An authoring tool allows users to create dynamic, interactive, and engaging content without the need for any specific coding skills.
There is no doubt that authoring tools are indispensable tools for any content creator. Besides making content more readable, they make it more engaging, dynamic, and appealing. They are fantastic for those who wish to create a wide range of content types and media formats. It makes them a perfect choice if you want to create interactive e-books, animations, or even games. But how can an authoring tool do it all?
The reason behind this is an awesome feature- the template library. But before we get further into the template library, let’s understand the different types of authoring tools available today.
Type Of Authoring Tools
There are different types of authoring tools available depending on what kind of content you wish to create.
- Content creation authoring tools: These allow users to take text-based content and turn it into formatted interactive e-books, reports, and presentations with a few clicks of the mouse.
- Video authoring tools: These allow you to take video clips from your smartphone or laptop camera. Some tools also allow you to record the screen capture and turn them into interactive tutorials of products and applications.
- Gamification-based authoring tool: These allow content creators to build interesting mini-lessons that are entertaining to complete. By changing simple questions and answers into games utilizing templates. Such as motivating leadership boards and analyzable quiz competitions.
So, as per the type of content you need in your eLearning course, a template library is the first thing you need to look for in an authoring tool.
Articulate Storyline 360 provides complete access to Content Library 360, a template library of professionally produced slide templates and course elements that helps you build faster and dazzle your audience.
Template libraries are a great way to jump-start your authoring tool feature development. It will help you save a lot of time. Let’s check out how.
What Is A Template Library?
A template library feature in an authoring tool is a collection of predefined design elements. These elements can be used to speed up the process of creating templates for the eLearning course.
The template library allows you to choose from dozens of templates. This allows you to mock up pre-made templates like banners, social posts, website mockups, and more. The template library consists of various elements like buttons, charts, graphs, icons, maps, etc.
You have to drag and drop these elements into your projects and customize them in any way you want. And voila! Your work is complete in a fraction of the time needed if you were building from scratch. All you need to do is download one that is close to what you want and make the changes needed for your specific needs.
Types Of Template Libraries
There are hundreds of examples of templates available, from simple calculators to complex data visualizations. But all of them can be classified according to the type of content they are helping to create:
- Templates for Information transfer
Information transfer templates help in the development of microlearning videos. This is accomplished through multimedia or online content production tools. This multimedia content includes voice, video, text, and graphics to engage users in an instructive learning setting.
- Templates for interactive learning
Interactive templates are what make the UI/UX of authoring tools completely interactive and engaging. Interactivity has been shown to boost the pace at which learners comprehend knowledge during their first encounter with new content.
- Templates for gamified learning
Mobile learning is dominated by gamified learning. Learners are presented with sensory tasks that require them to digitally practice abilities that are easily transferable to real-world applications.
Conclusion:
Creating new features using a template library is fast and easy in an authoring tool. The library contains many examples of features that can be used straight out of the box with minimal changes required. This makes it possible for anybody to create amazing, dynamic, and even gamified microlessons by combining existing information.