There are so many tools that you can use to help you build your eLearning course. Some of them are even difficult to choose from – just like Articulate Studio and Adobe Captivate. These are two tools that seem to be similar, but are actually quite different once you consider the deeper qualities of each.
When you ask someone who worked with both which of the two is better, the safest answer that you will get is “it depends.” They are both effective tools but you need to understand the areas that they perform the best.
So what are the characteristics of these two?
Both the Articulate Studio and Adobe Captivate programs will allow you to develop quizzes that will gauge the effectiveness of your eLearning course. You can create assorted questionnaires that you can choose to use for various reasons. Not only that, these tools allow the user to control the LMS connectivity settings – which proves to be very useful for online courses.
The learning interaction of these two can go from simple to complex – a good feature for first time users and accomplished developers alike. Users will also enjoy customization of color schemes, skins, layout and interface – making courses more personalized. However, Captivate is known to provide more options when it comes to customization.
Both tools can also provide users with Flash-based output. This will be a great feature for asynchronous eLearning courses. There is a bit of difference though – Captivate will publish the output in one SWF file. When you are using Articulate, it comes out as a package – meaning you get multiple SWF files. Not only that, the Articulate animation is built from PowerPoint. On the other hand, Adobe Captivate is able to create any type of animation and have a Flash-like timeline effect. As the version of Captivate is released, the animation options become more complex and sophisticated.
In terms of audio synchronization Captivate takes longer to synchronize – because you can do it from the timeline. It is a bit technical and intimidating for amateur users. But, it is easier to adjust the audio to perfection this way. And if you have to adjust one part, you do not have to redo the whole thing. With Articulate, it will be faster if you do it correctly once. But if you have to make one adjustment you have to re-synch the whole thing. So if you are using this, make sure you plan before you synchronize.
When it comes to the online community, users say that Adobe Captivate is more open and giving when it comes to sharing techniques and codes. Articulate community members usually share only the finished output and is more giving when it comes to enhancements to the final output.
Now choosing between the two will not only mean knowing what they can do for you. It is also important that you know who will be using it, the training of the developer and the goal of the eLearning course.
If you have the budget though, the best answer to choosing between the two is to actually just get both.
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