E-Learning Concepts and Techniques

Chapter 8 - Delivering E-Learning

8.1 Delivering E-Learning

Lauren Ferrett, Ben Riley and Luis Vidal

8.1 Introduction

One of the most daunting tasks for any instructional design team is to decide on a format to deliver an e-product. While most teams will rely on data and feedback from assessments, analysis, reports, and studies of the audience, there is no guarantee that one method will fit all the demands. In today's electronic world each software company promises to deliver development tools with specific functions and features that are comparable with each other but is this something we can rely upon? It is also prudent to mention that many times it is the combination of diverse delivery methods that will ultimately allow developers to achieve their goal in content delivery.

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Delivery Tools

To simplify matters, we can divide our presentations into three types:

Simple:
those that produce one-way communication from computer to the audience.
Interactive:
those that produce two-way communication between computer and audience.
Interactive with Assessment:
those presentations that assess the effectiveness of the presentation themselves while delivering two-way communication between the computer and the audience.

Designing accessible content requires designers and developers to pay close attention to the user experience so they can determine the correct method of delivery. Issues of compatibility and performance are critical when selecting the proper tools. Many of the tools available on the market today have become trendy based not only in their actual performance, but also based upon marketing efforts by their owner companies.

Three such robust and very popular applications are those developed by Adobe (formerly Macromedia): Flash, Director and Authorware.

Flash

Let's examine the first noted application, Macromedia Flash Player. "It is one of the world's most pervasive software platforms, used by over 1 million professionals and reaching more than 97% of internet-enabled desktops worldwide as well as a wide range of devices." (Adobe Products, 2006) Therefore one could assume that content being delivered with this technology would be highly successful in reaching the target audience. Adobe also claims that the newest version of the Flash development application includes a number of features that allows a designer to implement many accessibility issues. It was not until about the year 2000 that the program became compliant with accessibility standards. However, even today preparing accessible Flash content isn't complicated from a technical perspective. More often than not, it's the designer's lack of knowledge about the variety of abilities and disabilities of browser's handling the Web.

The Royal National Institute of the Blind (2006), based in the United Kingdom, presents in its website case studies on accessible electronic content. One awarded site is of the famed children's author, J.K. Rowling. Her Flash-based website has been recognized for its success in implementing a multimedia-rich site while maintaining a high degree of accessibility. Features addressed in the developed product include components such as menus, site help, resizable text, alternate labels, handling of audio (with labeled audio), keyboard navigation, and handlers so the application interacts with assistive technology devices.

Director and Authorware

The second and third noted application, Director is geared at this point in time to interact with Learning Management System (LMS) packages among other features, and Authorware which is geared to the development of entire electronic courseware, complete with a sophisticated level assessment tools. The key word being at this point in time, since Flash is closing in the gap between, Director, Authorware, and many of the other tools available to developers.

Adobe Acrobat Portable Delivery Format (PDF)

One last tool to deliver content electronically should be mentioned. Originally designed to succeed with issues related to file-size and printing is Adobe's Acrobat Portable Delivery Format (PDF) technology. Before Acrobat, electronic distribution of content was nothing short of problematic and inconsistent. Authors and recipients were required to have mirror outfits of the technology used to produce the content. File-size of deliverables was prohibitive for any electronic transfer among the parties without costly equipment setups.

Adobe Acrobat simultaneously solved many other problems in several fronts. In the printing industry for example, Acrobat was received as a blessing because it was able to funnel all content through it, consistently and efficiently delivering a product to a printer. It was the technology that allowed the printing world to resourcefully address the distributed-printing requirements of their operation. Acrobat quickly became a sought after solution for various electronic deliveries.

