articulate storyline

Publish an entire production, a single scene, or a single slide

It is a necessary step in your course review process- reviewing slides’ functionality and appearance in a published state. This is your opportunity to ensure triggers and variables are working correctly. You can see how objects, texts, and images look on the screen. Even though it can sometimes seem like a tedious time-drain, I think it is much easier to review a lesson that is drafted than correct an lesson that has already forwarded to your LMS or launched!

But what if you only want to look at one scene or one slide instead of the entire lesson? If you publish the full project you’ll either have to review EVERY slide, including the one’s you’re not interested in reviewing yet. If your next buttons or progress process is “locked”, you will need to develop some sort of way to fast-forward through the lesson

Thankfully, the publish options at Storyline give you a choice on how much you’ll publish. Once you’ve clicked the PUBLISH ribbon and the pop-up appears, look for the publish line in the PROPERTIES section.

You can adjust the PUBLISH PROPERTIES after clicking the Publish button from the Articulate Storyline Home ribbon. (It is located on the far right side of the ribbon/screen.)

After you have open the PUBLISH PROPERTIES, you’ll see another pop-up appear. Here, you will select the portion of the Storyline file you would like to publish: the entire project, a designated scene, or a single slide.

Not only can this publish option save time during your review processes, it can also come in handy when you only want to publish a small section of a larger Storyline file. As example, each demonstration I feature at my blog is a scene from a larger Storyline file. (Since most of these examples are relatively short, I’ve learned it is easier to develop it in one file versus keep up with multiple files.)

It is a simple function but one I did not know about until recently. This reminds me that Storyline is rather robust, and there is always more to learn, especially regarding the features I do not use often enough. If there’s a Storyline trick or e-learning shortcut you’ve recently discovered, be sure to share it in the comments section!

Creating Emphasis on a Slide

We’ve been watching a lot more TV during our Coronavirus social distancing. We have series we watch regularly, but it seems like the TV is always on, even when we’re not watching, just to provide background noise.

A few days ago, I noticed a commercial from a restaurant advertising the multiple ways you can still order while maintaining a safe distancing and observing state and local governments’ regulations. During the advertisement, three icons appear, and while the voiceover offers more information, a circle appears and spins around the particular icon being discussed. I immediately realized that would be a great way to draw emphasis in Storyline or PowerPoint.

There are many possibilities with this design idea, but for my simple example I created three steps in a numbered list. A broken circle appears around each number, and when the slide and its commentary moves to the next point the broken circle disappears and the number becomes washed out. (This color change is accomplished using an object state and trigger.) Next time you need a simple but effective emphasis on a slide, give a variety of this design a try!

Click here to see my example!

FAQ Using a Scrolling Panel

In my previous role, I worked in the company’s Human Resources Department, and like many other functions, we answered the same questions routinely. How do I update my direct deposit? When will I accrue more vacation time? What is the 401K match and when is it distributed? How to I bid on internal vacancies or job positions?

To address the department’s frequently asked questions and the common questions that new hires presented, I developed similar Storyline productions that we housed at the department’s intranet site.

The simple production featured a collection of buttons the learner could peruse via scrolling panel.
When the button was clicked/selected a layer appears, as dictated by the slide’s trigger panel.

The demonstration here features simple information regarding my current place of residence- Durham, North Carolina. You could easily feature new hires FAQs and department FAQs (as mentioned above), but I think this design would also work well with a compliance topic’s FAQs. It is another great example of Articulate Storyline’s flexibility to create engaging and interactive learning resources.

Click here to see this example!

Policy Acknowledgement (Part 2)

As mentioned in my last post, my favorite training focuses on the behavioral change required based on policy or procedures changes or “missed” performance markers. In effect, what should the learner to better or do differently after he/she/they complete the training?

