Adding a text box for user input in Rise360

I would like see a text entry added natively to Rise. I am not going to hold my breath.

In a previous course I tried using an iframe embed and made a HTML page that can store the value in local storage.

https://frumbert.github.io/public/reflective_activity.html?source=mybucket

To get different values showing up I would then send in a 'source' parameter so that each text entry could be unique.

I would then have to modify the exported Rise package in order to embed the iframe source file into the Rise package (so that it could run on an intranet without internet access). I made myself a tool for re-packing externally referenced files into Rise:

https://www.frumbert.org/risefix/index.php

In my next project that required text entries the client required that the learner enter a value before Rise would let them navigate. I hadn't been able to get that working properly with my iframe based solution. I had reversed engineered the Rise player enough to see how other interactions work to set a complete flag so that the Continue button would then become active, and emulated that in my own code. But it doesn't work on iframes, so that prevented me from implementing anything there.

I now need learners to be able to write into a text entry and then, later in the course, have these entries show up again somehow. During output of the values, I'd like it to pop up or being something printable, since Rise doesn't save the value from a Storyline file. I had wanted to see if I could hook into the SCORM player of the Rise package and store a value there somehow, but cross-frame scripting gets in the way (and even after published when the package is in the same domain, the code didn't work).

So I'm stuck with Storyline, since when a Storyline file completes, Rise will see that completion and release the Continue button.

Here is as far as I am right now, and I've attached the storyline files that are loading for reference on that side.

https://360.articulate.com/review/content/1770286b-a109-49b1-95ce-a34e61e662fc/review

This reveals a couple of bugs in Storyline:

• You don't get scrollbars on text entry forms. So if the text is long, you might not know you have to click in it, then scroll using the mouse wheel / tap-drag.
• Depending on the font, the text crops on the last line of the text entry field and you have to know to press Enter afterwards so you can see what you typed.

The other thing it reveals is that Rise will re-use the same Storyline instance if you add it multiple times. This might be an efficient programming thing, but it sure is annoying when I want to add multiple text entries. I have to publish the same Storyline file multiple times to Review 360 for each text entry I want in the course.

On the summary page, I have a loader which is looking at my local storage and concatenating each entry into the text field. This is far from ideal - mainly because of the scrollbar bug.

I tried using a TextBox in Storyline too, but it doesn't have a variable and you can't set its value at runtime. This would have been great since you can add a TextBox to a Scrolling Panel to get the scrollbars showing up. But you can't add a TextEntry field to a Scrolling Pane (or at least I couldn't get mine in one). Executing javascript on form load could pop a window (if the user allows it) or throw up a PDF like in the previous users example - I haven't got that far myself yet.

I hope some other developers/creatives can chip-in with Text Entries in Rise and offer their own examples, because I don't think Articulate are ever going to add native Text Entry support to Rise.

My approach was always to use Storyline to do the text entry and embed that into Rise as an interaction, and then the problem was always storage and retrieval. Some people tried storing to local storage (browser), others to the comments field in SCORM, others have tried to send values to a LRS but then retrieval becomes tricky. My approach was to write an external service to load/store generic data, so that it's not reliant on scorm or specific browsers, and it remains compatible with the editor, with Review, Reach 360, and LMS's. I also needed to be able to generate a PDF with all the answers which could be picked up at the end of the course, so I made a separate storyline with a download button.

This is all demonstrated here, and the source code to a storage service and storyline files are available here.

I like the approach that Mighty have taken but wonder if updates to Rise will break it, and also it might break the terms of service which explicitly prohibits modifying the runtime code. I'd tried a similar idea except using a Storyline embed to inject the code (which self-deletes), an approach of having a notepad icon appear on all pages (example, appears on the top-right), but it wasn't a great experience and ended up abandoning that method. I'd also first approached the problem by using an iframe embed pointing to https://frumbert.s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/courses/textarea.html which used the local storage approach

The use of Storyline makes it a bit complicated, and not ideal on mobile. But its a cool solution. I use a modal popup that the user can access throughout the course in a persisting global menu. It also uses localstorage. The user can simply download/print the single text input, the text is 'saved' for the user but it doesn't get sent to the LMS.

