5 Common Questions About How Storyline 360 Courses Work with Screen Readers
Raise your hand if the first time you used a screen reader was when you wanted to test an accessible course you created with Storyline 360. Ok, now raise your hand if you ran into some trouble navigating but were unsure whether it was a problem with the course itself, with the screen reader, or simply user error. If you’re still reading this article, I’m going to guess you raised your hand for both of those statements. Know this: you’re not alone! We get questions about how Storyline 360 content should work on screen readers all the time. And it makes sense! If you’ve never used a screen reader before, how are you supposed to know what’s normal and what isn’t? In this article, we’ll give you the answers to the top 5 most frequently asked questions we get from Storyline 360 users about how content should work on screen readers. Let’s take a look! 1. Why doesn’t my screen reader read slide content automatically? With most websites, screen readers start reading visual content as soon as it appears on screen. However, Storyline 360 courses are handled a little differently. That’s because e-learning courses often contain audio or video that autoplays when you arrive on a slide. This means that if the screen reader starts reading on-screen text immediately, the screen reader audio competes with the course audio—making it impossible for the learner to hear and understand either one. When your learner arrives on a slide, if they’re using a screen reader it will read the slide title and wait for the learner to explore the rest of the content. You can learn more about why and how this works in our article Screen Readers Don’t Auto-Read Content. 2. Why does the screen reader say things that aren’t written on the screen, like “heading” and “navigation”? Since most people using screen readers have visual impairments, screen readers try to provide them with as much context as possible to help them understand what’s going on. For this reason, you’ll notice that the screen reader will say things like “heading” before reading a title, or “navigation” before reading the names of the buttons. Some screen readers read punctuation out loud (“dash,” “comma,” etc.) by default, and others don’t. Screen readers control the way this works, not Storyline 360 course settings. You might be able to customize some of these options directly in your screen reader, but there’s no way to ensure that every learner’s settings are the same. 3. Why does the screen reader sometimes stop reading the on-screen text before the end? Some screen readers (like NVDA and JAWS) stop reading after a certain number of characters (for example, 100 or 150). If you’d like it to continue, you can customize this setting or use the down arrow to continue reading. To find out how to do this, refer to your screen reader’s user guide. 4. How does the screen reader decide the order in which to read my slide content? By default, objects are read from left to right, starting at the top of the slide. However, thanks to the focus order feature in Storyline 360, you can personalize the order to fit your needs. Here’s a tutorial that walks you through how to do that, step by step: Customizing the Focus Order of Slide Objects. 5. Why doesn’t keyboard navigation work the same for screen reader users and keyboard-only users? Both types of users use their keyboards to navigate the course, but not for the same reason. So we tailored the navigation to their specific needs. Here’s a table that lays out the differences: Who are the learners? What are their needs? How does keyboard navigation work? How does the navigation fit their needs? Screen Reader Users Primarily people with visual impairments—like partial sight, low vision, color blindness, legal blindness, and total blindness. These users can’t rely on their vision to interact with content, so they need the content to be read aloud to them or displayed in braille on a refreshable braille display. Learners move through all the objects on the slide (static and interactive) using the screen reader navigation keys, listening to (or reading via their refreshable braille display) the descriptions as they go. If they want to skip over static content, they can press Shift and Tab at the same time. Learners can decide whether they want to move through every item on the screen or only the interactive items. That way, they can access the full course content if they’d like, or skip over to quickly access the interactive parts if they’re reviewing content they’ve already consumed, for example. Keyboard-Only Users People who can see, but can’t or prefer not to use a mouse, often because of pain or a physical disability. These users can see the course content, so they don’t need it read aloud to them. They just need to be able to navigate using their keyboard instead of their mouse. Learners move through interactive objects only (skipping static objects like text and images) by pressing on Tab and Shift+Tab. It allows learners to navigate the course quickly, skipping over static objects, since they can see them for themselves. Find out more about how navigation differs for these two types of users here: Navigation Is Easier. More Resources Hopefully you found the answers to these questions helpful! What other questions do you have about how Storyline 360 courses work with screen readers? Drop them in the comments below and we’ll do our best to answer them! Want to learn more about creating accessible e-learning? Check out these helpful resources: All About Accessibility 6 Best Practices for Designing Accessible E-Learning Articulate 360 FAQs: Accessibility Storyline 360: How to Design an Accessible Course How to Test Your Storyline 360 Course with a Screen Reader A Checklist for QA Testing Courses with a Screen Reader Want to try building an accessible e-learning course in Storyline 360, but don’t have Articulate 360? Start a free 30-day trial, and come back to E-Learning Heroes regularly for more helpful advice on everything related to e-learning. If you have any questions, please share them in the comments.27Views1like0CommentsComing Soon: A New and Improved E-Learning Heroes
