AUTHORING TOOLS

An eLearning authoring tool is a type of software that allows you to create digital training content, convert it into an eLearning format and distribute it amongst learners through a learning management system (LMS) or on the web. Basically, it would be the glue that would hold together all the media components to create an eLearning module.

Digital training content includes, but is not limited to, e-courses, animations, video lectures, assessments, and simulations. Some tools have a scaled-down functionality, for example, only creating quizzes. However, in most cases nowadays, it would be more accurate to say that an authoring tool is a set of tools under one roof that covers most of the tasks instructional designers could possibly need to deal with.

Most authoring tools maintain a slide-based course structure. You create as many slides as you need and fill them with text, images, and animations. Depending on the tool, you can also add interactive elements such as quizzes, video, or drag and drop tasks. When everything is completed, you then would publish and create a package that is ready to be uploaded to your learning management system or website ready for learner access.

The key idea behind using such authoring tools is making it possible for ordinary computer users to create professional eLearning content in a reasonable amount of time. In the early days of eLearning, the development of e-curriculum was time-consuming, cumbersome and complicated. Even the simplest combination of text, images, and a quiz required the participation of programmers and designers alike.

Nowadays with an eLearning authoring tool at your disposal, you can create amazing interactions, which previously would have demanded programming skills and hours of work, in just a few clicks which makes course development for clients rapid and effective.