Software Review: Articulate's Storyline

I’ve used a lot of different elearning software, all the basics- Trivantis Lectora, Articulate Presenter, Adobe Captivate. Each one of these has strengths that make it a leader in the industry. I’ve enjoyed working in Lectora and Articulate’s Presenter suite a lot over the years.

Despite that, there’s no arguing that Captivate has bugs, Lectora has a big learning curve and Presenter just isn’t powerful enough sometimes for what you want to do… Well, the gang at Articulate sure listened to those concerns. They created a new software platform that has the screen capture and recording of Captivate, the power of Lectora’s variables and the simplicity of Presenter’s PowerPoint integration all wrapped in to one program. Sound too good to be true? I thought so, too- until I tried Storyline. Let’s look at how it compares to the three software programs I mentioned.


 
Screen Capture and Recording of Captivate? Oh yeah. In a few simple steps you can record anything on screen. Then, you have the option to insert it as video on a single slide or Step by Step slides. The step-by-step slide options include view mode, try mode and test mode. This becomes a powerful tool for demonstrating processes and testing the learner on these processes.
 
The Power of Lectora’s Variables? Oh yeah. Storyline has variables and triggers that combine with conditions and states to create powerful interactions. The ease of creating these powerful interactions make for immersive courses that engage your audience with a low learning curve on the developer’s side.
 
The Simplicity of Presenter’s PowerPoint Integration? Oh yeah. Just like Articulate’s flagship software, you can import convert PowerPoint presentations to Storyline courses in just a few clicks. While not all animations can be converted, entrance and exit animations, hyperlinks and master slides are converted. The software itself is based on PowerPoint’s familiar structure (the ribbon, the shapes, the master slides and themes) making the learning curve very low for anyone who uses PowerPoint on a regular basis.

What else do I like about Storyline?

• The built-in characters- They add some fun and color to your courses. 
• The freeform quiz slides- The drap and drop and the hotspot are my favorite! 
• The built in templates- There are great interactive and character driven templates 
• The community- E-Learning Heroes- This is such an amazing website! The community members and Articulate staff members are always a huge help. 
• The low learning curve- If you can use PowerPoint, you can use this software to create POWERFUL elearning courses, no training necessary.