February 18, 2025, by Laura Nicholson
Xerte: New Features for Interactive Learning!
(Estimated reading time: 2 min 30)
It has been a few weeks now since our January Xerte upgrade, so I thought it would be a perfect time to share my experiences of the new features. For those who may not be familiar with Xerte, I highly recommend taking the time to explore how this open-source software can benefit teaching and learning- The Xerte project.
Xerte’s new ‘image compare’ feature
Apparently, I am what’s known as an Ethel bagger (explanation to follow in due course). For now, here’s a hint that it’s linked to my hobby of hiking, which, while a great hobby to have, can have a negative environmental impact. Xerte’s compare image feature perfectly demonstrates the problems hiking can cause when an area receives too many visitors. As you can see below, Xerte users can now visually compare two images side by side, making it ideal for ‘before’ and ‘after’ type activities. Drag the grey slider to compare the images of Mam Tor in the Peak District, before and after conservation efforts.
New hotspot image options in Xerte
A number of changes and new features are also now available on the Hotspot Image Connector page. When you set the hotspot to reveal something on the page, such as text or audio, you now have more options for how to display that content. We can now choose to have the content showing as a bubble near the hotspot (as shown on page 3 of the example below). While I’m a fan of using the lightbox with hotspots, having this additional display option will definitely be a bonus.
There is also the option to use a range of icons as the hotspot, rather than just a rectangle or polygon. You can see in the example below where I have added the mountain icon as my choice of hotspot.
Enhanced accessibility features
Other new features in Xerte include improved accessibility. All drag-and-drop tasks are now performed by mouse-click alone, improving usability for users with motor impairments. The user selects the label they wish to move, and then with a click on the target area, the label will move into the desired position. Image captioning, although not strictly new, is now available on more page types to enable captions to display underneath the image.
And there’s more!
These are some of my top likes, although there were quite a few to choose from, to be honest. The new audio recorder, which I didn’t mention, is another new feature and a pretty cool tool. To view the full range of new features in Xerte, take a look at the Xerte updates page.
Ethel bagging?
And so, for anyone still reading and wondering what an Ethel bagger is – thanks for sticking with me! Here’s the explanation as promised: Ethel bagging refers to the activity of climbing the 95 hills in the Peak District National Park, named in honour of environmental campaigner Ethel Haythornwaite (The Countryside Charity). My daughter and I now spend many a weekend Ethel bagging in the Peak District! The views on each hike are always outstanding and really do encourage an appreciation of how fortunate we are to have such beauty around us. Nothing highlights more the importance of protecting our natural landscapes wherever we can.
Further examples of Xerte
For examples of innovations using Xerte, check out our blog posts on Xerte and augmented reality!
Using the HoloLens and Augmented Reality (AR) with Xerte to Create Escape Rooms
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