Forum Discussion
Training Recommendations for a Beginner?
BerndSalewski I've Codecademy and FreeCodeCamp and some others but I think FCC is good as it's easy to get started. The next job is learning how to apply it all to Articulate 360 but then you have Nathan's course for that.
Let me know if you have any questions about FreeCodeCamp, I don't represent them but I've invested many hours of my life learning on the platform 🙂
Honestly, there's a big difference between learning JavaScript and learning what you need to make a big impact on your elearning projects. Using environments like GitHub, Node, or React may be terribly confusing to non-programmers. A lot can be learned through some simple YouTube videos on the basics, exploring the countless examples from the JS community online, and hands-on testing in something like Codepen and the browser developer panel. Simple scripts are pretty easy to integrate into Storyline. More complex interactions become more niche in the Storyline environment, and you should also learn the basics of HTLM, CSS, and the DOM structure to integrate them effectively.
Nathan_Hilliard Will you be sharing lots of code with us on the course, what kind of topics do you plan to cover?
Thanks again for providing the training.
Well, the original intention for part 1 was to just introduce JavaScript basics for those who really did not know much about it, and how to get started connecting scripts to your projects.
However, I can at least ask the group attached to this thread what they think. What are you interested in? I want to keep the first session beginner friendly, so we can't go all tips and tricks with it. But, how comfortable are each of you with JavaScript? Do you know the basic keywords, variables types, how to use loops, conditionals, functions, etc.? Or, do you already know enough to make a working script but don't know how to make it useful to your SL project? I'm open to suggestions.
I was planning parts 1 to 3 to be basic scripting and integration, more complex scripting functions for easier data manipulation in SL, and then exploring external libraries and using scripts to introduce changes into the SL slide structures (DOM elements). Part 4 was going to walk through one of my previously posted examples, how it was put together, and how it could be adjusted to your needs. You can explore some under my Topic posts in my profile.
To be honest, my JS knowledge was self-taught over the last couple of years through reading examples and applying them to projects. I am not a programmer, but can still get quite a bit done with limited knowledge and a willingness to learn. Some of you likely have more formal knowledge than I do 🙂.
Nathan_Hilliard I think your original intention is sound and this is based on the various virtual courses I've attended. Starting with a beginner friendly session covering the basics is helpful.
Speaking for myself, I am a beginner but am comfortable with the basics variables, loops, conditionals, functions, arrays etc and basic idea of working with some DOM elements. Much of what I know is not in working memory so I can probably read some code and have an idea of what's happening.
If I had to look at a blank screen and write something it would probably take me ages and much of that time would be spent in searching forums, Google etc I would have to use a code editor so I can get help with syntax etc. Also I have not the foggiest idea of how to script in Articulate, yes I could paste someone else's code in to a project, did once many years ago in SL2 but didn't understand the code back then.
What I'd also like to know from a beginner's point of view is what can we do and what can't we do with JS in Articulate?
The reason I asked about the content is that I've not looked a JS in months so want to be prepared for your training, rather than re learning bits while the training's going on. I have time to study and practice before the course starts.
In summary I think your plan's great!
I hope my ramblings make sense, maybe next time I'll just respond with my summary 🙂
I know nothing about JavaScript, but I had some coding decades ago (basic C stuff). All I remember is If, Then, Else, and some Boolean logic (nands and such), but it is all a vague memory now. 🙃
To prep for your webinar, I was going to take the Learning the JavaScript Language course just so I could be familiar with the terminology 🤷🏼♀️
I, too, registered for this course. Full disclosure, I've taken 2 1/2 javascript courses and HTML/ CSS courses. I'm interested in learning exactly how to apply the language in the fields that Storyline and Rise allot. I think your first session will be a (welcome) refresher but I'm most excited about getting to the nuts and bolts of it. To me, it sounds like whatever you're giving is going to be way better than the program I made in my JS course on how to accurately calculate human ages to dog years.
