Table of Contents
Authoring Tool
An essential criterion for choosing Authoring tools is the ease of use. When an application is friendly, it is positively reflected in the learning curve for its domain and later in the times assigned to the project.
What is an Authoring Tool?
Choosing new software can often be more complicated than it should be. This article will cover the essentials of e-learning authoring tools that you should know about before purchasing a license. An e-learning authoring tool remains a software program that agrees you create digital learning content, converts it to an e-learning setup, and distribute it to learners through a learning management system or on the web.
Digital exercise content includes, but is not limited to, e-courses, video lessons, assessments, and simulations. Some tools have limited functionality; for example, they use to create quizzes. However, in most cases, it is more accurate to say that “an authoring tool” is a set of tools included in a single package that covers most of the tasks that instructional designers are likely to have to do.
Why do you Need an Authoring Tool?
New skills are changing the way we produce and deliver online learning. Authoring tools become essential to ensure a practical learning experience. Choosing the right authoring tool will allow the instructional designer to focus on other tasks, such as content creation.
In this way, you do not need to worry about technical problems and other aspects. As a result, the authoring tool will not only ensure more engaging training but will also balance time and resources.
Recommended Authoring Tools
Each eLearning organisation or business will have different requirements for each authoring tool. Therefore, choosing the right one will depend on your needs. The best thing is that there are many options on the market, and we present some that may interest you.
1. Storyline 360
It is a viral authoring tool characterised by being modern and having many powerful features. Among what it offers is that it allows you to create a storyboard of the courses and shows you the path that the students take. Although it may seem to complicate
To use, it is worth it for the quality of the results obtained.
As for its value, you have the subscription option for Storyline 360 or the single purchase of Storyline 3. On its website, you can find a comparative table of these two alternatives and detail of their characteristics. A subscription is a complete option because it gives you access to other applications and benefits you with regular updates.
2. Adobe Captivate
Adobe is a world leader in digital media, e-learning, and digital marketing. As for Adobe Captivate, it’s a feature-rich authoring tool with the added benefit of interoperability with other Adobe tools. You will be able to create interactive, attractive, and mobile-ready courses without much effort. You will have at hand a device capable of creating innovative content. Likewise, you will be able to measure and optimise the results to guarantee the success of your course.
3. Shift
It has a very intuitive design environment. Therefore, installing additional plugins for its great functionalities is unnecessary, such as content for iOS and Android mobile systems that quickly work. The system is built on the cloud to access anywhere and by any team with just a browser; it has a multi-user system, so working online with the entire design team is much easier.
4. Inspire Reader
This tool enhances the material’s adaptability and recites correctly from tablets or mobile phones. One of the best structures, in my opinion, is that it includes the Camtasia program, which is one of the most prevalent in terms of video editing and access to Snagit. In addition, this application allows you to take screenshots very quickly.
It also includes Branch Track, an online tool to create interactive scenarios and simulations in educational content. Also noteworthy is the gigantic library of templates and images that it has more than 2 million images available. It is essential to mention the Inspire version of this tool. Still, the Online Reader is also an option for collaborative work in developing educational material.
5. Elucidate
Elucidate is a cloud-based authoring tool that facilitates online learning creation faster. It is easy to use and offers pre-designed plans. Moreover, its interface is very intuitive, which will help you create each project you undertake fluidly. A feature that adds a lot to this tool is that it allows the entire work team to contribute to making the course, review it, and participate in the authoring process. As for their price, they have a free trial and consult the value of the tools with the provider.
6. Camtasia
Although it is popularly known as a video capture tool, its content exports as SCORM packages; therefore, it is an excellent alternative to animating the presentations; it will help you record the narrations. It also allows you to record the screen and edit the captured video. You can even add visual effects if you wish.
This authoring software is fine known in the community, and you can get many tutorials on how to use it on the web. You will be able to explain yourself with the tool, and you will be able to produce high-quality training videos in no time.
7. Gomo
This tool is worth highlighting the reusable templates and questionnaires; besides being based on the cloud, access is very open for collaborative work and accessible anywhere. It has excellent characteristics of adaptability to the created material; the visualisation forms are very intuitive.
Something to highlight is the additional services offered by the platform, such as hosting for the content and the wide range of analysis tools: it allows you to view reports on dates, topics, type of devices that accessed the content, and more. For example, trends create to assess whether the system is adequate for teaching, and then all the material can download in Excel format or manage online in Google Sheets.
Check which are the Authoring Tools They Have the Most to Offer You
Choosing authoring tools is not a task to take lightly. It is essential to inform us which one offers what we need and if its value fits our budget. You would have a clearer idea of which tool is best for your particular situation and the kind of content you poverty to create. Each element will influence the quality of your course. So please don’t skimp on researching the authoring tools available and the myriad of features they have.
Conclusion
These authoring tools will allow you to create courses, but you should now have a clearer idea of which tool is best for your particular situation and the type of content you want to make.