CHAPTER 25
Critical Tools to Support the Fundamentals of E-Learning
A plethora of e-learning tools is available. How can you make strategic decisions about which ones you need to create e-learning content? While we can’t cover all of them, let’s focus on those that seem to be in greatest demand by TD professionals—specifically those related to self-paced e-learning. You’ll need to start by assessing the technology required for e-learning development and then determine how to choose the right tool for you.
IN THIS CHAPTER:
Evaluate your technology needs for e-learning development
Create a wish list of the types of tools you’ll need
Establish criteria to help select the right tools
If you’ve ever looked on YouTube to learn how to fix a toilet or bake a potato, you’ve experienced e-learning. In the broadest sense of the word, e-learning can be created with nothing more than a keyboard or a smartphone camera.
But to create engaging, interactive e-learning content that meets an organization’s talent development needs, you’ll probably want a few more tools in your toolbox.
There are three main types of e-learning and each one requires a slightly different combination of tools:
• Self-paced. Self-paced e-learning, often referred to as asynchronous learning, can be taken by a learner at any time. It can be as simple as a series of text webpages or a single video, and as complex as branching or gamified simulations.
• Virtual classroom. Often called a webinar or virtual instructor-led training (vILT), this is a live web-based event with an instructor and participants who all go through the session together. Communication may be one-way or it may be interactive. vILT programs can be recorded and played on-demand as self-paced e-learning. Check chapter 26 for more information on this type of content.
• Cohort based. With a mix of synchronous and asynchronous features, cohort-based training has an instructor and participants who all go through the e-learning program at the same general time. There is a start and end date with weekly content and activity assignments (the synchronous aspect). However, each participant can review the content and complete the activities at any point during the week (the asynchronous aspect).
This chapter will help you make strategic decisions about what tools you might need to create e-learning programs, focusing primarily on self-paced e-learning.
It’s important to note that products are born, get rebranded, get updated, and go away. Companies start, merge, rebrand, and end. Thus, while the names and descriptions of specific products in this chapter are current at the time of publication, they will likely change over time.
E-Learning Authoring Tools
An e-learning authoring tool is software used for primary course creation. You would use this type of tool to build course pages, add media and interactions, and publish your course.
Just about every e-learning authoring tool has the following capabilities:
• Add text and graphics.
• Add audio and video.
• Create simple quizzes.
• Publish the course to HTML5.
• Communicate with a learning management system (LMS).
Tools tend to differentiate themselves in the following areas:
• Price
• Learning curve
• Ease of use
• Feature set
• Authoring environment
The more you know about what you want your finished e-learning program to look like and how you want it to function, the better you can select the tools that are best for you.
DO YOU NEED AN AUTHORING TOOL?
No, you don’t. Most e-learning authoring tools generate HTML5 for the published course output. The authoring tool makes it so that you don’t need to program your own code (such as HTML5, JavaScript, or CSS). But you could—you can create an engaging, interactive e-learning course by coding it yourself.
Advantages of programming a course include the ability to create exactly what you want, not being tied to a specific tool that may or may not be around in a year or two, and possibly future-proofing your course. (Custom-programmed courses tend to have “cleaner” code than those that use the auto-generated code from an authoring tool.)
However, programming is a time-consuming task performed by often expensive resources. Hand-coded courses require more decisions (since nothing is built in) and perhaps more quality assurance testing (since everything is made from scratch).
Price
Authoring tools can range from completely free to several thousand dollars. Some tools you purchase outright, and others use a subscription model. Others (such as Adobe Captivate), let you choose between the two pricing models.
Free Tools
Some authoring tools are available completely for free. Some are open source (such as H5P), some are limited (freemium) versions of fee-based tools (such as iSpring Free), and some are from individuals or private companies who just want to share what they’ve created.
However, just because they don’t cost anything to use, doesn’t mean that they are free—you may still need to budget for IT infrastructure requirements. For example, Adapt is a free, open-source authoring tool, but it needs to be installed on your own servers. If you don’t have servers to install it on, you can pay a third party (such as Learning Pool) to host it for you.
