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liseyloo
liseyloo
Participant
March 13, 2023
Answered

Captivate and task automation

  • March 13, 2023
  • 1 reply
  • 714 views

Hi...I'm finding Articulate is not powerful enough to automate tasks as I'd like.  For example, I want to create hundreds of branched scenarios.  While I could break this into maybe 20 per mini module, it's still hundreds of branching scenarios which I'd like to find some way to much more rapidly create.  Does anyone know how well Captivate does this?  Possibly with additional programming? (I haven't used it in more than 5 years.)  Thanks in advance!

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Correct answer RodWard

Thank you Rod.  I'll take your suggestion.  I get what you're saying about coming back together and will consider that, but honestly there are degrees of "rightness" with this topic, so will try to keep it intuitive while allowing for multiple paths to a successful "session"--some being more ideal than others.  Though I do confess my analyst brain is probably trumping my design brain on this one.


I've designed quite a few branching scenario courses over the years. Some of them were very complex and involved hundreds of custom user variables to track the data.  But only rarely did I need to go outside Captivate's default interactivity tools and use JavaScript to pull off the project.  Mostly those were courses that were somewhat more like games.

 

The important thing is to not jump too quickly to the technical side of the solution.  Get the instructional design worked out first, then worry about what level of technological complexity you really need to achieve it.

1 reply

Lilybiri
Lilybiri
Legend
March 13, 2023

Terminology is always tricky. Can you explain what you mean exactly by 'branched scenario'?

Of course you can use and re-use JavaScript to create what you want. However Captivate's Shared actions may be the tool you are looking for. Its advantage over Avanced actions is that you can store them in a Library which can be used as external Library in any project, and that it has 'parameters'. 

Moreover Captivate is Theme-based. The theme has several components: Theme colors, Theme fonts, Object Styles, Master slides and some lesser features. Master slides can have interactive objects, which may also be helpful for your scenarios. 

I could point to some of my blog posts to show what I mean exactly, but will wait for your explanation about 'branched scenarios'. Maybe I miss some other features. Captivate is not a copy/paste application like Articulate, at least not to me.

liseyloo
liseylooAuthor
Participant
March 13, 2023

Hi and thank you for your response!  I'm probably trying to do the impossible, but I want to create a somewhat realistic intro coaching practice course.  The branching occurs when the user (coach) responds (by choosing multiple choice response) to something the client says (or doesn't say or says with great delay, etc.), and this leads down a path different from that of a different response and so on. So the next interaction would have the client saying something that's likely influenced by the last thing the coach asked.  And so on.  In the end, there may be 50 unique paths for a 15 minute course.  Also want to keep score and ideally have the user go through once without any feedback, and then once with feedback and scoring. I haven't storyboarded it out because I'm not sure how feasible or not it is to build.  Re: Javascript, I've used it a bit with websites, etc.  Sounds like I should dive in if I want more control over fine tuning and/or automation?

RodWard
Community Expert
RodWardCommunity Expert
Community Expert
March 15, 2023

JavaScript certainly has its uses, but before you go diving in there I think you should first do as you suggested and storyboard your actual branching design.  As powerful as JavaScript is, it can also get you into a lot of trouble if you don't know what you are doing.

 

Captivate is quite capable of creating e-learning projects that involve hundreds of slides, and its interactive components (buttons, text entry boxes, click boxes, etc) are usually able to provide all of the interactivity required for a user to navigate a branching scenario.

 

Most branching scenarios used for training purposes tend to branch in the middle and then try to redirect the learner back toward the correct path (or paths).  If that doesn't happen, you can end up just confusing the participant rather than delivering a positive learning outcome.

 

So, design your interactivity carefully first, and then see whether Captivate's default tools come up short before diving down programming rabbit holes.

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