Unique failure capture for each try

[jay fresno]

Assuming the learner is allowed 3 tries to click the File menu, is there a simple way to display a different failure message each time the learner clicks in the wrong place? Or would this require an advanced action?

Actually, my preference would be to not show any failure caption on the first try. Then to show a failure caption on the second try, and a different failure caption on a third try.

[Lilybiri]

There are up to 3 Failure levels possible for question slides. Each failure level will add a Failure caption, that you can fill in as wanted. And if you don't want the first one, do not delete it (because otherwise the failure levels will be decremented) but drag it off the stage.

Lilybiri

[Sreekanth_S]

Hi Lilybiri

Jay seems to be looking for unique captions in simulations.

Sreekanth

[Lilybiri · Accepted solution]

Bummer, understood question wrongly. That will be a bit more complicated, there is no system variable that tracks the number of attempts on question level. This will work:

• create three click boxes in exact the same location over the location where user has to click: CB_1, CB_2, CB_3
• each click box has one attempt, only the first CB_1  is set to be visible and has no Failure caption, for CB_2 and CB_3 create the wanted Failure caption
• attach the wanted action On Success to each click box
• as Last Attempt action for the first click box CB_1 create a standard advanced action FirstAttempt
  • Hide CB_1
  • Show CB_2
• as Last Attempt action for the second click box CB_1 create a standard advanced action SecondAttempt
  • Hide CB_2
  • Show CB_3

Cumbersome work flow, I know. Even with shared actions, which I would recommend if you have version 7. Problem is that you always have to change the parameters, in this case the ID's of the click boxes if you need this multiple times in the project.

Lilybiri

[jay fresno]

SeI was hoping there was a way to do this without advanced actions. At least it's good to know that I shouldn't keep trying to do it without advanced actions.

"Problem is that you always have to change the parameters, in this case the ID's of the click boxes if you need this multiple times in the project. "

Seems like I'd not only need to change the names of the click boxes, but would also need to change the names of the advanced actions. For example: FirstAttemptSlide1, SecondAttemptSlide1, FirstAttemptSlide2, SecondAttemptSlide2, and so forth. Is that the case?

[RodWard]

Since you're using click boxes, you could also theoretically use the Hot Spot quiz question type.  They also have the ability to add up to three failure levels.  But your user would need to be clicking the Submit button AFTER each time they click somewhere on the stage area.  It appears that you just want the user to click once each time on the hot spot and then Captivate will show different text captions for each failed attempt.

If so, I'm afraid the only way to do this at the moment is to use Advanced Actions.  You could do it as Lilybiri suggests by hiding and showing click boxes with their attendant success and failure captions. Or you could also do it by using a single click box with unsuccessful attempts being tracked by a counter variable and conditional action that hides or shows text captions. 

I think Lilybiri's idea is simpler to implement overall and it sounds like you were looking for the easiest solution.

[jay fresno]

" Problem is that you always have to change the parameters, in this case the ID's of the click boxes if you need this multiple times in the project."

Wouldn't the name of the advanced action also need to be changed? For example, FirstAttemptSlide1, SecondAttemptSlide1, FirstAttemptSlide1, SecondAttemptSlide2 -- am I correct about that?

[Lilybiri]

Not if it is a shared action, only the click boxes need a different ID,

that is why I recommended shared, saves labeling time and also on file size.

Lilybiri

[jay fresno]

When I first posted this question, I didn't understand shared actions. But after your suggestions and recommendations, I explored  shared actions and now see how they can save time. Thank you for that.

[Lilybiri]

Most users do not understand how to take advantage of shared actions. I

really hope that next version will extend parameters to variables. For the

moment, bit of reflection is necessary, that is why I proposed not a

conditional action that would have needed a variable. In that case you

needed a different label for the action on each slide. Now you have two

shared actions that can be used over and over again. I know Rod does not

agree about usefulness of standard nor shared actions. Maybe because he is

a programmer and I am a simple teacher, always aiming at a solution that is

easy to explain

[jay fresno]

cOne thing I still don't quite understand. When I click in the wrong place the second time, the failure caption for the second click box appears almost immediately, as it should.

However, when I click in the wrong place the THIRD time, the failure caption doesn't appear UNLESS I wait  several seconds before clicking the third time, then the caption for the third failure will appear.

Each click box is set to only one attempt, and there is no transition on the failure captions. Pause for success/failure captions is checked.

What could be  causing this long delay for the third click box?

[Lilybiri]

I tested it out extensively, Jay, and no difference between the click waiting time for me. Look at the timeline for the click boxes: is pausing at the same moment?

[jay fresno]

All 3 click boxes appear after zero seconds and display for end of slide.

Should I stagger the start time or the end time for each click box?

[jay fresno]

After lots of trial and error, I finally figured out why the delay was happening for the failure caption on the third click box.

I selected the failure caption for the second clickbox and set the display time to 1 second (instead of the default 3 seconds). Of course, that means that the learner would only have 1 second to read the failure caption, which isn't good.

[Lilybiri]

Sorry, had a late breakfast

I was sure this was a timing issue. Staggering was not necessary in this case, because you used advanced and no simple actions, because you are on version 7 (before 6 it was not possible to have two interactive objects in exact the same location even when they were not visible at the same time).

Thread answered? Will maybe blog about this solution, because it is a good but easy example of the use of shared actions. Think those need more explanation and workable examples; what do you think? Could start my new website with that.

Lilybiri

[jay fresno]

In my opinion, this technique is only good if there are two click boxes: the first one without a failure caption and the second one with a failure caption. The delay when  displaying a second failure caption is not acceptable.

I'm glad to hear that you are starting a new website. Please let me know the URL!

[B-ace]

You don't necessarily have to use advanced actions. You can also place the different click boxes on the timeline consecutively.

When the first mistake is made, the learner goes on to the second click box. And then to the third. This way, each click can have different feedback (or none).

A simple yet effective solution.

[RodWard]

Ah, but what if the learner doesn't click the boxes in the order that you expect?

[B-ace]

They can't because they are sequential. 1st click box pauzes. User clicks wrongly, gets error (unique failure capture) and the slide continues to the next click box (Or clicks correct and then jumps to next slide).

In this example, all the click boxes where located on the same target. They just appear after each other. A fairly easy solution that doesn't require advanced actions.

[RodWard]

OK.  Your solution will work fine as long as there is only one possible target to click.

But keep in mind that if there were multiple targets on this slide then a staggered approach like this would not likely be effective.

[jay fresno]

I'm aware of the 3 failure levels possible for multiple choice, which is a nice easy feature to use, but I'm working with a clickbox.