Here are features of professional e-learning software beginners should know. Professional e-learning software may have different price levels, but they are created to help educators, teachers and trainers work faster. The best one doesn’t need to be an expensive tool.
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While looking at a professional e-learning software, users are often intoxicated in confusing features that developers describe in their products and can not define what are the essential functions that users should pay their attention to.
As you can see in the description image, there are many features you have to consider. However, We would like you to look at the most important one. It is vital for users to know which features are more important than others to make correct decision in purchase this tool or that tool. In today post, We gonna figure out the key features of a professional e-learning software that can help you make precise decision based on your needs.
8 Important Features of Professional e-Learning Software
#1. Easy to use, intuitive User Interface
For e-learning content designers, the demand for easy to use, intuitive user interface has important contribution to speed up the creativeness of the lessons. The most professional e-learning software such as Activepresenter, Captivate 9 has very clear view of the interface where you can easily access to a New Lesson or Import previous lessons for modification easily. Yes, intuitive interface is more important than any other features in a professional authoring tool.
#2. Screen recording capability – Record high quality video in full motion is your top priority.
It is no doubt to say that this function is one of the essential feature or a professional elearning software. As a teacher, tutor or trainer, you will need to create your own videos base on your well-prepare presentation, tutorial that have to be recorded instead of using someone else material in your courses. Therefore, the possibility to record computer’s screen has to be a priority of a software. What is basic requirement of a screen recording software? Take a look at our previous post about this topic here.
#3. Interactivity’s level – Create instructional responses for viewers.
While many e-learning authoring tools offer advanced level of interactivity, there are few others offer very basic one which you have to look at the description carefully. Why? Because you can not create instructional, directive e-learning course without interactivity elements such as videos, clickable images, real scenarios..etc. For example, ActivePresenter offer flexible event-action mechanism with rich event and action types allows defining different learning scenarios based on viewers’ responses at each step.
#4. Annotation tool – As many as possible
A professional e-learning software and authoring tool will have many annotation features that allow users to edit slides, videos or add text caption, highlight, spotlight or what ever to drive attention of viewers. You need to make sure that the tool you purchased has enough annotation tools which must be well-arranged or grouped so that you can pick out easily.
#5. Easy quiz/ assessment creation
Quiz/ assessment creation in e-learning software has been always a crucial feature that we can’t ignore. In a professional e-learning software, the possibility to create quizzes like True/False question, multiple choice question or survey questions are even more important than all the above mentioned features from #1-#4. Therefore, pick up this feature as the most important feature when you decide to start with a new e-learning software in the future.
#6. Export e-learning course: SCORM, xAPI
Although, most of elearning software offer you various features to export your videos in to specific file formats. As a tutor, trainer you may think that this feature is the same in all authoring tools. However, they are not exactly the same. They are different. For example, ActivePresenter allows users to export content to popular video formats including AVI, FLV, WMV, WebM, MP4. Balance between output size and video quality with frame rate, key frame, and quality options as well as HTML5 simulation which can run on any modern web browser and device (desktop, tablets, smartphones).
#7. Supported by LMS
A learning management system (LMS) is a software application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of educational courses or training programs. You need to be 100% sure that chosen tool can be support in one of the LMS in the world now. And, also check if the tool support SCORM and xAPI, two most common e-learning specifications that are widely supported now.
#8. Cost-effective e-learning software
Okay! If you are satisfied with one e-learning software that can meet all said features, then you need to consider the last, but not least factor: “How much you have to pay to get that software?”. In the e-learning industry, there are hundreds of e-learning software with various price levels. There are subscription plan, often count on the number of learners or number of courses you want to create, and there is perpetual license price too.
Luckily, one of my friend recommended ActivePresenter to me. It was two years ago in 2015, he wrote an email to me explained that ActivePresenter is the most cost-effective e-learning software with only 99$ perpetual price for 1 license (for education and non-profit organization) and 299$ for business. After given it a try, I get addicted to this software.
In 2018, ActivePresenter price has been increased to $399 for professional edition because they released version 7 with lots of improvements and enhancements geared toward responsive e-learning course design.
Visit ActivePresenter product description from Atomi Systems Now!
Why Should You Try ActivePresenter?
Firstly, ActivePresenter is free to download and try without any limitation. It only leaves a watermark on your final results when you export the courses to HTML5, though. You can try all the features to evaluate the ease of use and test all necessary features. Added to that, their support service is so excellent that you can get the answer within a few minutes. Here are some important information of ActivePresenter:
- Its free version can be used for non-commercial purposes.
- The program works on Windows and macOS X.
- You can preview your complete project locally, no need to upload to a LMS.
- The price level for professional edition is cheapest in the market now: $399 per license for lifetime.
- We have reviewed carefully this program last year. Read our detail review here!
Final words
These essential features that I mentioned here are according to my personal experiences, you may find them similar to some other content on reviews websites in the internet now. However, I confirm that this is 100% unique advise from me, you will not be able to find out similar content any where else.
Hope you enjoy the post and leave a comment to me if you like it.
Good luck!
You may want to read: Best Rapid elearning Authoring tool
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