I also understand why it is important to include policy text in a lesson. When there are new guidelines or rules, you want to take every chance possible to review that information, but let’s face it- how many times do people pay attention to text heavy, lengthy policy slides? That’s why it is important to build engaging and interactive training to help the learn grasp and practice processing new information. (My background is in Human Resources. More than once, I have handed an employee policy to review and acknowledge and then watched as they sign the form without thoroughly reading the document.)

In the past, I’ve offered the following example to project stakeholders and subject matter experts when discussing how to include policy.

Include a few slides that give a high-level review of the policy- why it is in place or why it is updated, what the person should do new or differently, and what may happen if the person fails to abide by the policy.
The fourth slide in my example features a scrolling panel with the entire policy text and an acknowledgement button.
Be sure your lesson includes scenarios, simulated conversations, decision-making, true/false slides or other interactions to help the learner apply and practice the new skills.
- Your lesson design could route as follows: Introduction, DOs/DON’Ts, acknowledgement, interactive content, conclusion/review.
- Your lesson design could also route: Introduction, DOs/DON’Ts, interactive content, conclusion/review, acknowledgement.
- Regardless of where you place the acknowledgement in your design, hopefully your LMS is capable of tracking the user’s interaction with the button.
- You could also add a second button- “I need more practice regarding how to apply this policy”. When clicked, the user would repeat the more interactive content.

With many projects, a designer’s biggest challenge is balancing the subject matter experts content needs and expectations with solid instructional practices. I think this example does exactly that!

Click here to see the example!

Policy Acknowledgement (Part 1)

Teaching new policy isn’t my favorite use of online training. I would rather develop lessons on behavioral change and focus on what should the learner should do differently based on the new or updated rules and related procedures. But I get it- sometimes an online learning lesson is the easiest and most efficient way to disseminate information and details regarding a new guideline.

There are plenty of details to consider when you design this sort of information heavy lesson, but you will always want to include some sort of acknowledgement interaction. The next two posts will demonstrate few ideas you may be able to apply to confirm learners’ understanding and acknowledgement of the policies you are teaching and demonstrating.

Today we’ll look at the built-in, graded question format “check many”. You may typically use this type of slide during a quiz or interaction to check a learner’s competencies. (For example: Select all the vegetables: carrots; celery; apples; strawberries; onion; spinach; grapes; potatoes.) For the design purposes briefly mentioned above you could add this type of slide to a policy tutorial to have the learner acknowledge his/her understanding of the policy, procedure, or guideline discussed during your lesson.

You can use the link at the bottom of this post to see this in action! Just remember, if you’re using this type of acknowledgement be sure to set up the course reporting to track this slide- either as part of the graded quizzing OR tracking for completion. (Select whatever may work best for your needs, your learners, your LMS, and other tracking/reporting considerations.)

Visit again soon! In the next post, I’ll demonstrate my favorite way to collect a policy acknowledgement during a lesson.

Click here

Instructional Designers (and the Department of Louise) are important

The article I’m sharing first appeared in my news feed a few weeks ago, and I’ve read through it several times since then. Having began my career in more of a Generalist role, I understand how difficult it can be to balance policy and training. This is especially true when the policy or training isn’t well written, which can even happen in highly functioning organizations.

As the writer states, maybe we’ve missed a vital point, having been unable to view the lesson that preceded the question. I’m hoping Best Buy will respond, and she’ll be able to amend this article or write a follow-up. From the outside looking in, I feel like input from an Instructional Designer would certainly help in this situation.

Sometimes our role goes beyond designing and developing training. Sometimes we need to play the role of Louise, not necessarily to be contrarian, but to ensure project success. (Check out the article and the author’s reference to humorist Dave Barry.) As I often tell Subject Matter Experts, sometimes we don’t see the hole or error with a process policy until we sit down to discuss it in depth, step by step to begin training design. In my opinion, it is part of the the designer’s job to fill in those holes to make sure a learner can easily grasp each step and each piece of new information.