We’re excited to announce that E-Learning Heroes is moving to a new platform! We think you’ll love our new home with its enhanced streamlined interface, improved search, and added features. And don’t worry! We’re bringing everything you love from the current E-Learning Heroes with us. That means those helpful articles you have bookmarked, the discussion posts you reference, and our E-Learning Challenges are all coming with us. We’re still unpacking and getting the place ready for you, but in the meantime, check out this short video to see what’s in store for you on the revamped community site. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates about this exciting move. You can also find us on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter). And if you have questions, please share them in the comments.241Views1like9Comments5 Ways to Get the Most Value From AI Tools
There’s lots of buzz in the e-learning world about generative AI's potential to speed up our workflows and extend our abilities to create exciting new projects. And even though we’re only in the early days of this technology, people are already finding ways it can help them—including summarizing content, refining written text, brainstorming ideas, speeding up development processes, writing code, and taking tedious tasks off their plates. But there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for everyone’s needs. We don’t all work the same way, create the same content, have the same pain points, or even want the same kinds of assistance. So, to get the most value from any AI tool or feature, you’ll want to go beyond the general ways it can help anyone and dig into the specific ways it can help you. As you’re checking out an AI tool or feature, try these five techniques to zero in on how you personally can get the most from it. 1. Dig into how your AI tool works As with any technology, every AI tool or feature has its own strengths—and the more you play to them, the better results you’ll get. So start your journey by investigating what the particular AI tool you’re using is especially good at and how you can get the best results from it. That way, you can set your own expectations around when and how it makes the most sense to include it in your workflow. Official documentation and tutorials are a helpful place to begin. They’ll outline what the tool does and the standard processes for using it. But also keep an eye out for what other users are saying. They can help you separate hype from reality. And they’ll likely have advice on strategic ways to weave the tool into your processes or how to push the boundaries of what it can do. 2. Build in time for experimentation There’s rarely just one “best” way to use an AI tool. Many are flexible, allowing them to play a part in your work in a variety of ways. That flexibility gives these tools more ways to cater to your needs. But it also means that it might take some experimentation to determine how—or if—they fit into different design and development steps. That’s why you can get more from your AI tools and features by simply setting aside time to play with them before you start putting them to work. For instance, try exploring questions like: how do different AI features contribute to the kinds of learning experiences you create? which prompt phrasing gets you the best results in the shortest amount of time? Does changing the order in which you use different AI features together change the results you get? how much do you enjoy using each feature? This up-front play may slow down your productivity in the short run. But in the long run, it’s one of the best ways to refine how each tool fits into your world and discover how to use it skillfully. 3. Look for the overlap between AI strengths and tasks you want off your plate When it comes to getting real value from AI, you don’t just want it to take on any task it’s good at. You want AI to take on the tasks you enjoy the least. Maybe your subject matter experts tend to give you dense info dumps of content. Having AI sift through it all and summarize the main points could make the experience less draining. Perhaps you need to liven up some old courses but don’t love rewriting boring copy. Getting AI to take the first crack at adjusting the copy’s tone could make the rewriting process less tedious. Or maybe you’re tired of refilming the same training video because a few company terms keep changing. By switching to an AI presenter, those changes would take a few minutes at your computer instead of hours of reshooting and editing. If you don’t love doing something and AI can competently take on some of the work for you, you’ll appreciate it all the more. And the flip side applies as well. Is there a task AI is good at that you honestly enjoy? Then don’t feel pressured to give it up. You’re not going to find AI tools valuable if they’re taking away the work that fuels you. Instead, use them to free up time so you can give your most-enjoyed tasks your full attention. 