How to Learn Adobe Captivate Online

If you’re just starting to learn a new skill, you can find dozens of tips and resources online; learning Adobe Captivate is no different.Adobe Captivate is a productivity tool for creating elearning resources, including screen captures, interactive videos, virtual reality walkthroughs, and multi-module courses. Adobe Captivate is used by creative professionals across industries worldwide. If you’ve always wanted to learn Adobe Captivate, there are plenty of options at your fingertips. From free tutorials to live classes, your options are outlined here so you can decide how to learn in a way that works best for you. 

What is Adobe Captivate?

Adobe Captivate is software for creating elearning content such as videos, slide shows, presentations, and software simulations. As a productivity tool, Adobe Captivate allows users to quickly turn out demonstrations and simulations. The program even allows easy conversion of PowerPoint presentations into elearning formats.

Managers, Human Resources personnel, Educators, and other professionals involved in training use Adobe Captivate to create learning materials easily. Adobe Captivate presentations include responsive design to fit any device. Including desktop, web, tablet, and mobile. Users can easily create interactive videos, virtual reality walkthroughs, screencasts, multi-module courses, and quizzes.

Read more about what Adobe Captivate is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Adobe Captivate?

Adobe Captivate is a powerful tool for creating elearning materials in various mediums. Adobe Captivate supports the creation of interactive videos, virtual reality walkthroughs, screencasts, multi-module courses, and quizzes. These tools are ideal for training specialists needing to create onboarding tools for new employees, along with virtual skill or safety demonstrations.

Adobe Captivate is also extremely useful for creating online courses. Virtual walkthroughs can demonstrate practical skills, and screencasting can simulate software use. Multi-model branches allow courses to organize lessons and follow each training session with interactive quizzes. This makes Adobe Captivate ideal for any business wanting to create and sell online courses.

Lastly, anyone can use Adobe Captivate to make creative videos and presentations. Adobe Captivate's responsive design features ensure finished videos and projects are compatible with any device, including desktop, web, and mobile, ensuring viewability from anywhere. Virtual tours, screen captures, and interactive slideshows can make for dynamic visual media for usage in meetings or as marketing products.

Live Online Adobe Captivate Training

The main perk of live online training is its availability. Students can learn from anywhere they find convenient, provided they have a reliable internet connection. This removes the commute time from a student's schedule and allows them to learn in an environment they find comfortable. Online courses also often offer more flexible programs than in-person classrooms, which work well for parents and workers with busy schedules. In terms of engagement, live online classes try to replicate physical classrooms with hands-on projects and live instructors and students interacting together in real time.

There are a number of live online Adobe Captivate training options. Available classes teach both beginner and advanced techniques. Noble Desktop’s Adobe courses can be taken in person in NYC or live online from anywhere. The Intro to Adobe Captivate course covers all the essentials of the program for beginners.

On-Demand Adobe Captivate Classes

On-demand and self-paced Adobe Captivate training options are often free and ideal for students who prefer to learn at their own pace or are too busy to attend regular training. On-demand training on beginner and advanced techniques for Microsoft Captivate is available through skill-sharing websites such as YouTube, Udemy, and Coursera. However, it’s important to keep in mind that this method is that students must rely on self-motivation to progress through the material. They also lack an instructor to turn to for guidance if they encounter any problems.

Free Intro Courses & Tutorials

If you’re interested in Adobe Captivate but aren’t ready to dive into a full course, you can start learning Adobe Captivate for free online. Free online courses are ideal for beginner learners to start their journey as they often feature overviews of a program. You can find such free courses through skill-sharing websites such as Youtube, Coursera, or Udemy. In these courses, you’ll find overviews of Adobe Captivate as well as task-specific videos, such as how to add interactive elements, work with fluid boxes, and integrate PowerPoint slides. 

However, many of these courses teach older versions of Adobe Captivate. While most of Adobe Captivate’s features are consistent through subsequent iterations, newer versions may possess previously unseen features or place features in different locations. It can also be impossible to verify whether these courses' information is quality or correct. While these free online classes can be valuable and cost-effective for beginners, they aren’t ideal for professionals looking to learn comprehensive Adobe Captivate skills to advance their careers. 

Read about more free Adobe Captivate videos and online tutorials.

Comparing Online Methods with In-Person Learning 

You can learn Adobe Captivate from three training formats: live online, in-person, and on-demand. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, and each individual will find that different approaches work best for them depending on their schedule, learning style, and training goals.

