5 FREE Tools For Instructional Designers

By: Justin Ferriman • May 19, 2015
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devInstructional designers know that the tools they use allow them to get creative with how they develop their elearning. However, for someone that is just starting out in this field, these tools aren’t always accessible.

Many elearning developers have similar programs in their “toolbox”. You’ll find Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, Lectora Inspire, Adobe Photoshop, Snagit, stock photo memberships, premium templates, and so on. The longer you work in the field, the more you accumulate over time.

So what do you do in the beginning of your career? It doesn’t make sense to purchase all of these programs up-front. What you’ll find is that as you work on more projects you will start to build your available tools. Until then, it makes sense to have a few free tools at your disposal.

If you are looking for some free programs to assist you with your elearning development, then perhaps have a look at the following listed below. Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments.

Free Tools For ELearning Development

Snagit Alternative – One of my personal favorites. I actually still use this program instead of the popular paid programs.

GoToMeeting Alternative – There are many options for online meetings, but this one is great for facilitating professional meetings with clients. You can also easily share your screen. I still recommend GoToMeeting, but no sense it getting it straight-away.

3 Photoshop Alternatives – While you will certainly need to get Adobe Photoshop at some point, these three options may meet your needs in the interim.

SurveyMonkey Alternative – Any legitimate elearning program needs to capture metrics. SurveyMonkey is my personal favorite, but it does come with a price. This free, open-source alternative can be quite useful.

BaseCamp Alternative – Communicating project status with clients is an important part of a successful elearning project.

Justin Ferriman

Justin started LearnDash, the WordPress LMS trusted by Fortune 500 companies, major universities, training organizations, and entrepreneurs worldwide. He is currently founder & CEO of GapScout. Justin’s Homepage | GapScout | Twitter