camera sharing, VoIP
audio communications, and even screen and application sharing across computing platforms
can be accessed with the addition of a small add-in for the Flash Player that installs directly
from within the meeting room.
Integrate Blackboard with Acrobat Connect Pro—for free
This complete solution for integrating Blackboard (release 7.3 and higher) with Adobe
Acrobat Connect Pro is now available for free to Blackboard or Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro
administrators. Please visit www.adobe.com/go/blackboard_integration for detailed
information on deployment and installation.
Acrobat Connect Pro Integration with Blackboard Vista LMS
and Campus Edition LMS
Let educators easily add online meetings to course sections and enable
students to instantly attend
The Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro integration (PowerLink) lets instructors, teaching assistants,
and designers add Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro meetings to their course sections from within
Blackboard Vista/Campus Edition. Students can instantly view and access their Acrobat
Connect Pro meetings without having to re-enter their credentials. Administrators can set
up the PowerLink in a matter of minutes.
If you are using the licensed version of Acrobat Connect Pro, the Acrobat Connect Pro
PowerLink will use Acrobat Connect Pro’s trusted authentication feature to automatically log
on Blackboard users to Acrobat Connect Pro. Trusted authentication allows secure logon to
Acrobat Connect Pro without passwords. It requires that you configure a shared secret on
both the Acrobat Connect Pro server and the Blackboard Vista/Campus Edition server.
If you are using the hosted version of Acrobat Connect Pro, trusted authentication is not
supported. Instead, the shared secret that you configure in Blackboard Vista/Campus Edition
is used to generate a password for each user, and this password is used to authenticate the
user when logging on to Acrobat Connect Pro.
Detailed integration guide and installer files can be downloaded for free here:
http://www.connectusers.com/tutorials/2009/01/powerlink_integration/index.php
A “single sign-on” solution delivers enhanced accessibility.
Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro Integration with Moodle
RefinedData provides an elegant solution for integrating
Acrobat Connect Pro and Moodle
Learn more about RefinedData’s Adobe
Acrobat Connect Pro-Moodle solution at
www.refineddata.com/moodle
RefinedData Solutions, an Adobe Solutions Partner, has developed a customized integration
suite that allows users to establish and launch Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro Meetings from
within the Moodle Learning Management System (LMS). This capability means that Moodle
users can attend Acrobat Connect Pro Meetings and launch narrated Adobe Presenter
presentations or other content hosted on an Adobe Acrobat Connect Central server, simply
by clicking an icon or link from within the course they are enrolled in. Setting up an Acrobat
Connect Pro meeting from within Moodle is simple and meetings are automatically linked to
the course and student calendar. The system handles authentication between Acrobat
Connect Pro and Moodle so users are transferred seamlessly between the two applications.
RefinedData is committed to delivering best of breed technology
RefinedData is a leading provider of eLearning and Distance Education platforms for leading
institutions, governmental agencies, and Fortune 1000 corporations around the world. The
company delivers best-of-breed software, customization, and support services to meet the
unique requirements of each customer. In delivering the combined solution, RefinedData is
able to provide organizations with a flexible, high-volume solution that combines the
cutting-edge presentation capabilities of Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro with Moodle’s widely
adopted and proven learning management platform.
The Adobe-Moodle integration solution puts the most effective eLearning tools in
your hands
Adobe solutions enable educational institutions to easily create and deploy engaging
eLearning experiences that are easily accessible across single- or multi-campus institutions,
beyond and within your existing Moodle system. Hassle-free access keeps the focus on the
content, and not on technology. Key components of the Adobe eLearning Suite include
the following:
• Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro, the cornerstone of the Adobe eLearning solutions, offers an
intuitive interface and interactive tools to help participants learn and retain what educators
teach in virtual classes. Moodle courses can now include self-updating direct links to virtual
classrooms from anywhere you would enter text. The Single Sign On environment makes
the transition transparent to users.
• Adobe Presenter empowers faculty and students to rapidly create high-quality, ondemand presentations without special training.
Moodle is one of the world’s largest and most widely used Learning Management Systems.
One installation of Moodle at the U.K.’s Open University supports 150,000 undergraduate
students and more than 30,000 postgraduate students.
What the Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro-Moodle Integration Provides
Educational Institutions worldwide recognize Adobe eLearning Solutions and Moodle as
the respective leading platforms for learning content development and delivery. Until now,
the two applications have operated completely independently; requiring separate logins
and separate databases. There has been no effective way to communicate and synchronize
the two systems.
