Toolbox Tip: Which Authoring Tool Should I Learn?

I get asked this question regularly by T&D professionals who are looking to learn new skills, stay competitive in the job market, and add value to their organizations.  If you’re organization already has a chosen authoring tool, then naturally that’s the one to learn. 

But what if it hasn’t selected a preferred tool yet?  Perhaps your organization hasn’t adopted e-learning, or perhaps you are trying to prepare yourself for your next job in a different organization.  Absent a crystal ball to tell you what tool you might need in the future, consider these factors:

1. Go with the numbers.  The latest industry data I’ve seen shows that Adobe Captivate is the most commonly used authoring tool.  This would suggest that Captivate would be needed for more jobs in more companies.  (This data was pre-Storyline.  And while I know Storyline has chipped away at Captivate’s market, I don’t predict that it has taken over the #1 slot.)

2. Match your skill level.  In my very subjective opinion, Articulate Studio is the easiest of the major tools to learn.  I would follow that in order with Storyline, Lectora, and then Captivate.  So if you are just dipping your big toe into e-learning, Studio or Storyline might be the best choices, whereas Lectora or Captivate might be better choices if you have a little experience or are more technically savvy in general.

3. Do a little homework.  Even if you haven’t landed the next job yet, you can poke around a little bit to see what the major employers in your area or your industry are using.  A quick search of job boards in your area, for example, can tell you how many job postings ask for one tool over the other.

So while it may be difficult to know exactly what tool to learn, the good news is that once you learn one of the tools, it is much easier to learn the others.  Most authoring tools are more similar than they are different.  So, even if you need a different tool than the one you learned, you’ll be in a good position to master the new tool quickly.