Planning to use tablets for delivering learning content via the web? Check how Articulate Storyline, Rise, Adobe Captivate, Lectora Inspire, and iSpring can be leveraged for effectively delivering online courses.
According to a report by Google, people spend an average of 75 minutes on their tablets in a day. With an additional touchpoint, your organization can effectively use this computing device for training that does not require employees to carry heavy laptops or be confined to their desks! However, with this comes the need for device-agnostic content delivery that will ensure the learning experience is similar across all devices, be it desktop or tablet. Wondering how this can be done? Choosing the right authoring tool that enables the delivery of courses on tablets via the web is your answer.
But, is it necessary to include tablets? Do you know that by 2020, 50% of the global workforce will comprise the Millennials and the Gen Z? What does this imply for your organization? Well, it means your organization will need to keep up with the trends to cater to this crop! They prefer learning on-the-go and turn toward the nearest device to access information. Using a tablet for imparting training can be your one-stop solution!
What are some popular authoring tools for delivering courses on tablets via the web?
1. Articulate Storyline
It is one of the best eLearning development tools that can produce courses compatible with tablets, be it iOS, Windows, or Android. Articulate Storyline enables you to publish courses in 3 different formats, Flash, HTML5, and iOS for iPads that can deliver media-rich and highly interactive learning content via the web.
Content developed with Articulate Storyline can scale according the screen size of the tablet, and with the advanced version you can develop eLearning courses with fully responsive navigation. These courses can be played via the web using Safari browser for iPads.
However, for an enhanced experience, they can be published to Articulate Mobile Player (AMP). AMP is also available in the Android version. But on the flip side, Articulate Storyline isn’t completely responsive. Instead, it works on scalable design, which means it shrinks the screen size once viewed on devices such as tablets and smartphones.
2. Articulate Rise
A completely web-based responsive authoring tool, Rise is popular for its ease of use and quick delivery. Unlike other authoring tools, you need not worry about developing content for different devices; Rise can develop courses without having to think how they will look across tablets with different operating systems such as Android, iOS, Windows.
What’s more? The wide array of interactive elements and built-in templates come handy when you have to develop courses in a short turnaround-time without compromising on the quality. Since Rise is web-based, you need not download any software and it runs smoothly on any device. Courses developed in Rise effortlessly adapt to every tablet, in every orientation.
Coming to cons of using Rise, since courses have to be developed only from the available templates, it is restricted in terms of customization and flexibility.
3. Adobe Captivate
Adobe Captivate is a desktop-based application which is available for both Mac and Windows. Using Adobe Captivate is a wise choice if you’re planning to develop courses for tablets and desktop computers. This eLearning content development tool can be used to capture activities on tablet screens be it Android, Windows, or iOS with its built-in screen recording feature to create demos and tutorials.
You can create great touched-based learning interactivities using pinch, zoom, swipe, and more! Additionally, you can make use of the geolocation feature to provide learning via the web, appropriate to the location of your learners.
Apart from iPads, this eLearning course development application also allows to publish courses to Windows and Android. But since it is a desktop tool, it poses challenges during the review cycle.
4. Lectora Inspire 17
One of the leading eLearning authoring tools, Lectora Inspire 17 is great when it comes to designing responsive courses. You can avail the benefits of an enhanced range of media assets from the Lectora Media Library that includes images, animations, buttons, character poses, and much more. Courses developed in Lectora need not be rebuilt for tablets of different brands, since it’s a one-time affair!
Courses published with Lectora can be accessed through different mobile browsers such as Android, Windows, iOS, and Blackberry. Lectora has pre-designed templates for tablets and mobiles, making it a cinch for course development that can be availed by learners via the web.
Additionally, during the development process, if you update features in the desktop version of the course, it will be updated in tablets as well. However, with its steep learning curve, you will require fairly experienced developers to use this tool. Also, the limited support offered can be another issue.
5. iSpring Suite
Any eLearning that is published using iSpring and uploaded on the web can be viewed on mobile devices such as tablets using iSpring Play, which is available in Android and iOS versions. Not only this, you also have the option to publish courses to Flash, HTML, and MP4 formats.
iSpring Suite holds an enormous library of learning assets that can be used to create video-based lessons of high quality. Content generated using iSpring can also be saved on tablet devices and can be accessed even when there is no Internet connectivity. Learners can simply download and go through the learning content anytime, anywhere on their tablets.
On the flip side, iSpring provides lesser interaction options as opposed to other tools. Also, its capabilities are limited when it comes to audio and video editing.
When you choose the right authoring tool, you inherit the benefits of using the inbuilt assets and templates, updating content easily, and adapting the course to different learning platforms. Hence, choose the right authoring tool to develop effective courses that learners can access via the web using their tablet devices!
