Forum Discussion
Tab Order: Storyline skipping first object on non-base layers?
I'm using Storyline 360 v3.26.18601.0 and am having a problem with the tab order.
It appears that when I open a layer from the base layer and hit the tab key, I do not go to the first object listed in my Tab Order panel for that new layer. Instead, Storyline skips the first thing listed in the tab order and goes to the second object in the list. I then have to tab through the entire rest of the page before I am cycled back, finally, to that first object.
Of course, this completely messes up the learner experience since I get to the Next or Continue button before I get to the main content on the page.
Here is a concrete example:
Main Storyline edit screen:
This is a screen from an emergency management course in a module on responding to an earthquake. It consists of a base layer called Drop Cover and Hold On and three feedback layers, one for each of the highlighted regions on the slide. Two are incorrect feedback layers (No: Boxes and No: Bottles) and one is the correct feedback layer (Yes: Good Choice).
The idea is the learner clicks one of the highlighted regions, and in response, a trigger shows the feedback layer associated with that choice. If the learner clicks the correct place to drop, cover, and hold on, then the Yes: Good Choice layer displays:
This layer is set to Prevent the user from clicking on the base layer in its properties panel:
This prevents objects on the base layer from being tabbed to while the learner is on this layer. Also, every object on this layer is hidden from the accessibility tools except for the feedback text box and the Continue button.
Here's my Tab Order panel for this slide:
Here's a Peek video screencast of me trying to navigate through this page using the keyboard only (i.e., navigating with the Tab key and selecting with the Enter key):
Peek video of how this page behaves
The little teeter-totter video clip (meant to suggest the earthquake) at the start of the page in question didn't get captured too well by Peek, but otherwise the video shows the tab behavior quite well. Why does it skip the feedback text box?
Is anyone else experiencing this or am doing something wrong?
Thanks!
-Ray
48 Replies
Hi Ray. Your details really helped me understand what you're experiencing. This behavior matches a bug we have where on a layer, the yellow highlight is not around the first object in tab order. When pressing the tab key, the highlight appears around the second item. If you have a screen reader open, it will read the first item in tab order when the layer is opened.
We are investigating why this tabbing behavior changed. I'll add your discussion to our report so we can update you with changes. In the meantime, let me know if this workaround fits for your course: Add another invisible object to the layer and make it the first item in tab order.
Hi Crystal, thanks for looking into this. I am reluctant to put an invisible and silent object first in the Tab order list because I would have to do it in so many places in this course. And then, what happens when the bug is fixed? I would have to go back and remove them all.
However, if that is the only way at the moment, I may give it a try. Hopefully fixing this bug is a high priority for the Storyline developers!
I really do appreciate your quick and thoughtful reply. These forums are a very valuable part of the Articulate software suite.
Thanks!
-Ray
Hi there Ray,
I completely understand your hesitation. We'll be sure to keep you posted on our progress with fixing this bug. Thanks for letting us know this issue is affecting your work!
I am also seeing this bug. I'm in Storyline 3 (Update 6). I have a series of question slides. After clicking Submit, the first two objects on the "Correct" and "Incorrect" layers are skipped in the tab order. Behavior is otherwise the same as above. Both objects have entrance animations. If I turn off those animations, only one of the objects is skipped in the tab order.
Hi Michael,
We're seeing this bug in Storyline 3 and Storyline 360, so we'll keep you posted here.
In the meantime, did you look at the workaround of adding an invisible item to the layer and having it be the first in tab order?
Thanks very much for the reply, Ashley, and for keeping us updated on progress on this.
Yes, I successfully used the workaround. Adding a shape to the beginning of the tab order did the trick. Thank you.
I am having this same issue. This sort of breaks any 508 compliance for a course, the solution of adding an object before the first item works for the first tab order but if you tab again there is now a random object in the tab order. So this doesn't work. Are there any other solutions for slide layers?
Hi, Aaron. I'm so sorry you've come across this issue!
While I don't have another workaround to share yet, we promise to keep this discussion updated as soon as new information is available.
As we continue to investigate, our Support Engineers are also happy to help. Click here to start a conversation with the team. They'll do a deep dive on your file and let you know what they find!
Hi there - I'm interested to know what is happening with the Accessibility options in Storyline 3 with regard to tabbing. In my line of work this is of paramount importance. So I'm just wondering what is being done about it in the next release?? Thanks all.
Hi Mr. Brown,
Accessibility is something our team is hard at work on.
I do not have any details on releases or dates, but I've added this conversation to the Storyline 3 report we have related to the tabbing issue shared here so that we can notify you when we can.
