While you are checking out different platforms, you may also want to think about what you want to use to create your course materials. Good tools can really help you make fun and useful lessons, and you want to be sure the platform you’ve chosen works easily with the tools you like. This will make making your course much simpler.
You should already have an idea of who will be taking your course as part of your research into your intended audience, but now is time to get to the nitty gritty. What kind of tech do they usually use? Do they have fast internet, or do they use mobile phones with a weak signal? Do they use Apple products, or Windows, or something else?
You must ask yourself what kind of learning you are trying to create. Is it short and snappy, like TikTok videos, or is it longer and more in-depth? You need to ensure the tool you pick can handle the learning style you are aiming for. Some tools are good for small chunks of learning, whilst others are better for longer courses.
Synchronous Learning: This style involves real-time interaction between the instructor and the learner, typically through live online sessions, such as video conferencing (webinars), live chat, and virtual classrooms. This type of learning is very often used to replace face-to-face learning.
The benefit of synchronous learning is that it allows for immediate feedback and interaction. This can help promote a sense of community, provide immediate clarification to questions, and mimics a traditional classroom setting.
However, like traditional classroom learning, it requires strict scheduling, which can be particularly challenging for learners in different time zones and relies on reliable internet connectivity. As the instructor, it would require you to be present at all sessions, thus tying you to a schedule akin to a face-to-face session. It also means that learners can only join at the beginning of the course.
Asynchronous Learning: This style of learning allows learners to access course materials and complete activities at their own pace, without real-time interaction. This is the type of learning many think of when they hear the term “online learning”. It typically uses bespoke interactive modules designed for the content, pre-recorded videos, discussion forums, and email.
The benefit of asynchronous learning is that content is available on demand, thus allowing flexibility in terms of scheduling. It also allows the learner to complete the course at their own-pace and review materials as many times as needed. However, as an instructor this mean that you are not required to be present during the course, and that learners can enrol at any time as it is self-paced.
The disadvantage is that it can lead to feelings of isolation as learners complete the course materials on their own and there is a lack of immediate feedback. It also requires self-discipline on their behalf.
Blended Learning (Hybrid Learning): This style combines elements of both synchronous and asynchronous learning, involving a mix of both online and in-person activities. It will usually use a variety of the tools and methods mentioned for asynchronous and synchronous learning. A blended learning course may comprise online lectures or eLearning followed by in-person discussions, online assignments with face-to-face workshops.
The benefit here is that it provides a balance of flexibility and interaction, offering an approach that leverages the strengths of both online and in-person learning, and caters to diverse learning preferences.
However, this type of course requires careful planning and coordination and can be complex to implement. It may rely on learners having completed an online activity to take part in the following discussion, or vice versa. In addition, it risks having the drawbacks that are common with both synchronous and asynchronous learning.
Adaptive Learning: This style of learning is becoming more and more popular and uses technology to personalise the learning experience based on individual learner needs and progress. It uses algorithms and data analytics to tailor content and activities, thus providing a customised learning path.
The advantage here is that it maximises learning efficiency, catering to individual learning styles, and providing targeted support. A learner that has not shown understanding of a topic can immediately be given further help, whilst those who have shown competency can move on.
However, this type of learning requires sophisticated technology which can be costly to implement. The instructor may or may not get involved depending on how the system is set up.
Mobile Learning (m-learning): This final type of learning delivers learning content through mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets. Generally, it will use mobile apps, microlearning content, podcasts, and videos to offer short, digestible learning modules.
The benefit of mobile learning is that it provides access to learning materials on the go which for some – mobile-first learners – offers the flexibility and accessibility they require. Mobile-first learners are particularly prevalent in certain parts of the world where it is preferable to have a mobile phone than a traditional computer. It is particularly good for in-the-field or just-in-time learning.
The big disadvantage here is that the learning can be limited by screen size and device capabilities. As such any resources require careful content design.