Another way to author your courses for free is to use tools you already have. If you don’t need something complex, for example, you might be able to:
• Create what you need in PowerPoint.
• Assemble a collection of existing assets on an intranet page.
• Use the authoring capabilities built into your learning management system.
Tracy Parish maintains a great list of free tools for e-learning development; you can find a link to that in this chapter’s additional resources.
One-Time Purchases
For tools you purchase outright (which are usually installed software versus web-based software), you pay your money once, install the software, and use it as long as you want. At some point, an update will likely be available, and you can choose whether you want to pay for the upgrade (often with a 50 percent savings off the original price) and get the new features or stay with the version you have.
Some purchased tools have an optional annual service fee that provides ongoing customer support and all software updates.
One-time purchase agreements are especially helpful if you have limited funding. For example, you have grant funding this year but might not have funds next year. If you buy your authoring tool outright, you can continue to use it even though your money has run out. However, you will need to update the tool eventually once the technology becomes outdated.
Subscription-Based Tools
Subscription-based tools (also known as Software as a Service, SaaS) can be web-based or software you install on your computer. You pay a monthly or annual fee and can use the software as long as you keep paying for the subscription. When your subscription runs out, you lose the ability to create or edit your work. In most cases, you can continue to use the published e-learning content after your subscription ends, but you wouldn’t be able to update it. Software upgrades are generally included in the subscription price.
If you want to always have the latest and greatest features, the subscription-based tools will likely be the best choice. But you do have to plan for the ongoing subscription costs.
HOW IMPORTANT IS PRICE?
It’s tempting to choose the least expensive tool. With authoring tools as with cars, it’s helpful to think about the total cost of ownership. Bigger than the cost of your software is the time it takes you to create e-learning content. If a tool lets you create e-learning content more quickly, it might cost less in the long run, even if it costs more up front. The bigger cost still is the impact to the organization for effective versus ineffective training. If a less expensive tool doesn’t let you create high-impact training, then it isn’t worth the price.
Learning Curve and Ease of Use
The learning curve describes how easy or hard it is to learn how to use the tool initially. Ease of use is how quickly and easily you work in the tool once you know how to use it. For example, you might have a tool that takes a while to learn, but once you know what to do, you can work very quickly (and vice versa).
In general, tools that are easier to learn and use are less robust, and tools that take longer to use are more robust. For example, some tools are based on templates where you select from certain content blocks or layouts, and you fill out a form with your content. You don’t have to figure out how to set up what you want, and the graphic design is often done for you. However, you can only make something if there’s a template for it. Articulate Rise 360 and Gomo are examples of this type of tool (Figures 25-1 and 25-2).
Figure 25-1. Adding a Content Block in Articulate Rise 360
Figure 25-2. Configuring the Tabs Content Block in Articulate Rise 360
More robust tools (such as Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline 360, and Lectora) let you create just about anything you can imagine (with some limits). However, you’ll need to determine how to mix and match the software features to construct what you want, and you’ll need to make it look nice (Figures 25-3, 25-4, and 25-5).
Figure 25-3. Time Management Interaction Created in Articulate Storyline 360
Figure 25-4. Branching Scenario in Adobe Captivate
Figure 25-5. Meeting Expense Calculator Created in Lectora
You don’t necessarily have to give up power to gain ease of use. When selecting an authoring tool, look for time-saving features such as:
• Keyboard shortcuts and customizable toolbars
• Built-in templates
• Master slides
• Built-in media libraries and editing tools (so you don’t have to go to third-party tools and platforms)
• The ability to easily reuse assets
• Intuitive user interface and similarity to tools you already know (for example, the Adobe Captivate interface will feel familiar to Adobe users, while the Articulate Storyline 360 interface will feel familiar to Microsoft PowerPoint users)
• Available training (free or fee-based)
• Customer support and online community
Feature Set
When selecting an authoring tool, you’ll want to be clear about the types of courses you want to create, as well as what instructional, administrative, and technical requirements you’ll have. Then you can match up the tool’s feature set with your needs. Here are some of the major categories to evaluate.
