how to disable a variable interaction after one use

Nov 10, 2021

Hi, I'm really hoping some can help me please!

I have a created a course which contains 6 sections. Each section has a summary slide. On each summary slide I have created a variable to change in value once the slide is visited. On the main menu slide where you access all 6 sections I have set it to jump to the final assessment once the user has completed all 6 sections (so they need to have visited the summary slide of all 6) and all 6 variables have had their value change. This all works perfectly... however if a user navigates to one of the summary slides twice and then to the main menu it means the 6 sections can appear completed but the course doesn't jump to the final assessment and gets stuck. 

So my question is how can I fix this? Is there a way of either:

  • Preventing a user from accessing any of the summary slides twice?
  • Disabling the variable from changing in value after the first time?
  • Adding a layer on the summary slide which is shown if the user visits it again and therefore stops the variable changing again? 
  • Something other than the above? 

Any help would be hugely appreciated, thank you

5 Replies
Maria Costa-Stienstra

Hi, Edward.

Thank you for reaching out!

Without looking at your .story file, the initial thought is about the type of variable you are using. Since you mentioned the value keeps changing if the user returns to the same slide, I wonder if you have a numeric variable that adds value each time the user visits the summary.

Instead, can you make the variable True\False? That way, it will only change once, regardless of how many times the slide is visited.

If this doesn't apply to your scenario, I'm happy to take a look if you can share the .story file either here or through a private link.

Joseph Francis

I would use a Boolean (True/False) variable, default value set to False. When the learner encounters the summary page, I have a trigger which changes the value of the variable to True, if the current value is False.

Set bolSection_1 to value True
   When the timeline starts on this slide
      If bolSection_1 = value False

Edward Pull

Hi Maria & Joseph,

Thank you SO much for your help and advice - it worked! I'm not really sure why I used a numeric variable that adds value each time the user visits the summary slides (your assumption @Maria was correct) and so it didn't matter how the slide's properties were set when revisiting (resume saved state / reset to initial state) the variable kept changing hence my issue. I guess I just assumed the option for the variable to be true or false would also keep changing upon revisiting but thankfully it doesn't, as you've rightly advised :) 

Thanks so much again, our customer is now going to be very happy this issue has been fixed with their module,

Best wishes and huge gratitude, 

Edward