Here’s a newsflash: most e-learning quizzes aren’t much fun for the learner. But you already knew that, right? To engage today’s restless learners, you need to tell and show them why they should care about your e-learning quizzes.

So how do you show them? Here’s a way: Design more video-based quizzes to visually hook and draw learners back into the course.

In this growing list of tutorials, you’ll learn practical techniques for using video in your rapid e-learning quizzes. As always, source files are available.

• Creating a video-based question: Screenr
• Creating a hotspot question with videos: Screenr | Blog post
• Example of e-learning video quiz using Sequence Drop-down question: Screenr | Source files
• How to make sure learners view a movie before submitting choices: Screenr | Source files
• Adding a Screenr (screencast) video to Quizmaker: Screenr
• How to synchronize closed captioning and call out graphics with video in Quizmaker: Screenr | Source files
• Basics on adding a movie to a quiz slide: Screenr

To comment and download please visit E-learning Heroes.

Everyone loves rollover buttons, right? I know I do. In fact I often lose my time playing with interesting and exaggerated rollovers. Years ago, before I knew “better,” I’d challenge my teammates to see who could create the most unique, animated buttons for our e-learning courses. Fun times.

If you’re creating rapid e-learning in PowerPoint and Presenter, then you probably know rollover triggers aren’t currently supported. But that’s okay. Like most things in e-learning development, there are workarounds.

If you know how to create basic Flash buttons and add ActionScript to keyframes, you’ll have no trouble creating the buttons.

Flash buttons in Articulate Presenter

Take a look at this demo to get an idea of the final effect. The buttons were created in Flash and inserted into PowerPoint from the Articulate menu. The process is the same as inserting any other movie.

Key Points:

• Because Flash buttons link to slide numbers and not slide titles, you’ll have to update your Flash code if you add or delete slides from your presentation.
• Presenter remembers the path to your published Flash files. This is great for when you make updates to Flash (links, buttons) but don’t want to re-insert .swf files back into PowerPoint. Just re-publish your Presenter course and Presenter will update with your latest Flash .swf files. Here’s a screencast on the process.

Source files and community thread:

To comment, ask questions and download the source files, please visit this thread in Articulate’s community.

I’m hosting an Articulate Jam Session this Thursday in Austin, TX.

What’s a jam session?

Articulate Jam Sessions are an informal user group meeting designed to bring together  local Articulate users for some practical tips & tricks training on all things Articulate.

It’s a free event but space is limited to the first 25-30 people on a first come, first serve basis. Feel free to come by for the entire session or stay for an hour.

Schedule

10am – 12:00pm: I’ll present an example of how I converted a basic bullet point course into something more engaging. We’ll look at some before and after examples and show some practical ways you can quickly convert your PowerPoint-based e-learning.

1pm-3:30pm: I’m available to answer your questions and show you some quick tips & tricks. If you want to bring your projects, we can look at them together.

Where is it?

Texas Department of Transportation
200 E. Riverside Drive
Austin, TX 78704

Let me know if you’re interested in attending or if you have any questions about the event.

Here’s a 6-part screencast series demonstrating how to using branching, hyperlinking, slide masters and customizing player templates to create multi-path learning paths using Articulate Presenter.

The idea was inspired by a user looking to simulate loading unique content based on learner selection. Navigation icons are included for learners to return to start screen or jump over to another learning path at any time.

Also included is a small, visual map in top right corner. It’s not something you’d include in a final project. I included it to visually communicate how and where the learner is at any given time in the project. It’s mostly a linear course but the course navigation buttons provide non-linear branching to each job role start slide.

The screencasts:

• Part 1: Introduction
• Part 2: Slide Masters
• Part 3: Content slides and placeholders
• Part 4: Slide navigation and hyperlinking
• Part 5: Slide Properties and Branching
• Part 6: Player Customization

To comment and download the source files, please visit this post in E-learning Heroes.