Lectora Inspire 11 vs. Storyline & Capitvate

fjordblue

My company is in the process of selecting an eLearning authoring tool. We are really impressed with Lectora Inspire, when comparing to Storyline & Captivate. Just curious about the large price difference...Inspire $2495 Storyline $1398 Captivate $895. Any feedback/insights welcomed.

ssneg

Lectora Inspire ($2495) is a bundle that also includes Camtasia 8, Flypaper and SnagIt. You can try comparing Storyline and Lectora Publisher (around $1500 I think).

gwhite3227

Great Response Sergey!  I will be conducting a live demo on Lectora Inspire tomorrow at 11 am est.  You can sign up on our website!

djumeau

Hi Tony,

I had used Captivate 8 for training last year. I had several issues. First, Firefox incompatibility. As of the beginning of the year (2015), I came to understand that the responsive HTML5 generated course is incompatible with FireFox browser. (https://forums.adobe.com/message/6448420) I saw that there is a work around but this applies to CP 6.1. (http://www.rcfouchaux.ca/blog/2013/05/28/captivate-html5-in-firefox) I came to understand that Adobe and the Firefox team do not have a very good relationship. (http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=2719949)

Second, is performance. It generates a huge JavaScript file. So although they claim that it works on mobile, I find that a disclaimer is needed to be used in a high bandwidth environment. (Granted that e-learning needs this kind of environment since we are dealing with media.)

I currently use StoryLine 1. Most of the output is Flash generated.  If your client is okay using the Flash plugin, it's pretty stable. Storyline 2 from what I understand has more animated features.

Lectora is HTML based. I cannot make an assessment of it until I have used it for a few months and master the program. (I recently obtained a copy of Lectora Inspire 12.)

 

Good luck,

David

juliesherman

Lectora Inspire also includes eLearning Brothers HUGE suite of Lectora and Camtasia pre-designed templates.  You can check them out here: https://lectora-library.elearningbrothers.com/. In addition to the templates, Camtasia, and SnagIt, Lectora includes a tool called ReviewLink, which is an online collaboration piece.  Great for team course development, working with SMEs, and very useful when it comes to sending your course out to management for approval/review.  If you have any questions about these tools, please let me know.

rgs55

In my opinion, you cannot really compare Lectora, (Storyline) and Captivate as a primary eLearning authoring tool. Lectora provides a lot of flexibility and functionality to fully customize your courses - I do not believe the other two do. I use Captivate (I can't speak for Storyline, but do have some experience with Articulate) as a support tool for Lectora for animations, demonstrations and simulations. I've developed stand-alone Captivate WBTs based on the project's requirements, but oftentimes regret it since we almost always experience scope creep - once the client reviews the project, they want the additional features and functionality that Captivate either cannot deliver or is much more difficult to deliver.

I recognize that a learning curve may be a factor and I respect that, but just keep in mind that generally speaking, the easier and quicker it is to learn the tool, the less capability and flexibility it will have.

So when considering an eLearning authoring tool, you should first and foremost, consider your needs and whether or not the tool will meet them, but also consider your team's ability to learn the tool. Captivate and from what I hear, Storyline, are good products but just make sure they will meet your needs for your eLearning courses.

I appreciate the flexibility of a full-featured authoring system where I have the option to develop a basic quick turnaround project or a highly complex project, and everything in between. My vote would be for Lectora. :-)

theav-ator

Just to interject another thought, your choice may also be based on your LMS. We have both Lectora and Captivate, but almost never use Captivate because it doesn't play nice with our LMS. Another group in the corporation had some training built in Captivate and I spent hours and hours trying to figure out why it wasn't passing completion variables and data back to our LMS to no avail. Finally we just had them give us the new files as flash outputs and then dropped them into Lectora and published SCORM from there - no issues.

I haven't used Storyline, so I can't say too much about it. To me though, it seems more like a Powerpoint add-on whereas Lectora and Captivate are more ground up/custom build solutions.

mlapl1

I hope this does not disrupt the thread too much but I was intrigued (and found ingenious) @TheAv-ator's solution of dropping someone else's flash files into Lectora and publishing as SCORM. How would you actually do that? How would you pass variables etc.? Sounds interesting.

Thanks and apologies for this new direction.

