SUNNYVALE, Calif. – Brandon Hall Research, the independent e-learning consulting firm, has released their new online subscription-based service, “Authoring Tool KnowledgeBase: A Buyer's Guide to the Best E-Learning Content Development Applications.” This research is the largest e-learning industry study of its kind and is an update and extension of Brandon Hall Research's yearly printed report on authoring tools.

This research studied 89 authoring tools geared toward e-learning, examining assessment capabilities, standards compliance (AICC, SCORM, Section 508), rapid development capabilities, collaboration features, technical guidelines, extensibility and compatibility with other products.

"The course developer's palette has become more diverse. In addition to industry-standard Web development tools, there are new authoring tools that are geared specifically for creating e-learning content," said Brandon Hall, Ph.D., CEO and lead researcher for the Sunnyvale-based consulting firm. "Now, there are tools geared for creating content like assessments and passing that data to other back-office systems or tying it to learning management systems. The authoring possibilities have really grown in just the last few years."

Most of the authoring tools in the research were designed to be used by different types of learning professionals. Some have simple features for SMEs, some have more complex features for traditional content authors, and some include advanced scripting and programming capabilities for individuals who are comfortable working at the code level.

In particular, the companies profiled in the research were surveyed and reported their tools as appropriate for a wide range of users:

• 89.89% = Subject matter experts with no page design, authoring, or programming experience.
• 52.81% = Layout artists and page authors whose primary skills are focused on how content is presented. These individuals would typically author content provided to them by subject matter experts.
• 17.98% = Programmers capable of quickly learning scripting languages, capable of writing functions in languages such as JavaScript, or who are comfortable working at the code level.

The independent analyst firm Brandon Hall Research provides insight and advice through their publications and consulting on best practices and learning technologies for companies both large and small. The company also sponsors the Excellence in Learning Awards, the first recognition program dedicated entirely to the learning industry.

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