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The Comprehension Task Maker is a program that can be downloaded and installed on your computer. Once installed, you can use the Comprehension Task Maker to create your own customised interactive multimedia comprehension tasks.
When creating a comprehension task there are two main componants:
Because you decide on the information and questions, you can create tasks for any level and for any topic. Tasks can be made in any language using any script.
Finished tasks are saved as webpages and can be used for any non commercial purposes. They can be copied onto the school network, a memory stick to share with others. Tasks can be linked to the schools intranet or ineternet site, or included in a blog.
This diagram describes the componants of a Comprehension Task

Using the Comprehension Task Maker is a simple step by step process. No specialised computer skills are required. Teachers can create tasks for their students, or for a deeper learning task, students can create their own Comprehension tasks. Another option is for the teacher to provide all the information and let the students create appropriate questions.
When your students make their own multimedia language tasks, they are practising important skills:
When complete, your task (and all the associated files) will be saved in a folder with the name and location you specify (the default save loaction is 'My Documents'). When opened, the folder will look like this.
Double click on the web icon to open and play.
As seen above, completed games are made up of a number of different folders and files. When copying, moving or sending a game, all the files and folders must be included.
Copying or moving a task
To copy or move the game, select the task folder, cut or copy it and paste it in the new location.
Emailing a task
To email a game you must first 'zip' the task folder. On most computers, this can be done by right clicking on the game folder and selecting the 'Add to zip' option. This creates a new file (see below). The zipped folder packages all the components of the game together. Attach the zipped folder to your email.
The person who recieves the email must 'unzip' the folder. To do this, double click on the zipped folder and select save. They can then play the game opening the game folder and opening the game page.

A zipped task folder
Including a game in a learning management system
To include a task in a learning management systems (such as Moddle or Blackboard) you must first 'zip' the task folder, and include this as a resource. In most systems you can select the file within the zip you want students to view. In such cases select the html page with your task name. When the student clicks on the link the game will open automatically.
The Comprehension Task Maker allows you to open and make changes to the content of a task. When you load a game into the Comprehension Task Maker, you can make the following changes:
When the changes are complete, you have the option of saving the changes to the existing task, or saving the changes as a new task. This will leave the original task unchanged.
To install and run the Comprehension Task Maker the computer must have the following:
Installation of software in school systems is often restricted. This may mean that only your IT technician is able to install software. Talk to you IT support about how the software is best installed in your school.
When a task is completed, the Comprehension Task Maker will create a new folder with the name you specify, and will be saved in the location you specify. The folder will contain:
This folder can be copied and pasted to any location on your computer or netwrok, or can be copied to a CD or memory stick. The task can be played on any computer system with a browser and flash player.
Some schools' IT systems prevent students from saving certain file types. Check with your IT support that students are permited to save these files in their folders on the server. If not, it may be possible to create a new folder without these restrictions where students can save their games.
The default save path for completed games is the users 'My Document' folder. Voice recordings are temporarily saved in the users 'temp' folder. To change these default save paths see the Technical Notes page
Each step of the Game Maker has a detailed 'Help' page. Click on the 'HELP' icon in the top right hand corner to view.
For futher assistance contact the Languages Online Team (languages.online@edumail.vic.gov.au)
Contact: Languages Online Team (languages.online@edumail.vic.gov.au)