“Do I need an additional authoring tool with blink.it to create my learning content?” We hear this question over and over again. That’s why we show you why blink.it is more than just a classic LMS! Learn all about the e-learning platform and why you no longer need an additional authoring tool thanks to blink.it.

Authoring Tool and LMS – What are the differences?

In the field of e-learning, the question arises repeatedly: authoring tool, LMS, or another e-learning software? Especially when e-learning is to be newly introduced in a company, it's not always clear to HR professionals what kind of tool is actually being sought.

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What you decide depends on your requirements. If you are currently looking for a suitable e-learning tool, you should know the difference between an authoring tool and an LMS:

Main functions of an authoring tool

• Authoring tools help you to create diverse content and complete e-learning courses.

• Content: With images, texts, videos, and interactive elements, you can create e-learnings for various topics.

• Templates: Most authoring tools give you the ability to create your own templates and reuse them for different learning content.

• Management: Authoring tools also offer management possibilities, but these mainly relate to your learning content and resources.

• Interaction: Digital learning thrives on exchange, which is why most authoring tools have specific quiz or survey functions for course design.

• Digitalization: To utilize existing offline content in e-learning, many authoring tools offer special features for digitalizing materials.

Main functions of an LMS

• A Learning Management System (LMS) helps you manage e-learning courses and distribute them to your course participants.

• Organization: An LMS not only helps you plan and structure your e-learning, but you can also send course invitations and reminders.

• Management: In the LMS, you can track the activities and learning progress of your participants and send reminders if necessary.

• Evaluation: For each participant, you can view the completion status and send reminders if necessary.

• Integration: Most LMSs can be easily connected with video conferencing tools and other applications from Google or Office.

• Assessment: Thanks to specific assessment functions such as quizzes or reports, you can evaluate the learning success of your participants.

Reading tip: Today, there are many different types of LMS with different focuses. We have extensively explained the differences here: What is the difference between LMS, LCMS, and LXP?

Important: It may be that you need both an LMS and an authoring tool. It depends on the respective tools: Some LMSs have no content creation capabilities and definitely require an authoring tool. Similarly, there are authoring tools that lack participant management and must be integrated into an LMS. Therefore, when selecting tools, pay attention to whether they are interdependent or, like blink.it, work “standalone”.

blink.it – The perfect mix of authoring tool and LMS

We often refer to blink.it as “LMS light.” That doesn’t mean that blink.it has fewer features than a classic LMS. On the contrary: blink.it offers everything you need while remaining clear and straightforward! Pure LMS solutions are often “spaceships” with countless functions that you don’t need in everyday use. With blink.it, the motto is “As much as necessary, as little as possible.”

With blink.it, you have an authoring tool and LMS in one. To clarify what we mean by this, we’ve created an overview: In the table below, you can see all blink.it features summarized, divided into LMS and authoring tool functions:

| blink.it LMS functions | blink.it Authoring tool functions || ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- || Participant management Roles and permissions Course invitations Processing statistics Notifications on the platform Course invitations via email | Content creation Texts Videos Images Audios Presentations || Learning support Author reminders for processing Sending messages Providing feedback | Interaction Tests Quizzes Surveys || Evaluation Learning progress Course success Certificates Evaluation of tests and quizzes | Communication Comments directly under learning content Uploads also by participants || Technology Security through SSO SaaS solution directly in the browser API connections | Flexibility Accessible on all devices Various language settings Optional customization based on your company || SCORM integration Reuse your own content Embed external and pre-packaged content | Bonus feature: Selling Ready-made courses can be sold directly through integration with Digistore24 and Affilicon |

Example: How practical blink.it authoring tool & LMS functions are

We certainly don’t just want to talk about the diverse features of blink.it, but also show them to you. Therefore, I present my six favorite functions of the blink.it platform, from content creation to course management.

Do you want to experience blink.it from a participant's perspective? Then sign up for our demo course “Personal Productivity” and take your time to explore:

1. Create your e-learning course directly in the learning platform

Create your own e-learning with blink.it in a few clicks. Thanks to the clear tile design, you have all content in view.

blink.it course overview: Build your own online course directly in the learning platform. // Source: blink.it

2. Choose diverse media for your e-learning course

Use various media that fit your learning content. This makes e-learning fun and more effective at the same time. Find the media mix for your e-learning now!

Design your e-learning with a mix of videos, images, texts, and additional links. // Source: blink.it

3. Regularly send emails to your participants directly from your course

Contact the participants of your e-learning regularly via email. Welcome your participants comfortably by email before the course begins and remind them regularly to continue working on the online course.

Regularly send targeted messages as reminders and maintain contact with your participants. // Source: blink.it

4. Check the statistics to see how far along your participants are with their work

Trust is good, but control is sometimes better. Regularly check your course statistics to monitor your participants' progress. This way, you know when your next reminder email should be sent.

Keep track of your participants' learning progress. // Source: blink.it

5. Promote exchange between participants and answer questions

The exchange of knowledge and discussions are particularly important in e-learning. Ask and answer questions under the individual learning contents. You can upload files or rate posts with a thumbs up or down.

Under learning contents, there is an option to exchange in the comments. // Source: blink.it

6. Conclude learning units or your entire course with a test

There are many question types and settings that allow you to test your participants’ knowledge. Tests, quizzes, or surveys – these can also be created anonymously, as in this example.

Evaluate your tests and quizzes to assess your participants’ success. // Source: blink.it

Did you enjoy these insights and would you like to learn more about blink.it? Then book a free demo now and learn about the benefits for your use. Test the blink.it platform as an LMS and authoring tool directly in the demo course you’ve seen here, without obligation, from a participant’s perspective. Have fun!

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Test blink.it as an LMS and authoring tool directly in the demo course you’ve seen here, without obligation, from a participant’s perspective. Have fun!

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Do you have questions about blink.it or this article?

Please feel free to write to us if you have questions about the product or specifically about this article. Our marketing team is available via email or will forward your inquiry to a suitable Blinkie 😊