Recently I’ve been developing free releases for ContentGenerator.net. Two reasons really - firstly I do genuinely want to share the technology. I’m really pleased with the concept - I can extend the use of Flash-based e-learning activities that I’ve created but not force others through the hassles of directly editing Flash files. My free releases allow anyone to download and develop their own e-learning materials.
Secondly I’m obviously giving some software away free to encourage people to purchase the pay-for programs.
The are now three entirely free programs avaiable from ContentGenerator.net. The time I’ve spent developing and tweaking them has made them - in my opinion at least - comparable to quiz generating software that you have to pay an extensive amount for.
- Fling the Teacher generator - create your own Fling the Teacher game. Minimum of 15 questions, no maximum. Player has to get 15 questions correct to build a trebuchet to fling the teacher away. Includes the ability to customise the cartoon teacher and to use ‘helplines’ - take a vote, take two away and ask an expert. See an example on my SchoolHistory.co.uk website or on my wife’s new in-development Moodle music site.
- Multi-choice quiz generator - create your own Flash-based multi-choice quizzes. Three different types - ‘big quiz’ ideal for projectors / interactive whiteboards, ‘mini-quiz’ which can integrate perfectly into the side of existing content and a ‘quiz + text’ which is a mini-quiz with accompanying rich-text to include information and / or hyperlinks. Quizzes require a minimum of only two questions and are completely customisable - include a time limit and set all the background colours. They also include silly and loud sound effects.
- Match-up quiz generator - this allows you to create your own simple Match-up quiz, ideal for a quick interactive whiteboard task. Six customisable matches, optional sound effects and customisable colours. I thought this one would be the least well received, but it actually appears really popular. Geography teachers certainly seem keen on it (and that’s no bad thing - I hasten to add
).
Anyway, please feel free to join the ContentGenerator.net forum and download the free software. The profits made from the site fund all our other websites so thus this isn’t some money grabbing corporation.
What I hope to do in the future is to continue to release new games, quizzes and e-Learning applications. Each set of releases will always include some free software as well as pay-for options. I hope that all these programs enable other teachers to experience the benefits of Flash within education. There is such potential with Flash - hopefully fellow teachers will start with my programs, be interested in the potential and then start experimenting with the real thing themselves. I know I became interested in the potential of online quizzes and activities when I discovered Hot Potatoes, so I hope some of my developments may encourage educators in a similar way.
I have an announcement coming soon, together with Doug Belshaw, which will help this happen 
4 responses so far ↓
1 Doug Belshaw // Feb 7, 2006 at 8:34 am
I think your ContentGenerator games are fantastic, Andrew - the pupils at my school love them! They’ll often tell me how they’ve kept playing them at home until they’ve got 100% which has got to be a good thing.
The free games, as you said, are of the same quality as the paid-for ones, and the search tool on the Schoolhistory website makes finding a relevant one easy. Thanks for all the hard work!
2 Carl // Feb 7, 2006 at 4:38 pm
As you know Andrew, I am huge fan of ContentGenerator.net and all your websites. These additional free programs should hopefully make them want to purchase the pay for generators, but also allow them to create great resources via the free ones.
Keep up the good work!
You deserve a CBE 
3 Rob Chambers // Feb 14, 2006 at 7:13 pm
Andrew - I have also become a huge fan of contentgenerator.net - the games we pay for - Penalty Shoot Out etc.. are tremendous value and to have access to other free games is great (and very generous of you). One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to try and create at least one new quiz for the website each week - its working so far! I have just invested in Macromedia Suite - although don’t really have a clue where to start, although I am looking forward to spending some time in the Easter Holidays trying to get to grips with Flash. Many thanks for all your hard work.
4 Andrew Field // Feb 14, 2006 at 8:31 pm
Thanks very much for these comments. Rob - if you want some help with Macromedia you could do worse that use my introductory tutorials at http://www.effectiveict.co.uk/. I’ve uploaded some basic ideas and then linked to further sites which will come in handy. The new developments on EffectiveICT.co.uk will also be very useful - but more about them very soon