4. Know how to check AI’s work AI tools can be helpful. But, just like any resource or person, they’re not perfect. To get the best results, you need to know where this technology can make mistakes so it’s easier to find and correct them. The first area to keep an eye on is information accuracy. AI-generated content is often accurate. But because AI tools don’t actually understand the material they’ve been trained on and instead work by recognizing patterns, mistakes can creep in. Referred to as hallucination, these tools can accidentally invent facts or content. To catch these occasional errors, build in a content review pass into your development plan—something you or a subject matter expert may already be doing. It’s also helpful to include a bias check in that review process. Since AI tools are typically trained on massive amounts of information, biases around gender, race, age, religion, and more can sometimes sneak into the data set. Because of that, it’s important to review ai-generated or altered work to search for these specific issues—just like you might do today with stock photos or external research. Need ideas on what to look for? Want to consider how to avoid bias in both AI and human-generated content? Check out this article on four ways to make courses more inclusive. 5. Stay on top of how this technology evolves AI tools are evolving fast. So what’s true about their capabilities today might only be part of the picture tomorrow. If you’re excited about the possibilities, this is great news. But it also means that to get the full value from the AI tools you’re using now, you’ll want to actively pursue product updates and news so you don’t miss out on valuable new features. And as you’re planning for future projects, knowing what features and tools will be on the market soon can help you make informed purchasing decisions now. Wrap-up AI tools have a lot to offer our industry. But when it comes to deciding which aspects of them are the most useful, there’s no universal right answer. Instead, it often varies from person to person, company to company, and sometimes even project to project. That’s why the five approaches in this article can be so handy. They’ll help you explore your AI options and determine where they offer the most value for you and your work. Interested in the ways AI and eLearning can intersect? Check out these articles: 4 AI Basics Every E-Learning Creator Needs To Know in 2024 Why AI Could Turbocharge L&D Professionals How E-Learning Experts Shaped Articulate AI Want even more insights on the technologies and approaches that can help you create effective e-learning? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest e-learning inspiration and insights directly in your inbox. You can also find us on LinkedIn and X. And if you have questions, please share them in the comments.160Views1like0CommentsPut Learners to the Test With These Quizzing Examples
When designing an e-learning course, it’s important to not just teach information to learners but also to test their understanding with knowledge checks and quizzes. Rather than a standard exam, get creative with the features in Rise 360 and Storyline 360 to design quizzes that engage learners and get them thinking deeply about the course content. To give you a jump start on your next quiz—or just to see what’s possible—we’ve gathered some inspiring examples created by the E-Learning Heroes community. Read on to see their unique approaches to testing learners! Storyline 360: Pre-Test Template Guide learners to specific course content based on how they perform with this customizable project by Nicole Legault. Rise 360: Phishing 101—What You Need to Know Check out this information security course by Trina Rimmer to see how you can incorporate knowledge checks, sorting activities, and an embedded quiz from the web. Storyline 360: Flashback Quiz Go back in time with this themed quiz by Sarah Hodge to see how you can use a simple click and reveal to test learners’ knowledge. Rise 360: 1912 Anatomy Quiz See how to transform a hundred-year-old exam into a fresh drag-and-drop experience like Rema Merrick does in this modernized quiz. Storyline: Course Template with Pre-Check and Final Evaluation Give learners the option to take the course or test out of it with this customizable template by Allison LaMotte. Rise 360: A Quiz to Build Buy-in for More Learning This employee engagement course by Trina Rimmer guides learners to additional content that fits their needs based on their quiz scores. Storyline: Unconscious Bias Quiz Get inspired by Steve Andrews’s game-like quiz that uses a playful approach to testing learners’ knowledge. Rise 360: Workplace Safety 101 Ensure learners complete all required content—including the final quiz—like Nicole Legault does in this injury prevention course. Storyline: Gamified Quiz Template With Timer Insert a healthy dose of competition by having learners race against the clock with this colorful template by Sarah Hodge. Rise 360: Food Allergy Awareness Before diving into course content, why not start with a pre-test to see what learners already know, like Allison LaMotte does in this attention-grabbing course. Wrap-Up Hopefully, these community-created examples inspire you to put your own quizzing skills to the test! With so many creative ideas, the possibilities for evaluating learners’ knowledge are truly endless. And if you’re looking for even more inspiring projects, check out our weekly challenges, downloads, and examples—you’ll be sure to find fresh ideas and resources you can incorporate into your next course. What are your favorite ways to test learners’ knowledge? Share your thoughts in a comment below. For more information on creating quizzes, take a look at these articles: How to Quiz Your Learners at the Right Time How to Write Good E-Learning Quiz Questions How to Match Question Types with the Skills You’re Testing Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest e-learning inspiration and insights directly in your inbox. You can also find us on LinkedIn and X (Formerly Twitter).110Views1like0CommentsTake Your Drag-and-Drop to the Next Level with This Hidden Gem