The last thing you ever want as a designer or presenter is eye rolls from your audience. I’m worried the Best Buy employee who shared this via his/her Twitter feed is a little less engaged with the organization, his/her function, and especially with the training process. Again, here’s hoping the author will hear back from Best Buy, and we can find clarification on this policy, this lesson, and the differences between greeting and welcoming customers.

Viral Best Buy Training Questions Is A Perfect Example Of Clueless Corporate Policies

Do you have thoughts on the question example and semantics in the article or the balance between well-written policy and well-designed training? Share this in the comments area!

Using Video as an Articulate “Background”

I love using a (carefully selected) image as a background in a training slide, whether that is produced using Articulate products or PowerPoint. Recently, I had been wondering what it might look like to use a video as a background instead, and while working on travel plans for a training session, I was inspired to create this quick example.

I’m not sure I would use a “busy” or cluttered video, nor would I want video background on a lengthy slide. I think both of those would create more distraction than depth, but with this simple topic and simple slide I believe the video looks great.

Use the link below to see the example of a video background in the mock Travel Expense Policy training!

Click here

Happy New Year!

The transition between years is a time we often reflect on the past and prescribe changes for the future, which makes an update here most appropriate. During 2018 there was plenty of change, and I’m very excited for the potential and opportunity 2019 holds!

First, effective late August 2018 I began working remotely. When my significant other was laid-off and then relocated for a new opportunity, I wanted to follow. My employer was gracious enough to allow me to begin working remotely from our new home, and I’m to first person in our department to take this leap! (Interestingly, Human Resources is considered to be one of the fastest growing work from home fields. It makes sense for our organization, where most of our interaction is with persons at field locations throughout the US.)

I commute back to our corporate office, 120 miles each way, once each month to catch up with other staff members, subject matter experts, and to have face-to-face time with my colleagues. I’ve even been commuting some via train, which has been a nice experience! After several months in my new office (also known as “the spare bedroom”) I’ve adjusted to the quiet, but I miss the social interactions of an office terribly.

As mentioned, the new year holds a great deal of potential, including launching several projects that have been in the works for some time. It will be nice to further build on these strategic ideas, develop a foundation for more detailed training curriculum, and watch our function grow. Another goal for 2019 is to keep my blog and portfolio up to date. Not only does this challenge my creativity and offer me a chance to get my ideas onto “paper”, it helps me share my ideas and capabilities with others. I’m already drafting and brainstorming a few PowerPoint tips and some suggestions for instructor-led training events.

I’m sure as I learn more about my craft, favorite softwares (Articulate Storyline and Microsoft PowerPoint) and grow the training function for my current employer, I’ll be inspired and prompted to share more ideas with you. I hope your 2019 is also filled with potential and prospects- both professionally and personally!

One of my favorite Storyline 360 features

Often times I will include a brief introduction with details about my design thoughts or processes. With this post I’ll refrain from doing so. Instead, this simple presentation explain one of my favorite new features in Storyline 360 or Storyline 3.

Click here to check it out!

Articulate Problem Solving Interaction

Problem solving is one of the early themes in our upcoming soft skills curriculum, and one lesson includes what is now my favorite Articulate developed module! In this example, the learner must complete a challenge as part of his/her responsibility for planning a child’s birthday party. Anyone who has helped plan even the smallest event certainly knows how frustrating and chaotic it can be. While it is seems like a far-fetched for a corporate learning lesson, we wanted to steer clear of office-like examples. We expect the non-workplace scenario will help learners concentrate on problem solving principles instead of focusing on the specific problems he or she may face during work assignment. These problem solving skills can be easily applied to any situation, work related or not!

What makes this example so exciting from a developer’s perspective? Obviously, each grid on the interaction slide needs an answer, but this means there must also be states and variables based on correct AND incorrect answers for each grid. This is the first time I’ve used such detailed logic in a course, but I believe it produced a learning challenge that will require participants to think rationally and exercise his/her problem solving skills. Further, this development reminded me the possibilities in Articulate are near limitless!

Click here

to see the superhero birthday challenge.