Acrobat files now incorporate handlers to communicate with assistive technology devices by making use of features native to the computer operating system as well as third party programs. However because Adobe Acrobat is an application that essentially generates PDF files as a delivery, end-of-the-process product, it has been furnished with powerful features that deal with handling of the tagging of documents to accomplish a high level of user-accessibility. (Adobe Accessibility, 2006)

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Formatting

Formatting your e-learning lesson can be a difficult task. "The fundamental reason for HTML standards compliance is to ensure that you use only those elements and structures that are likely to be understood by the widest range of user agents." (Richmond) When you consider current SCORM and section 508 standards, the task of formatting e-learning can seem impossible. SCORM assumes the existence of a suite of services called by some a Learning Management System and by others a Learning Content Management System, and formerly called a Computer Managed Instruction system.

HTML can easily be manipulated to the designer's liking when formatting a course. The format of the html must follow certain standards to be seen by all. A popular source to check for accessibility is the Bobby system. Its technical name is Watchfire WebXACT. "WebXACT is a free online service that lets you test single pages of web content for quality, accessibility, and privacy issues." (Watchfire) New standards are affecting CSS as well as HTML. These standards include making sure all basic things are covered such as using relative (scalable) units and always specifying a fallback generic font. (Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, 2006)

There are some sources that aren't able to be copied digitally. One method to making sure your material is secure is using Adobe Acrobat to make a PDF file. These files maintain their digital qualities such as a vector image. They are typically used for text files, such as a Microsoft Word file. There is a certain level of encryption involved with the PDF file. This poses a problem for some e-learning courses sometimes.

Your plan to implement your e-learning course might depend on how technologically up to date your client is. There could be limitations where the client might not have access to a Flash plug-in because of government regulations. There are several reasons why a client could be restricted from accessing your e-learning material. It's imperative that you format your e-learning courses with the appropriate multimedia software. Some of the most popular tools are Macromedia Flash, Director and Authorware.

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Delivery Methods

No matter what delivery tool you use to create your instruction, you must decide on a method to deliver it to the audience. The most common methods are: CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and the Internet.

CD-ROM's can hold up to 800 megabytes of data and are one of the most common methods of delivering e-learning today. (Resource Bridge, 2005) One advantage to using this delivery method is that CD drives are standard on nearly all of the personal computers in use today. Another advantage is that duplicating CD-ROMs is a simple and inexpensive process that can be handled by even a novice user.

However, recent trends have made multimedia more prominent in e-learning. Digital pictures, audio and even video have become commonplace in e-learning. Because of this shift, traditional CD-ROMs may limit the amount of multimedia elements that you can use in your instruction because of their storage capacity. Due to the high demand for this multimedia to be included, DVD-ROMs have become a popular choice for delivering e-learning. (Resource Bridge, 2005)

DVDs can hold up to 4.7 gigabytes of data which makes them ideal for holding multimedia. More and more computers are coming standard with DVD drives today and many are coming equipped with DVD burners. With the right hardware, duplicating DVD's can be as simple as duplicating DVDs.

With both DVDs and CDs the issue of getting the finished product to the people is an issue. Mailing costs need to be considered when choosing a delivery method. To avoid these costs, a third popular method of delivery needs to be discussed: internet hosting.

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Hosting

Any kind of e-learning can be easily stored locally, but if you want to reach a worldwide audience, you will need to find a server to host your materials. A server is a computer designated on the Internet to hold data and be available to the entire world. Typically in a corporate setting the company who owns the training will host the materials on their own server. In an educational setting, materials will be hosted on a server at the institution that they are typically used at. The associated costs for the hosting is minimal if the materials are hosted on your own company's server, but the cost can increase once you have another company provide hosting services. It can range from a few dollars a month for a barebones package up to thousands of dollars per month for high traffic sites with many interactive features and large databases.

Bandwidth considerations become an issue when you have high volume of learners accessing your material online. Only a certain amount of people can download at a time. When e-learning is delivered to a massive audience, a large amount of bandwidth is needed. If the bandwidth isn't available, users will have their browsers time out or just grow impatient waiting.

