The Role of Software in Developing Educational Content

Not long ago, a teacher preparing a lesson unit would spend hours cutting, pasting, photocopying, and manually illustrating worksheets. Today, the same teacher can build an interactive, multimedia-rich course in a fraction of the time – complete with videos, quizzes, branching scenarios, and mobile-friendly layouts – using software available right on their device. The shift from traditional, print-based content creation to digital material development is one of the most significant changes in modern education, and the software tools driving this change are more powerful and accessible than ever before.

From printed pages to digital experiences 🔗

For most of the 20th century, educational materials were produced almost entirely through manual effort. Teachers wrote lesson notes by hand, content was typewritten and duplicated using stencil machines, and textbooks were static objects that couldn’t be updated without a new print run. Research analyzing the transition from printed to digital educational materials describes this shift as a genuine metamorphosis – not simply digitizing what already existed, but creating entirely new approaches to how content is designed, delivered, and experienced.

According to a review published in Frontiers in Education, the move from traditional classroom-based instruction to digital learning environments has been gradual, gaining major momentum with the introduction of Learning Management Systems (LMS) in the late 1990s and accelerating dramatically with the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced educators worldwide to adopt digital tools almost overnight. What was once a slow transition is now an expectation. Educators are no longer just content consumers – they are content creators, and the software they use directly shapes the quality of what learners experience.

What is educational authoring software? 🔗

An eLearning authoring tool is software that enables educators and instructional designers to create digital learning content – without needing to write code. These tools allow users to build structured courses that include interactive elements such as quizzes, videos, click-to-reveal interactions, and branching scenarios, all within a ready-to-use interface. The output can be published to a Learning Management System for learner access, or shared directly via the web.

Authoring tools come in several types. Desktop-based tools are installed locally and run offline, offering powerful, feature-rich environments. Cloud-based tools run in a browser, allow real-time collaboration, and require no installation. Open-source tools give developers the freedom to customize the code. And some authoring capabilities are built directly into LMS platforms like Moodle or Canvas, offering simpler but more limited creation options.

Key authoring tools educators use today 🔗

Articulate 360 (Storyline and Rise) 🔗

Articulate Storyline 360 uses a PowerPoint-style, slide-based approach to eLearning development, making it accessible to educators already familiar with presentation software. It supports screencasts, software simulations, branching content, and game-like interactions. Recent updates have added AI-powered features including auto-generated captions, alt text, and an accessibility checker. Rise 360, the other main tool in the Articulate suite, takes a simpler block-based approach suited to responsive, mobile-friendly content. Both are part of a subscription-based package with educational pricing and are compliant with SCORM – the standard format that allows courses to integrate with LMS platforms.

Adobe Captivate 🔗

Adobe Captivate is a comprehensive authoring tool designed for creating simulations, software demonstrations, quizzes, and scenario-based training. It supports exporting content to HTML5 and SCORM formats, making it compatible with a wide range of LMS platforms. Captivate also features responsive design – meaning content automatically adjusts to different screen sizes – and integrates with analytics tools for tracking learner performance. It has a steeper learning curve compared to some alternatives, but offers advanced capabilities for educators building detailed, interactive content.

H5P 🔗

H5P is an open-source framework for creating interactive HTML5 content directly in a browser. It integrates natively with Moodle and other LMS platforms, is fully mobile-responsive, and requires no installation. Educators can use it to build interactive videos, drag-and-drop activities, flashcards, timelines, and more. Because it’s open-source, it’s free to use – making it particularly valuable for schools and institutions with limited budgets. Its straightforward interface makes it one of the most beginner-friendly options available.

iSpring Suite 🔗

iSpring Suite allows educators to create interactive courses, quizzes, video lectures, and dialogue simulations directly within Microsoft PowerPoint, converting existing presentations into online courses that support a range of multimedia formats. For educators who already spend significant time building PowerPoint lessons, iSpring reduces the barrier to digital content development considerably.

Desktop publishing tools for educational materials 🔗

Not all educational content is delivered as a full eLearning course. Lesson plans, worksheets, handouts, study guides, and infographics are equally important – and this is where desktop publishing (DTP) software plays a central role. Desktop publishing tools combine layout control, typography, and visual design capabilities to help educators produce professional, print-ready, or digitally shareable documents.

