The requirements for authoring software in e-learning are quickly articulated: it should be, if possible, quick to learn and easy to use. In case of doubt, intuitive, self-explanatory, and of course beautiful. But is that really all?
A Question of Definition
The term "authoring tool" – in German, generally very non-specific for all kinds of content creation tools – is actually, oh surprise, not even a tool for authors (at least not explicitly). This may be due to the fact that authors in L&D are now content creators, and they usually do not perceive their role merely as "writing", but they also engage in content management: i.e. they create websites, online courses, entire learning paths, etc. Thus, they are something like an intermediate being of editor, designer, UX specialist, and educator – an equally crude and creative mixture that has very specific requirements for authoring software and for tools for creating learning content.
How unclear the situation is, is illustrated by a ChatGPT search, which reveals the following results in response to the question "Please name five examples of widely used authoring tools":
Examples of authoring tools are:
Microsoft Word
Adobe InDesign
WordPress
Articulate Storyline (for e-learning)
Final Cut Pro (for video editing)
Modern Authoring Software for E-Learning vs. "PDF-Binging"
Honestly, would you have counted Microsoft Word among the authoring tools? I suspect not, even though it is certainly made for creating content. Whether this is possible quickly, easily, and especially beautifully is something I would like to question at this point. 😉 With InDesign, there is already significantly more potential, but it is probably much too extensive and more optimized for print products than for successful learning path aesthetics.
Videos are also learning content, but whether the inclined L&D officer has the time (and inclination) to familiarize themselves with Final Cut Pro to create a video for an online course is doubtful.
And somehow, PDFs and videos as exclusive learning media are also a bit lame, aren't they? They have been around forever, and very few of us break into tears of joy when we have to tackle 20 pages of PDF as learning material. It wasn't really fun back then either - not even if you printed out the fun!
Specialized Authoring Tools vs. Multi-Content Authoring Tools
WordPress, as a multimedia content management system (and somehow also an authoring tool), is, from my perspective, much more interesting: A good authoring tool should actually have something "WordPress-like", as it can handle many different types of media and still present them in a suitable organized way on one page. With the appropriate plugins, you can even create "interactivity" and receive feedback from the system through quizzes or similar formats.
With all due respect: Final Cut, Word, and InDesign cannot compete with that! Why? Because they are very specialized tools that can do at least one thing extremely well and comprehensively. As soon as you want to break out of this world a little, these programs often present you with extensive problems, and it takes a lot of time and expertise to achieve good results here. Or you annoyingly have to switch tools again and build workarounds. And actually, this is something that content creators really dislike – because just like the learner, they appreciate a seamless user experience without significant barriers.
Perhaps the modern learning element is a kind of website, simply because we are so familiar with websites and visit them constantly. 🤔
PS: Evil tongues would say that WordPress doesn't really do anything WELL, but it is still used everywhere. Perhaps because it is quick to understand and easy to use. 🤭
So, what about Articulate?
Oh yes, there was something. Articulate is known to be the market leader among authoring tools, recognized from radio, television, and far beyond. Especially in L&D, it is used in various companies for creating learning content – simply because that is the norm and because it works well. It is usually employed in connection with a distribution system or a learning management system that manages and distributes the learning content accordingly. And that is because Articulate is not an LMS but an authoring tool that operates accordingly specialized in its world.
And we believe that any authoring tool that wants to survive in the market must rightfully measure itself against this software, which, by the way, has been around since 2012 (!). However, it should be noted that "big Articulate" is a proper locally installed software, while the browser version, in comparison to the very extensive software version, is noticeably reduced and minimalistic in its representation.
This is, of course, because one wants to present a good image here on mobile devices, as Articulate is also known for running robustly on every device and looking almost the same. Nevertheless, the impression of the browser version compared to the Articulate software is somewhat "less beautiful" (absolutely subjective evaluation). For some features, one may indeed be inclined to switch tools again and then end up troubleshooting. This is annoying, slows down the process, and is actually not the point ...
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The Multi-Content Blink - made for authoring tool users who only want to use ONE tool
At blink.it, our approach consistently aims to make the creation of learning content or "Blinks" as simple as possible. This also holds true in a world where it is no longer enough to only work with PowerPoint, PDFs, or videos. Ideally, everything should come together in a single learning element, similar to websites that we find created with a CMS like WordPress.
Therefore, our design department has conceived the Multi-Content Blink, which is already on our roadmap and is intended to make the creation of learning content in the browser a little more beautiful, simpler, and more intuitive. From there, all possible media can be packaged into Blinks and arranged and structured similarly to a content management system. And suddenly, you are using a CMS within an authoring tool with LMS features!
With this, we hope to make the work of the learning content creator-designer-educator, who likes to save time and appreciates great UX, even a little easier and more seamless. The goal here is to remain easy to use and allow for beautiful Blinks that engage learners multimedia and support learning effects based on varying learning preferences. Every person has different learning preferences and different media through which they can learn particularly well.
Do you have questions about the Multi-Content Blink and blink.it as an authoring tool? Then feel free to schedule a free initial consultation with us through the following button:
Schedule a free initial consultation now!
Below, you can see a first draft from our design department. And of course, we will keep you updated on the Multi-Content Blink.
We hope this article could provide you with some useful information on the topic of "authoring tools", and we wish you continued success in creating your online courses!
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The new course view from blink.it – optimized for simplicity and clarity. Start for FREE now!
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