I am creating a quiz for a client and I seem to be missing something. I have both multiple choice and multiple response questions. Is there a way to have radio buttons on multiple response questions? That way they look cohesive with the multiple choice questions. Thanks.
This may be possible but I would advise against it. Users expect radio buttons to only allow one option to be selected and for checkboses more than one element can be selected. This would go against the conventions that users expect, from Windows, and Mac OSX, not really something i would ever recommend,.
Though I would suspect that most learners do not notice the difference. One reason why we usually explicitly do users what to do with any quiz question. "Select one answer" or "Select one or more answers, etc."
It may be possible to swap out the radio buttons, have you tried?
The issue I have, is that the user comes to your course with conventions they have learned from using other software and web pages, go and have a look radio buttons are never used for multi-select and check boxes are never used for for single select. options.
Your decision may confuse them instructions or not. My advice to new designers when designing GUI elements is to look at what apple and Microsoft have done in GUI design and work within that, these things are ingrained and really should not be discarded purely for design reasons.
All GUI standards and the official W3C Web standards have included the same definition of these two controls:
Radio buttons are used when there is a list of two or more options that are mutually exclusive and the user must select exactly one choice. In other words, clicking a non-selected radio button will deselect whatever other button was previously selected in the list.
Checkboxes are used when there are lists of options and the user may select any number of choices, including zero, one, or several. In other words, each checkbox is independent of all other checkboxes in the list, so checking one box doesn't uncheck the others.
A stand-alone checkbox is used for a single option that the user can turn on or off.
Thanks Phil, I'll probably have to pass that along to the client when they wonder why Storyline can't change a check box to a radio button. She's already doubtful that storyline can do what she wants, I am just trying to take away any questions in her mind.
I think it is your responsibility to tell the client what they want is wrong. Conventions are there for a reason and help us instinctively know what to do when we have a dialogue box open, access a web page or take a quiz. I am sure it is possible to swap out the elements, I just think it is wrong to do it, and never would and that is the advice I would give my clients.
On the other point maybe Storyline isn't the tool she need, but I have yet to find a course I cannot build using Storyline.
I've been doing this for 14 years and although I can instruct the client on what they should do, in the end, the client is always right and you do what they want. Even though I agree with you and the convention business is business.
But the client doesn't know what they don't know, and that is your role to educate them. the main reason this is more difficult than just changing the type of button is because using radio buttons is wrong in this instance. I would have basically said "It cannot be done because.... " and left it at that.
I've been doing this for 14 years and although I can instruct the client on what they should do, in the end, the client is always right and you do what they want. Even though I agree with you and the convention business is business.
Randy,
With the greatest of respect, the adage "...the client is always right" is seldom true (IMHO) in the world of elearning.
If that was the case, we'd still be in a world of linear, Powerpoint-based, SME-led boredom.
Hang on....in many cases we still are!
As Phil said, the client sounds as thought he/she is advocating bad practice on buttons, probably as they are unaware that there is a standard. At least show them the way it looks when done properly, and help another client along the eLearning path of enlightenment?
If you want all the questions to look cohesive, and avoid giving an extra prompt that there is only one option, perhaps you could consider using all check boxes rather than all radial buttons. You can use the multiple response option when there is only one correct response.
I understand that this post has been around for many years now, but I have a similar question that I'm trying to solve...
In a table of 12 cells (3 cols x 4 rows - see attachment), the student must make only one choice, but there are 3 possible correct answers among these 12 cells (one in each col).
The radio buttons seemed to be the best choice (because they are mutually exclusive, which is what I need); but they only accept one correct answer by slide. I tried with graded question and freeform; but nothing helped.
I would use a free form multi select question and you could use radio buttons or create your own. You can use button sets to restrict in to series of radio buttons.
17 Replies
This may be possible but I would advise against it. Users expect radio buttons to only allow one option to be selected and for checkboses more than one element can be selected. This would go against the conventions that users expect, from Windows, and Mac OSX, not really something i would ever recommend,.
+ 100.
Though I would suspect that most learners do not notice the difference. One reason why we usually explicitly do users what to do with any quiz question. "Select one answer" or "Select one or more answers, etc."
In the question it states (Select all that apply)
I am trying to make the quiz look cohesive.
You're bucking convention and standard behavior. I'd stick with Phil's advice.
It may be possible to swap out the radio buttons, have you tried?
The issue I have, is that the user comes to your course with conventions they have learned from using other software and web pages, go and have a look radio buttons are never used for multi-select and check boxes are never used for for single select. options.
Your decision may confuse them instructions or not. My advice to new designers when designing GUI elements is to look at what apple and Microsoft have done in GUI design and work within that, these things are ingrained and really should not be discarded purely for design reasons.
Maybe this will help to explain what I mean
All GUI standards and the official W3C Web standards have included the same definition of these two controls:
Thanks Phil, I'll probably have to pass that along to the client when they wonder why Storyline can't change a check box to a radio button. She's already doubtful that storyline can do what she wants, I am just trying to take away any questions in her mind.
I think it is your responsibility to tell the client what they want is wrong. Conventions are there for a reason and help us instinctively know what to do when we have a dialogue box open, access a web page or take a quiz. I am sure it is possible to swap out the elements, I just think it is wrong to do it, and never would and that is the advice I would give my clients.
On the other point maybe Storyline isn't the tool she need, but I have yet to find a course I cannot build using Storyline.
I've been doing this for 14 years and although I can instruct the client on what they should do, in the end, the client is always right and you do what they want. Even though I agree with you and the convention business is business.
But the client doesn't know what they don't know, and that is your role to educate them. the main reason this is more difficult than just changing the type of button is because using radio buttons is wrong in this instance. I would have basically said "It cannot be done because.... " and left it at that.
Randy,
With the greatest of respect, the adage "...the client is always right" is seldom true (IMHO) in the world of elearning.
If that was the case, we'd still be in a world of linear, Powerpoint-based, SME-led boredom.
Hang on....in many cases we still are!
As Phil said, the client sounds as thought he/she is advocating bad practice on buttons, probably as they are unaware that there is a standard. At least show them the way it looks when done properly, and help another client along the eLearning path of enlightenment?
Bruce
If you want all the questions to look cohesive, and avoid giving an extra prompt that there is only one option, perhaps you could consider using all check boxes rather than all radial buttons. You can use the multiple response option when there is only one correct response.
Clever Wendy!
That is so true! thanks for this reply! They don't know what they don't know! I will use this line in the future.
Hello Phil,
I understand that this post has been around for many years now, but I have a similar question that I'm trying to solve...
In a table of 12 cells (3 cols x 4 rows - see attachment), the student must make only one choice, but there are 3 possible correct answers among these 12 cells (one in each col).
The radio buttons seemed to be the best choice (because they are mutually exclusive, which is what I need); but they only accept one correct answer by slide. I tried with graded question and freeform; but nothing helped.
Do you see a solution?
Thank you!
Alain
I would use a free form multi select question and you could use radio buttons or create your own. You can use button sets to restrict in to series of radio buttons.
Sent from my iPhone
Merci, je vais essayer ça demain!
Thanks, I will try it tomorrow!
Alain :-)
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