Resources - Technology Tips

 

All ISU students, staff and faculty now can access online video training for a wide variety of software -- including Adobe Acrobat, Connect, Dreamweaver, Flash, Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop-- through Lynda.com. (Oct. 2009).

>> Lynda.com instructions for on campus and off campus access

 

Adobe Acrobat

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/

Adobe Acrobat is used to create PDF files - a file format that is easily viewed on multiple operating systems and is commonly used on the web. There are other programs that will create PDF files, but Adobe Acrobat is the most well known.

Adobe Acrobat Reader is a free program that will display PDF files, if you do not have the Professional version installed. A PDF reader can be added as a plug-in to a web browser or as a stand alone product.

PDF files are a popular way of sharing files because:

• they preserve the look and structure of the original document but are often much smaller files, thus more easily shared

• people who wish to view the PDF file just need a free PDF viewer, they don't need the specialized software that the original document was created in (Word, PowerPoints, publishing software, image software, etc.)

• PDF files are not easily modified by the person who receives them/views them

• passwords can be added to the PDF file to further restrict modification and viewing

• pages in PDF format can be reordered, cut, copied from other documents, and so on to make new PDF files

• with newer versions of product, can easily create interactive forms

Add password protection to a PDF file (Adobe Connect 8)

How to Capture a Website as a PDF file (Adobe Connect 8)

 

Other ways to make PDFs:

• Acrobat.com Free Online Conversion, http://www.acrobat.com

• pdfforge (Open Source, free), http://www.pdfforge.org/products/pdfcreator

• PDFredirect (FreeWare), http://www.exp-systems.com/index.htm

• CutePDF Writer (FreeWare), http://www.cutepdf.com/products/CutePDF/writer.asp

 

Related:

• There are many free online conversion services to convert a PDF back to a Word-compatible format. One is "PDF online", http://www.pdfonline.com/pdf2word/index.asp .

Adobe Connect Pro

http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatconnectpro/

Adobe Connect (a.k.a. Macromedia Breeze) is a secure web-based application for hosting and recording live meetings and providing playback of recorded materials. It can be used in conjunction with WebCT or on its own. ISU Extension has several recorded online tutorials, which are linked below:

If you get a free account with adobe.com, you will have the ability to make PDF files and have a personal Adobe Connect meeting room to use (but it will not record meetings).

1-2-3: Steps to Hold a Breeze Meeting (41 min.)

An Introduction to Breeze Meeting Room Pods (37 min.)

Customizing Breeze Meeting Room Layouts and Working with Pods (36 min.)

Learn More About Using Breeze Meeting Room Pods (49 min.)

Learn EVEN MORE About Using Breeze Meeting Room Pods (19 min.)

Extension Examples of How Breeze Meeting is Being Used (48 min.)

Adobe Presenter

http://www.adobe.com/products/presenter/

Use to create on-demand flash based videos or PDF output from your Microsoft PowerPoints. Use to capture, incorporate, and edit audio and video in your presentations. Can incorporate complex slide branching to guide users through the content of your presentations. Has a survey/quiz feature that allows for question randomization. Can be published in scorm compliant format that works with WebCT and Adobe Connect.

Features list is available at: http://www.adobe.com/products/presenter/features/

An Adobe Presenter license can be purchased by college faculty/staff from the ODEET office for $50 ( summer 2009 price). Contact Ann Bugler, bugler@iastate.edu , if you are interested in this.