- Authoring tool features to consider
- Top Instructional Design Authoring Tools
- Publishing and sharing your course
- Hosting your HTML5 SCORM-compliant courses
- Tiiny.host advanced features
- Next steps
- FAQ: Instructional Design Authoring Tools
Instructional design is crucial, but it’s complicated. And creating courses is, too.
I’ll walk you through an overview of some best-in-class instructional design authoring tools. Then, we’ll talk about how to host your web-based courses with fast and secure static hosting using our service, Tiiny.host.
But first, I’ll give you an idea of what to be looking for as you read about product features and benefits. There’s a lot to think about.
The best instructional design authoring tool is the one that suits your needs most closely. Hopefully, this overview will put you on the right track.
Let’s begin with first things first.
Authoring tool features to consider
User interface
You need a design tool that helps you implement your instructional design and not stand in your way. A WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) user interface employs a visual approach to authoring. Point-and-click, drag-and-drop, and easy integration with various media make your design task easier.
Editable templates
Starting with a blank page is hard. Beginning with an editable template makes the design part of authoring much easier. Depending on the template, you get a professional look simply by importing your content into the template. The template ensures consistency and good design practices.
Responsive design
Your learning content must be deliverable on many different devices. Responsive design ensures that your course looks great and is accessible on web, mobile, and desktop.
Learner interactivity
An instructional design without interactivity is merely a presentation. Whether it’s a quiz, simulation, or gamified activity, engaging your learner in your course increases its learning value.
Pre-built interactive libraries
Like design templates, interactive libraries offer pre-built, interactive programming to edit and use in your course design. This makes interactivity accessible to the non-technical instructional designer. It also saves the techie ID a lot of time.
Collaboration for teams
Courseware development is a big task often done by teams of specialists. Be sure to note which platforms allow collaboration and how this collaboration is managed.
SCORM compliance
SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) is a set of technical standards for developing courseware. Its primary use is making sure your course is compatible with any platform that upholds the SCORM standards.
Web-based courses
An important benefit of SCORM compliance is that you can create elearning courses viewable on ordinary web browsers. This opens up a wide variety of hosting options, which we’ll discuss later. Most top authoring tools support SCORM. If you want to host web-based content, check for SCORM compliance.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLE: HTML5 Elearning Authoring Tools: Course Creation and Hosting
Assessment and Tracking
Comprehensive instructional design authoring tools go beyond content creation. They also incorporate assessment and tracking tools to keep records of your learner’s progress and status. The platforms offering these features are indicated in the list of tools.
Pricing
As mentioned in the intro, many (but not all) of these top authoring tools are expensive. Their cost changes over time. The best way to check current pricing is on the authoring tool’s website.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLE: 6 Free Elearning Authoring Tools for Training and Education
Now, let’s take a look at the authoring tools themselves.
Top Instructional Design Authoring Tools
Below are listed some of the best and most popular instructional design authoring tools on the market. Browse through, then focus on those that best fit your needs.
Articulate 360
An all-encompassing e-learning authoring toolkit that allows for the creation of interactive and media-rich learning materials. Articulate 360 is among the most popular with corporate training and educational institutions.
- Comprehensive e-learning authoring toolkit
- User-friendly interface
- Variety of pre-built templates
- Responsive design for multi-device compatibility
- Collaboration features for team-based projects
- SCORM, AICC, and xAPI support
Articulate Rise
Rise is another tool from the Articulate ecosystem. Rise facilitates the rapid creation of web-based courses. These courses are inherently responsive for mobile devices, offering a modern, user-friendly interface to make e-learning authoring accessible.
- Rapid web-based course creation
- Intuitive, user-friendly interface
- Mobile-responsive design
- Pre-built lesson templates
- Interactive components to engage learners
- SCORM and xAPI support
Adobe Captivate
Captivate creates immersive learning experiences through VR and 360-degree media support alongside its extensive assessment and tracking features.
- Immersive learning experiences with VR and 360-degree media
- Robust assessment and tracking features
- Responsive design to adapt to various device sizes
- Advanced interactivity and branching scenarios
- PowerPoint import and integration
- SCORM, AICC, and xAPI support
TechSmith Camtasia
Recognized for its video editing and screencasting capabilities, Camtasia enables video tutorials and presentations to be easily created and edited.
- Video editing and screencasting capabilities
- Interactive elements like quizzes and annotations
- Easy sharing and exporting options
- Green screen effects for enhanced video production
- PowerPoint integration for easy content import
- SCORM compliant
iSpring Suite and iSpring Page
This platform is known for its PowerPoint-based authoring environment. This feature simplifies the process of course creation, with the Suite offering a broader range of tools, such as quizzes and interactions.
- PowerPoint-based authoring environment
- Interactive quizzes and assessments (Suite)
- Dialogue simulations for soft skills training
- Library of characters and templates
- Quick web-based course creation
- Intuitive authoring environment
- Mobile-responsive design
- SCORM, AICC, and xAPI support
Synapse
Synapse automates instructional design, allowing for quicker course development. Promotes best ID practices—it guides users through a structured workflow, ensuring that essential instructional design principles are followed.
