An eLearning authoring tool, also known as a course development tool or a rapid authoring tool or just an authoring tool, is a media development software used by eLearning professionals to author, develop, and publish eLearning courses. Apart from this, authoring tools can also produce HTML5 (web-based) outputs, making them popular tools for interactive and media-rich web page development.
In a corporate scenario, outsourcing the development of eLearning courses is costly and time intensive. In such cases, corporate L&D departments undertake the task of developing eLearning courses internally.
In the academic world, authoring tools are used within schools, colleges, and higher education institutions. And often, the tools used by corporates and education institutes are the same.
Sometimes, an LMS may also sport content management features which behave like an authoring tool, but they are very basic, and so it is best to use an external authoring tool instead.
It is important to note that professional eLearning course development agencies also use authoring tools—developing content for corporates or educational institutes—albeit with expert guidance, experience, and workflows.
In the case of freelancers, independent media and course developers, and eLearning enthusiasts, authoring tools are selected based on cost, ease of operability, and the individual’s skills.
eLearning authoring tools vary based on usage, abilities, features, outputs, and limitations. Instructional designers take these factors into account before choosing a specific tool. Often, these factors contribute towards the pricing of an authoring tool, and the act of using a paid authoring tool is called licensing.
Authoring tools are a very common type of media development software used by organizations and individuals of all skill types and for varying reasons.
Let us look at some of the biggest users.
Corporate L&D professionals in charge of the training and development of employees, prefer eLearning content authoring tools when facing budget and time constraints, or they possess considerable expertise in developing eLearning courses and prefer developing content internally. The cost to license an authoring tool is significantly less when compared to developing courses via professional agencies. However, the skills required to use them range from low to very high.
Agencies that dedicatedly develop eLearning courses for the purpose of reselling or based on clients’ requirements are the most prolific users of eLearning content authoring tools. Outputs generated by different authoring tools differ as a result of each tool’s features and functionalities. Licensing costs also differ based on the feature each tool offers. eLearning development agencies select a specific tool for the job after understanding the client’s expectations from the course. Moreover, a portion of the final cost of the deliverable always comprises the cost and expertise needed to license and effectively use a specific authoring tool to generate the desired results.
The final group of eLearning authoring tool users are individuals who work as freelancers, eLearning enthusiasts, and media developers who use the authoring tool’s abilities for reasons other than eLearning development.
Media content developers use authoring tools to build interactive slides used in presentations, marketing, and even entertainment purposes. Another common use is web page development.
Authoring tools are great for developing content. Let us look at the most common uses that make authoring tools so popular:
Authoring tools are used by content developers of all skill levels, interests, and needs. Let us look at some users and their
use-cases.