Questions and Quizzing
Many organizations adopt e-learning because of the ability to easily test and track learners. While just about any tool can create a multiple-choice quiz and track to an LMS, some tools have much more robust features. Consider how important these features might be when evaluating different tools:
• Question types (multiple-choice, matching, drag-and-drop, and so forth)
• Feedback logic (per question versus per option, multiple attempts for each question, branching feedback, and so forth)
• Question formatting (text only versus rich media on questions and on feedback)
• Randomization (randomize the order of question choices, randomize the order of the questions, pull from a bank of questions, randomized pulled questions with each attempt)
• Test-out capability (letting learners get credit for a course by passing a pretest)
• Special scoring logic (such as weighted questions, partial credit for answers, multiple attempts at the overall quiz)
Published Output
Authoring tools help you create a course, but the real goal is to get it out to your learners. You’ll want to make sure the finished, published product meets your organization’s and learners’ technical needs. Consider tools with these features:
• Interoperability standards (Does the tool use an industry standard to talk to your learning management system?)
• Browsers and devices (Will the course play well on different browsers and devices, such as phones and tablets?)
• Need for proprietary players (Can the course be played by your learners without having to download any proprietary plug-in or players?)
• LMS app (If your LMS has a mobile app, will the course play properly in it?)
• Player features (Does the course player have the structural components you want, such as a menu, a glossary, and volume control?)
• Restricted navigation (If needed for compliance purposes, can you lock navigation so learners must complete each slide before continuing?).
WHAT ARE THE SCORM AND XAPI STANDARDS?
When you buy toilet paper, you probably don’t look at the measurements to make sure it will fit on your toilet-paper holder at home. You know it will. Why? Because the people who make toilet paper and the people who make toilet paper holders have agreed to some specifications, often called standards. The e-learning industry also has standards to ensure that courses created with an authoring tool will interact properly with a learning management system.
Over the years, there have been many different standards. SCORM has been around for more than 20 years, and it is still widely used. xAPI is a newer standard and allows for tracking of much more learning data than SCORM. Work with your LMS provider to determine which standard is best for you, and how to take best advantage of the tracking and reporting capabilities.
Accessibility
One of the business benefits of e-learning content is to be able to reach more learners. If you really mean all learners, then you’ll need to consider how your e-learning courses function for individuals with disabilities, especially those who use assistive technology. Not everyone can see your slides, hear your narration, or use a mouse. (Check chapter 23 for more information.)
To ensure your courses can be accessed by everyone, look for the following accessibility features:
• Closed captions (manually created within the tool, imported using an industry-standard format, or auto-generated with the ability to edit)
• Adequate color contrast (especially with the design features that you are unable to modify)
• Alt text (the ability to add a text description to visual media for someone who can’t see it)
• Focus order (the ability to put objects in a logical order, such as putting instructions before a question, as well as the ability to remove decorative objects so they are not picked up by assistive technology)
• Keyboard-only navigation (the ability for a learner to use a keyboard instead of a mouse to move through the course and access all content)
Translation
If you’ll be translating your courses into several languages, you’ll likely want a tool that makes it easy. Many authoring tools let you export all text contained in the course. Then you translate that content and reimport the text into the tool (Figure 25-6).
When evaluating a tool’s translation capabilities, consider:
• Use of industry formats for export documentation (such as XLIFF)
• Export of all text (including system-generated text and accessibility features)
• Support for right-to-left languages
Figure 25-6. Translation Export From Articulate Storyline 360
Interactions and Custom Logic
How creative and flexible do you want to be with your designs? If you are working with a template-based tool, you’ll want to evaluate the collection of interactive templates to determine if they meet your needs (Figures 25-7 and 25-8).
