Using Animation Techniques to Create Countdown Timers in E-Learning #298

Animated Timers in E-Learning #298: Challenge | Recap

Timers are a common element in game-based learning where time constraints play a role in the success or failure of a task. Timers can be used for most decision-making activities that require learners to quickly process information.

Animated timers can be used to:

• Create a sense of urgency, tension, or pressure

• Simulate real-world tasks that involve time constraints
• Gamify decision-making activities

• Create timed skill and drill exercises

Timers can be created using a variety of techniques including video clips and basic entrance animations. The best part is that timers can be visually themed to align with your course content. Let's look at a few examples:

Card Match Game

Try your memory in this card matching game from Richard Hill. First shared in the memory game challenge, this game features an animated timer that puts learners under pressure to complete the puzzle.

View and download the timer in action

Wait! How’d he do that?

The effect was created using Storyline’s wheel entrance animation and a 35-second duration. Using a longer duration, the entrance animation creates the visual countdown effect. Brilliant! 

One Creative Timer Begets Another

Following up in the same memory game challenge, community member Ridvan Saglam used a similar technique for his airplane countdown timer.

I really like the way he visually connected the design of his timer to the theme of his game.

Ridvan shared a few more visual timers that you can download from this discussion thread.

Using Timers to Gamify Existing Slides

Here’s an example that Alexander Salas shared for a previous challenge where he took an existing template and gamified it by adding a simple countdown timer. 

You can download his source file and use that as a starting point for this week's challenge. 

View and download the timer

Using Video Clips as Timers

Animated timers can even be created with simple tools like PowerPoint.

In this example,  Tracy Parish created an animated loading bar effect in PowerPoint. Using a screencasting tool, she recorded the animation as it played back. 

Learn more and download the source file

Because Storyline has a trigger to evaluate when a when a media clip completes, the video’s duration becomes the timer.

Challenge of the Week

This week, your challenge is to share an example that demonstrates how animated timers can be used in e-learning. 

NOTE: Your entry can be anything from a rough concept to a polished example. The challenges are open to everyone, regardless of experience or skill level. If you need technical or creative help with your project, please ask in our forums and reference the challenge number you’re working on.

Last Week’s Challenge:

Before you put the time squeeze on your learners, check out the interactive Tour de France examples your fellow community members shared in last week's challenge:

Tour de France Interactive Examples RECAP #297: Challenge | Recap

New to the E-Learning Challenges?

The weekly e-learning challenges are ongoing opportunities to learn, share, and build your e-learning portfolios. You can jump into any or all of the previous challenges anytime you want. I’ll update the recap posts to include your demos.