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Authoring and the MERLOT Content Builder
The MERLOT Content Builder is a web page and website development tool that is integrated into MERLOT. It is directly accessible by registered and logged-in members from the MERLOT homepage or from a members profile page. Web pages are easily created using Content Builder's templates. These include a variety of designs including e-portfolio structures, lesson plans, pedagogical analysis, student reflection, online course, tutorial, presentation, community website, etc. You can view some of these examples on the MERLOT Effective Uses of the MERLOT Content Builder Tool web site (which was created by using Content Builder). For more information on MERLOT Authoring Strategies, go to http://taste.merlot.org/Programs_and_Projects/authoringstrategies.html.
Websites can contain web pages that include a navigation bar, text, imported documents, and uploaded photos and videos. A Content Builder web page consists of a title "box" plus additional boxes, each displaying an aspect of web page content. For text-only mode browsers, images inserted in a web pages can include “alt tags” describing the image when the cursor is rolled over it. There is a range of file types supported by Content Builder for uploading into a web page. See our list here. Sets of web pages can easily be collected to create complete websites that contain automatically-generated navigation bars.
Besides being able to create web pages and web sites in Content Builder, a user can:
- Download IMS certified Common Cartridges of their Content Builder web pages and sites for use in applications that support the IMS certified Common Cartridge format.
- Add a Creative Commons license to their pages and site.
- Make their web pages/sites public, and/or contribute them directly to the MERLOT repository
MERLOT has addressed many accessibility requirements in its implementation of the Content Builder. Please see the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) for a description of the degree to which the Content Builder meets Section 508 standards.
To begin using the Content Builder
- Go to the MERLOT the home page (www.merlot.org), and log in to MERLOT. If you are not a member of MERLOT, membership is free. Register at http://www.merlot.org/merlot/join.htm
- From the home page or your profile page, click on "Access the Content Builder." (See figures below). At the "Content Builder Toolkit " start creating webpages.
- Information on using the MERLOT Content Builder to create webpages can be found by, downloading the QuickStart Guide
Accessing Content Builder from MERLOT home page: 
Content Builder Main Menu (coming soon!)
For more information please contact the MERLOT Webmaster at webmaster@merlot.org.
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* Previously known as the Carnegie Foundation KEEP Toolkit, taken over by MERLOT in November 2009.
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