As part of my MA, I am creating an e-learning course on accessibility for technical communicators. Due to the subject of the course, the course itself must be fully accessible. Lead by example, right? Therefore, I must use an authoring tool that provides as many accessibility options as possible.
I previously used the authoring tool ‘Articulate Storyline 360’ for the Interactive Courseware Workshop module (EL6072). During that assignment, I became absorbed in course creation and enjoyed using the tool immensely. It allowed me to use my creative and intuitive side, which I don’t often get to use. Articulate has a simple interface and multiple functionalities, making it the favoured authoring tool of many instructional designers. However, due to this previous assignment, I no longer have access to the free trial and must use another authoring tool to create my summer project.
So, with accessibility in mind, I am analysing what other authoring tools are available. Below is the first of three authoring tool analyses, beginning with iSpring Suite.
iSpring Suite
iSpring Suite is a robust, PowerPoint-based authoring tool kit. The software allows you to create slide-based courses, screencasts, video lectures and quizzes. The authoring tool comes with a very high ranking from elearningindustry.com. Also, the idea of creating course content in the familiar PowerPoint format is appealing.
Below is a list of the Pros and Cons of iSpring Suite.
Pros
- Works on Safari, Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox
- 24/7 support system, FAQs, Online Community
- Minimal learning curve
- Record screencasts
- Animation that converts to web-friendly formats
- Audio output and recording
- Sound editor
- Image editor
- Various quizzing options
- Integrated video recorder and editor
- Integrated screen reader and accessibility mode
Cons
- Cannot import animation
- No conditional triggers
- Objects don’t have multiple states
- Does not provide text-to-speech voices
- 14-day free trial
Overall
Compared to Articulate Storyline 360, there are a few notable disadvantages to iSpring Suite. For example, objects not having multiple states and having no conditional triggers will create difficulty with certain scenarios. Also, the short trial period requires developing the course without first-hand experience of the authoring tool. This could lead to various teething problems that I may not have time to rectify. However, since the tool uses a PowerPoint format, those teething problems could be minimal.
There are various notable advantages to iSpring Suite, including the ability to record and edit screencasts. As well as the integrated video and image editing functions. These functions remove any need to use a separate tool to create media. However, most notably, the integrated screen reader and accessibility mode that iSpring provides is a significant advantage that cannot be ignored.
The above pros and cons list will be used to compare forthcoming authoring tool analyses. However, iSpring Suite has raised the bar quite high regarding accessibility, with their integrated accessibility mode. This is something I will be looking for in future analyses.
Going Forward
When I first used Articulate, I genuinely believed that no other tool could work as well as it does. I still hold a strong affection for the authoring tool. However, as this first analysis has proved, there are alternatives that could provide you with precisely the functions you need. It is important to keep an open mind when considering alternatives and not be blinded by the lights that Articulate Storyline 360 shines.
In my next blog post I will be analysing Adobe Captivate.
Tech-Comm Kat 