Designing a "Pick Many" to Identify Countries in a Map

Debra, you mention a choose many question. Is that to just record a completed correct answer? I assume they don't have to answer all 20 countries correct, in order and named, before they get feedback. Anyway, whether contained with a question type or built as a stand alone activity, I would use states to show uncompleted, hover, and completed versions of each country.

Upon selection, each country would open a specific layer, which would display an input box (and callout if it's too small). Correct or incorrect names would get feedback at the country level. You might want to provide specific feedback for each country, maybe with hints in the form of cultural clues or images. When correct, change the country state to completed, hide this layer, and continue to the next country.

If you are placing all of this inside a choose many question, do as above, and keep track of a variable to ensure everything has been answered correctly BEFORE you show the submit button. No one wants to do this more than once.

If the learners need to select the countries in the correct order before naming them, you will need to keep track of how many have been correctly answered, and compare each selection (and its correct order number) against that. If they don't match, it's not the next in line. You might add another state to mark an incorrect country selection, which gets reset when you click outside of that country. Account for if the country was already correctly answered. You might need some feedback here too, otherwise you may just get random clicking in order to find the next correct choice.

This seems like a lot for one question or activity, but as long as there is helpful feedback and a clear path toward progress, it would probably be fine. 

Hi Debra, I would say this is possible, but is not something that Storyline provides. You would need to add some custom triggers and user interface to allow users to enter the country name. For example, they may select the country, which then shows an input box that is in a new layer. After the user has input text into the input box, a Submit button could then enable. On selecting Submit, you would then need a custom trigger to check the users input against the country name (based on the hotspot the user has selected.)

You will end up with quite a lot of triggers, but that shouldn't put you off, as you can just copy and paste the triggers and adjust the values as needed.

For example, in a new layer that contains an input box for the user to enter the country name (assuming the variable associated with the input box is called "userCountryInput" and "userfeedback" is a variable to change feedback) you could do something like this on the Submit button:

on click "Submit"

Set userfeedback to value "Well done"
If "HS Ireland" = Selected
and userCountryInput = value "ireland" (ignore case)

Set userfeedback to value "Try again"
If "HS Ireland" = Selected
and userCountryInput not equal value "ireland" (ignore case)

I would not use the hotspot interaction for this, as I think that interaction want you to select "correct" hotspots, rather than any and so you will be fighting against it to try and configure how you would like it.

Just use a standard slide, add your image and create your own hotspots. I've attached an example that includes Belgium and Ireland so you can understand how this could work.

One of the key things you need to do, is ensure all of your hotspot buttons on the map are part of a "button set" so that only one button can ever be in a "selected" state.

I've attached an example.

Cheers,
Sam

Here's a way to do both. Where you go from here depends on what you want to do with the score.  I've tried to allow for both a reported (summative) and non-reported (formative) score, and put as many options into it as possible.

Hello Nathaniel:  Thank you for your thoughtful answer. I think the challenge will be to accommodate all 20 countries, provide feedback upon Submit at the end... and the biggest challenge will be to total the correct points. (Student gets 13 correct = 13 points) not all or nothing. 

Hello Walt: This is the closest solution. (I like drop-down choices)! Too often fill-in-the-blank requires alternative spellings. The challenge is to include all 20 countries. It's an exam. Student gets 13 correct = 13 points). Not all or nothing. 

My question to all: Do I have to create a freeform hotspot for all 20 countries? (Seems tedious). Is there an alternative? Can place all 20 numbers on the map and require students to click the drop--down where they compare the number to the drop-down answer? Would this suffice as identifying the geographical place of the country as well as the name of the country? (5= Belgium, 12=Norway). 

Thank you.

Do you have to create a shape for all of the countries?  Only if you want the students to select a country by clicking on it. For me, the numbers would be sufficient.  If you want to change the color of the ones answered, you would need individual shapes. I used the Visited state, because if they click it a second time, Selected goes back to Normal. For me, the filled in text box would be enough. 

Would this suffice as indentifying the geographical place? My first thought when I read “Identify the shape” and “identify the name” is that these are the same thing. It really is matching the name to the location. Identify the shape would require that there are no numbers on the map, and they pick a shape and also give its name (which may be what your prof wants). But doing that prevents you from limiting which countries they choose, although they could be limited to 20.

Can place all 20 numbers on the map and require students to click the drop--down where they compare the number to the drop-down answer?  This would seem the most logical way to do it, and that’s almost certainly how it would be done if this were a paper test. Electronically, it does present some problems, depending on your choices.

1. If you keep the drop down and fill-in for individual countries, you can vary the size and shape of the scrolling panel to fit in as many names as you wish, or you might opt for a selection of 10 or 12 random names. Just duplicate the triggers and layers. The magic of using variables is that to change country names, all you have to do is change the default value of the variable, and all the triggers still function. You could put the numbers off to one side, but each one would still require its own independent drop down list.

2. You might want to use a drag and match. Make the map smaller and put the drag and match on one side of the screen. There are drawbacks to this. Personally, I find Drag and Drop a very alluring option, but it is not always accessible, and sometimes problematic with touch screens (especially ipads, although they are getting better). Another problem is that I don’t know if they are flexible enough to accommodate 20 options, and if you can resize them enough to fit all 20 on the screen with the map.

3. However you select the answers, for scoring purposes, a Pick Many might be the best option, if it will allow 20 choices. You would need 20 off-stage shapes. Be sure they are not a set. The Submit button would check each answer, and select the appropriate state for the corresponding object. I used a custom submit button so I could put it on a layer. The built-in button and trigger Submit before the answers are all selected. The layer allows a slight delay before submission.

Any other questions, just ask.

Hello Walt: Excellent. Thank you. I think Pick Many using a drop-down is the cleanest visually. I relayed to the prof, that 20 countries is a lot, but if it can be done, I would try. Check this out. I tried the activity with six countries (hints). My scribble isn't great. I do want two attempts, but even though I set revisit to initial state, it isn't working. (I'll keep at it). More importantly are the 20 countries identified by numbers. I haven't created the variables and drop-down yet, but this is what I envision. https://360.articulate.com/review/content/55f8d979-f5f8-4629-a71c-6816b2adff94/review

Thanks.

Here is a map of US states. 47 are selectable.

https://360.articulate.com/review/content/2b3fd80f-4897-4348-973c-91d7ab6f9b2a/review

This is terrific, @Richard Mulcahy. It is a nice clean solution. I think I understand the basics. (Text entry, Freeform hotspots, but I'm not sure how to attain that). Is there a template? Many thanks in advance. 

So how I did it is each state is a transparent png with three Storyline states: Normal = grey, Mouse over = Red, Selected = green. 

The tedious work is really creating all the pngs for the US states and then aligning them. I also created a normal slide and then used the convert to freeform (pick many quiz).

@Richard Mulcahy: Just a quick footnote: (1) When you created the transparent png files, are you using the Freeform shape tool?  (2) Then how did you create the pop-up dialogue box requesting CA, FL, TX, ME etc.  (3) Associating the states with the dialogue box through variables? Am I missing any steps? Thanks.

I used depositphotos to get a good quality illustration of a USA map. Of course you can get maps of any country.  I used illustrator to open the map and then save the individual states as a png.

When you use convert to freeform slide tool, it makes the slide a quiz and provides you with the feedback (correct/incorrect) layers. You then can go into form mode to select what states are going to be correct.

I then added a new layer with the question. I used a trigger to display the question instructions when the map slide first displays. I also added a question button to allow the learner to view this layer at any time.