Educator-oriented Authoring Tools to Develop Rich Educational Media: A Systematic Review

The adoption of Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) has expanded considerably over the past few decades. While a variety of technologies such as Web-based Learning and Interactive Multimedia are extensively used, the utilization of Rich Educational Media (REM) such as Serious Games (SG) and Extended Reality (ER) is limited due to the complexity in developing them. REMs make use of complex content (e.g., 3D graphics, interactive and dynamic virtual worlds) to deliver learning concepts or activities to learners. Their development requires experts in various fields (e.g., programmers, artists) and the usage of specific tools (e.g., 3D software, gaming engines). Authoring Tools (AT) can expedite and simplify the development process, usually providing features to address all aspects of REMs within one tool. Some ATs have been developed specifically for educators with the purpose of enabling them to become creators themselves, thus minimizing dependencies on other experts and thus reducing development complexity and costs. In this study, we present a systematic literature analysis to identify existing educator-oriented ATs for the development of REMs, describing tools’ features, workflow, and assessment methods of the tools and REMs produced.