Creating your own eTraining sessions
Use this checklist to identify the right eLearning authoring software
If you want to bring in eLearning to your company, it can be difficult to find your way through the maze of software and options. What tool do I actually need to create an online course? And how exactly do I organize virtual learning for specific target groups across different departments? In our article eLearning software for companies, we presented the three basic tools companies need for eLearning: The learning content management system (LCMS), the learning management system (LMS) and the gamification apps.
This article will now take a closer look at the learning content management system (LCMS). It tells you about what the authoring software does, the benefits it offers for online course creation, and the 13 features it must include if you want to provide your employees with professional training. We also give you a checklist with 60 selection criteria that you can use to identify the perfect software solution for your requirements.
The learning content management system
Online course creation software
Authoring tools, authoring software, learning content management systems… sometimes the terms used in eLearning are enough to drive you crazy. But let us reassure you—all three terms mean the same thing: A software solution that allows you to create your own eLearning courses without knowing anything about programming. You may already be familiar with content management systems from other areas. WordPress and Typo3 are often used for creating websites and blogs, for example. These content management systems allow users to create content in the backend and manage it without having to do any programming. Users can thus focus exclusively on content. Design and appearance are regulated separately by a template that is customized to the company’s corporate design and incorporated in all presentations.
A learning content management system (LCMS for short) works in the same way as a content management system, but has been specially developed for the creation and management of eLearning courses, in order to enable educational content to be created. So authoring tools should ideally also offer a large number of special eLearning features.
The benefits of authoring tools at a glance
WYSIWYG
The editor shows you how participants will see your courses later [“what you see is what you get”—WYSIWYG]
Simple
No programming skills required.
Template based
Content and design are separated, allowing you to work with templates. So you don’t need to become a designer yourself.
Central administration
Clear management of your eLearning content
Collaboration
You can also work on your online courses as a large team.
Review process
A task management system allows everyone to work in a coordinated manner.
Translation management
Integrated translation management makes your courses international and translation a breeze.
Reuse
You can reuse previously created training content at any time.
Interactivity
You have access to special features for creating eLearning courses, such as question types or interactive learning features.
Key functions and features
Learning content management system
To take advantage of all these features and create successful eLearning courses, good authoring software has to meet particular requirements. The following checklist summarizes all the properties, functions and features that your LCMS should have.
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