Creation of online text-based content or handbooks/workbooks with optional formative activities

Who is this training for?

For those staff looking to create online resources that are text heavy (such as handbooks, workbooks or web pages), with optional interactive quizzes and activities.

The information and links below aim to guide you through using the tools available and give you some insight into what can be achieved with the software.

What is SoftChalk?

SoftChalk is a desktop app used to create online lessons, published like a webpage. These lessons are designed to be read or completed page by page. They can contain videos, quiz questions, and activities (e.g. labelling exercises, crossword puzzles, and card sorting). SoftChalk has its own cloud-based storage system (SoftChalk Cloud) and a grade centre which stores student progress. All lessons are hosted on this cloud storage system and distributed via a link. You can link the same lesson in several different places, but it will only need to be updated once.

Watch the video below for an introduction from SoftChalk and click through the example links to view some different lesson styles.

What can I create? View some examples

  • EXAMPLE 1
    A text-heavy lesson with an overview page and embedded videos
  • EXAMPLE 2
    A text-heavy lesson with an overview page and embedded videos and activities
  • EXAMPLE 3
    An activity-focused lesson, less text-based than the above.

Step-by-step guides and information

Get a license key and UoM ‘themes’

For University of Manchester FBMH staff only. You will need a valid UoM staff email address to complete this form. If you already have a license you can still fill out this form to obtain the themes.

Apply Now

Get started with SoftChalk

Get ready to create! Click here for guidance on signing up for a SoftChalk Cloud account and instructions to download the software.

Make a SoftChalk lesson: Quick guide

Click here for step-by-step instructions to create a simple 3-page lesson with a quiz question, an activity and an embedded YouTube video.

Make a SoftChalk lesson: Full guide

Click here for an in-depth guide to making a SoftChalk lesson. The instructions here will walk you through setting up a blank lesson, choosing the theme, and adding text content/images/tables, hyperlinks, pages and navigation.

Adding interactivity

This guide will cover adding formative quizzes/activities, videos and other media content to a SoftChalk lesson.

Tracking scores

This guide will cover different ways to track scores using the SoftChalk Cloud ScoreCenter and Blackboard. This feature enables students to save answers and come back later. It also includes security options such as date restrictions and password protection.

Useful tips

This guide will cover sharing a lesson with a colleague to edit, restoring a deleted lesson and restoring a lesson to an earlier save.

Extra support

Once you have finished our online training, you can get extra support here.