Choosing the Right Articulate Tool

Hey Don!

This is a great question, and you'll get a lot of different opinions from others!

Here's my take:

• Articulate Studio: is a PowerPoint-based eLearning authoring tool and is excellent if you're new to eLearning. With Articulate Studio, you install a PowerPoint plugin that lets you convert your presentations into interactive, SCORM-compliant eLearning courses. Along with the Presenter Plugin, you also get Engage and Quizmaker. Engage lets you create click-to-reveal interactions, and Quizmaker lets you create quizzes, knowledge checks, and assessments. Articulate Studio is great if you're new to eLearning development and more comfortable using PowerPoint OR if you have a lot of existing content in PowerPoint that you want to convert into eLearning.
• Rise: is a cloud-based eLearning authoring tool and is great if you're looking to quickly create eLearning content that is mobile responsive. Like Studio, Rise is great if you're new to eLearning and you don't want to fuss with the technical aspects of designing a complete course. Rise lets you use different types of media and content (text, images, audio, and video) to create various lessons. Rise also includes several template-based interactions, including click-to-reveal and scenario-based interactions.
• Articulate Storyline: is a tool used to create custom eLearning content. While learning how to use Storyline is relatively easy (the basics are very similar to PowerPoint), the amount of customization can be overwhelming to those who are new to eLearning development. Storyline is good for those looking to create custom eLearning content, with decision-based interactions, such as branching scenarios and simulations.

So, which one should you use? Well, it depends on what you want to accomplish, how much you want to learn, and how much time you have to do it all. If you're totally new to eLearning, I would say Rise is the easiest tool to use. Plus, you really can't mess anything up in Rise. If you're looking to take on something more custom, I'd suggest checking out Storyline. 

I hope that all helps! Let me know if you have additional questions!

Tim

Hi Don,

Here's an article that talks about each tool and when you'd use it. I hope that's helpful! 

Let me know if you have any other questions.