We are converting from using Articulate Storyline 2 to Articulate 360. With my trial subscription, I have experimented with creating lessons in both Rise and in Storyline 360, so I know how they differ from a course designer's perspective.
What I am interested in now is the learner's perspective.
1. Do Rise and Storyline courses perform equally well on handheld device? Or does one type or course work better than the other?
2. Is there any evidence that learners prefer/use/have better success in courses designed in one or the other (Rise or Storyline 360)?
If we disregard content and talk purely from a functional point-of-view, I believe that Rise provides a better experience on a handheld device than Storyline does. The reason I think this is that Rise has been built with multi-device delivery in mind from the outset so it feels more natural when viewed on a smart phone or tablet. Depending on the design of your course, Storyline content can appear pretty crammed in when viewing on smaller devices.
Of course functionality isn't the only (or even the main) consideration, so you also need to assess the tools and determine whether they have the features you require to get the most out of your content. For example, if you want to create a course with lots of branching then realistically you're going to find it easier to build in Storyline. If your content is more show and tell, maybe you don't need the power of Storyline and Rise might be a better fit. It's horses for courses really and unless mobile-first is a MUST HAVE your content will dictate whether you have a choice in which tool you use.
Yeah, I basically agree with David. From the perspective purely of how things are arranged to flow/reflow on the screen, Rise is a bit more capable. But, that's mainly because it's incapable of doing much beyond presenting information. It doesn't really have the trigger capability to support any really sophisticated interactions.
I think the real answer to the question of do courses designed in the two tools perform equally well hinges on your definition of "perform." The question reminds me a bit of the question, Which is better: e-learning or classroom instruction? And the answer is "Yes."
In other words, from a learning effectiveness standpoint, the medium makes very little difference. An instructionally well-designed course will always outperform one that is not instructionally well-designed, no matter what formats you consider. Does your course design drive learners to make decisions and practice skills? Then it will likely be effective no matter which tool you use. Does it stop with presenting information? Then it will likely have low impact, again, regardless of tool.
It's also useful to distinguish between training and performance support. The discussion above applies to training. For performance support, you're not trying to get the learner to be independently fluent and capable, you're just trying to help him or her get the job done this one time, with help. For performance support, I think Rise can be a terrific solution. I tend to think Storyline is better for training, assuming you are going to create situations in the course that give the learner an opportunity to practice (since that is much harder to do in Rise).
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If we disregard content and talk purely from a functional point-of-view, I believe that Rise provides a better experience on a handheld device than Storyline does. The reason I think this is that Rise has been built with multi-device delivery in mind from the outset so it feels more natural when viewed on a smart phone or tablet. Depending on the design of your course, Storyline content can appear pretty crammed in when viewing on smaller devices.
Of course functionality isn't the only (or even the main) consideration, so you also need to assess the tools and determine whether they have the features you require to get the most out of your content. For example, if you want to create a course with lots of branching then realistically you're going to find it easier to build in Storyline. If your content is more show and tell, maybe you don't need the power of Storyline and Rise might be a better fit. It's horses for courses really and unless mobile-first is a MUST HAVE your content will dictate whether you have a choice in which tool you use.
Thanks David! I appreciate your help. Exactly what I needed to know.
Yeah, I basically agree with David. From the perspective purely of how things are arranged to flow/reflow on the screen, Rise is a bit more capable. But, that's mainly because it's incapable of doing much beyond presenting information. It doesn't really have the trigger capability to support any really sophisticated interactions.
I think the real answer to the question of do courses designed in the two tools perform equally well hinges on your definition of "perform." The question reminds me a bit of the question, Which is better: e-learning or classroom instruction? And the answer is "Yes."
In other words, from a learning effectiveness standpoint, the medium makes very little difference. An instructionally well-designed course will always outperform one that is not instructionally well-designed, no matter what formats you consider. Does your course design drive learners to make decisions and practice skills? Then it will likely be effective no matter which tool you use. Does it stop with presenting information? Then it will likely have low impact, again, regardless of tool.
It's also useful to distinguish between training and performance support. The discussion above applies to training. For performance support, you're not trying to get the learner to be independently fluent and capable, you're just trying to help him or her get the job done this one time, with help. For performance support, I think Rise can be a terrific solution. I tend to think Storyline is better for training, assuming you are going to create situations in the course that give the learner an opportunity to practice (since that is much harder to do in Rise).
Cheers!
-Ray
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