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8.1 References

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8.2 Instructional Game Characteristics

Justin Bennett and Mary Warnock

Video games play an important role in today's media world. They have become so important that many video games are now costing as much as a full-length feature film to develop, while the anticipation of the release of certain games is greater than that of most movies. Though many of the video games on the market feature mindless violence, not every game uses this concept. Video games can be used in an instructional setting to motivate learners, as well as provide positive learning results.

Researchers have suggested that a systematic examination of game factors or game characteristics should help in refining theoretical formulations of effective instruction. Though researchers have debated for several years what exactly the successful characteristics of an instructional game are, several essential game characteristics can be determined. These game characteristics are fantasy, rules and goals, sensory stimuli, challenge, mystery, and control. These characteristics provide a common vocabulary for describing the core elements of instructional games.

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Fantasy

Entertainment often includes escape from everyday normal life. Jumping into an imaginary world full of different wonders distinct from normal life without facing the consequences of one's actions is an engaging experience. This is where fantasy becomes an important characteristic of instructional gaming. Instructional games need to utilize the concept of entering a fantasy world to provide entertainment, while basing the experience on learning. Throwing players into a fantasy world can be an excellent learning experience, mainly because the player is isolated from real consequences while still working on real life problems. If the player makes a mistake in the fantasy world, it has no direct impact on him or her in the real world. The player has entered a world with no consequences. Also, the lessons needing to be learned become much more extensive when the player is in a fantasy universe of much more interest. Learning core, real life fundamentals while acting as an exciting fictional character in a fictional environment can lead to more successful results because learning has now become entertaining.

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Rules and Goals

When playing a game, one is usually working towards completing an overall goal. How the goal is reached is dictated by a set of rules, giving the player more focus on the goal knowing what he or she is allowed and not allowed to do. Goals and rules are another important characteristic of games.

When in a game, normal rules and constraints of real life are suspended, and new rules are put into effect. Also, if the player breaks the rules in a game, play is stopped and brought back into the boundaries of the game, keeping the player on track towards completing the goal.

The goal in a game is always given to the player in a clear and specific way. Clear, specific goals allow the player to perceive goal-feedback discrepancies, which can trigger greater attention and motivations. For example, when feedback in a game indicates that the player's current performance is not meeting the requirements to complete a goal, he or she is compelled to work harder.

While the rules and goals in a game are clear and fixed, they must be flexible enough not limit the player to a linear game experience. Different players have different styles of game play, and to provide maximum immersion in a game, the player must be allowed to play the way he or she wants.

Incorporating goals that result in the desired information to be learned is an essential in instructional gaming, and rules that allow the player to play the game to his or her preference while still keeping him or her on track to complete the goal is a core fundamental.

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Sensory Stimuli

One of the essentials in creating an engaging and entertaining experience is the stimulation of the senses. Books accomplish this through the descriptive language used, while movies use special effects and lighting. Video games accomplish this through the visuals and sound. These effects are called sensory stimuli, another key characteristic of games.

One of the entertaining aspects of video games is the fact that players are given an altered perception of reality, or vertigo. Utilizing visuals and sound to create vertigo, giving the player the sense that he or she is falling through space or speeding through a crowded city, can create a sense of euphoria. Dynamic graphics, sound effects, and other sensory stimuli create an environment that is attention grabbing, as well as creating activities that are larger than life because they cannot be achieved normally in reality. With a game holding the player's attention better, the player becomes more immersed within the game, therefore motivating the player to succeed in completing the game.

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Challenge

When being motivated to complete a goal, an individual must be challenged by the goal at hand, but not challenged to point where the goal seemingly becomes impossible. This concept applies heavily to instructional video games.

There are several ways in which an optimal level of challenge can be obtained. The goals within the game should be clearly specified, but the path to achieve the goal should be left up to the player.

Keeping the player challenged throughout the game can be done by increasing the complexity of the goals. The game should also involve progressive difficulty levels, so that a first time player can pick the game up and not be overly challenged, or a master of the game can still be challenged to find new ways to complete a goal. Statistics and score keeping allow the player to keep track of him or her performance in the game, often challenging him or her to work harder.