- Automated instructional design
- Rapid course development
- Collaboration features for team-based projects
- Content management and organization
- LMS integration capabilities with SCORM
Lectora Online
This platform boasts a powerful authoring capability for creating highly interactive and complex courses. Lectora imports PowerPoint presentations and turns them into courses.
- Powerful authoring capability for interactive courses
- Responsive course design
- Collaboration features for team projects
- Extensive template library
- SCORM, AICC, and xAPI support
DomiKnow
DomiKnow is a multi-function platform consolidating ID authoring, social learning, and knowledge management. Creates interactive content and promotes collaboration.
- Multi-function platform with e-learning authoring, social learning, and knowledge management
- Interactive content creation
- Collaborative work environment
- SCORM and xAPI support
SoftChalk Cloud
- SoftChalk is a content authoring and hosting platform with an emphasis on ease of use and accessibility. No coding required.
- Content authoring and hosting platform
- Easy-to-use interface
- Accessibility features
- LMS integration through LTI standards
- Mobile-responsive design
- SCORM compliant
Evolve (by Intellum)
Evolve’s strength lies in its powerful authoring capabilities paired with a rich asset library. Publishes straight to the Intellum learning platform but also has SCORM compatibility for hosting on independent hosting services.
- Powerful authoring capabilities
- Rich asset library for interactive content
- Responsive design for multi-device compatibility
- Team collaboration features
- SCORM and xAPI support
Easygenerator
Providing a straightforward, collaborative environment for course creation, EasyGenerator promotes rapid content development. An all-in-one authoring environment requires no prior experience.
- Collaborative environment for course creation
- Rapid content development
- Co-authoring and review features
- Templates for quick course creation
- SCORM, AICC, and xAPI support
Gomo Learning
Gomo excels in delivering and tracking courses across organizations, offering analytics and a cloud-based, collaborative authoring environment. HTML5 authoring plus easy collaboration and course updates.
- Cloud-based, collaborative authoring environment
- Delivery and tracking of courses across organizations
- Robust analytics for performance measurement
- Responsive design for multi-device compatibility
- SCORM, AICC, and xAPI support
Publishing and sharing your course
Once your courseware is complete, it’s time to share it. Publishing on the web requires a web hosting service.
There are two kinds of hosting services for your course.
- The platform you designed your course on has the hosting included.
- Independent (third-party) SCORM-compatible hosting platforms
You may not want to use an instructional design platform with hosting included, or maybe you don’t want to commit yourself to one platform for the duration of your course’s life. You may wish to host your HTML5 SCORM-compliant course on a safe, secure, fast, and low-cost static web host like Tiiny.host.
Hosting your HTML5 SCORM-compliant courses
Tiiny.host is the simplest way to host your SCORM content. This is because Tiiny.host automates the entire web hosting process for you.
Once you visit Tiiny.host’s home page, there are only three quick steps to getting your course online and ready to share.
- Give your course a name.
- Drag and drop your zipped course files onto the home page.
- Click the “Upload files” button, sign in, or create a free account.
That’s it!
Tiiny.host fully automates the uploading, configuring, and publishing of your SCORM-compliant HTML5 course. Your site is online in seconds, ready to share at its unique web address.
You can even create a QR code to distribute, allowing learners to scan the code with their smartphone to access your course. All it takes is one click to create the QR code and one phone scan to reach your homepage.
RECOMMENDED ARTICLE: PDF to QR Code: How to Create a QR Code for a PDF (or any web project)
Tiiny.host advanced features
All the above features are free of charge on Tiiny.host’s free tier.
You can try our paid tiers if you need more advanced features or wish to host additional courses.
Visit Tiiny.host/pricing for the complete feature lists and prices for each tier.
Features include:
- Password protection
- Custom domains
- User analytics
- File editing
- Integrations
- Team collaboration
Next steps
You may still have questions about instructional design authoring tools. Or about SCORM compatibility. Or maybe you’re wondering about how Tiiny.host can help you in your unique circumstances with this and other web projects. Well, we’ve got you covered.
Visit Tiiny.host/help to reach our excellent customer service people. We are available by chat or email, even if you don’t have an account with us yet.
Be sure to try out our free tier. It doesn’t get any easier than Tiiny.host.
FAQ: Instructional Design Authoring Tools
What are instructional design authoring tools?
Instructional design authoring tools are software applications used to create e-learning courses and educational materials. They allow instructional designers, educators, and other professionals to create, manage, and deliver educational content in a digital format.
Why are instructional design authoring tools important?
These tools streamline the process of creating educational content by providing templates, interactive elements, and assessment features. They help in creating engaging and effective learning experiences and facilitate the distribution and tracking of e-learning materials.
Do I need to have programming skills to use instructional design authoring tools?
Not necessarily. Many authoring tools are designed to be user-friendly and require no programming skills. They often come with drag-and-drop interfaces, pre-built templates, and interactive elements that simplify the course creation process.
