Utilizing Authoring Tools

        Authoring tools are software programs that allow users to create and publish digital content. These tools utilize user-friendly interfaces and functions that do not require coding. The main purpose of authoring tools is to create content that enhances the student's learning experience. They are useful resources for educators to create and deliver engaging content and lessons to their students. Authoring tools have become a fast and easy way to put the power of content creation in the hands of the educator. eLearning authoring tools are a great medium for teachers to spread their knowledge to their students (9 Myths About eLearning Authoring Tools And How To Use Them Properly, 2016). They can customize their content to better suit their needs and most importantly fit the differentiated needs of your students. Before various authoring tools were available, there was the need to gain such content information from a specific person or source. However, to deliver custom training content, you'll either need to hire an expert to create such courseware or do it yourself by using eLearning authoring tools specific to the task (Ganci, 2018). 

        These tools are software applications that allow educators to create interactive learning materials. These tools can be used to create: Courses, Quizzes, Simulations, Presentations, and Multimedia-rich learning materials. They  allow users to create, edit, and organize digital learning content without extensive programming knowledge. Instead of using code to manually create a course, an authoring tool lets you use drag-and-drop and other user-friendly interfaces to make a course—no coding required. From there, you can upload the content to your preferred learning platform (Nichols, n.d.). This is very powerful in the hands of an educator because it gives us the ability to create custom content that fits our students' exact needs. Authoring tools have become the perfect solution to capture the attention of your audience in the easiest, fastest, and most impactful way. They allow you to add spark and creativity to the courses you want to design, in a way that other content creation programs cannot (iseazy.com). As an educator, I use authoring tools very often to build my lessons and learning content. I find it much more useful to create my own content that I can choose what objective, skill, or concept my students are focusing on at the moment. Instead of weeding through premade content that may not be exactly what my students need. I create interactive quizzes, tests, virtual classrooms, lessons, gamification, assignments, etc. The possibilities of creation are really endless when educators utilize various authoring tools. When utilizing such tools, you have the ability to differentiate curriculum content and resources in order to best meet the unique needs of your students. I believe educators must be aware of what authoring tools are out there, so they can try to integrate it within their planning and instructional practices. The advantages of using these tools will yield engaging and meaningful learning experiences for your students. 

Advantages of Using Authoring Tools (iseazy.com):

1- Simplicity of use: making for easy-to-use content creation software programs

2- Professional courses without technical knowledge: can effortlessly create attractive and dynamic courses that impact their audiences in a big way

3- Multi-device compatibility: Content adapts automatically to different devices without compromising on exceptional usability and quality

4- Interactive multimedia content: It is now easier than ever to add and retouch photos as well as integrate audio, self-made videos or videos from platforms like YouTube and Vimeo, and even games and fun exercises

5- Assessments to measure results: The latest authoring tools allow students to be evaluated through summative questions that, in addition to reinforcing concepts, serve to verify the success of your course in terms of learning outcomes

Food for Thought ...

References

Enault, T. (2016, April 13). 9 Myths About eLearning Authoring Tools and How to Use Them Properly. https://itystudio.com/9-myths-elearning-authoring-tools-use-properly/ 

Ganci, J. (2018, November 8). What is an eLearning authoring tool? [Review of What is an eLearning authoring tool? ]. DominKnow. https://www.dominknow.com/blog/what-is-an-elearning-authoring-tool

Nichols, R. (n.d.). What is an authoring tool and do you really need one? [Review of What is an authoring tool and do you really need one?].

The advantages of using authoring tools to create e-learning courses. (2020, February 27). Www.iseazy.com. https://www.iseazy.com/blog/the-advantages-of-using-authoring-tools-to-create-e-learning-courses/