Choosing a rapid e-learning authoring tool that suits your training needs completely can be quite a challenging task. You need to consider various aspects such as cost, built-in features, flexibility of the tool, and the output it gives. Analyzing all these features can cost you a lot of time and effort. This blog intends to make it easy for you and help pick the right tool quickly.
The eLearning Guild has come out with a report that lists the most desired features in rapid e-learning authoring software. We will now evaluate the 3 widely used rapid authoring tools – Articulate Storyline 2, Adobe Captivate 9, and Lectora Inspire 16, based on the features listed by the report.
| Features | Articulate Storyline 2 | Adobe Captivate 9 | Lectora Inspire 16 |
| Cost of one license (as of 22-Sep-2016) | USD 1398 | USD1099 | USD 2174 |
Audio Capabilities | |||
| Can embed audio files |  | | |
| Can embed audio in interactions | | | |
| Can record audio | | | |
| Can perform basic audio editing | | | |
| Can store audio files in a library |  | | |
| Can export recorded audio to MP3 | | | |
| Can add links to external audio files | | | |
| Can perform advanced audio editing | | | |
Assessment Features | |||
| Can choose from a wide variety of question types (including multiple choice, fill-in, and hotspot) | | | |
| Can show a review of the questions after scoring | | | |
| Can format question pages as desired | | | |
| Can track assessments | | | |
| Can create randomized questions | | | |
| Can shuffle answers | | | |
| Can add media to questions | | | |
| Can randomize questions from banks/pools | | (Needs to be customized) | |
Branching and Navigation Features | |||
| Can add simple branching | | | |
| Can add custom navigation | | | |
| Can add complex branching | | | |
Graphics and Animations Creation | |||
| Can make objects on the screen interactive | | | |
| Can animate onscreen elements | | | |
| Can edit images, basic | | | |
| Can insert HTML5animations | | | |
| Can choose from multiple transitions | | | |
| Can insert Flash animations | | | |
| Can add text animations | | | |
| Can use built-in characters | | | |
| Can edit images, advanced | | | |
Support for Videos | |||
| Can embed video files | | | |
| Can embed videos in interactions | | | |
| Can link to external or web video files | | | |
| Can record screens | | | |
| Can export recorded videos | | | |
| Can pan and zoom | | | |
| Can store videos in a library | | | |
| Can perform basic video editing | | | |
Format Templates, Themes, Skins, and Text Features | |||
| Can use numerous text formatting options (styles, bullets, justification, etc.) | | | |
| Can customize how interactions look and feel | | | |
| Can create custom themes | | | |
| Can create custom templates | | | |
| Can customize built-in Player skins | | (Only a few features) | |
| Can choose from built-in Player skins | | | |
| Can choose from built-in themes | | | |
Games, Scenarios, and Simulations | |||
| Can add interactive scenarios | | | |
| Can create simple software simulations | | | |
| Can create complex software simulations | | | |
| Can add simple game elements | | | |
Support and User-community | |||
| Has easy user support | | | |
| Free intro training modules are available | | | |
| Has an active user community | | | |
Progress-Tracking Features | |||
| Track in SCORM 1.2 | | | |
| Track in SCORM 2004 | | | |
| Track in xAPI | | | |
| Track in AICC | | | |
Scripts and Variables Features | |||
| Can create user variables | | | |
| Can use system variables, such as current date and time | | | |
| Can use simple Java scripts | | | |
| Can use complex Java scripts | | | |
User Accessibility Features | |||
| Can provide closed captioning for audio | | | |
| Can provide closed captioning for videos | | | |
| Can provide accessibility (Section 508, WCAG, etc.) features | | | |
| Can use text-to-speech (with included voices) | | | |
| Can work with JAWS and other screen readers | | | |
Integration with Social Media | |||
| Integration with Twitter | (Needs to be programmed) | | |
| Integration with Facebook | (Needs to be programmed) | | |
| Integration with other social media | (Needs to be programmed) | | |
Publishing Options | |||
| Can publish to mobile web (ex: HTML5) | | | |
| Can provide responsive output | | | |
| Can publish to Flash | | | |
| Can publish to video | (Screen casts can be saved as videos) | | |
| Can publish to PDF | | | |
| Can publish to Microsoft Word | | | |
| Can publish to a single execute file (.exe) for offline purposes | |
Hope you find this post informative. Go through the table for a quick comparison of the features when you need to zero-in on a tool for your online courses. Please share your thoughts through your comments.
