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Even if your business has already begun to implement eLearning programs into corporate training procedures, it is important to stay up to speed with new approaches in order to reap the greatest benefits from these new technologies. Upgrades and innovations to both new and existing authoring systems are no exception to this.
In educational software, an authoring tool is defined as a software package that allows a non-programmer to easily create original courseware, web pages, or multimedia applications, as well as the necessary tools to navigate them. Developers use these programs (i.e. Articulate Storyline) in the interest of creating and packaging content that is easily digestible and deliverable to the end-user (the student participating in the eLearning course).
By using authoring tools to create eLearning components, businesses that range from small start-ups to Fortune 500’s will benefit by:
Realizing a Greater ROI on Educational Materials
One of those most obvious benefits of using an authoring tool to create eLearning courseware is the ease with which you are able to recycle learning objects – or the digitized elements that compose a lesson plan – from an existing course into a new one. For companies who have purchased components that were created by a third party, this will increase the return on investment (ROI) that they will see. Now, instead of using the material once, or spending a ton of time/manpower to transfer the information into a new format, corporate training professionals can quickly repurpose educational materials for additional uses.
Having the Most Optimized, State-of-the-Industry Content
Sometimes the best person for the job doesn’t necessarily get it. This statement can’t be truer when you apply it to the creation of eLearning curricula. In the past, the construction of a software system required the knowledge needed to write coding languages to that system; now, because of user-friendly authoring systems, this is no longer true. Because of authoring tools, Instructional activities and eLearning course development can be directly created by the person who is most qualified to design such a curriculum, instead of the person who knew how to program computer software. In this way, authoring tools are enabling companies to create eLearning materials in-house, as well as giving more control to the corporate trainers responsible for the success of the end-user. To learn more, check out Learning Solutions Magazine’s list of the best tools to use.
