Key Selection Criteria of E-learning Authoring Tools

Because of growth of the internet, reduced barriers to accessing and using the internet and increased innovations in the area of information and communication technology, Web-based education are continuously being broadened. Creation and management of instructional content is the major hazard in e-learning industry. Also, individualized contents should be provided considering social, cultural and pedagogical characteristics of the learners. Individual interests, learning styles and prior knowledge are also momentous criteria to be considered. In the recent years, features and capabilities of authoring tools have been drastically improved. Concepts such as “adapting to the needs of learners” and “personalized content” not only make authoring tools to play a more prominent role in the process of creating learning contents but also promise the emergence of a new generation of authoring tools with prominent potentials and capabilities. In this paper we attempt to outline the importance of authoring tools in the performance of e-learning systems. Therefore, capabilities and limitations of current available authoring tools are comparatively studied. These comparisons are based on criteria such as compatibility with e-learning standards, the amount of time and cost needed for the instructional design and potential features. The outcomes of the study would certainly be of significant help with enhancing the decision making procedure for managers and presidents of learning areas, which maybe overwhelmed by all the technology decisions they have to make, the number of choices available, and the terminology they may not be familiar with. These outcomes would basically lead to determining basic factors of learner satisfaction and therefore improving educational performance.