Engineering Web-based multimedia training: status and perspective

Like computer-based training, Web-based training (WBT) has embraced multimedia-based content as a must-have. The market offers a variety of WBT authoring (hence, multimedia software engineering) tools. Within their defined scope, these tools offer a high degree of sophistication. This article discusses the state of the art for such tools. While little may be blamed if one accepts this defined scope, the article puts WBT in perspective, analyzing the requirements which one might put on Web-based multimedia learning systems at a second glance. Given these new requirements, the tools available on the market leave a big gap. Approaches towards filling this gap are discussed, with a particular focus on XML and related standards.