E-Learning authoring tools are the solution that many e-content developers adopt to cater to the increasing need for an engaging and an interactive training content. With the advent of newer technologies and devices that are now utilized to deliver e-learning to the learners across diverse industries, newer rapid authoring tools have made their foray into the industry – armed with the features to cater to the learning needs of the modern learner.

It is important to choose the right e-learning authoring tool to suit the learning needs as well as the learner requirements. For instance, Articulate Storyline is a rapid authoring tool that, since its launch in early 2012, has fast become the tool of choice when you need e-content that looks good, is engaging as well as can be developed fast.

There are many benefits of utilizing this tool for rapid e-learning development:

• Articulate Storyline has a minimum learning curve. It is very easy to use and explore. Since the user-interface design is very similar to MS PowerPoint, it offers easy familiarity to new users. Even the SMEs can master it to provide e-content in a jiffy.
   
• Articulate Storyline offers you the choice to import files from MS PowerPoint, MS Word, Quizmaker or any content developed with the Articulate Studio’09. Alternatively, there are also a variety of ready-made theme-based templates available. These templates can be customized further as per the needs of the e-course.
   
• Articulate Storyline offers the opportunity to view all the slides in a course and organize the slides into ‘scenes’. This makes visual branching possible and it is easier to chunk content into logical pack.
   
• With the ‘slide layers’ feature, it is possible to create multiple interactions within a single slide. Dynamic events can also be built-in by using ‘Triggers’, which help in creating interesting interactivities like changing the state of an object to ‘hover’, slide or scene transitions, and so on.
   
• Static content can quickly be turned into an interactive activity with Articulate Storyline. The developer can simply insert images, characters or other objects and, with a few clicks, convert them to the interactivity of their choice – a drag-and-drop, a graphical multiple choice or more.
   
• Articulate Storyline has 47,000 combinations of illustrated as well photographic characters. A developer can choose and insert a character and then proceed to change its pose, expression, and perspective.
   
• Images and text can be synchronized with audio or video to create a unique effect for the learners. Graphics can also be easily inserted, and multiple formats are supported. Developers can adjust the graphics and apply effects to any image or shape with the Articulate Storyline’s familiar drawing tools.
   
• Assessment building is a feature-highlight in Articulate Storyline. With the simplicity of form-based authoring and the flexibility of slide-based editing it is possible to create over 20 different types of questions in Storyline. Advanced users can utilize tools like question pooling and randomization to create high-end assessments easily and quickly. Storyline also allows intricate assessments, such as the ability to score a learner’s progress at multiple points in the course.
   
• Finally, Articulate Storyline can publish e-content to Flash, HTML5 as well as iOS, using the Articulate Mobile Player app. The developers can build a course in Articulate Storyline and then publish it to multiple formats – saving time as well as money.

There are however some drawbacks as well, and it is best to keep them in mind before zeroing on to the chosen development tool.

• Closed Captioning or the audio transcripts are not available on slides. Audio notes can be provided in the ‘notes’ section, but this proves to be cumbersome.
   
• While Articulate Storyline offers a number of customizations in templates and skins, certain features like Audio On/Off, Seekbar and Glossary are not automatically available in a customized skin.
   
• Animation styles are available, but restricted. Only the styles available within the software can be used to develop content.
   
• The software can publish a course in Flash and HTML. For the iPad users, the course is published with the help of a native app on the Articulate Media Player – and thus cannot be white-branded for multiple client usage.

In addition, a variety of other rapid authoring tools, such as Adobe Presenter and Presenter 09 can be used to convert existing PowerPoint Presentations into e-courses. Most e-learning developers have a keen interest in the field of rapid e-learning and by utilizing the existing materials the process of content development can be made more efficient. Thus, using rapid authoring tools can definitely save precious time and money – utilizing the corporate training budget well.