Maximum number of variables?
Jan 25, 2021
Hi all,
I work for a company where we interact a lot with customers through online calls (Teams, Zoom etc). I'm creating a scenario engine that can be used for sales training, customer success training and tech support. Essentially it's a question/answer machine set in a familiar setup for the course participant (Microsoft Teams) with an animated cartoon figure responding verbally to questions. Sort of an advanced branching scenario with about 40 different outcomes in each scene and specific feedback (and consequence of your choices) at the end. If the user pass, they can progress to a different scene with a new round of questions.
Now for the questions: I'm seriously considering having questions put in as variables. That way, I won't need to touch the slides at all, but can just input the questions from the template I gave to our SME's into storyline variables - following a prescribed naming convention for the variables. Is there a limit to the amount of variables Storyline supports? Could there be a limit elsewhere (our LMS, the packaged format, SCORM 1.2)? I expect to have between 40 and 150 questions that would need to be put in as variables. Potentially 150 if the exercise is repeated within the same course - which it will be.
Best regards
Michael
9 Replies
Hi, Michael,
When working in an LMS, there's a limit to the amount of data that is stored. That's known as the "suspend data" (or "resume data"). That data includes variable names and values, as well as slide and object states. This article describes the suspend-data limits, which vary based on the type of package being used:
https://articulate.com/support/article/exceeding-scorm-suspend-data-limits
As the article says, SCORM 1.2 is limited to 4096 characters of suspend data. So I don't think it'll work to put all your questions and responses into variables.
Another option might be to create a template in PowerPoint, have your SMEs enter the appropriate text there, and then import those slides into SL. However, that might be too confusing, especially since different scenarios might follow different paths with different types of input needed.
Best wishes!
That was JUST what I needed, Judy! Thanks! So, according to your article, I would get 64000 characters if I went with SCORM 2004 3rd or 4th edition. That might be the way to go then, thanks! I'll investigate WHY our policy is to use SCORM 1.2.
I'd still like an official person from Storyline to weigh in on this, though. I may create a case and post the answer here :-)
The linked article in my post above is from Articulate Support. The staff would probably send you to the same post if they reply.
Re: moving to SCORM 2004. I'm not an LMS expert, but I assume what's acceptable depends on the LMS and how it's configured. Good luck!
There is a limit to the number of characters a variable can hold (approx 33000 characters).
I have not heard of a limit on the number of variables, and 150 is not going to be a problem, I have courses with 500+ variables.
As Judy says if resume is important then you may striuggle with variables as these are not compressed, however if you want to send in the interaction data this will not be a problem although most short answer fields on an LMS are around 256 characters.
Thanks Judy! I was just looking for info on number of variables possible, but Phil took care of that one.
And Thanks Phil! I'm not going to hit 500 variables, that's for sure - but very calming to know it can be done. I might consider killing the resume function for this course. Thank you all!
I think I hit the report button by mistake :-D
Just found out that our LMS provider only supports SCORM 2004 1st edition and below. Ah well... Time to find a new provider I guess.