Course Authoring Software Features
Course templates — Course authoring tools often come with included templates so course developers don’t have to start from a completely blank course. Templates include course modules with different layouts that allow developers to change text placeholders and add images, videos, or other elements to meet their needs.
PowerPoint conversion — Organizations that have pre-existing PowerPoint files that they have used in the past for training import those files into course authoring software and build an eLearning course using the old presentation as a template, helping save the time it would take to recreate the PowerPoint in the authoring tool.
Asset library — In addition to slide templates, course authoring tools often include an online library of elements that users can add to their presentations. These libraries sometimes contain thousands of different elements, including photos, videos, icons, and buttons.
Quizzes — Course authors are able to build in periodic quizzes at different points in a course to check the learner’s understanding of key concepts. If a learner answers incorrectly, courses are set up to have them go back and relearn the material, then have them try again to get the right answer before they are allowed to proceed.
Feedback tools — These features enable multiple stakeholders to leave comments on a course as it is being developed. Having feedback integrated directly into the authoring tool helps keep the comments organized so they are addressed before the course is published.
Sharable content object reference model (SCORM) compatibility — The industry standard for eLearning content is SCORM, a set of technical standards that ensure compatibility between a course and an LMS. Ensuring a course authoring platform is SCORM-compatible means its courses work with a variety of LMS vendors.
Additional Course Authoring Software Features
Character images — Some products have extensive “character" image collections. These might include a variety of different models of different ages, genders, ethnicities, and professions, each with dozens of photos showing a variety of facial expressions, emotions, and body poses. These character images are used to tell a story within the course or as a visual aid to illustrate a scenario.
Branching scenarios — One feature some platforms have for making courses interactive is by the ability to include branching scenarios, in which the course is different depending on choices the learner makes. For example, in a course on workplace harassment, a user might be asked to choose from three options for responding to a coworker who made an inappropriate remark in a meeting. Depending on the option the learner picks, the course could show a different outcome of the situation. These role-play simulations helps learners apply skills and knowledge from earlier in the course to a real-world scenario.
Video recording — Built-in video recording functionality enables users to record themselves or their computer screen to add a visual element to their course. These platforms typically also allow users to import videos from other sources.
Mobile compatibility — Course materials are automatically reformatted to be compatible with mobile phones and tablets, ensuring that learners complete course modules from any device.
Analytics — Course authors track how learners are using the course or their performance on in-course assessments once the courses have been deployed.
Potential Issues with Course Authoring Software
Resource investment — Creating customized courses have benefits for an organization’s training program, but it also takes a substantial investment of resources. Depending on how lengthy or in depth the course needs to be, it may take weeks or months for a course to go from idea to finished product. That includes multiple course drafts and rounds of feedback from different stakeholders. Companies also need to decide whether they have the right people in-house to use course authoring software effectively or if it makes more sense to outsource the work to an eLearning development firm. Another option is using premade online courses, although organizations will have to decide whether those more generic courses will meet their training needs.
Employee engagement — The best digital courses are interesting and informative. They hold learners’ attention with animations, videos, and interactive elements. But using those elements well takes practice and the right tools. An authoring tool that lacks strong functionality for creating interactive courses could result in courses that don’t engage learners and fall short of their desired impact. Buyers should ensure an authoring solution has the ability to create engaging courses and that their course developers know how to use the tools to achieve those aims.
Compliance — A key part of many training programs is courses to ensure employers maintain compliance with laws and regulations on topics like safety, security, and privacy. Company leaders deploy off-the-shelf solutions, but some might want to develop their own compliance courses using course authoring software. For companies that are developing their own compliance courses, leaders must ensure the courses cover all the required information for a given topic. They should also confirm that the software they use to deploy the courses has adequate tracking and reporting capabilities so that, if necessary, they prove that employees went through the training.