Finally, the goals in the game must be meaningful to player to enhance the game experience. If a player sees purpose in the goal he or she is trying to achieve, he or she becomes motivated to complete it, increasing the challenge in the game.

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Mystery

One of the most popular genres of movies and books is mystery. Mystery keeps the viewer or reader fully engaged because of the curiosity to find out what is going to happen next. Mystery is also an important characteristic of video games. Video games need to keep the player curious enough to keep playing until he or she achieves his or her goal.

Curiosity can been broken down into two kinds: sensory curiosity and cognitive curiosity. Sensory curiosity is the interest evoked by novel sensations, while cognitive curiosity is a desire for more knowledge. Video games must achieve both of these.

Sensory curiosity is achieved by sensory stimuli, making the player want to see what amazing visuals or sounds will be thrown at him or her throughout the game. Different thrills keep the player immersed with the game because he or she wants to see how many new and exciting situations he or she can get into.

Cognitive curiosity is achieved by story, characters, and environments in the game, as well as creating the desire to see the rewards by completing the goals in the game. If a game can create a successful premise that makes the player want to know more about his or her character and why he or she is in his or her this particular environment, the player will be motivated to progress through the game.

Completing goals will lead to new rewards, as well as new goals to achieve. Mystery evokes curiosity in the player, making mystery a crucial part of creating a successful game. A drive to find out what to expect next will motivate a player to continue the game, encouraging him or her learn the educational concepts that are projected through the game.

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Control

Having the feeling of being in control is comforting. In a game, the player likes to have the same feeling of control. Control is the final important characteristic of a game. Games allow the player to have a sense of control in choosing strategies, directing activities, and decision making that directly affects the outcome of situations. While the game needs to dictate certain aspects of what the player can and cannot do, the player must feel like he or she is in control of the overall action and pace of the game.

When it comes to instructional gaming, research that has compared effects of program control versus player control on user reactions and motivation has yielded consistently positive results, favoring learner control. If a goal in an instructional game is gaining knowledge on a certain subject, allowing the player control of the steps to reach this knowledge can be very beneficial. Not only will he or she become more immersed in the learning process, but he or she will enjoy the process better than if it were forced upon him or her with linear directions. The ability to choose the way to accomplish a learning goal will allow for the player to be more motivated to complete the goal, as well as enjoy the process better.

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Video Games for Instructional Purposes

The use of video games for instructional purposes can have great advantages. They immerse the player in the learning process while allowing him or her to have control of the steps in completing an educational goal, breaking away from the usual linear way of learning. Instructional games allow the learner to enjoy gaining knowledge because games throw the player into a fantasy world void of real life rules and boundaries. Making a mistake in a fantasy world only results in trying again without facing the consequences. Rules in a game keep the player focused and on track toward completing learner goals, while not over challenging him or her nor making learning too easy. Video games are also highly entertaining, making use of sensory stimuli to shock the player's senses and creating situations in a game that are not possible in real life. Games also evoke curiosity in the player by using mystery. Wanting to progress through the story in a game or to find out what bizarre situations will pop up next will motivate the player to complete the learning goals in an attempt to find out what happens next. Though video games may involve sitting in front a television or computer screen for hours on end, adding in goals that will lead to the acquisition of knowledge can be a very refreshing thing in today's technological world.

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8.2 References

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8.3 Educational Podcasting

Kathy Kollar

According to Wikipedia, a podcast is "a method of distributing multimedia files, such as audio programs or music videos, over the Internet for playback on mobile devices and personal computers... Podcasting's essence is about creating content (audio or video) for an audience that wants to listen or watch when they want, where they want, and how they want." The May 1-7, 2006 TV Guide 'Gadgets' section shares a mini-guide on "Podcasting 101: Audio a la Carte" and briefly describes how easy it is to download audio and video files. From official network podcasts discussing episodes that just aired and give teasers on upcoming ones, to fan-created podcasts with speculation and personal insight into storylines, major TV networks have jumped onboard technology's newest wave. Illinois Senator Barak Obama (2006) dedicates part of his official website to podcasting and includes a definition of what a podcast is, how to listen, and how to subscribe to podcasting services; even providing links for multiple (PC, Mac and Linux) platforms. NASA's website (2006) provides podcasts such as Science@NASA –that gives subscribers an in-depth look at educational content by subject matter. Podcasting has gone mainstream.

