computer science

Microsoft Semblio

Microsoft Semblio is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Microsoft Semblio rather than just read about it. In short: Microsoft Semblio is a software development kit for development of rich educational software. Version 1.0 was published by Microsoft on 15 December 2008.

Key takeaways

Microsoft Semblio belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Microsoft Semblio to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Microsoft Semblio from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Microsoft Semblio is a software development kit for development of rich educational software. Version 1.0 was published by Microsoft on 15 December 2008. Before its launch it was codenamed Grava, to become a set of tools for creating and using educational and training materials.

Components The tools were to be built using WPF and consists of the following components:

Grava SDK: The Grava SDK is built on top of WPF and provides a programming model consistent with it. It also includes a set of services for assessment and logging results. Grava Authoring: The Grava authoring tool can be used to create interactive training material using GUI-based authoring. It can be used to create wizard like content or follow non-linear content creation. It integrates with developer tools like Microsoft Visual Studio. Grava Player: The Grava player can play back interactive Grava content, and can use the logging and assessment services to track the progress of the trainee.

Application The Microsoft Semblio SDK is built on the .NET Framework 3.5, and is intended to provide developers with tools for packaging and distribution of rich interactive learning material, such as e-books containing images, audio, and video. Version 1.0 of the SDK can be freely downloaded from Microsoft. The SDK is the first of three components that will make up the Semblio Platform. The other two includes an assembly tool and a media player. The Semblio file format (.semblio) is based on ISO/IEC 29500-2:2008 Open Packaging Conventions.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Microsoft Semblio

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Microsoft Semblio claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Microsoft Semblio before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Microsoft Semblio ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Microsoft Semblio

In research: Microsoft Semblio appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Microsoft Semblio in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Microsoft Semblio is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Educational programming languages, Microsoft software stubs, Software development kits, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Microsoft Semblio outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Microsoft Semblio in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Microsoft Semblio means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Microsoft Semblio out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Microsoft Semblio in simple terms?

Microsoft Semblio is a software development kit for development of rich educational software. Version 1.0 was published by Microsoft on 15 December 2008.

Why does Microsoft Semblio matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Microsoft Semblio?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Microsoft Semblio.