Understanding SCORM authoring tools and the role it plays in learning programs is essential for online educators and course developers. Simply put, SCORM is a technical specification for eLearning software products. 

SCORM tools standardize the way online courses are created and how they are launched. In fact, most Learning Management Systems (LMS) and authoring tools are built with SCORM in mind. That is why these tools can easily be integrated with each other.

On that note, let us look at some of the best SCORM authoring tools in 2021, but before that let’s start with the types of SCORM authoring tools.

Types of SCORM authoring tools 

The following are the two key types of authoring tools – 

1. Cloud-based authoring tools: These are completely online and hosted on an external server. You don’t have to download and install anything. All you need is a strong internet connection and you can use it from anywhere. Imagine it to be Google Drive for course authoring.

2. Desktop authoring tools: As the name suggests, these have to installed on your computer. They may or may not require an internet connection to operate.

Best SCORM authoring tools in 2021

Like in any industry that is heavily reliant on tech, the eLearning industry is also riddled with too many options to choose from. Here is our pick of best SCORM tools – 

Elucidat

This is a cloud-based SCORM authoring tool. With this tool, you can crowdsource content for your online course from hundreds of colleagues. Whatever your level of expertise with SCORM tools may be, creating interactive, mobile-friendly courses is easy. It comes with multiple features and pre-made templates that allow you to get your course up and running fast. 

Multiple people can work on the same project simultaneously. You can also assign control. to one person. Cloning courses is simple, so reusing, rebranding and translations are simple. It is an intelligent authoring platform that eliminates all the hurdles of a desktop-based authoring platform by creating highly engaging HTML5 content that can be accessed on any device. 

It has other advanced features that include collaboration tools, analytics, quick development, gamification tools, image library etc. This is “the tool” you need if you are looking for a robust and intuitive authoring tool. 

Articulate Storyline 360

Storyline 360 lets you combine a series of interactive slides to create eLearning content. You can start using this tool if you know how to create PowerPoint presentations. Since it is a desktop tool, you will find it easier to build content alone. 

The screencast feature lets you use graphics and on-screen captions for each slide. The feature also allows learners to practice their learning using a real software environment. 

The animation features, especially motion paths are an effective means to create engaging e-learning content. 

Another interesting feature is Lightboxes. You can use them to add a link in the player to highlight a slide with crucial or helpful information. You can then use them to support quizzes and to display web content and multimedia. 

Visme

Visme allows SCORM export for visual eLearning content. On this tool, you’ll find hundreds of editable course and resource templates. You can efficiently create any training material using premade icons, graphics, and simple action menus. Visme’s drag-and-drop UI makes it effortless to move around and create elements that display your training content effectively.

Articulate Rise 360 

Rise 360 is a good place to start if you are new to content creation. The intuitive UI complete with ready-to-use templates means you can create mobile-friendly content for your eLearning course easily. Rise is comparatively faster in terms of the speed of development of course content. This is due to its real-time editing ability, simplicity of the course builder and other features within it. 

Since it is cloud-based, collaboration and review can happen on one platform. In case you want to localize your courses by translating them into multiple languages, you can easily clone them and get it done. 

Adobe Captivate

This works more like PowerPoint and enables you to create all the basic types of learning content. You can explore its more advanced features if you are ready to learn new ways of creating content for your courses. The screen recorder feature can be used for system demos and sandpits. You can also use its geo-location and mobile gestures to create innovative eLearning content. 

Using its Fluid Boxes, you can create highly engaging and device-friendly content with minimum effort. You don’t have to worry about cross-device compatibility either. One of the most effective methods for teaching practical subjects, simulations can be created with little effort on Captivate. You can capture multiple on-screen actions, mouse movements and other user actions to create robust simulations. 

iSpring Suite 

This is a PowerPoint-based suite that is only available on Windows. You can create responsive eLearning courses using a feature that ranges from simple text and graphics to more complex drag and drop questions. Using its huge repository of assets, you will have everything you will need to swiftly create content. The content created is responsive as standard. 

Through interactive assignments, learners can beat the boredom of text-based and multiple-choice assignments. iSpring offers the new Video Lecture Player that helps you create custom videos. Explainer videos can be synched with PowerPoint presentation and the output can be published as a video. Using the templates available on iSpring visuals, highly effective interactive content can be created to keep learners hooked on your content. 

Camtasia 

This is a tool that specializes in screen recording and editing. It can export content as a SCORM package. It may not be as powerful and feature-packed as the other tools on this list, but the SCORM content creator is very easy to use. You can use this tool to record a narration, add interactive elements to and much more. Camtasia is available on both Mac and Windows. 

Gomo

This is an authoring tool for creating mobile-first learning content. Multiple readymade templates and the quick-start wizard can help you get things started easily. This may be difficult to use for beginners as it is designed for content developers. So, it would be wise to hire a specialist to use this tool. It is cloud-based and collaborations can happen in real-time in one place. As an added feature, it also has multilanguage support for learning content. 

Knowbly 

If you want to create mobile-friendly content for your eLearning course, Knowbly is another tool you can choose. Its host of features allow you to integrate interactive features into your content. It is cloud-based, available on Mac and Windows, and is a real-time collaboration tool. The centralized tool makes it easier to localize content and update them in one go. 

What is Learnyst and how can we help?

We at Learnyst have created an ever-evolving LMS tool that helps online educators create effective courses and sell them to the right people. We have empowered thousands of online educators to achieve their business goals ever since Learnyst’s inception.

Learnyst is easily integrated to top SCORM authoring tools to facilitate the seamless transmission of course content/ When it comes to authoring content for your course, you can create highly engaging content of all formats. This includes images, video and all sorts of interactive content. To fast track the process, you can use pre-made templates. If you ever require a third-party authoring tool, you can easily integrate it with Learnyst. 

To know more about us, get in touch now!