Figure 25-7. Adobe Captivate Scenario Using Variables to Calculate Allowable Expenses
Figure 25-8. Articulate Storyline Scenario Using States and Variables to Customize an Avatar
If you are considering a more robust authoring tool that lets you design your own interactions, look for these features:
• Branching (such as with a choose-your-own-adventure interaction)
• Types of actions (such as the different functions you can add to a button, like play/pause media, jump to a slide, jump to a certain point on the timeline, show something, and hide something)
• Conditional logic (the ability to create if/then statements)
• Mathematical functions (such as adding points to a total)
• States (the ability to make a feature, such as a button, look different in different situations)
• Variables (the ability to store information—such as the learner’s name, the answer to an earlier question, or points in a game—and use it elsewhere in the course)
Media
Many e-learning courses have richer media than classroom-based training, so it will be important to select an authoring tool that gives you the media options you want. Table 25-1 can help you decide what to consider.
Table 25-1. Media Options to Consider for E-Learning
Type of Media | Features to Consider |
Photos and illustrations | • Import various graphic file formats • Access a built-in library of graphics • Access a built-in library of characters to use in scenarios • Crop and resize images • Easily edit images in other applications using round-trip editing • Add 360-degree images |
Animation effects | • Synchronize elements to audio and video • Add entrance and exit animations • Add custom motion paths • Add logic based on the position of items on the screen |
Audio | • Import various audio file formats • Record audio directly in the tool • Edit audio • Process audio, such as removing noise and leveling volume • Access a built-in library of sound effects and intro music • Generate audio using text-to-speech |
Video | • Import various video file formats • Record video (webcam) directly in the tool • Edit video • Create picture-in-picture effects • Access a built-in library of video clips • Add 360-degree video |
PowerPoint import | • Import PowerPoint slides as-is • Import PowerPoint slides and manipulate the slide objects in the tool |
SHOULD YOU IMPORT YOUR CLASSROOM SLIDES?
Many e-learning authoring tools make it quick and easy to import existing PowerPoint slides. That might feel like great news if you’ve got hours of classroom training that you’d like to convert to e-learning. But should you? It all depends on the quality of your slides and their fitness for the e-learning medium.
Few people enjoy attending a classroom training program where the slides are nothing but walls of words. However, a good instructor can carry a bad PowerPoint in the classroom—the instructor is the primary visual. In e-learning, especially self-paced e-learning, the slides are often 100 percent of the visual. In the classroom, a good instructor can easily present on a single slide for five or more minutes. In self-paced e-learning, five minutes is an eternity to be looking at the same visual.
So yes, you can import your existing PowerPoint slides, add a quick quiz, and be on your way. But just because you can doesn’t mean you should.
Screen Simulations
If you are creating e-learning content to teach learners how to use a software application or website (such as conditional formatting in Excel or your new expense reimbursement system), any authoring tool will let you import screenshots you’ve taken of the software. Some tools also let you create more robust software simulations, such as sit-back-and-watch videos of the software in action and interactive try-it-yourself practices.
Authoring Environment
Authoring tools are either installed on your computer or cloud-based. PowerPoint plug-ins can be effective for newer users, and your LMS can be helpful for gathering assets. A few authoring tools offer a suite of tools that might be useful in combination.
Installed Software
Some authoring tools are designed to be installed on your computer. Make sure they will work with your computer configuration. For example, Adobe Captivate has a PC version and a Mac version, whereas Articulate Storyline 360 has only a PC version, and Mac users need a Windows virtual environment such as Parallels to run the software. Most software license agreements let you install the software on a primary and secondary computer for a single user (such as one at work and one at home or a desktop and a laptop computer).
Cloud-Based Tools
Other authoring tools, including most subscription-based tools, are accessed via a web browser. This means you can access them from just about any computer, including Mac versus PC. Some, but not all, of these tools also let multiple authors work on a single course at once (which is not true of installed software tools). Some tools offer both an installed and an online version (such as Lectora), but you may need to license them separately if you want to use both.
