Using question banks to create random branches

Jun 30, 2014

Hello,

I've seen a video-tutorial by Jeanette on how the use question banks to create random branching (many thanks - it is very useful). I applied this is a course I design but I want after the user has completed a certain branch to start the section again and follow a different branch (I understand that maybe the same branch is selected but for the time being this is not a problem). My problem at the moment is the following: I follow a branch randomly decided and when I complete it (in the wrap up slide) I jump to the first slide again (before the slide where the question bank is) in order to have the chance follow another branch. The program always gives me the same branch. What can I do?

Many thanks in advance,

Vassiliki

17 Replies
Vassiliki Bouki

I have also tried the 'reset to the original state' property but no luck.

I even tried the reset the course and with a variable to show in which slide to go if the user visits for second time but apparently when I reset the course the variable is reset as well... (silly of me).

Any help or idea is very-very useful and appreciated.

Vassiliki

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Hi Vassiliki,

Did you adjust the results slide to "reset results" when the user continues back to the opening slide? That trigger should allow the course to be treated as a fresh restart. If you continue to experience difficulty getting that to start - are you able to share a sample of your course here so that we can take a look? 

Vassiliki Bouki

Hi Ashley,

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately it does not help. 

I just want to generate a random number from 1 to 5 (exactly as the tutorial from Jeanette shows) using 'question banks'. I do not have a 'results slide'. Should I add it? How? Is it possible for the user not to see it? Where do I adjust the results? (sorry - many questions). I attach here an example I created quickly (it is not my course but if I resolve this I can apply it to my course).

In the last slide I want to generate a new random number when I click the button without restarting the course (just by jumping to the first slide). All slide are set to  'reset to initial state' and the variable is also reset to the initial value.

Many thanks,

Vassiliki

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Hi Vassiliki,

No - you shouldn't need a results slide, but when you said "reset the course" it made me think there was a results slide. 

I see your example, and that it's not working as expected - but I've checked it against a bunch of very similar examples in this thread (where they do work) and everything looks identical. Which makes me wonder if it's something in the file itself - are you able to confirm that you're following these guidelines when working on your Storyline files:

  • Work on your local drive (your C: drive).Working on a network drive or a USB drive can cause erratic behavior, includingfile corruption, loss of audio, and other unexpected behavior. 
  • You should also make sure the directory pathto your project files and your published output is less than 260 characters(for example C:\Articulate).
  • Avoid using special characters, accents orsymbols in your file names.

There is also some Javascript code here to generate a random number. 

Vassiliki Bouki

Hi Ashley,

Thanks for your answer. Yes, I can confirm that:

a) I work on 'C' drive. The application is installed in the following directory "C:\Program Files (x86)\Articulate\Articulate Storyline\Storyline.exe"

b)The pathway is much - much shorter than 260

c) No special characters are used (just letters) but I also renamed my files to 3-letter files (e.g. aaa).

It does not work and this think drives me crazy. Thanks for the javacode - I have it but it is not useful since java does not work on i-pads and I prepare material for i-pads.

I bought 'Storyline' few months ago. Since then I had reinstalled it twice (I was adviced to do so after a message I was receiving and I could not save my work). I have lost hours of work because I could not save what I have done. 'Storyline' is very nice program but it does not work all the times. It is very risky to rely on a program that might not save you work - especially when you have to meet deadlines.

The thread you mention in your message uses 'reset course'. With 'reset course' is does work but as I explained in my previous messages I cannot use that (unless if there is a way to reset a course and make the program to restart from a specific slide and not the title).

Please, please, please is there anything else I could try / check? It does not make sense for something so simple not to work.

Regards,

Vassiliki

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Hi Vassiliki,

Javascript triggers are supported in Flash and HTML5 output as indicated here, but not in the mobile player. 

Storyline doesn't include an autosave or autorecover feature, and it's something that a  number of other users have shared their thoughts about here in the form of feature requests. I'd encourage you to chime in there as well. 

Using the restart course feature, would start the whole course and reset all the variables, but I misread your previous post about using it. Those are the only two setups I've seen, so hopefully if there is another community member who could chime in to assist you. 

Vassiliki Bouki

Hi again,

Thanks for your time. I prepare material for the mobile player - I cannot use javascript. In any case, something is wrong here that it should not be. I'll follow your advice and submit 'feature request' (I've done that in the past...) although in the last few years I have seen several requests for 'autosave' but nothing has happened. Is there any other way to ask for help? 

Ashley Terwilliger-Pollard

Hi Vassiliki,

We're still on version 1 of Storyline (update 5) and generally features are included in new versions, whereas updates focus on bug fixes. Since auto save/auto recover was not included originally by design, it's been considered a feature request, so sending in the request will be the best way to share thoughts with our product development team. 

Stephanie Johnsen

I am having a similar issue of the same slide repeating itself maybe someone can take a look at it and give me some help. I really want it to loop back to the start and pick a different question but even when I try and do it again by refreshing or choosing to go back to the beginning, the same question comes up. Someone please help. Thank you

Stephanie

Crystal Horn

Hi there, Stephanie. Thanks for including your file! I made a few changes to get this functionality to work. I converted the slides in your question bank to freeform quiz slides, and I changed slide 1.3 to a results slide. Now, these slides can take advantage of the random retry feature. We needed to "reset the results" in order to get a new, randomized retry when returning to the question bank draw slide 1.2. 

Here's what I did:

  • Converted the question bank slides to freeform Pick One slides.
  • Added shapes off-stage that can be selected as answers.
  • Added a trigger to change one of the shapes to the Selected state so it looks like the "question" has been answered. This action prevents the Invalid Answer prompt.
  • Removed the Submit button and reinstated the Next button actions.
  • Created a new slide 1.3 as a results slide that has a trigger to submit the results and to reset the results when clicking the Play Again button.

Have a look at your modified file to see the details!

Stephanie Johnsen

this is awesome ! Thanks

how did you do these things?:

- Converted the question bank slides to freeform Pick One slides.
- Added shapes off-stage that can be selected as answers.
- Added a trigger to change one of the shapes to the Selected state so
it looks like the "question" has been answered. This action prevents the
Invalid Answer prompt.

Thanks (I'm very new at this program)

Leslie McKerchie

Hi Stephanie,

I understand. Thanks for reaching out with your additional questions.

Here are some instructions:

  1. Storyline 360: Converting an Existing Slide to a Freeform Interaction
  2. Storyline 360: Adding Shapes
  3. Storyline 360: Working with Triggers

I also recorded a quick video walkthrough to assist as well.

Let me know if that was helpful :)

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