Authoring Tools

At Kineo we use a wide range of authoring tools and we are frequently asked for advice by clients on which authoring tool to buy.

We suggest that before you start looking at the authoring tools you consider:

• What’s your budget?
• What’s your skill base? How often will your team be using the tool?
• What type of content are you developing?
• How rich or complex do you want your interactions to be?
• Technical issues – what are your accessibility standards?
• What’s the tracking requirement? Do you need SCORM 1.2 for your LMS?
• Does your e-learning need to be translated?

Types of e-learning authoring tool

There are a number of different types of e-learning authoring tool which you should be aware of. These broadly split as follows:

PowerPoint Plugin Authoring Tools

These tools use PowerPoint as the authoring environment, but allow you to add interactivity and assessments, and to publish your content packaged ready to track in a learning management system. These are very easy to use as most people are familiar with PowerPoint. The most popular tool in this market is Articulate.

Desktop Authoring Tools

These are installed on your desktop and are generally more complex than the PowerPoint tools, but they give you more control over the style and interactions. Examples of these tools include Adobe Captivate, Lectora and the new Articulate Storyline due out this autumn.

Server-Based Tools

As the name suggests these tools are hosted on a server and are typically accessed via a web browser over the internet. These tools can be very easy to use and because they are server based they are better at managing your files, doing updates and generally maintaining content. They are also good at workflow processes and allowing subject matter experts to review and comment on e-learning modules as they are developed. They are particularly good for large and dispersed teams to work together on content. Examples of these tools include Coursebuilder, Mohive and Atlantic Link.

Articulate Studio

We are proud to be partners with Articulate. Articulate is one of the world’s leading rapid authoring tools and we are proud to be a reseller of Articulate tools including the Articulate Professional Suite.

Find out more.

CourseBuilder

CourseBuilder is a fast growing server based, collaborative authoring tool which we recommend for clients.

CourseBuilder allows authors to create, share and collaborate in real time. Authors, subject matter experts, graphic artists, translators, and external partners benefit from having one, easy-to-use, easy-to-access solution.

Read our review of CouseBuilder