articulate storyline

Carousel Effect- Part 2

As promised with my last post, here is version of the carousel effect where the slide progresses automatically, and even though I prefer the first edition (since it requires the learner to interact with the screen), I still think this is a neat effect.

With this example, the arrow click logic is removed, and the change is triggered based on slide timing. The carousel will circle through three times, but it would be relatively easy build a continuation of this rotation if the learner would benefit or need to see the information repeated again. (Simply copy and paste the trigger, and edit the timing cue.)

Click here to see example two!

Carousel Effect

You may be familiar with carousel effects, a slide show like feature sometimes used at a website and also an available format and effect for SharePoint sites. Earlier in the week, I realized this design element could also be applied to solve the constant problem of sharing all training content without overloading the slide.

This example utilizes triggers, layers, and (my new favorite Articulate feature!) variables, and I selected a multi-step process with a singular step detailed at each stop along the carousel. I also included text box to reflect the numeric variable value in the lower, right corner as I enjoy having this reference on screen while I’m building and previewing variables. The text box with the reference can easily be moved off screen or deleted entirely when you’ve successfully applied the necessary logic.

The learner can navigate this version by simply clicking arrows, but check back soon. I’ll feature this same slide, but instead of an arrow navigation I will revise the logic to automatically progress through the process steps.

Click here to see "Accidents Happen"!

Good, better, best revisted

As mentioned last week, I’m re-visiting the good, better, and best interaction. (To provide a short re-cap, that interaction prompted the user to select from three option and offered coaching on the good, better, or best solution.)

You may want to consider “scoring” any interaction. Not only is it great to judge your learner’s progress, it can work as a great motivator for the learners. While Articulate has built in templates that can easily create quizzing, this can also be easily achieved with a variable. (In addition to creating a numeric variable this example also requires the answer buttons to have “states”.)

Now, it would be ideal that the learner select the best answer first, and that’s exactly what the scoring variable in this example will demonstrate. Simply create a number variable, and then add to that number when the users selects the best answer if the good and better answers are still in their normal states.

Click here

to see the good, better, best example with a scoring variable (and pass/fail slides) added!

Good, better, best interactions

I’ve been encouraging the subject matter experts involved in our classroom training to present more interactive and facilitated learning activities. This has included a suggestion that they present learners with a challenge followed by good, better, or best solutions. (Of course with any challenge and choice interaction, you’ll also need to guide the student through the consequences of his/her choice.)

Earlier in the week I realized a good, better, and best scenario would work great in Articulate Storyline. (Hopefully, this demonstration will also show our SMEs how easily it would be to add this to a classroom presentation!) In this example, I’ve built two slides. The first offers a few details on the slide design, and the second shows this design in action. A few special features include a character whose expression will change based on the learner’s answer, and the disabled next button until the learn selects the best answer.

Tune in next week. I will add a scoring feature to this training sample.

Click here

to review the example.

Creating a user avatar in Articulate Storyline

If you follow training and design closely, you’re certainly familiar with recent trends to create more learner focused solutions. How do you address that trend, creating something customized for your student with a rapid development tool and short deadline? It will require great attention to detail, but using character states, variables, and triggers allows you to add a personalized touch! In addition to creating an engaging course, developing that sort of course logic is always a fun, professional challenge.

The following example uses all of those tools I’ve mentioned (Articulate Storyline’s states and variables) to allow a learner to select an avatar. The simple on-screen representation offers a more customized touch, especially when the character’s pose and expression are further developed (using triggers) to change based on the learner’s action, answer, and responses in the course. Again, it is a course development detail that will test your critical thinking skills, but the finished product is well worth that extra design effort.

Click here to see the avatar example.

Extra, extra! Read all about it!

Recently, my boss approached me with a question: what did I think about launching communications or a newsletter for our operations staff? I thought it was a great idea! And even better, I appreciate that she trusts me enough to work autonomously to produce each publication.

In the last few months, the newsletter has grown to be a solid source of information for our employees communicating deadlines, policy changes, procedure reminders, and announcing new staff members. The operations newsletter even inspired me to begin monthly bulletin boards and a quarterly newsletter for our corporate facility. It’s grown to be one of my favorite responsibilities and allows me to balance the company’s communication and strategic goals with my own creativity.

Would you like to see a sample? I’ve attached a generic letter here for a fictitious corporation. Use this as an inspiration to revise your own company’s internal communication plans, or contact me for more information on how I could assist your organization.

Acme Letter

Hover Effects in Articulate Storyline

During a recent conversation with a Subject Matter Expert he was worried a training topic had too much information to be presented efficiently in an online course- a common concern of SMEs, I’m sure! Thankfully, I was able to demonstrate the hover function available in Articulate Storyline as a solution to present more information while maintain clean design. It is a wonderful effect that reveals more information to the user when he/she interacts with the screen. I immediately realized this would be a great demonstration to share here!

As a fan of American History and Hamilton: An American Musical, I was inspired to create a before/during/after hover interaction featuring four of our founding fathers that were featured heavily in the musical. Click here

to learn about Marquis de Lafayette, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton and their lives before, during, and after the American Revolution!

The Bill Of Rights

Seventeen years ago The West Wing (my favorite political drama) made its television debut, and I have recently re-watched several favorite episodes. A few evenings ago, an episode inspired this training example. If it has slipped your mind since a civics or history class, the first ten amendments of our U. S. Constitution are called the “Bill of Rights”. Drafted by our forefathers and ratified in December 1791, the Bill of Rights protects personal liberties and freedoms and also outlines certain government functions.

With the inspiration from The West Wing, I realized the Bill Of Rights offers a great opportunity to build an interaction via Articulate Storyline 2. This sort of presentation would make an excellent supplement when training on any concrete order or established process.

Can you “drag and drop” the first five amendments of our U. S. Constitution into the Correct order? Click here

to give it a try!

Tonight’s Entrée- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

A recent potential project at work discussed the best method to re-train a group of employees on an integral process. Simply and generally summarized, employees are missing the most vital step or performing the steps out of order, which creates a liability for the organization. I immediately knew the drag and drop features available in Articulate Storyline would be an ideal interaction to test the learner’s knowledge, but how could I demonstrate this to a SME/project contact that has not been involved with training processes previously? My first goal was to demonstrate the drag and drop with a process most people could quickly comprehend.

Who doesn’t love a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? (I prefer mine to be made with grape jelly.) I’m sure many people may associate the PB&J with their elementary school lunch box, but since it is a procedure most of us have mastered, I thought a sandwich recipe would be a great example to demonstrate a a drag and drop interaction.

As information, the SME agreed to using this training format, and we’re in the process of revising this course to the specific policy and process. Like a tasty sandwich, I’m certain this brief lesson will hit the spot, satisfying learners and stakeholders alike!

Click here to learn how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

Are you ready for some football?

Anyone who knows me well can confirm that I’m a passionate football fan, and my excitement for the upcoming season is growing as fall quickly approaches. (I’m also ready to give my space here more attention than I have over the last few weeks, but I digress.)

In this brief team building lesson, I have used a motion path- a feature that is new (and overdue!) to Articulate Storyline 2. Do you have an object that needs to move to varying locations on the screen during a training course? The motion path is the answer, whether it is triggered by a learner’s click, slide timing, or variable. During this example, the learner’s decision will either progress the player down the field to score a touchdown, or the player will lose yardage. I felt the football theme and team building topic were perfectly suited to demonstrate the motion path function. There are so many possibilities with this new software feature. As a curriculum note, the football theme and team building topic could be further developed into four brief lessons- just like four quarters of a football game!

Click here to review the team building lesson!