RefinedData has developed an elegant solution to combine these two leading technologies
to deliver a learning platform that delivers on the core strengths of Adobe Acrobat Connect
Pro and Moodle. The key funcctionality provided by the RefinedData software is summarized
below:
• Complete integration—Users experience a single application. Link from a Moodle course
to a Live Classroom or Recorded Events seamlessly and effortlessly.
• Automatic synchronization of user accounts—As Moodle users are added, updated, or
deleted from the application, their accounts are created, synchronized, or removed from
the Acrobat Connect Pro database. All synchronization takes place invisibly behind the
scenes and includes language and timezone attributes. Users who choose a language in
Moodle that is supported in Acrobat Connect Pro will launch meetings with the control
functions in their language preference.
• Automatic synchronization of courses and enrollment—As new Moodle Courses are
created, edited, or deleted, matching Groups are automatically updated on the Acrobat
Connect Pro server. As students enroll or unenroll from Moodle courses, they are added
and removed from the appropriate groups at the Acrobat Connect Pro site.
• Simple management of access permissions—The system automatically manages access to
your Adobe Live Virtual Classrooms and Acrobat Connect Pro Content from your Moodle
Course enrollment.
• Single sign-on—Moodle controls the Acrobat Connect Pro user base, providing a Single
Sign-on (SSO) environment. Each user enters meetings with appropriate credentials and
the system tracks their attendance at both live events and when viewing hosted content.
• No special training required—Adding links to Acrobat Connect Pro Live Meetings or
Presenter content in your Moodle content is easy and does not require any specialized
training. Anywhere you can insert text in Moodle, you can now include links to Acrobat
Connect Pro content with the simple addition of a tag.
• Real-time information updates—As content is updated on the Acrobat Connect Pro
server, the corresponding information displayed in Moodle is automatically syncronized.
For live classroom events, changes in dates, times, or telephony information are also
updated on Moodle in real time. The solution supports the use of language blocks so that
summary text entered on the Acrobat Connect Pro server are displayed in the appropriate
language in Moodle.
• Display personalized “My Meeting” listings for each user—A simple tag placed
anywhere you choose on your site will display a personalized list of meetings for each
logged in user. Events that are about to start or are in session are automatically highlighted
to remind users.
• Automatic secure log-in to Acrobat Connect Pro—All users are logged in to the Acrobat
Connect Pro system by the Moodle application using a secure https connection from the
Moodle Server directly to the Adobe Server. At no time are user credentials passed to
or from the user’s browser. Users who enter meetings or access content do so as
authenticated Acrobat Connect Pro users (never as guests) and their access is tracked
by the Adobe server.
• Direct editing of Acrobat Connect Pro meetings and content from within Moodle—
Authorized Moodle users can edit their Acrobat Connect Pro resources from Moodle.
Privileges to access specific content are maintained to prevent unauthorized users
from editing resources for which they do not have appropriate permissions.
• Support for adding Acrobat Connect Pro meetings in the Moodle calendaring system—
The system creates Moodle course events containing the meeting information from the
Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro server and resynchronizes these on demand. iCal information
includes all of the relevant details on the meeting.
• Upcoming features—New features are currently being developed to track Virtual
Classroom attendance and Presenter Slide-views as graded compliance activities
within Moodle.
Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro Integration with
Angel Learning Management System
Let educators easily add Acrobat Connect Pro meetings to course
sections from within ANGEL LMS
The Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro integration for Angel LMS allows instructors to add Adobe
Acrobat Connect Pro meetings to their course sections from within ANGEL LMS. Students
can instantly view and access their Acrobat Connect Pro meetings without having to re-enter
their credentials. Instructor Recorded Meetings:
Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro meeting occurrences are posted to the ANGEL LMS calendar
and are accessible directly from it. The integration code is available for free to all Adobe
Acrobat Connect Pro customers.
Detailed integration guide and installer files can be downloaded for free here:
http://www.connectusers.com/tutorials/2009/07/Angel_LMS_Integration/index.php
Instructor Recorded Meetings:
Student View Current Meetings:
Student View Current Meetings:
Accessibility to current and past meetings is easy yet secure.
Adobe Systems Incorporated
345 Park Avenue
San Jose, CA 95110-2704
USA
www.adobe.com
Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, Acrobat Connect, Captivate, Creative Suite, Dreamweaver, Flash, and Photoshop are either registered trademarks
or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective
owners.
© 2009 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA.
XXXXXXXX 9/09