In line glossary/terms definitions - need some ideas please!
Jul 22, 2020
Hi all,
I'm redesigning a client's very complicated course (tons of layers on each slide, lots of repetition on those slides, etc.). It's in Storyline. The original course uses both the built-in glossary as well as hovers on each slide for acronyms (layers that show on hover for each acronym). The client would like to keep these in-line popups but it means that every definition is repeated many times throughout the course. I'm not opposed to trying to convince them to ditch the in-line (they're not contributing to learning anyway... but that's the story of this entire redesign and much longer than I'll bore you with here...). Before I take on that particular mountain, I want to explore options.
I'm wondering if any of you fine folks have any ideas of how I can do in-line popup definitions more efficiently? I have considered something with layers on the master slide (then all definitions could be built once on the master and then triggered from the individual slides as needed) but I can't trigger that from the actual slide I don't think. Ideas on how I could/should do this?
Thanks!
2 Replies
I think you have the right idea, but there may be a simpler way through. I've done something similar for repeating text elements that don't really fit the "scope" a Master Slide can require.
Not sure your level of familiarity, of course, but Storyline can create variables that can then be (re)used throughout a course. If we were to make one (pic attached) that contained a definition of "SCUBA," I can then refer to that variable anywhere on most any slide by surrounding the variable name in percent signs.
To refer to the variable name I chose in the screenshot (acronym_scuba), the hover layer simply needs to show %acronym_scuba%. When the course is run either in Preview mode or after being published, it should automagically replace each variable reference with the actual value of the variable.
I try to make variable names descriptive as a best practice so all of mine for instance would probably start with "acronym_". If you needed to edit the definition of SCUBA itself, you would be able to do so once in the Variables window and have it "cascade" to all of the variable references after previewing/republishing it. Very much a "type it once; see it everywhere" kind of shortcut.
And note that both variable names and their references are case-sensitive. And I would recommend creating the variables themselves first before you start putting the %acronym_option% references throughout the course. Typing references that point to a variable you haven't made yet can predictably cause some issues come runtime.
Hi A B,
Thank you for your reply (which I think somehow got "reported" but not by me (as far as I know).
I'm very comfortable with variables and am a veteran Storyline user. This is certainly an intriguing option and I'm going to explore this deeper to see how I might include it.
Still open to other ideas too though! Thanks!
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