It’s great for technical training that needs to be updated often. Publish online allows for instant updates and converts to HTML5. Hyperlinks and buttons allow for navigation just like Captivate. I’m really surprised it’s not promoted as a terrific eLearning development tool!
Google docs is an interactive tool if you know how to use it
It’s my understanding that InDesign and Captivate have different functions as well.
The fist and most important reason that InDesign is not an authoring tool, is because it is not compatible with SCORM. InDesign is merely designed for design some products like magazine, books, etc. Yes, some of its features could be used for eLearning, but it is way far from being a professional authoring tool for eLearning.
I mentioned that reason as well, but a lot more. The way you need to design buttons, compared with what is possible in Captivate, already indicates clearly that ID is and remains a desktop publisher with features to create the so-called children books.
Since I have used both Captivate and InDesign, I have to disagree completely. InDesign has some interactivity features but they are way below what is possible with Captivate. It cannot compete with real eLearning authoring tools because in essence it remains a desktop publisher with added functionality to publish online books. That is not at all to be compared with what is necessary for efficient eLearning assets. The interactivity features you are mentioning were added for what is commonly indicated as ‘child books’ (Amazon). Books have been assets since decades for learning but a real eLearning course is IMO something totally different. eLearning is more than just hyperlinks and navigation buttons.
I have used the combination InDesign – Captivate in the past before the death of the Flash Player and before InDesign cancelled the possibility to embed SWFs. The embedded SWFs were interactive, and were combined with supplementary text. Sorry, but the way you need to create buttons and other features in InDesign feels really outdated when compared with Captivate’s features. AFAIK there is no way at all to collaborate with a LMS which is rather essential in an eLearning environment.
It’s probably that most people don’t understand it and simply stick with what other developers have used before. I think a good learning solution is any solution that works for you and your audience. My suggestion would be to blog about that here. I know I would love to learn more about how you use InDesign to create learning solutions.
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