5 signs it’s time to change your authoring tool

Every organization starts with an aim to grow and scale. But with the growth of the organization comes the need to upgrade the tools and processes that your organization has been using all this while. One commonly used tool in organizations that offer learning and development is an authoring tool. 

If you feel like the authoring tool that you have been using to create your training material does not serve you well anymore, it is better to switch to a new one. Choosing one of the top authoring tools can help you make your course material more engaging, accessible, and quick to update. 

So how do you know it is actually the time for your organization to make the big switch? Here are the signs to look out for. 

Your courses are not ready for mobile learning

Mobile devices like cellphones and tablets have become an essential part of online learning. As most people depend on their mobile devices for almost everything and spend so much of their time on them, we have surpassed the time when mobile responsiveness of training courses could be an afterthought. As most learners are comfortable with their smartphones and find them convenient to use, it is important that the training material is available to them on the phones. Mobile responsive designs can also promote continuous self-paced learning. 

But, even though mobile responsiveness is such a normal thing now, there still exist authoring tools that can be used to design courses strictly for desktops. If you have an authoring tool that is strictly desktop software, it might be time to switch to a modern authoring tool to design mobile responsive to cater to your learners better. 

Your current authoring tool doesn’t allow multiple designers to collaborate in real-time

The authoring tools available earlier usually provided a linear design pipeline. If you are still using an old authoring tool, the chances are it doesn’t allow multiple course designers to make changes in the course simultaneously. Your designers probably wait for a green signal from a peer before they can make a change. This makes things slower and wastes the potential and skills of all the designers. 

Thus, it is better to switch to a modern authoring tool that is cloud-hosted. This tool can allow multiple designers to make changes in the courses in real-time. 

Your authoring tool is a little too simple 

Authoring tools are primarily popular for their ease of use and simplicity. However, as simplicity can help you create material quickly, too much simplicity can also kill the learner engagement. 

The simplicity that comes from limited features can also be a reason that your course designer’s skills are wasted. The monotony of your courses created with such an authoring tool can be exhaustive for the learners. On the other hand, an ideal modern authoring tool can offer you a variety of course templates and themes along with the options to customize them as you want. The courses can be more nuanced and positively complex to support the learning journey that your learners are making. 

Your authoring tool is difficult to use  

The authoring tools available earlier had poor user experience or UX designs. These were the tools that were strictly deployed into the desktop and had complex operational methods. If your current authoring tool is as old as time, has a poor UX design, and can only be operated by veteran course designers, take it as a sign that it is time for your to upgrade your authoring tool into a tool that will be easier and quicker to use even without any prior experience or training because of an intuitive user experience. 

Making small changes is time-consuming

Do you dread making small changes in your training material using your authoring tool? The fuss is usually about the time it takes to make a change. Even though authoring tools are primarily popular because of the ease of use and quickness, some authoring tools, especially the ones that were available earlier some years ago, can be missing the features that allow quick changes. So if you find yourself struggling for hours just to make small changes, it is a clear sign that it’s time to switch! 

Conclusion

 It is very usual that many organizations get used to the comfort of their already existing authoring tool. The comfort can even make you overlook the issues that the tool might be creating and it can ultimately have negative effects on the learning process. Thus it is essential to search for modern trends and decide what works for you the best. If you feel like your organization has outgrown the authoring tool you have been using for years, it’s better to switch to a new one for the sake of your learners and your organization.