One of my favorite features in Storyline is freeform questions. I love that you can take a static slide and turn it into a fun and engaging interaction in just a few minutes. And it never gets old because each question is completely unique! But my favorite freeform interaction of all is, without a doubt, the drag-and-drop, because of its versatility. Some people think drag-and-drops are only good for one thing: matching questions. But that’s only the beginning! With a little imagination, you can make meaningful and engaging interactions that simulate things your learners need to do in real life. Here are some great examples of creative uses for drag-and-drops: Build something Plan a healthy meal Practice setting the table Plant seeds Mix chemicals in the correct order Get to know the members of a team Learn about the human body Give your learners the opportunity to interview people As you can see, there are so many possibilities! If you’re a Storyline user, you’ve probably made a drag-and-drop interaction or two. But there’s one drag-and-drop feature that you may not know about: Drag-and-Drop States. Let’s take a closer look at what they are and why you should start using them. What Are Drag-and-Drop States? Drag-and-drop states are prebuilt object states that are specifically made for drag-and-drop interactions. They allow you to change the appearance of an object when it’s dragged over or dropped on a drop target. There are three default drag-and-drop states. Drag Over: Changes the appearance of an object when you drag it over the drop target, even if you haven’t released the object yet. Drop Correct: Changes the appearance of an object when it’s dropped on the correct drop target. Drop Incorrect: Changes the appearance of an object when it’s dropped on an incorrect drop target. Why You Should Use Drag-and-Drop States Drag-and-drop states allow you to give visual feedback to your learners based on their actions. If you’re creating an ungraded learning activity, you can make the states appear immediately so learners can try again if they get it wrong the first time. And if you’re building a graded assessment, you can make the states appear after the learner submits their answers. To adjust the timing of Drop Correct and Drop Incorrect states, simply uncheck the last box in the drag-and-drop options window: In addition to giving learners a visual cue that their answer is correct or incorrect, drag-and-drop states can make the interaction seem more realistic by mimicking the real-life consequences of their action. In real life, if you’re building an engine and you don’t put one of the screws in the right spot, the result could be an oil leak. In a drag-and-drop interaction on building an engine, you could add an illustration of an oil puddle to the Drop Incorrect state of that screw to show learners they’ve made a mistake. Another benefit of using drag-and-drop states is that they can add an element of surprise that catches your learners’ attention, making them more engaged in your course. They can also make the visual design of your course more appealing and professional-looking. Still not getting what all the fuss is about? Let’s take a look at an example before and after I added drag-and-drop states. Before In this example I don’t have any drag-and-drop states. The learner can still infer that their answer is incorrect because the Post-it goes back to its original position, but when it’s correctly placed they don’t have any confirmation that their answer is correct. As the learner progresses through the interaction, the trash can quickly becomes hard to see with all the Post-its covering it up. Not ideal. After In this version, I’ve added Drop Correct states on all of the Post-its. When the learner correctly places the Post-its on the bulletin board, a pin appears. And when they put the correct Post-its in the trash, they’re crumpled up. This visual cue confirms to the learner that they’ve placed these objects onto the correct drop targets. Not to mention that it keeps the slide looking tidy, and the trash can clearly visible. For this example I didn’t create a Drop Incorrect state, but I certainly could have! As always, it’s up to you, as the course designer, to decide how best to use these features. Obviously, there are many other ways to use drag-and-drop states, this is just one example. Like this example? You’re in luck! You can download the template here for free. Start Using Drag-and-Drop States Ready to try using drag-and-drop states but not sure where to start? Here are some great resources to help you get the hang of it! Definition of Built-In States Adding and Editing States Understanding States, Layers, and Triggers Want to try something you learned here, but don’t have Storyline? Download a free trial ofArticulate 360, which includes Storyline 360—the latest version of Storyline with continuously updated new features. And come back to E-Learning Heroes regularly for more helpful advice on everything related to e-learning. If you have any questions, please share them in the comments.17Views1like0CommentsFree Webinar: How Leaders Improve Training and Get Results
Learn how to scale your remote training efforts on August 6th at 11 a.m. ET in the latest edition of our exclusive webinar series, Learning Luminaries. Join this month’s guest, Jarrod Hogan of Intermountain Health, as he reveals how changing the way he shared training helped him reach learners faster and at a lower cost. Learning Luminaries: August 6th, 11 a.m. ET What you can expect from Learning Luminaries webinars: Hear from L&D experts at the forefront of workplace learning as they share their experiences and lessons learned. Get practical, actionable tips to create engaging learning no matter your budget or audience size. Discover new techniques and applications for old methods, creative use cases, and innovative ways to use industry tools to reach learners. Register Now35Views1like0Comments