If your organization has training needs that come with a tight deadline like compliance training, it is better to opt for rapid eLearning authoring tools.
Using a good rapid eLearning authoring tool, you can design and create courses in little to no time easily without any training to use the tool.
Rapid eLearning authoring tools like Articulate Storyline are also popular as they are pretty cost-effective.
But are these rapid e-learning authoring tools actually as good as they seem to be?
Are they worth the investment?
Since it is more important to understand if your organization needs a rapid eLearning authoring tool before deciding which one to purchase, here’s a pros and cons list of rapid authoring tools.
Pros:
Time Effective
Rapid eLearning authoring tools enable you to create training courses in little to no time.
Using the templates, themes and in-built asset libraries that these authoring tools offer, creating an eLearning course becomes a matter of a small fraction of time.
With a rapid eLearning authoring tool, you don’t even have to search the web for assets like free images to incorporate into your material as there is already a library included in the tool’s interface.
Rapid eLearning authoring tools are thus ideal to create and update material for training programs that are strictly time-bound like compliance training.
Easy to Use
Rapid eLearning authoring tools are usually designed to have a user-friendly interface that can be used by anyone to create courses.
These tools are intuitive which is why they can be easily used by any employee from the L&D department without any operational training.
No matter what their occupational hierarchy is.
Even when the user has never used an authoring tool before, they can still use a rapid eLearning authoring tool easily for course creation.
Cost-Effective
The low turnaround time and the in-built free assets of these rapid eLearning authoring tools that can be used to design courses make them super cost-friendly.
There is also no need for investing in training your staff to use these tools.
They have user-friendly, intuitive interfaces.
Most rapid authoring tools also come with free upgrades.
They make maintenance of these tools a free affair and you get the latest features at absolutely no cost.
Easily Scalable
Updating your course content becomes a daunting task when you outsource your training material from a third-party vendor.
You have to wait till it is convenient for them to make changes and addition to your content.
This is very inconvenient, especially for time-bound training programs.
But when you have a rapid eLearning authoring tool, you can easily make changes.
Also, you can make additions to your course material to update it and make it more relevant without waiting for your vendor.
Cons:
Compromised Quality
When you use a rapid eLearning authoring tool, you might end up with courses that compromise on the quality.
This is rare as the tools are easy to use and have assets of the best quality.
The ease of use and good quality of the assets can help anyone, even without formal training, create good quality courses in no time.
However, when the user is not at all familiar with the concepts of designing a course and doesn’t even know the basics of creating course content, the results might be of lower quality.
But this can be the case with any authoring tool, be it rapid or otherwise.
Less Customization
What makes a rapid eLearning authoring tool rapid is its easy interface.
There are pre-existing templates, themes, and assets that one can use in creating course material faster.
Most rapid authoring tools do offer customization options for including customized branding, logo, or even themes in the material.
But to maintain the rapidness, there will always be some limitations on customization options.
These limitations can also limit the creativity of the user and that is one of the biggest drawbacks of these tools.
Lower Engagement
Want to design a rapid eLearning course that is of lower quality and has very little customization?
The chances are that your course will have very less learner engagement.
Obviously, nobody wants to waste their time trying to study courses and understanding concepts that won’t help them in any way.
Say, you want to create an irrelevant, low-quality course using a rapid eLearning authoring tool.
Then your learners are bound to lose motivation to learn and refer to your course material.
Conclusion
Rapid eLearning authoring tools can be a very good investment if used appropriately.
These tools are the best when it comes to creating rapid course material for strictly time-bound training programs.
However, as you decide to invest in a tool, it is important to analyze and weigh its pros and cons.
This is for you to know what to expect and to formulate ways for maximizing the productivity of the tool.