Andrew

jdwilliford

Andrew -

I'm in a situation similar to @The_AV-ator's  My current project uses Captivate for software simulations that we publish as .swf files, dropping them inside of a Lectora 'shell' with other tutorial content. But, we only pass a single completion variable at the end each simulation, using an 'On Exit' event in Captivate to trigger a javascript:  VarDone.set('1'); where "Done" is the name of our variable in Lectora. We're doing this with Lectora Inspire 11 & 12 and Captivate 7. Hope that's helpful!

JD

mlapl1

Thank you! Of course! Nice one. That increases flexibility quite a bit. Very helpful!

Andrew

jgonzales4183

Hi everyone.

Anyone here tried to create a Module using Lectora Inspire, and once uploaded to LMS and the users has already completed the module on 1st attempt, is it possible for the users to re-take the whole module to review the whole process without Tracking or recording to LMS that it was their 2nd attept already? Is Lectora can do this kind of process?

*I've come up with this kind of dilemma because of someone using Captivate asked me if this process also works in Lectora Inspire, since this actually works in Captivate.*

Thank you for your thoughts, in advance!

theav-ator

@mlapl1

@jdwilliford I think we think along the same lines.

For our project, they only cared that they viewed the whole course/video - there was no questioning or testing or check on learning through the course. It was basically a Captivate video that someone else created.

So they gave us a SWF file that I dropped into a 2 page Lectora course. On the SWF file I had the action: On Done Playing, modify AICC_Lesson_Status, set equal to "completed". I then had a second action: on done playing, goto next page, if AICC_Lesson_Status equal to "completed". The second page was really just an exit button that closes out the course and takes them back to the LMS screen. Not sure if this is the best way possible, but it seemed to work pretty well.

You could probably do a hidden button that shows instead of a new page, this just worked better for us with the background stuff being so busy looking.

theav-ator

@jgonzales418

My thinking is yes.

You would have to track that it was more than their first run through the course and then if greater than 1, don't submit the completion variables. You'd have to play around with some variables and the tracking of those variables, but it should be able to be done. I'm sure someone has more experience with it.

Another way is to basically make a duplicate course in the course that remains hidden until the person passes the course a first time. Then the next time they enter the first page of the course, they are then directed to the hidden course where everything is open or doesn't submit any completion variables. Each subsequent visit directs them to the hidden course then. being that there are essentially two full courses in there, file size and loading times would be affected.

(this one is not Lectora driven but another option) Or, you could publish 2 versions of it and let your LMS do the directing. make the 1st course a pre-req for the 2nd course. Then, after they've completed the 1st course, it opens the 2nd course for use. When they do the second course, it's set to not pass any variables either.

jvalley4735

I did a side by side comparison on my personal blog a couple months ago if you want to check it out http://jennifervalley.blogspot.com/2015/01/captivate-8-vs-lectora-v12-vs-storyline.html

jenny-james

Read Jennifer Valley's blog on Lectora vs Storyline vs Captivate.  Well-done comparison.  I hope she will update it when we all have trailed L16.

jvalley4735

Thanks Jenny! I actually updated it recently to include Captivate 9 along with a couple smaller aspects. I'll definitely revisit once L16 is ready.

http://jennifervalley.blogspot.com/2015/10/adobe-captivate-9-v-articulate.html

dirk

Hi Jodi,

" is it possible for the users to re-take the whole module to review the whole process without Tracking or recording to LMS that it was their 2nd attept already? Is Lectora can do this kind of process?"

Any descent LMS will track any attempt of any e-elearning lesson that is launched. You cannot 'hide' this from the LMS. You can however in Lectora (and that is a huge advantage compared to articulate and captive) manipulate very easily any status or score data before sending it to the LMS (eventually after receiving those from a previous attempt from het LMS)

klaatu

Jodi, what you are asking for is a function of the Learning Management System. Your LMS should have a setting to "lock lesson upon completion" or something similar. It is a very important feature for the exact reason you describe.

klaatu

On ours it's called Lock Lesson Status After Completion.

DRS

 

Chris Paxton

Hi FjordBlue-
I have used Lectora since 2007 and Captivate since 2012. My prefernce is to just use Captivate in Lectora when building software simulations, but I have had a few clients that prefer things developed in Captivate.

Of course, as mentioned above, the additions that come with Lectora are huge and it might depend on what LMS you are using, but with any tool you are going to have some "challenges" with your LMS.