Hi Saikat

I can't help with the first part of your question - i.e. the quiz - But we have been working on collecting data using a Storyline block in Rise and then outputting the data to a downloadable pdf.

This demo I posted a couple of weeks ago demonstrates where we have got to:

https://rise.articulate.com/share/CxNcomo7LqqWkBOahhImYPgO8E7PEeYG

Inside the Storyline we use text input boxes to collect the input from the learner. We then use a JavaScript library 'pdf-lib' in our JavaScript code to take this input and fill out a pdf 'form'. In the demo the pdf 'form' template is included inside an attachment block.

Using this technique, you could create the form to include part of the course itself with form fields where you want the learner input to appear.

This works fine BUT... and it's a big BUT... we cannot carry variables over from one Storyline Block to another i.e. we cannot accumulate variables and store them until the end of the course. RISE doesn't have variables. so as soon as the learner exits from the Storyline block the variables are lost.

You would have to store the data somewhere to get what I suspect you are trying to achieve. We have a client who has requested we work on this - we are going to try using local storage in the browser (not ideal - but viable). If we have success I will update this post.

Wow, this is great guys. Thanks for sharing, although unsure how to implement with such a little time. Up for Rise text entry functionality being developed ASAP!

+1 for this feature. We need learners to have the ability to enter freeform text to make our courses 'useful' as we are trying to assess critical thinking, not simply quiz 'level' of thinking. 

OK - for Rachelle, Stefan, Angela, Erik and Digital Learning, and anyone else who is interested in registering. I will schedule a virtual 'live' session - FREE of charge. (although there is a space to donate the cost of a coffee on my website if you find the workshop useful!).

I'm looking at two weeks away - How about Tuesday 26th March??? - If enough people are interested I will run the session twice at 08:00 UK time (to catch those East of the Greenwich line and 15:30 UK time for those out West). (Numbers will be limited in case I get inundated).

I asked Chat GPT to create a short course which is now converted to RISE and is called "Pathways to Environmental Conservation". The course has four separate points at which the learner is asked to 'reflect' on a key issue and write  their own notes like this:

In the workshop we will:

STEP 1 - convert the entire course content to a pdf course workbook and convert this workbook to a 'pdf form' with defined spaces where the learner's own notes will fit.

STEP 2 - we will replace the four 'Reflection' blocks in RISE (like the one above) with identical Storyline blocks that allow the learner to type their response into a text entry field. We will add JavaScript code to take the text entered and store it in local browser memory.

STEP 3 - we will then add a Storyline block at the end of the course and add JavaScript that will retrieve the user text notes from local memory, open the course notes pdf form, fill in the learner's own notes section, and then offer the completed pdf for download.

STEP 4 - we will demonstrate publishing the course to (a) an HTML5 page on a website and (b) as a SCORM zip file loaded to an LMS (probably I will demonstrate on Moodle). (This will deal with how to load the blank pdf form and how to call the JavaSCript libraries needed WITHOUT having to modify any HTML code).

That's it - plus Q&A and a brief discussion of how you would take the learner's input and send it via an xAPI call (but I won't be demonstrating that) and maybe how you could email the pdf to the course leader...

How does that sound???

You won't need JavaScript knowledge - the code will be provided and is easy to follow - you will just have to know how to create an 'Execute JavaScript' trigger.

If this is OK, I will post details of how to register for the FREE workshop on this thread...

I came across a plugin for Rise called Mighty! which has added a text entry field block to Rise.
https://mighty.maestrolearning.com/home

Much easier than having to go and mess around with code after publishing

See screenshot below

FYI The Mighty solution will also report learners answers to the LMS if you output to Scorm2004! It is being captured as a runtime interaction. 

Free Form Text Entry fields are what's keeping us from using this platform. We need student responses that others can review in real time. Not quizzing responses.  Open Text fields that stay in the lesson item please.