When you have decided how you are going to present your learning to the world, you will now need to decide what tools you are going to use.
If you are looking to create a course that uses live video (synchronous or blended learning) then you will need tools that facilitate real-time interaction.
Video conferencing tools, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet are what you are looking for here. They enable live audio and video, screen sharing and even virtual breakout rooms. This will foster a sense of community for the learners and from an instructor’s point of view, they allow for sharing of presentations or demonstrations.
If you are going down this route, you need to look out for the following:
In an ideal world you would also have chat facilities as this can allow for comments and questions. It also allows those whose microphone or video isn’t working to be able to join in. In addition, the ability to annotate presentations during screen sharing can allow for collective brainstorming or further interactivity. Finally, polling and quizzing capabilities are useful to increase engagement and provide immediate feedback.
However, remember, you need to be aware of your audience. Whilst they may be ready to learn this way, do they have a reliable internet connection that can handle the audio and video? Do they have a webcam and microphone so that they can take part in the sessions? Finally, as with all these tools, you will need to look at cost, how technical it is to use and whether it will work with the learning platform you have chosen.
Authoring tools are bits of software that let you build eLearning content. They are the equivalent of a construction kit for making online lessons. Some will have features that help you put everything together, and all will allow you to add text, pictures, videos, and quizzes. These tools are generally used for asynchronous, blended, adaptive and mobile learning.
The two big names in authoring tools are Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate. Both have easy-to-use interfaces, they let you add interactive elements, and you can make quizzes and tests too. Because of their popularity, they both have tutorials and templates, as well as plenty of help available online. However, you should be aware that there are plenty of other tools available which may suite your needs and your pocket.
Some tools are expensive whilst others are more affordable. Some may be a one-off payment, whilst others may require a subscription to keep using them. Beware, subscription models mean you will have to keep paying to be able to access any resources you have built. Also, make sure you’re not paying for a tool that has capabilities that you aren’t going to use.
Some tools come integrated into a particular LMS. This may be an advantage as you know that the content you create will work with the platform you’ve chosen, but what happens if you want to change tool or platform? You may find yourself having to redevelop all your learning content.
Then think about yourself. Are you good with tech and can you fix problems if they come up? Some tools are easier to use than others. Pick a platform that you feel comfortable using. Most will have tutorials or help pages, but even with these, some will have steep learning curves. If it is too complicated, it will be hard to manage your course. You want something that you can use easily, so you can focus on teaching. Something with a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate. Do you need all the functions the tool offers, or would you be better off with a tool that was easier to manage?
This is the hard bit about what the authoring tool can actually do. Think about what you need before you commit to anything. Questions you should think about include:
Multimedia: Does the tool you are looking at handle the different media types (video, audio, images, animations and documents) that you may want to use?
Interactivity: Can you create interactive elements, such as exercises, simulations, quizzes and games?
Template: Does the tool you are looking at offer pre-built templates, assets or characters to speed up the build of your resource?
Accessibility: Is it suitable for learners with disabilities? Does it support international WCAG standards?
Responsiveness: Can you create resources that can work equally well on a desktop, laptop, tablet or mobile device.
Branching: Can you create branching scenarios for adaptive learning?
Content Library: Does the tool integrate with a content library that can provide stock images, video or other assets?
Collaboration: Does it offer the ability to collaborate with others whilst creating resources?
The final thing to think about is the technical aspects of the tool. Can it produce resources in SCORM/xAPI format? If it can, then you know the resources will work on the majority of LMS platforms, if it can’t then you may be limited. Is the output HTML5 which will work on any browser, or is it some proprietary format that will only work on specific browsers? Can you publish resources in various ways – for mobiles, for LMS platforms or just for the web?
It’s important to pick the correct authoring tool, because as with an LMS platform, once you have chosen and developed a few resources, then it becomes difficult to change. These authoring tools are not compatible with each other, so changing to another tool may mean having to redevelop what you have already done.