A web quest or search on podcasts reveals numerous websites dedicated to podcasts and podcasting; and the category of Education is among most listings. Podcast.com's website (2006) lists six major categories of educational podcasts covering news, literature, history, philosophy, languages and music education. A wide variety of other topics are also available, including College Experiences in the Lifestyles category and Technology as a category in and of itself. The historic reference tome, the Peterson's Guide (Thomson Peterson's 2006), now encourages prospective college students to "use your MP3 player to help get into college! Now you can listen to the latest information on test prep, college admissions, and financial aid on your own computer or MP3 player." Colleges and universities have also joined the bandwagon. Mansfield University (2006) of Pennsylvania's radio ads and official website both encourage listeners to tune into their podcasts to hear from current students about the realities of dorm life and college. National Public Radio (NPR) (2006) currently hosts two podcasts related to Education. Podcast.net's 2006 'The Podcast Directory' lists 1473 titles under "Learning & Instruction" with a further 136 podcasts listed under "Kids & Teens>School".

Continuing Education courses are also available for anyone interested in learning how to create podcasts. Joe Pezzillo, founder of Metafy, provides a workshop for $50-$75 per person in Colorado (Boulder Digital Arts, 2006). Corey Deitz (2006) provides both an online tutorial and a free online course entitled, "Learn To Edit Audio Like A Radio Pro" accessible from the About.com website. Andy Wibbels of podcastingbootcamp.com offers an online course delivered via a private ecampus along with teleseminar calls by phone for $60-$120 (multiple-student discounts may apply with multiple registrations).

The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (CALI), a non-profit consortium of law schools, has introduced "Classcaster", a course blogging and podcasting service (Podcasting News, 2005). This system has built-in podcasting support. "Faculty just dials in to Classcaster, enters a phone number and pin and records a call of any length." According to their website, uses include classroom lectures, sick day lectures, guest interviews, student audio presentations, repurposed content for distance learning, transcription for the deaf, read synthesized speech for the blind and recorded exam review lectures. The University of Arizona (2006) provides podcasting support for its faculty on their website and encourages faculty to use podcasts as a complement to their course content: "Podcasting can be an effective complement to class lectures, a way for students to deliver speeches and presentations, a tool to use with distance learning courses, and a resource for remediation of students with learning disabilities."

Podcasts, however, are not limited by age. Fourth-grade students in Irving, Texas, have put their homework essays into podcasts, according to the Dallas Morning News (Unmuth, 2006). The Education Podcast Network highlights submissions from elementary students across the nation. Goochland County Public Schools in Virginia posts their K-12 students' podcasts as well (Hendron, 2005). RadioWillowWeb in Nebraska boasts podcasts by kids for kids and highlights works from students in Kindergarten through fifth grade. Leanne Smith reported in the March 24th Ann Arbor (MI) newspaper that "elementary podcasting [is] a hit with students and teachers: they're now 'pod pals' with an elementary school in Kansas."

Podcasting is growing in popularity at all educational levels, from kindergarten through graduate school. Whether for fun or while learning facts and sharing knowledge, podcasting is the wave of our educational future.