PowerPoint Plug-Ins
Programs such as iSpring and Articulate Studio 360 let you use Microsoft PowerPoint as the base authoring tool (Figure 25-9). Presentation (noninteractive) slides are built as PowerPoint slides. Then, e-learning-specific features—such as click-to-reveal activities, quizzes, and publishing—are housed on an extra ribbon that is added to PowerPoint once you install the tool.
This type of tool can be great for designers just getting started who aren’t particularly software savvy, because much of the authoring is done in a tool they are likely already familiar with.
However, the feature sets are somewhat limited in this type of tool.
LMS Assembly
Many learning management systems let you assemble assets into a course. These tools may or may not let you create the content in the LMS, but you can often gather videos, articles, imported lessons created in an outside authoring tool, quizzes, assignments, and discussions, and arrange them on a webpage with a course structure.
Combinations
A few authoring tool providers offer a suite of tools. For example, Articulate 360 includes three authoring tools as well as some supplemental tools. dominKnow|ONE includes a simpler template-based tool called Flow and a more full-featured authoring tool called Claro.
Figure 25-9.
WHAT’S THE MOST POPULAR E-LEARNING AUTHORING TOOL?
In June 2021, the Learning Guild surveyed 808 e-learning professionals about their use and preferences around e-learning authoring tools. When asked what tools they used frequently (at least a few times a month), more than half chose Articulate’s Storyline 360 and Rise 360. Techsmith Camtasia and Adobe Captivate were also extremely popular.
Figure 25-10. Frequently Used E-Learning Tools
Used with permission fron Jane Bozarth (2021)
Supporting Tools
Your main authoring tool is where you’ll likely spend most of your effort, but you can supplement its capabilities with other tools.
Interaction Tools
Your e-learning design choices may include special features such as simulations, branching, gamification, and software simulations. You may be able to build what you need within your primary course-authoring tool. However, template-based tools (such as Articulate Rise 360) and PowerPoint import tools (such as iSpring) may not provide many options. More robust tools, such as Adobe Captivate and Articulate Storyline, do have features that let you create these types of course features. You can even find templates to help you get started.
In addition to the built-in options, there are stand-alone tools specifically designed for creating one or more of these course features. They can be helpful even if you do have the ability to create them in your course-authoring tool. Why? Specialty tools can make it easier to create the features you want (more templates and built-in logic) or give you more options than the authoring tool provides.
Simulation and Branching
Some tools are specifically designed to help with the complex logic required for simulations and branching scenarios. For example, tools that can do this include:
• SmartBuilder, which can be used to create business simulations
• BranchTrack, which lets you visually map out complex branching scenarios
Software Training and Screen Capture
Tools that can do this include:
• Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate, which both come with robust screen simulation capability for both lessons and practices.
• TechSmith Camtasia is the most popular stand-alone tool for recording and editing software videos (Figure 25-11). It includes options for adding audio, transitions, captions, zooms, and more. However, its options for interaction are limited.
• TechSmith SnagIt is more commonly used for static screen captures, but you can also do simple recordings of your desktop.
• Microsoft PowerPoint can be used to create a simple recording. You can choose the option right from the Insert tab in PowerPoint.
Figure 25-11. Editing Interface in TechSmith Camtasia
Gamification
Gamification means integrating game mechanics into your training, such as adding one or more game elements including rewards (points and badges), levels, storytelling, and game themes. A table of common game elements is located on the handbook’s website at ATDHandbook3.org.
