Item: Adobe Captivate
Rating: 8
Author: Marisa Pedro

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I'm currently using Adobe Captivate to develop an e-learning course that will replace the course that we used to do in person. Adobe Captivate was chosen because it will allow for an instructional video, software simulation, and quizzes/assessments to determine learning.

Pros and Cons

Very customizable. There is not a color or font that I can't change.
Quizzes and assessments.
Ability to upload video and content.

I like the software simulation, but it's really only good for point-and-click and typing software simulations. In terms of movement within the software, it doesn't do well. I can understand it would be difficult, but it was still something I wished for while I'd been building.
There are some features that are very hard to find. I stumbled upon the skin editor. I stumbled upon the object manager. I can't tell you how many negative comments I received about the skin before realizing I could change it. I can't tell you how much time I wasted going slide by slide to change objects only to find that I could do it in one go with the object manager.
Audio and video editing. I create all my video content in Camtasia and then export it to MP4 to load into Adobe Captivate.

Most Important Features

Indexing/chaptering
Quizzes and assessments
Software simulation

Return on Investment

N/A because we are a government agency.

Alternatives Considered

Camtasia

There is no comparison, really. Camtasia is the first product I thought of, but I use those two products concurrently to achieve my ultimate goal. I use Camtasia because the features there are not available in Adobe Captivate. I use Adobe Captivate because the features in Adobe Captivate are not available in Camtasia. The two programs complement each other.

Key Insights

Do you think Adobe Captivate delivers good value for the price?

Not sure

Are you happy with Adobe Captivate's feature set?

Yes

Did Adobe Captivate live up to sales and marketing promises?

I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process

Did implementation of Adobe Captivate go as expected?

I wasn't involved with the implementation phase

Would you buy Adobe Captivate again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Camtasia, Microsoft Powerpoint

Likelihood to Recommend

The software is great for creating a very curated, specific training that will meet your needs. It would not be appropriate if you need to create something quickly. It took me some time to learn the software... and I'm still constantly going to the help site to learn how to do other things.

Adobe Captivate review

Overall Satisfaction with Adobe Captivate