Storyline 3: Drag-and-Drop Questions

Storyline 3's freeform drag-and-drop question type lets you add interactivity to normal slide objects. Just identify which objects are drag items and which are drop targets.

1. Insert a Freeform Drag-and-Drop Question
2. Identify Drag Items and Drop Targets
3. Select Drag-and-Drop Options
4. Customize the Question Properties

Step 1: Insert a Freeform Drag-and-Drop Question

There are two ways to create a drag-and-drop question. If you've already added objects to an existing slide, you can convert it to a freeform question. If you'd prefer to start from scratch, do this:

1. First, do any of the following:
   • Go to the Home tab on the ribbon, click New Slide, and choose Freeform Question.
   • Go to the Slides tab on the ribbon and click Freeform Question.
   • In Story View, right-click anywhere in the workspace, scroll to New Slide, and choose Freeform Question.
   • In Slide View or Form View, right-click anywhere in the Scenes panel, scroll to New Slide, and choose Freeform Question.
2. When the Insert Slide window appears, select the Drag and Drop question type and click Insert Slide to add it to your project.
3. A new drag-and-drop question will open in Slide View. Add at least two objects to the slide to function as drag items and drop targets.
4. Then, switch to Form View and proceed to the next step to choose your drag items and drop targets.

Step 2: Identify Drag Items and Drop Targets

In Form View, identify the objects you want to use as drag items and drop targets. Just follow the steps below.

1. Place your cursor in the Drag Item column, and use the drop-down selector to identify the objects you want learners to be able to drag. As you scroll over items in the list, Storyline outlines them in red on the slide thumbnail on the right side of the screen so you can see what you're selecting.
2. Next, place your cursor in the Drop Target column and use the drop-down selector to identify the objects that are drop targets for the corresponding drag items from the previous step.

Here are some tips for selecting drag items and drop targets:

• Each drag item can be matched to only one drop target.
• On the other hand, each drop target can be assigned to more than one drag item—i.e., you can drop multiple items into the same target.
• You can make an object draggable even if it isn't part of the correct response (i.e., a decoy drag item). Just select that object in the Drag Item column, then select None in the Drop Target column.
• You can also make an object function as an incorrect drop target (i.e., a decoy drop target). Just select that object in the Drop Target column, then select None in the Drag Item column.
• To remove a drag item/drop target combination from the answer grid, right-click anywhere on that row and choose Delete Choice.

Step 3: Select Drag-and-Drop Options

Open the Drag & Drop Options window using either of the following methods, then mark any of the options described in the table below.

• In Form View, go to the Question tab on the ribbon and click Drag & Drop Options.
• In Slide View, go to the Question Tools—Design tab on the ribbon and click Drag & Drop Options.

Return to start point if dropped outside	Mark this box if you want to force drag items to snap back to their original locations when learners drop them outside a specific target. Use the corresponding drop-down to select either “any drop target” or “a correct drop target.”
Reveal drag items one at a time	Mark this box if you want drag items to appear one at a time after the previous drag item has been dropped on a target. Click the ellipsis button (...) to set the drag item sequence.
Snap dropped items to drop target	Mark this box if you want drag items to snap to drop targets as learners arrange them on the slide. Use the corresponding drop-down to choose how items will be tiled or stacked.
Allow only one item in each drop target	Mark this box if you want each drop target to hold only one drag item at a time. When learners drag a second item onto an occupied target, the first item will be pushed out of the target and replaced with the new item.
Delay item drop states until interaction is submitted	Mark this box if you don't want Drop Correct and Drop Incorrect states to appear until after learners submit the question. If you'd prefer to give learners immediate feedback when they drop items onto targets, do not mark this box. To learn more about states, see this user guide.

Step 4: Customize the Question Properties

After creating a freeform drag-and-drop question, you can customize several of its attributes, including shuffling of answer choices, feedback, branching, score, number of attempts, and whether learners are required to answer it or allowed to skip it. To learn how, see Working with the Question Editor.

Can I Convert a Freeform Question into a Non-Question Slide?

Yes. It's easy. Just go to the Insert tab on the Storyline ribbon and click Remove Freeform.

When you remove freeform functionality from a question, it becomes a standard content slide. Text and other objects remain intact. Only question-related properties, such as score and feedback, are removed.