Adobe InDesign 🔗

Adobe InDesign remains the industry standard for professional desktop publishing, dominating publishing houses, educational agencies, and enterprise teams. It offers precise control over typography, multi-page layouts, grids, and object styles. For educators developing textbooks, structured workbooks, or detailed curriculum documents, InDesign provides the highest level of layout precision. It also supports AI translation suggestions for multilingual materials, making it a strong choice for institutions working across languages.

Canva for Education 🔗

Canva Education has emerged as one of the most widely adopted design tools among teachers, largely because it is 100% free for verified educators and students. Its drag-and-drop interface, pre-built templates, and library of millions of images, icons, and layouts make it possible to create professional-looking presentations, posters, worksheets, infographics, and lesson plans with minimal design experience. Canva integrates with LMS platforms, supports real-time collaboration, and now includes AI tools – including a quiz generator, worksheet generator, and lesson planning assistant – that help educators produce materials faster. A study published in the Journal of Chemical Education found that interactive tools in the same design category had a measurable positive impact on student motivation and learning outcomes.

Microsoft Publisher and PowerPoint 🔗

For educators working in Microsoft-centric environments, Publisher and PowerPoint remain practical options. Microsoft PowerPoint is widely used for creating presentations, posters, and basic visual materials, especially in school and workplace settings. Publisher, though less commonly included in standard Office packages, offers stronger page layout capabilities for brochures, newsletters, and multi-column documents. Both tools work well alongside other Office applications, and PowerPoint in particular is familiar enough that educators can get started without any training.

How these tools change what’s possible in the classroom 🔗

Research published by the National Institutes of Health confirms that technology-enhanced learning leads to increased student attention, engagement, motivation, and communication skills. But the impact of content development software goes beyond just student outcomes – it fundamentally changes what teachers can create and how quickly they can create it.

With authoring tools, educators can build content that adapts to the learner. Branching scenarios let students follow different paths based on their answers. Quizzes provide instant automated feedback. Videos can be embedded directly into a lesson rather than shared as a separate link. These are capabilities that simply do not exist in traditional printed materials. Pre-programmed templates within authoring platforms also significantly reduce development time – educators can build professional-grade content without needing graphic design or programming skills.

The availability of SCORM-compliant outputs is another key advantage. SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) is a technical standard that allows content created in one tool to be uploaded and tracked in any compatible LMS. This means a course built in Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, or iSpring can be deployed through Moodle, Canvas, Blackboard, or dozens of other platforms – giving educators flexibility in how and where their materials are delivered.

Choosing the right tool for the right purpose 🔗

With so many options available, choosing the right software depends on what the educator needs to produce. Cloud-based tools work best for teams that need to collaborate on content simultaneously, while desktop tools are better suited for complex, highly customized builds. Open-source options like H5P are ideal for budget-conscious institutions that still want interactivity. For visual materials like handouts, posters, and infographics, Canva is a strong choice for most educators – while InDesign serves professional publishing workflows.

It’s also worth considering the learning curve. Tools like H5P and Canva are designed to be used immediately with minimal training. Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate offer significantly more depth and customization, but require a greater time investment to master. For educators new to digital content creation, starting with a simpler tool and scaling up over time is a practical approach.

The broader picture, as UNESCO emphasizes, is that technology in education is not just about tools – it’s about expanding learning possibilities, improving equity, and ensuring that quality materials can reach every learner regardless of geography or circumstance. The software educators choose plays a direct role in making that vision possible.

What do you think? As a teacher or instructional designer, which type of software – authoring tools like Articulate or Adobe Captivate, or design tools like Canva – do you find more practical for your day-to-day content creation? And do you think the shift toward digital educational materials has made teaching more effective, or has it added complexity that outweighs the benefits?

References

1. https://tokyotechlab.com/blogs/digital-transformation-in-education
2. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10758-023-09664-8
3. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/education/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1562391/full
4. https://elearningindustry.com/directory/software-categories/elearning-authoring-tools
5. https://www.elucidat.com/blog/elearning-authoring-tools/
6. https://www.gartner.com/reviews/market/elearning-authoring-tools
7. https://libraryhelp.ucsf.edu/hc/en-us/articles/25026321942295-E-Learning-Authoring-Tools-Assessment
8. https://help.ithaca.edu/TDClient/34/Portal/KB/PrintArticle?ID=2039
9. https://www.cheitgroup.com/blog/best-desktop-publishing-software
10. https://www.canva.com/education/teachers/
11. https://genially.com/solutions/elearning-authoring-tool/
12. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9684747/
13. https://elearningindustry.com/best-elearning-authoring-tools-and-course-creation-software
14. https://www.unesco.org/en/digital-education