How To Use Software To Create E-Learning Courses Step by Step

Creating e-learning courses isn’t as simple as picking the first tool you see online. The software market is crowded, and every tool claims to be “the best.” If you’re building your first online training, you have to ask: which features actually matter, and how do you get from blank page to a finished course that works on every platform? I’ll walk you through a full process using the latest practical tools - including ways i’ve seen Colossyan help teams move faster and get reliably better results.

Step 1 - Define goals, audience, and constraints

Before you touch any software, get clear:

What do you need learners to do differently after this training? Is this about compliance (pass/fail tracking is mandatory), a skills demo (video and branching scenarios), or general awareness (maybe just a video is fine)? 

Map out outcomes. Decide what type of content suits each outcome - like demo videos, quizzes, or roleplays.

Now, check your limits: Do you need SCORM or xAPI tracking? (Corporate compliance or regulated industries always do.) What about accessibility? (Follow WCAG/508 if you have any US or government users.) Need to serve mobile devices as well? Is translation required? And do you have rules about where data lives (for GDPR or ISO 27001 reasons)?

Example: If you’re rolling out cybersecurity onboarding across the US and Europe, you’ll probably want SCORM 2004 courses with a pass mark, mobile layouts, and the ability to translate content into Spanish and German.

Step 2 - Choose your software stack (authoring, video, lms/lrs)

Most first-timers get stuck here because feature lists are overwhelming. Focus on a few things that actually make a difference: standards support, usability, translation, tracking, collaboration, and price.

Look for tools that support SCORM 1.2/2004, xAPI, cmi5, and HTML5 output - this gives you the most LMS/LXP compatibility. If you want to avoid re-uploading files every time, dynamic SCORM (auto-syncs updates) saves a ton of trouble.

For fast builds, prioritize drag-and-drop interfaces, AI assistance, and quality templates. Cloud tools make collaboration and real-time review easier - these also scale better for bigger teams. For translation, integrated auto-translate or multilanguage variants make global rollouts much simpler.

There are over 200 authoring tools tracked by industry sites. The top-reviewed (iSpring Suite, for example) have wide adoption, but cloud-centric options like Elucidat, Articulate 360, and Easygenerator are consistently called out for speed, collaboration, and rapid updates. Some desktop tools (Storyline, Captivate, iSpring) give you deeper control, but collaboration and updates are slower.

Example stacks - if you want:

- Speed and simplicity: Easygenerator (dynamic SCORM, translation) + Colossyan (AI video modules) + your LMS

- Enterprise: Articulate 360 or Elucidat (all-in-one, translation, collaboration) + Colossyan (branded video) + LRS for analytics + LMS

- Budget/open-source: Open eLearning for course packaging, Colossyan for video, and Moodle for hosting/tracking

How does Colossyan fit? I’ve seen teams save hours using doc-to-video to instantly convert policies or PDFs into video, import PPTs with speaker notes as narration, and apply brand kits for consistency. SCORM 1.2/2004 export, completion tracking, instant script translation, and workspace collaboration give you what you need to stay compliant, look professional, and move quickly.

Step 3 - Prepare your source materials

Pull together policies, SOPs, existing slide decks, interview notes from experts - whatever forms your content foundation.

Standardize wording, terminology, and tone before you start authoring. This avoids hours of rewriting.

If using Colossyan, I can upload a PDF policy, and doc-to-video builds the scenes and narration automatically. Slide-heavy? Import your PPT - slides become scenes and narration, then just add avatars or visuals as needed. Want to gamify? Port content sections into Genially, lay over quizzes or leaderboards, and use their built-in translation (83% of employees feel more motivated when training is gamified).

Step 4 - Script and storyboard your learning path

Now sketch out the learning journey - intro, objectives, key concepts, practice/demo, quiz, wrap-up.

Decide where you want interaction: knowledge checks, branching dialogue, “what would you do next?” decision points.

In my work, I script narration directly in Colossyan’s Script Box. If something sounds off, the built-in AI assistant can rewrite or tighten up language fast. For tricky brand or technical terms, custom pronunciations avoid mispronunciation. When I want a scenario, Conversation Mode lets me add multiple avatars and script a back-and-forth (think: manager and employee roleplay).

Step 5 - Build the course (modules, media, and interactions)

In authoring tools, drag in widgets for click-to-reveal, hotspots, branching. For video modules, I:

1. Pick a template and apply the Brand Kit (brand colors, fonts, logos-this keeps things on-brand without fuss).

2. Add an avatar and voice. Sometimes I even clone a voice for true consistency.

3. Drop in media as needed - screen-record my app for a demo, or generate images with AI.

4. Add in-video checks - MCQs for quiz completion, or branching scenes for adaptive paths.

5. Preview each scene and the full course, fine-tuning pausing and animation until it flows right.

For technical skills, I record the screen to show a process flow, have the avatar narrate, add “What would you do next?” checkpoints with branching, and then export SCORM 2004 for direct LMS upload - including pass mark criteria and quiz tracking.