Games created with specialty game software can be either embedded into a larger course or published and posted as a stand-alone learning unit. Gamification software options include:
• Raptivity, which is a collection of template-based games (primarily gamified quizzes) and other interactions
• The Training Arcade, which provides template-based games, including officially licensed Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune games, that can be used in live or self-paced training
Quizzing and Assessment
Just about every course-authoring tool lets you create questions and track the score to a learning management system. You can also use your LMS or stand-alone tools to create the quiz:
• LMS quizzing tools. Built-in quiz tools don’t usually have as many design options as course-authoring tools, but they usually provide more detailed tracking options. For example, an LMS might report only on the final score and number of attempts on an externally created quiz, but offer detailed question-level data on a quiz created with its own built-in tool. (Note that LMSes can provide detailed tracking on externally created courses, but that doesn’t mean yours will.)
• Gamification tools typically offer gamified quizzes.
• Assessment-specific tools. If you have very formal testing requirements, you may benefit from stand-alone tools (such as Learnosity’s Questionmark). Some provide extremely robust options for design, delivery, and reporting.
• Survey tools. If you don’t have an LMS for tracking quiz results, you can always create quizzes in an online survey tool (such as Survey Monkey).
Media Tools
E-learning content can be as simple as text-only, but it usually includes rich media. You can often make your e-learning more engaging and more instructionally sound with well-crafted media. Having the right tools helps too. As with the interaction tools, your primary authoring tool may give you what you need, but third-party tools might give you a wider range of capabilities.
Graphics
Tools that can enhance your graphics include:
• SnagIt. Although it’s primarily known for its screen capture ability, you can actually do quite a bit of image editing in SnagIt, such as cropping, resizing, adding callouts, and correcting color.
• Canva. Canva lets you create layouts (such as infographics) using a large library of templates and images.
• Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop is the gold standard for photo editing. You can also use it for illustration and layout.
• Adobe Illustrator. Whereas Photoshop is designed primarily for photo work, Illustrator is designed for illustrations.
Audio
Tools that can enhance your audio include:
• Audacity. This free software lets you add and edit audio files as well as run helpful filters and effects, such as noise removal.
• Descript. This audio- and video-editing tool uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automate a number of functions, including transcription or creating a text-to-speech profile of your voice.
Video
Tools that can enhance your video include:
• TechSmith Camtasia. In addition to its screen simulation capabilities, you can use Camtasia for editing any type of video.
• Adobe Premiere Pro. For more robust, professional-level video work, consider this tool from Adobe.
• Vyond. This tool lets you create whiteboard-style animated videos (Figure 25-12). Using Vyond’s built-in library of characters, wardrobes, settings, and props, nonartists can create extremely custom scenarios.
• Adobe After Effects. This program is the industry standard for high-end motion graphics and animations.
Figure 25-12. Still From an Animated Vyond Video on Delegation
Other Helpful Tools
These range from storyboarding, prototyping, and project management tools to those with review features. Lastly, there are tools to help you manage your course files and assets, as well as host and track your courses.
Storyboarding Tools
Storyboards are where you plan out your course (and get stakeholder input) before you build it. You can create high-level storyboards to plan out the overall flow, as well as detailed storyboards that describe every single word, image, and interaction to be included. Here are a few tools that might help:
• Microsoft Word or Google Docs. These tools make it easy to manage feedback using comments and tracked changes. Cloud-based tools make it easy for several people to work on or comment on a document at once.
• Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides. Some people prefer these tools so they can better plan and communicate the look of their slides. Others find the visual aspects distracting and choose to focus on that only after the written content has been approved.
• Outlining and mind-mapping tools. If you’d like help organizing your thoughts, there are many tools available to help you with your initial outline and design plan (such as MindMeister).
• Storyboarding-specific tools. Storyboarding isn’t unique to e-learning, meaning you can easily use tools created for other industries, such as advertising or video development. Consider programs like Twine or Boords.
Prototyping Tools
While storyboards let you plan out the content, a prototype lets you try out how the course will look or function. You can create a prototype directly in your course-authoring tool by building out a few slides with placeholder graphics, or you could simply create a mock-up in PowerPoint. You could also consider prototyping, sketching, and wireframing tools (such as Microsoft Visio or Adobe XD).
