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Adapt User's Guide version 4.5

Thinking in Adapt

Adapt 4.5 Released!

On February 21st of 2020 we released a new version of Adapt Authoring/Framework. This was a massive update that touched every element of the product.

All new features are highlighted with the 4.5 badge next to the name.

Adapt content (often called Adapt Framework) is a more modern take on delivering learning content on the web.

First, Adapt is Responsive — that is, it acknowledges that today’s learners are more likely to use their phones as their primary computing device. Adapt’s content responds to different devices by altering the content to suit the device.

Second, Adapt is Inclusive — that is, it is possible for anyone to consume learning content regardless of ability. That includes permanent, temporary and situational difficulties that might prevent a user from being able to use a computer — for instance blindness (permanent), allergies (temporary), or bright light and poor screen brightness (situational).

These features mean that content created in Adapt is a bit different.

The Standard Model

eLearning has traditionally used the PowerPoint or Slide model, where slides (sometimes called “Frames”) are organized into Modules (or Chapters). This model gave creators a fixed “box” to work in and loaded each page as it was needed (be that HTML or Flash object).

Unfortunately, this model doesn’t stand up well for our modern devices. It’s nearly impossible to design a box for a slide that suits every possible screen considering the various aspect ratios, pixel depth and physical dimensions of each device. Downloading each page and image as the user comes to it also unfairly penalizes mobile devices — as a general rule, devices such as cell phones have high latency (time before an asset is downloaded) and smaller processors.

Changing the Model

Adapt drops the Slide model for a modern web-based model. Adapt content is structured into Pages, which contain Articles, Blocks and Components. Finally, a Menu is used to collect pages into a single index and control access.

Adapt content is a Single Page Application (SPA), meaning the all content is downloaded immediately, except for larger assets (such as images and video) which are queued once the application is loaded. This greatly reduces load times on mobile devices (and desktops see some benefits as well).

Thinking Outside the Slide

If you’re familiar with traditional learning development, this modern model will require a shift in how you organize content.