Articulate Storyline vs Genially: which tool should you choose for your e-learning projects?

Looking to create engaging, interactive e-learning content? Wondering which tool to choose?

At Pimenko, we’re used to working with a variety of e-learning content creation tools: Articulate Storyline, Genially, H5P, audiovisual creation tools, various training platforms, etc.

Today, we’re going to take a look at two popular solutions and share our feedback for creating multimedia content for your e-learning projects: Articulate Storyline and Genially.

As the e-learning market continues to grow, numerous content creation tools have emerged in recent years. Articulate Storyline and Genially are two major players in this sector, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Let’s take a look at what sets them apart.

Articulate Storyline is recognized as one of the most powerful tools for creating interactive e-learning content. Here are its main advantages:

1. Flexibility and creative power: Storyline offers a veritable blank page, allowing great creative freedom to create highly complex, interactive modules.
2. Design and control of all actions down to the last millimeter: One of Storyline’s major assets is its ability to provide extremely precise control over design, actions and their triggering. You can fine-tune every element down to the last pixel, offering advanced customization and a professional rendering that’s unrivalled in our opinion.
3. Advanced scripting: Create scenarios with conditional branches, ideal for simulations and customized itineraries.
4. Variable management and javascript: this feature allows you to personalize the learning experience and create conditional paths or powerful functionalities. The use of javascript also makes it possible to meet complex technical needs that are sometimes quite useful.
5. SCORM compatibility: Excellent for integration with most LMSs on the market.
6. Active community: A large user base sharing resources and advice.

However, Storyline also has its drawbacks, depending on profiles and uses:

• High price: the Articulate 360 suite, which includes Storyline, costs several thousand euros. The tool is not for everyone, and almost regular use is required to make the investment worthwhile.
• Learning curve: it takes time to get to grips with the tool and exploit its full potential. We believe that to get the most out of Storyline, you generally need several months’ experience with the tool.
• Local installation: an advantage for some and a disadvantage for others, Storyline needs to be installed on your computer.

Genially is positioned as an all-in-one solution for the creation of interactive visual content. Its main features are :

1. Ease of use: intuitive interface for fast learning.
2. Ready-to-use templates: a large number of time-saving templates are available.
3. Versatility: creation of presentations, infographics, quizzes, and even educational escape games.
4. Real-time, online collaboration: ideal for remote teamwork.
5. Free version available: perfect for starting out with no investment.

However, Genially also has its limits, depending on your expectations:

• Less specialized in e-learning: advanced training functionalities are less developed than on Storyline.
• Limited variable management: although possible, less intuitive and powerful than Storyline.
• Customization: sometimes limited compared to the freedom offered by Storyline.

The choice between Articulate Storyline and Genially will depend on your specific needs and probably your profile.

For trainers and teachers:

• Genially can be the ideal tool for quickly creating visually appealing course materials and interactive presentations.
• Storyline is best suited to developing complete self-training modules and detailed simulations.

For teaching engineers :

• Storyline offers more possibilities for designing complex, tailor-made training courses.
• Genially can be used to quickly create additional resources or communication media.

For experienced e-learning professionals :

• Storyline remains the tool of choice for ambitious e-learning projects requiring advanced interactivity and precise learner tracking.
• Genially can complete the toolbox for specific needs in data visualization or rapid content creation.

Imagine you need to create an interactive training course on sustainable purchasing for a large company or public institution. Here’s how each tool could meet this need:

• Creation of a personalized learning path based on the learner’s role in the company
• Use of variables to adapt content to user choices
• Simulation of real-life purchasing situations with decision making
• Tailor-made design to faithfully reproduce the company’s working environment
• Interactive quizzes to test understanding of key concepts
• SCORM or xAPI / TinCan export for precise tracking in the company’s LMS

• Use pre-designed templates to quickly create visually appealing content
• Creation of interactive infographics on the principles of responsible purchasing
• Easy integration of explanatory videos and testimonials
• Creation of an interactive role-playing game to put the concepts learned into practice
• Easy to share via URL, ideal for rapid, large-scale distribution

For this MOOC, the tool will be used to create content to complement the main videos. Here’s how each tool can be put to good use:

• Create an interactive timeline with clickable points of interest
• Use of layers to present detailed information about each work
• Advanced quiz design with conditional feedback
• Creation of art restoration simulations
• xAPI content integration for detailed tracking of learner engagement

• Quickly create visually appealing presentations to summarize videos
• Use zooms and transitions to create an immersive experience in works of art
• Easy design of interactive activities such as art puzzles
• Simple integration of external content (YouTube videos, high-resolution images, etc.)

It’s crucial to remember that a tool, no matter how powerful, is nothing without a competent team to use it. Pedagogical engineering is at the heart of any successful e-learning project. Whether you choose Articulate Storyline, Genially, or any other tool, the success of your online training will depend above all on the quality of your instructional design.

Depending on the complexity of your project, our experienced teaching engineers will :

• Analyze training needs and define clear pedagogical objectives
• Structure content in a coherent and engaging way
• Design interactive activities that encourage active learning
• Choose the most appropriate media and formats for each course element
• Integrate effective evaluation mechanisms
• Optimize user experience to improve learner engagement

At Pimenko, we emphasize the importance of pedagogical engineering in all our projects, both for course creation and on our LMS platforms. We firmly believe that it’s the combination of solid pedagogical expertise, an experienced studio team and the right tools that creates successful learning experiences.

The choice of an authoring tool such as Articulate Storyline or Genially largely depends on your specific needs, e-learning design experience and available resources. Each tool has its strengths and weaknesses, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Articulate Storyline stands out for its power and flexibility, offering precise design control and advanced functionality for complex e-learning projects. It is often the ideal tool for experienced professionals looking to create highly interactive and personalized training courses, but will also appeal to less experienced users.

Genially stands out for its ease of use and versatility. With its numerous templates and intuitive interface, it enables rapid creation of visually appealing content, making it an excellent choice for a wide audience or for projects requiring rapid production.

Remember, the tool is only part of the equation! The key to success in any e-learning project lies in solid pedagogical engineering, a competent team and a clear vision of the learning objectives.