Keeping Score – Using variables to track scoring and provide user

Hi All!

I recently designed a game using rapid identification techniques and used a variable to provide tracking of scoring and ongoing feedback to the user regarding their performance.

Question for Articulate: Is there a way to integrate variables into SCORM reporting so they can be communicated to a SCORM compliant LMS?

Here’s how I went about it, keeping in mind there’s many ways to do this.

Create Question Slide: Insert question on base layer; Insert buttons for user feedback/answers; create layers for each answer

Functionality: Link answer buttons to answer layers using triggers; Set each answer layer to hide base layer & hide other layers; Insert text (or rich media, set media to start with trigger on timeline start) feedback on answer layer; Insert ‘continue’ button on answer layer (so user can go on to the next screen, if rich media used set condition that media end prior to advance); insert trigger ‘hide this layer’ when user clicks continue button; insert trigger jump to next slide when user clicks ‘continue’.

Interface Management: Remove ‘next/prev’ player buttons from question slides (user advances slide using ‘continue’ button on answer layers.) otherwise users can flip from question to question manipulating their score.  Remember to remove the ‘prev’ on the last slide after the last question (so user can not jump back to the last question. Insert variable feedback using Text box, in this case “%KeepScore%” where you would like user feedback shown.

Production Considerations: During production I inserted %KeepScore% on every layer of every slide to understand how my variable was being impacted by triggers. You can also view your variable history in the Variables window (italic ‘x’ below trigger window).

NAME EVERYTHING. Name every layer, every variable, every slide.

I know this sounds like a lot to assemble, however, once you have the first slide or two in place, you can just duplicate the slides, and adjust your variable triggers and feedback layers. This method gives rapid scaleability to the production of your game.

Cheers

Aaron