How To Choose The Right Rapid Authoring Tool
Rapid authoring tools have been the favorite of learning developers over the years for the conversion of legacy courses and the creation of custom eLearning courses. They are popular for many reasons. They have a range of features: inbuilt templates, backgrounds, and media elements that save organizations’ time and money when creating eLearning courses. These in-built elements can be customized based on project needs. As regards learning how to use these rapid authoring tools, their operation is easy and requires no programming skills.
Apart from helping learning developers create courses quickly, these tools can also handle the complex task of translating courses into multiple languages. They enable you to easily publish SCORM-compliant courses. You can also create responsive courses that run smoothly on multiple devices. It is also easy to update the content in online courses using rapid authoring tools.
With many authoring tools offering numerous benefits available today, it has become difficult to choose the one that will meet your custom eLearning needs. This article will help you with some tips on choosing the right authoring tool.
1. Consider Your Competency In The Tool
Even if there are a plethora of choices available, you must choose an authoring tool in which your learning designers are proficient. There is no point in choosing an authoring tool they are not familiar with, because they cannot make the best and efficient use of its features.
However, if you still have to choose a tool your designers are not familiar with, take a decision after reviewing the technical support offered and review the online tutorials (if available) of the tool to decide how easy or difficult it will be to use the tool for your design needs.
If you find that the tool does meet your specific needs, but are doubtful about the competency of your designers in using it, hire an expert in the tool to help you or outsource the development of the course to a vendor who is proficient in using that tool.
2. Compare And Analyze Features
Every eLearning course you create will have specific features. Based on these, you will have to choose a tool which will best meet your needs. A comparison and analysis of the features will help you make the right choice. Be well-informed of the features and functionalities of each tool.
For instance, if you are looking at a short course with simple or even complex interactivities, Articulate Storyline will be an ideal choice. If your developers are familiar with the PowerPoint interface and need very simple interactivities, then iSpring is good because this tool converts PowerPoint to a SCORM course very easily. When you need to include rich simulations, Adobe Captivate is ideal for meeting your needs.
A good understanding of the strengths and drawbacks of individual authoring tools will help you and your design team compare the features and choose the best option.
3. Check Whether They Support Responsive Design
Responsive design is the order of the day in custom eLearning. eLearning courses today have to be available on multiple devices to allow learners to access them anytime and anywhere. Most of the authoring tools today support responsive design, but there are certain tools that offer more options in responsive design and can meet your requirements.
Among them, Articulate Rise, which is part of Articulate 360, is suited to develop fully responsive eLearning courses that will provide a seamless experience across multiple devices. Lectora Inspire has features such as seamless play publish option and auto-play media suitable for mobile devices. Its responsive course design feature simplifies eLearning development for mobile devices.
4. Evaluate The Assets And Media Libraries In These Tools
Being aware of the assets and media libraries provided by these authoring tools will help you know how you can leverage them best. For instance, Articulate 360 offers an asset library that has slide templates, characters, videos, and photographs that will help you create visually rich courses.
Before selecting a tool, also compare the different assessment templates offered in various tools and the customized feedback options available.
5. Check For Ease Of Translation
Custom eLearning courses today are being translated into many languages to cater to a workforce that speaks various languages. Opt for an authoring tool that will support the translation of courses with minimum time and effort. Lectora Inspire offers the best option because developers can quickly export the text that has to be translated into a Word document, and once it is translated they can import it back to the course using its translation manager feature.
With so many options in rapid authoring tools with competitive features, it can be difficult to zero in on the right tool to meet your custom eLearning needs. But if you are well-acquainted with the features and know exactly what you want, you can choose the correct tool to create a course the way you imagine. What do you look for when choosing a rapid authoring tool?