Step 6 - Localize and personalize at scale

Translation kills most e-learning projects’ timelines. The only way to deliver fast is with built-in auto-translate.

Tools like Elucidat, Articulate 360, Easygenerator, Mindsmith, and Genially all support bulk translation - from 30 up to 160+ languages. In Colossyan, I select a target language, and all scripts, on-screen prompts, and interaction text are translated instantly. I can choose a local voice or assign a cloned voice to each locale, and if text expansion makes things ugly, I just export a draft for manual layout fixes.

Step 7 - QA, accessibility, and mobile readiness

You need to check every standard: alt text for visuals, color contrast, keyboard navigation, closed captions, and clear reading order.

In authoring platforms, look for built-in accessibility checkers - Lectora is strong on this. Cloud tools like Elucidat, Rise, and Gomo auto-adapt layouts for mobile screens, but I always preview layouts on multiple devices before release.

Within Colossyan, I can export captions in SRT/VTT, reformat the canvas for mobile aspect ratios (16:9, 9:16, or 1:1), and use grid tools to maintain alignment and clarity, scene by scene.

Step 8 - Publish, integrate, and track

The final output is usually a SCORM (1.2/2004) or xAPI package for your LMS/LXP. Some tools offer dynamic SCORM - one upload, instant course updates thereafter. Mindsmith, Easygenerator, Genially, and Elucidat all support some form of auto-update.

With Colossyan, I can export a video to SCORM (with pass/fail for interactive checks), plain video, audio, or just the captions. I share drafts by link or upload to our LMS. In-video analytics let me see play counts, average watch time, and quiz results - exported to CSV for deeper analysis or reporting.

Step 9 - Measure outcomes and iterate

Once it’s live, don’t stop. Track completion rates, time-on-task, average scores, drop-off points, and language-specific results.

If you use Colossyan, the analytics show scene-by-scene drop-offs and quiz scores. If a scene loses half the viewers or a quiz question has low scores, I fix the content, regenerate the updated video, and re-upload. Using templates and brand kits, batch updates are easy, so every course in a series stays consistent.

Real-world examples you can model

Safety microlearning: Doc-to-video on Colossyan (with instant translation) + Easygenerator course shell + LMS. Export as SCORM, publish, and track instantly.

Sales scenario: Use only Colossyan for scenario-based roleplays with branching. Export to SCORM, set pass mark, analyze performance post-launch.

Budget academic: Open eLearning (desktop, free) for course build, Colossyan for AI videos via PPT import, Moodle for hosting.

Tool shortlists by need

Cloud/fast: Elucidat, Articulate Rise, Gomo, Evolve, Easygenerator

Desktop/custom: Adobe Captivate, Storyline, iSpring

Translation: Articulate, Elucidat, Easygenerator, Gomo, Genially, Mindsmith

Gamification: Genially

Accessibility: Lectora, Mindsmith

Open source/free: Open eLearning

Checklists and templates

Pre-production: Set objectives, standards (SCORM/xAPI), accessibility, brand, languages

Authoring: Choose template, apply brand kit, map interactions, plan analytics, mobile test

Localization: Translate scripts, assign voices, QA layouts, review in-market

Launch: Check SCORM version and pass mark, LMS test, attach captions, validate analytics

Glossary

SCORM: LMS-ready package with built-in tracking.

xAPI: Flexible tracking for granular learning activities.

cmi5: Both SCORM-like package and xAPI tracking.

LTI: Standard plug-in for platform integration.

WCAG/508: Accessibility standards.

Dynamic SCORM: Auto-updating SCORM package, no new upload needed.

Where Colossyan fits

I use Colossyan at these stages:

- Prepare: Convert docs or slides to video fast, apply brand kit, add avatars/voices.

- Author: Script scenes, add quizzes or branching, use Conversation Mode for role-plays.

- Localize: Instantly translate script and UI, assign local voices, export variants.

- QA: Export captions, resize for mobile, grid-align visuals.

- Launch: Export as SCORM with pass mark, upload to LMS or share link, export analytics.

- Iterate: Repair or refine scenes based on analytics, leverage templates for mass updates.

Final takeaway

Start with sharp learning goals, pick tools with necessary standards and fast workflows, and don’t overlook translation or analytics. Community resources are helpful for comparing options, but clear checklists and software with good templates, instant export, and built-in video modules (like Colossyan) make your first-or next-course launch a lot smoother.