Web-Based Course Development Tools

Web-based course development tools are software programs that facilitate the creation of online instructional material. These tools have become increasingly important in recent years; advances in technology have made e-learning more popular, but have done so without a parallel rise in the technological proficiency of educators attempting to design online courses. The conveniences of many web-based course development tools remove this problem, and the many types of applications currently in use have broadened the range of functions available to designers. This entry will discuss the major online course development tool innovations that have occurred in the recent years, the types of tools that are in common use among developers today, and the ways in which these tools may be utilized.