Technology

¡A su salud! uses a complementary mix of technologies to deliver a high-quality Spanish language program that can be adapted to the specific needs of institutions and organizations.

The centerpiece of ¡A su salud! is broadcast-quality dramatic video. In addition to the main storyline (Historia), video is used in interactive exercises throughout the program's four units. The video and interactive exercises are integrated through an easy-to-use interface created and programmed with ©Macromedia Director. The program files (video and interactive exercises) are delivered via DVD-ROM.

Interactive exercises on the DVD-ROM are programmed to link to relevant web tools and resources. These web links are part of the standard navigation on the DVD and can be customized to link to local course management systems (e.g., Blackboard, WebCT) or stand-alone web tools (e.g., discussion forums, chat rooms, and quizzes), course websites or resource webpages. This feature will allow institutions and organizations to leverage their existing investments in web technologies. Web technology is also used in the ¡A su salud! program to support both asynchronous communication and synchronous conferencing among students and instructors. Web-based conferencing solutions for use with ¡A su salud! are currently being explored.

The ¡A su salud! project is committed to ensuring that the final version of ¡A su salud! can be used by all interested students, including those with disabilities. Because the development environment for the DVD-based component of ¡A su salud! does not support accessibility features, the Interdisciplinary Development Committee is exploring the feasibility of an alternative web-based version of the product as well. With assistance from the National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) and additional funding from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Committee has begun development of a web-based prototype of the interface and video (with audio descriptions and captioning) from the DVD that will adhere to the standards set forth in Section 508 of the US Workforce Investment Act of 1998.

System requirements for using ¡A su salud! can be found on the Yale University Press ¡A su salud! website.