To me the biggest advantage is the testing abilities! Lectora has the most flexible quizzing options and if you are needing to ensure the learner "learned" something that is huge! And with the move to xAPI, Lectora is leaps and bounds ahead of the others when it comes to working with "big data".

They way I "sell it" is, while Lectora has a larger price tag up front...what it can give a company in the way of data to ensure a learner has comprehended the training, thus ensuring the value of the training department and the developers can not be measured. Check with your legal department and see what a lawsuit could cost the company; and if you (as a developer) could show that the employee knew what they needed to know and knew company policy, but choose to act outside of the training and policy...how much value is in that....and that has justified the price difference of Lectora.

bmazy6337

I'm in the same boat!! I did cbt - elearning for about 20 years. I was so used to using flash as my authoring tool.

So today we own a day spa and massage school and working on making my template with Lectora and loving it! Have to be honest, I was drawn to captivate being an adobe product! But found to many drawbacks and found Lectora on a google search and so glad I did!!

Happy e-learning.. Or now as it is now m-learning!

bmazy6337

I'm in the same boat!! I did cbt - e-learning for about 20 years. I was so used to using flash as my authoring tool.

So today we own a day spa and massage school and working on making my template with Lectora and loving it! Have to be honest, I was drawn to captivate being an adobe product! But found to many drawbacks and found Lectora on a google search and so glad I did!!

Happy e-learning.. Or now as it is now m-learning!

kbarker3436

I have been using Storyline for a little over a year and am just starting my first project in Lectora.  Let me tell you...it is worth the money.  Not only all the fun other software that comes with it (eLearning Brothers, Camtasia, Snagit), but you can get in touch with support right away to answer questions.  And if you have to make your courses 508 complaint, Lectora is the way to go.

ltaylor

Did you get an answer to your question?

comalley5856

<span class="handle-sign">@&lt;/span>rgs55

Unfortunately, I have been away from the forum for quite awhile, so much that I recently earned the title of Lectora newbie (ha ha)... shame on me!

Anyhow, this post caught my eye. As a long-time Lectora user (since 2007) and one who has also developed in Storyline 1 and 2, I have some definite opinions about these tools... can't speak to Captivate though.

I agree with you Roz - there is no comparison, and your comment  is exactly what I was getting at in my recent LinkedIn post. You said... "when considering an eLearning authoring tool, you should first and foremost, consider your needs and whether or not the tool will meet them, but also consider your team’s ability to learn the tool. Captivate and from what I hear, Storyline, are good products but just make sure they will meet your needs for your eLearning courses."

I've never found Lectora difficult to learn - I actually think it is very logical. My theory is that people gravitate to Storyline because it is an easy jump for them from PowerPoint. So you either think like one tool - or you think like the other tool. Don't get me wrong, there are things I like about Storyline but there are more things I like about Lectora and I've found there are things I can do in Lectora that I cannot do in Storyline - or it takes much longer to accomplish.

Here is a very basic example: In Lectora, I can insert a Table (an e-learning 'necessity' for data comparisons, etc.) onto a page in a couple of clicks but in Storyline, there is no option to add a table. What?! So, let's say I'm a first time developer in Storyline ... I'm going to spend (how much time?) hunting and pecking to find the table option, only to eventually discover it's not there. But one option I do have is to create the table outside of Storyline and insert it into my course as an image. Gee... is there text in the table? Now I have to layer text boxes over the image of the Table because best practice tells me that I should never embed text into an image. Oh, and I'm going to hope it all lines up perfectly on my mobile devices. Oh, wait - let's scratch the table in this course.

I absolutely agree - when looking for a tool - it's really important to know the consequences of your decision. You know what they say - time is money - so spend wisely. Although Lectora carries a higher cost - it is put together so well and offers so many options and flexibility, I think you actually save time in the long run.

Something I've just started to do is share my comparisons (at the task level) of what can be done in these tools and do some time trials. I mean to do this in a constructive manner and hope it will be accepted at face-value. It's not my goal to 'knock the other guy' because every tool has it's strengths and like-abilities. I just think it's only fair to incorporate accurate development times into your e-Learning budget, based on your tool of choice. It's fair to the learning organizations, as well as the developers and the business leaders.

Comments are welcome.

johnfromdon

We once used Flash files - captured movies from MS FlightSimulator that synched up with audio - that sent out variables to be captured in the Lectora element - worked a dream. SCORM compliant too