Project Management Tools
Project management tools can be an important part of any training development initiative. E-learning development typically takes more hours, involves more people, and has more moving parts than developing classroom-based training. Because of this, you may benefit from a more formal project management process:
• For your project administration, you can use something as simple as Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets. If you want to use more formal project management methodology, consider tools like Microsoft Project, SmartSheet, or Trello.
• Email is where information goes to die! With so many moving parts and stakeholders, you may want to formalize communication with tools such as Slack or Microsoft Teams.
Quality Assurance and Reviews
Storyboard feedback can often be managed in whatever software you use to create them, such as comments and tracked changes in Word. Once you move to the online draft, you’ll want a system that makes it easy to capture and manage internal and stakeholder feedback. That system could range from a Google Sheet, to bug-tracking platforms used in software development, to a review tool specifically designed for e-learning content.
More and more authoring tools now come with a built-in review feature (such as Articulate Review 360). You can post a published version of your course on a review platform hosted by the authoring tool provider. (This solves a big problem for organizations that have a place to host finished courses but not in-progress courses.) From there, you can send out a link for reviewers to comment on any given slide. Reviewers can read each other’s comments and respond. On the back end, you can manage the comments, such as exporting lists, adding updates, and closing them out. If your authoring tool doesn’t have such a feature, you can purchase third-party tools such as Review My eLearning or TechSmith’s Video Review.
Asset and File Management
E-learning courses involve a lot of files, and they can be very large. You’ll want to think about:
• How to organize your files so everyone on the team can find what they want
• Where to store files for safe backup
• How to transfer large files to stakeholders or co-workers as needed
The answer could be as simple as using an existing shared network drive or may require a third-party tool (such as Dropbox).
If you have or expect to create a large training library, you may want to consider an asset management platform. Such platforms might manage version control, let you tag and search for specific images, make it easy to reuse images, let you reuse content in different training modalities, and even update content in one place and have the change trickle down to every course where that content appears.
Some authoring tools (such as Xyleme) and some learning management systems offer asset management tools. These are sometimes referred to as learning content management systems (LCMS), although that term can have many different interpretations.
Hosting and Tracking
You can share your e-learning content with your audience from a learning management system, an intranet page, a public-facing website, or even a USB drive. Your overall technology ecosystem should include the tools you need to host, assign, and track your e-learning content. (Read more about ecosystems in chapter 34.)
Final Thoughts
With more than 30 different tools featured by name in this chapter (and many, many more that weren’t mentioned), you have a wide range of choices to help you build engaging, effective e-learning. It can be easy to get caught up in all the choices available. However, rather than being swayed by a cool example or slick demo, start with the fundamentals. Be clear about what’s important for your organization to achieve its goals, and then select the tools based on what you learn.
About the Author
Diane Elkins is the co-owner of Artisan E-Learning, a custom e-learning development company specializing in Articulate Studio, Storyline, Lectora, and Captivate. She has built a reputation as a national e-learning expert by being a frequent speaker at major industry events such as ATD’s International Conference & Exposition, ATD TechKnowledge, DevLearn, and Learning Solutions. She is also the co-author of the popular E-Learning Uncovered book series as well as E-Learning Fundamentals: A Practical Guide from ATD Press. She is a past board member of ATD’s Northeast Florida and Metro DC chapters. Reach Diane at [email protected] and learn more about her work at artisanelearning.com or elearninguncovered.com.
References
Bozarth, J. 2021. “Authoring Tools 2021.” The Learning Guild. learningguild.com/insights/264/authoring-tools-2021.
Recommended Resources
ATD. “Technology Application.” td.org/topics/technology-application.
Elkins, D., and D. Pinder. 2015. E-Learning Fundamentals: A Practical Guide. Alexandria, VA: ATD Press.
Learning Solutions. “List of Authoring Tools.” learningsolutionsmag.com/authoring-tools.
Parish, T. “E-Learning.” e-learning.zeef.com/tracy.parish.