Every year, Jane Hart collects and analyzes lists of top 10 tools for learning. Some of these are my personal learning tools; others are what I use to create learning for others. You can vote for your top 10 tools for learning until August 30, 2024. My list of top ten tools below isn’t ranked. Instead, I have grouped them based on whether I use them to create learning for others or as a tool for my own personal development. Many of the tools below are the same ones I used in 2022 when I last shared a list, but this year I added 3 new tools: Claude, Midjourney, and Raindrop.
Jane will publish the results from this survey on Monday, September 2, 2024. ChatGPT was #4 on the list last year, and I expect that more AI tools
Tools I use to create learning experiences for others
I use these tools for creating learning experiences for others.
Claude
I didn’t have any AI tools on my top ten list two years ago. Currently, Claude is the LLM I use most often. Like ChatGPT, it can assist me with a range of tasks through text prompting. I’ve used Claude for multiple purposes:
- Brainstorming scenario ideas
- Drafting scenario questions, choices, and consequences
- Generating specific details for scenarios to flesh out characters and settings
- Drafting multiple choice questions and practice activity directions
- Generating summaries, closing paragraphs, and intros from provided content
- Analyzing common requirements across multiple job descriptions to create lists of skills for career growth
- Rewriting content for different purposes or with a different tone or reading level
- Brainstorming more interesting ideas for presentation and workshop titles
- Summarizing handwritten meeting notes and pulling out specific highlights
- Reformatting voice over scripts into tables and automatically generating file names
I find that Claude is fairly effective at matching writing style when I give it examples. Claude doesn’t train its AI on the data you provide in prompts to train its AI in most instances (with exceptions like customer support and content flagged for safety issues). I’m positive I could do more with it than I am right now, but I currently use Claude multiple times a week to improve my efficiency or brainstorm better ideas. I could use ChatGPT for all of the above, but I generally prefer Claude.
Midjourney
Midjourney is another new tool on my list for this year. I use Midjourney to create images. I have primarily been using it for my blog and for personal samples and experimentation, but I have started using it for client projects as well. Midjourney can create character images for scenarios. It can also create a series of images in a consistent style. While I still use stock image libraries for some projects, I think AI image generators like Midjourney will replace a lot of the stock images and character images moving forward.
Twine
Twine is my favorite tool for creating branching scenarios. After struggling to write them and make them work in linear tools, it’s amazing how much faster I can develop multiple connected paths in Twine. Plus, it’s free and open source, with an active developer community working to extend its functionality and user communities for support.
Articulate 360 (primarily Storyline)
Most of the elearning content I build for clients is created in Articulate Storyline, part of the Articulate 360 suite. Storyline is fairly easy to develop with, but flexible enough to do plenty with if you’re creative.
Articulate Review saves me tons of time collecting feedback from clients and stakeholders. I use Rise for some development as well, depending on the project.
Affinity Designer
I use Affinity Designer nearly every week to edit images for elearning and my blog. It’s the tool I use for editing SVG characters like in this Twine scenario. I use Affinity Photo as well, often switching between the two depending on which tools I need. These are great replacements for Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop at a much more affordable price.
SnagIt
I use SnagIt all the time for quick screenshots. If I need to quickly show a colleague or client how to do something, or I need to show an error for troubleshooting, SnagIt is the perfect tool.
PowerPoint
For all that it is a much maligned tool, PowerPoint is still a regular part of my toolbox. I use it to create mock-ups of elearning layouts and occasionally for basic image editing. As I regularly speak at conferences and online events, I also use PowerPoint to create slides for those sessions.
Personal Development: My own continuous learning tools
Raindrop
The third new tool on my list this year is Raindrop. I spend time nearly every day reading and learning online. Reading a lot is great, but I also need a way to find sources again when I need them. When I read something interesting, I bookmark it so it’s easy to find and refer to later when I need it. I also use these saved links to curate resources for blog posts every 4-5 weeks. In the past, I used Diigo for this purpose. This year, I migrated to Raindrop as my bookmarking tool. It lets me quickly save and tag links and add descriptions. The workflow for collecting those links into blog posts is actually easier with Raindrop than it was with Diigo.
WordPress
WordPress has been my tool of choice for blogging for over 15 years. This is the place I do most of my personal reflective learning. Frequently, I don’t know what I really think about a topic until I write about it. Writing helps me connect ideas and clarifies my understanding.
In addition, my blog is a place where I try to help others learn. When I “work out loud” and demonstrate how I accomplished something, others can read and benefit from that. When readers email me or comment about how helpful something was, I know I’m meeting that goal too. In addition, clients find me through my blog. If they read something I wrote and find it helpful, they already trust my expertise before they even contact me.
Slack
I’m in several Slack groups related to L&D. If I’m stuck on something and need help figuring out how to solve a problem or negotiate with a client, I generally use the Slack chat for the Online Network of Independent Learning Professionals (ONILP).
As is always the case though, what makes it work well is the community of people, not the tool. Slack certainly enables that community to stay in touch, but no community can happen without the investment of time and effort.
Past top ten tools posts
Interested in how this list has changed over time? I posted my top ten tools for learning in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2021 and 2022.
Don’t forget to add your vote for your top 10 tools for learning by 8/30/24!
Hi! Thank you so much for your recommendations. I just started my masters degree in Instructional Technology and Design. I will have to check out the programs listed above. Are there any specific ones you recommend for a newbie?
Raindrop is a great one to start using as you work through your masters program. That will let you bookmark useful resources as you learn and do research. By the time you graduate, you could have a great library already of links to reference and continue your learning.
If you’re hoping to get into instructional design and elearning development for workplace training after graduation, you probably need to learn Storyline. It’s not cheap, although there is a student discount. Hopefully you’ll have the opportunity to get some hands-on practice in your masters program. If not, plan to invest some time in learning Storyline and creating some samples.
Thank you so much, Christy! I will make sure to read the posts you suggested. Your articles are incredibly valuable and always a pleasure to read.
Best regards,
Laura
I’m glad this post helped point you to some useful tools! Since you’re interested in moving into the elearning field, you might also want to check out my posts on instructional design careers. I have collected a number of additional resources to help people get started in the field.
https://christytuckerlearning.com/instructional-design-careers/
Hello Christy,
I am looking to make a professional move into the world of e-learning. I recently discovered it and find it fascinating. I love your blog and newsletter—your articles are always very helpful, especially this one.
Thank you!
Laura (from Montevideo, Uruguay)