Live online and on-demand classes are the most accessible training options. As they are online, students can attend classes from anywhere (with an internet connection) and don't face the time-consuming and sometimes expensive commute required by in-person classes. Students can also choose their preferred learning environment, home, work office, library, coffee shop, or another favorite study area. Online classes often offer more curriculum options than can be found in the nearest in-person courses. On-demand classes win out slightly in accessibility because they aren't tied to set class schedules. Students with busy lives may choose on-demand training to learn at their own pace.

The downside of on-demand classes lies in engagement. On-demand training often lacks instructors or classmates. Students are left to their own motivation to advance through coursework and have no one to turn to with questions or for support. When on-demand training does offer an instructor’s contact information for assistance, students may wait days or longer for a reply. Live online and in-person training rank far higher in engagement. Students can ask instructors for immediate feedback, interact with peers, and often receive guidance in job searching or building portfolios. In-person training wins out slightly over live online courses in that some people feel more comfortable initiating engagement with their peers or instructors in a physical setting.

When it comes to affordability, on-demand training wins out again. As these classes are self-led, they are often free. However, it's important to weigh other pros and cons discussed in this section, especially when it comes to engagement or career advancement. The popular adage "you get what you pay for" often holds true when comparing on-demand courses vs. in-person or live online. While live online training isn't free, many professional institutions offer free seminars or introductory courses. Additionally, live online classes are often cheaper than in-person training.

If you're looking to advance your career, live online and in-person training offer the comprehensive learning you need. While on-demand training will likely be enough to learn the basics of a skill, self-led learning can't replace the knowledge a professional instructor possesses and passes on to their students. On-demand resources are also often dated and don't hold up to industry standards. Professional instruction is typically necessary to advance your career.

Overall, live online training is the best well-rounded option, offering most of the benefits of both in-person and on-demand classes. Students have no commute and usually have the option of more flexible schedules than with in-person training. Live online training replicates the interactivity of in-person classrooms with live instructors and classmate interaction. Some live online training can be found for free and offers the same self-led benefits as on-demand training. Paid live online training is an excellent and affordable option for professionals looking to advance their careers.

Tips to Succeed when Learning Adobe Captivate Online

Online learning can be full of distractions without a dedicated workspace, especially for those learning from home. Children, pets, and other people working or engaging in other activities around the home can quickly draw attention. So it’s essential for online learning that students create a decided workspace that is quiet and distraction-free. For this reason, some students prefer to learn online from a coffee shop or library, but it’s possible to design a calm space at home.

Interacting with your peers and the instructor is important to learning and may be less evident in a virtual environment. While sitting in front of your computer screen, resigning yourself to being on your own can be easy. However, seeking interactions with your peers and the instructor is crucial for motivating one another, overcoming struggles, and making learning an engaging and collaborative process. While you may be alone in your physical learning environment, you’re not alone in your learning experience! Don’t be afraid to engage.

With online learning, you should also plan for troubleshooting. Technology doesn’t always work as expected. The WiFi going down or your student portal crashing are a couple of examples of possible technical issues. Troubleshooting is always unexpected, so plan to start class and turn in assignments early so you have time to find solutions if anything goes wrong.

Learn Adobe with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

If you’re interested in getting started with Adobe Captivate, Noble Desktop offers an Intro to Adobe Captivate course that covers the fundamentals of the program. This course is ideal for beginners wanting to become comfortable with using and creating training materials from the program.

Like other Adobe programs, Captivate integrates with other Adobe software such as Photoshop and Illustrator. While Adobe Captivate is a powerful program on its own, its capabilities expand when used with other Adobe products. Noble Desktop’s Adobe Creative Cloud Bootcamp teaches many Adobe programs, including InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Adobe XD. Noble Desktop also offers bootcamps in individual Adobe programs. These courses are ideal if you want to master only one Adobe product rather than learn the whole suite. 

A Graphic Design Certificate is also available that teaches Adobe programs along with graphic design principles. Even if your chosen profession isn’t in the graphic design field, knowing basic graphic design principles can elevate the projects you create with Adobe Captivate and other Adobe programs to another level.

Key Insights

• You can learn live online from anywhere with an internet connection.
• On-demand training allows you to learn at your own pace but without professional guidance.
• Free intro courses and tutorials can be a great starting point for learning Adobe Captivate.
• Live online training offers the closest experience to in-person engagement without the cost of a commute.
• Succeeding with online training involves having a dedicated and distraction-free learning space and remembering to interact with your peers and instructor.