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8.3 References

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8.4 Gaming at Work: Taking the Boredom Out of Training

Mousa Afaneh

Despite a $60 billion per year price tag, training created for U.S. business employees just isn't working, and the culprit is boredom. Much of the training created these days has very little appeal, thereby losing its value. According to training experts, training designed to be more engaging and entertaining, like computer games, is the solution. (Totty, 2006)

While there exists a handful of startup companies creating training games, some industries have branched out to develop their own, such as Cisco Systems' Creative Learning Studio. Capitalizing on the inherit effectiveness of competition as a motivator, Borland Software Corp. offered admittance to a drawing for free iPods to any employee who completed training games with perfect scores. The games were simple and inexpensive, yet they greatly helped salespersons memorize product information in time for a major sales meeting.

As proof of training/gaming's effectiveness, multifamily development firm ERC Properties Inc.'s Candace Armstrong compared test results from separate groups of employees. One group played a game; the other had a standard review. Against a passing score of 80%, the "game group" had an 88% passing rate, while the standard review group's passing rate was 54%. Ms. Armstrong states the importance of instructional gaming best, "People learn more when they laugh."

Training through gaming plays a large role in the realms of multimedia, e-learning, and high-tech industry; it's the quintessential embodiment of all three. Instructional gaming relies on multimedia for its basic structure, whether as a Macromedia Flash game, Director movie or otherwise, it can contain digital images, sound effects, movie clips, and more. Gaming excites the senses (two of them) and demands interaction from the user. The terms instructional gaming and e-learning could be perceived to a degree as synonymous due to their strong relationship. As easily as an employee can log into Centra and join in on a roundtable discussion of 3Q figures in relation to their competitor's newest product, they may get online to play a game focused on conveying identical information. Both are efficient, effective ways of reaching your target at any time, in any place.

Many industry analysts feel instructional gaming is the next big thing in business, and this goes double for the high-tech industry world. A networking company or online consulting firm wouldn't issue employee training via pen-and-paper evaluations. Staying on the cutting edge is important to the ethos and survival of these companies, and relying on yesterday's training methods could mean the difference between profit and obsolescence.

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8.4 References

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8.5 Delivering E-Learning Synchronously

Chontel Delaney

What are the different means of delivering e-learning?

The common term e-learning refers to online training that can be delivered through various strategies. web-based training (WBT), computer based training (CBT), synchronous and asynchronous are the most common types of e-learning.

Web-based training allows for a large population of people who are in various places in the world to experience e-learning through the use of text, streaming media and graphics. Computer based training is an alternate means of delivering web-based e-learning via LAN, the Internet, or most commonly a CD-ROM. Synchronous (live) meetings allow learners and the instructor to meet and conduct teaching and learning at the same time even though they are physically in different locations. The method of asynchronous e-learning is an independent self paced training that does not require an instructor. It can occur at anytime and for irregular intervals of time. This article will focus on the synchronous delivery methods.

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Synchronous E-Learning

The method of Synchronous e-learning delivery offers the benefit of a live classroom via the Internet. According to a survey done in 2001 and 2002 WebEx and Centra were the leading technology platforms for delivering synchronous e-learning. (Pulichino, 2004)

Centra

Centra Symposium allows for presenters and attendees to meet in a real time setting incorporating voice and video. The system requirements for Centra are Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 2000, and XP, Internet Explorer 4.01+, Netscape 4.08+, 28.8 Kbps or faster network connection, and Pentium 166, 64 MB memory.

In Centra, the presenters are the creators of the meetings and have full control over the presentation; they also invite the attendees to the real time sessions. The attendees attend the meeting using an ID provided by the presenter(s). Centra features break out rooms and audio conferencing.

WebEx

WebEx allows users to collaborate in real time meetings using a standard browser over the Internet that incorporates data, voice and video. WebEx synchronous meetings are hosted applications and therefore do not require the users to purchase or install any special kinds of hardware or software. It is supported by various browsers such as Windows, Macintosh, Linux, and Solaris systems as well as Internet Explorer, Mozilla, Firefox, Netscape and Safari.

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Synchronous E-Learning Features

Features that can be incorporated when delivering E-Learning: (Resource Bridge, 2005)

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8.5 References

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Last updated October 13, 2006

Graphics by David Cerreta