Rewind just a few years, and the authoring landscape was less than ideal. Sure, there were tools available, but they were desktop-based. Authoring, collaboration and changes all had to be made while tethered to a specific computer, which could result in lost work, duplication and frankly, a cumbersome experience.
As eLearning becomes increasingly mobile and accessible, thankfully authoring has followed suit. Cloud-based applications make authoring and update a sleeker process. Hey, if your music, document and videos are all going to the cloud, why not your authoring tools, too? Find out why L&D pros and instructional designers are making the switch – and where cloud-based authoring is going to go next.
Mobile Access
If a learner can access a module from her tablet, shouldn’t the author be able to do the same? Cloud-based authoring means being able to write and tweak content anytime, anywhere, using laptops, tablets and other mobile devices. The sheer accessibility creates a new dimension for authoring – what if, while speaking with a subject matter expert, you could pull up a module and make real-time changes during the collaboration?
Mobile access also creates the opportunity for in-the-moment updates. New and updated information can be quickly plugged into the proper channels and then pushed out to waiting learners, ensuring the latest and most correct version of product information, inventory and learning applications
Fewer Mistakes
Desktop-based authoring tools might be handy to have, but they can also create a minefield for instructional designers. Even the most reliable computer is subject to shut-down, lost information and information duplication, especially when several designers are working on the same project concurrently. When replaced with cloud-based authoring, content is automatically backed up and the latest version of a project stored for authorized access.
Cloud-based authoring also reduces the need for specialty software installation and configuration, so you can tell your IT guy to take a break. More user-friendly and less prone to those keyboard-smashing “oops” moments, cloud-based authoring creates a more consistent experience across a variety of platforms.
Trending Now
Cloud-based authoring developers have only begun to scratch the surface to uncover the full potential of accessible tools for up-to-the-minute changes. Imagine a designer stuck on an airplane, able to use a native app for authoring to actually build an entire module from scratch. What if an employee without a consistent Internet connection could make changes, connect and then upload new information for collaboration?
The applications for cloud-based authoring are monumental for the world of L&D. Better, more current information and the ability to work in real-time with colleagues essentially does away with the main complaints of desktop-based authoring and publishing. Not only is cloud-based authoring the “next big thing” for content creation in mobile learning trends, but it’s simply what makes the most sense.
