Custom Table of Contents
Hi all, Fairly new here, and self taught so i'm looking for advice! I'm building a custom table of contents. I'd like each slide title to show a visited state once that slide has been visited. I've set up the states and applied a trigger to change the state when the timeline starts on that slide. However when learners revisit the TOC on the following slide, the state of the previous slide title resets to normal. Any ideas on how I can get the visited state to remain throughout the rest of the slides? Thank you!Trouble with Variables and Ranges
I have a branching path scenario that I want to end with the user having a Good, Moderate, or Poor outcome based on their choices. Here is the setup to attempt to achieve this: I've set each slide with three choices, each one giving a different value. Good choice = 4, Moderate = 2, and Poor = 0. I have a variable, "SCORE" that will change depending on the choices the user makes. By the end of the scenario the user will be taken to the appropriate result slide under the following conditions: Good Slide - SCORE variable is 16 (this assume they got every answer correct) Moderate Slide - SCORE variable is between 9 and 15 Poor Slide - SCORE variable is between 0 and 14. The problem I'm running into is that I don't see how to give a variable value a range, rather than one specific number value. For example, how would I set a trigger so that the user will end up with the Moderate result should they fall within the point range I've listed? Am I maybe setting up this activity totally wrong all together and there is a better way? Thank you in advance!Equation Builder and JAWS reading it as a button
Our 508 review team indicated JAWS is reading the LaTeX equation as a button, which is not 508 compliant. This is what I have: This is how it appears (correctly): This is how it appears in the focus order under Alt-Text After JAWS reads the alt-text, it verbalizes "Button." This is not 508 compliant per our review team, as the impaired learner expects it to act like a button and attempt to click it. Is there anything wrong here that can be fixed, so JAWS does not read the equation as a button? Thank you.How I Built This: I Developed an Award-Winning Ethics Course
Why I Built This: When I first learned about branching scenarios, something clicked for me that I hadn’t seen other eLearning developers execute: visually compelling, philosophically rich thought experiments. I studied Moral Philosophy in my undergrad and became obsessed with ethical dilemmas. Naturally, I decided to build an ethics course about technology. Think The Trolley Problem, only I wanted to pose questions about the growing reliance on AI and its implications by employing Instructional Design strategies. An opportunity came up through my Master’s program to attend DevLearn and compete in DemoFest, so it was time to start building my concept. I designed and developed a course in Storyline called The Agency Algorithm that confronts learners with issues regarding three main topics: algorithmic warfare (The Armory), AI assisted resource allocation (The Triage Garden), and surveillance (The Mask Archive). The Experience & Design Intent: A quick walkthrough of the multi-room experience. The Agency Algorithm is a multi-room interactive learning experience that blends instructional design, game-like mechanics, and philosophical inquiry. It immerses learners in ethically complex scenarios by leveraging branching logic, and integrating experiential aesthetics with conceptual depth. My primary goal with this project was to encourage critical reflection on the role of technology on human agency and autonomous choice. The concept itself was pretty clear to me, but I wanted to push the limits of Storyline visually, so I acquired a number of 3D assets from Adobe Stock, some of which I further modified in Adobe Dimension. I wanted the visuals to anchor the learner in a unique environment that did not feel reminiscent of traditional eLearning, and rather create space to explore and feel like a participant in something unfolding. There aren’t often black and white answers to ethical questions, and branching scenarios are an excellent way to illustrate this while offering learners a safe place to experiment and think through various outcomes based on their decision making. Visual Worldbuilding/Making It Not Feel Like eLearning: Initially, I intended to hand draw assets myself to really hone in on the human vs AI dynamic, but quickly realized the time I’d have to accomplish this was dwindling. While I drafted a few loose concepts in my journal, I ultimately decided to stick with digital assets. While I landed on 3D assets largely due to time constraints, the outcome is reminiscent of an old experimental video game or some sort of immersive idea gallery. As an artist, I often approach my work from a minimalist lens so this project was a fun way to really add some artistry that corporate training often doesn’t have room for. Variables, Multi-state objects, Cue points, and other mechanics: I relied heavily on multi-state objects to create hover states, “tip” cards, text labels, and more, for example in the circuits with definition reveals. I enjoyed building the “loading” effect in the Mask Archive, although it was a bit clunky and took a lot of trial and error! I learned a lot along the way and used a cue point on an orb with a glow effect beneath the mask and used triggers to cause the effect to work. The course overall has a few hundred triggers (slide, object, and variable triggers) and somewhere around 40 variables (mostly T/F variables). What I learned: I think it is important that we don’t hand-hold learners through every learning experience. I want users to think through complex challenges and autonomously choose and feel like a true agent in the process of acquiring knowledge. A lot of eLearning makes it too easy for the learner and we lose engagement when we undermine the intelligence of our audience. I learned SO much about how to leverage Storyline in new ways. I am still a relatively new user to the tool, so this project allowed me to freely explore and be guided by curiosity. Link to my portfolio: https://www.abigailvettese.com/Comfortable with Studio 360 but Curious About Storyline 360? This Article Is for You
Note: We're ending support for Studio 360, Replay 360, and Peek 360 on December 31, 2026. Learn more. When I talk to Studio 360 users, they often tell me that they’ve been wanting to give Storyline 360 a try, but feel too intimidated. Sound familiar? I get it. Change can be scary. But thanks to the PowerPoint-like interface and the easy-import feature, the transition from Studio 360 to Storyline 360 is super-smooth. And since Storyline 360 is included in your Articulate 360 subscription, you can start using it right away—at no additional cost. Still on the fence? Take a peek at some of the things Studio 360 users appreciate most when they start using Storyline 360. 1. Creating Interactions That Reduce Cognitive Load When you’re building a course in PowerPoint, it can be hard to find ways to cut down on the amount of on-screen text—and reduce the cognitive load—so learners can focus. In Storyline 360, slide layers make it easy to create click-and-reveal interactions that let learners view content in smaller, more digestible, chunks. For example, instead of a slide like this: You can create an interaction like this: Click here to compare the two versions Not only does this second version feel less overwhelming, but presenting each point one at a time invites learners to interact, increasing the likelihood that they’ll remember the content. 2. Converting Static Slides into Engaging Interactions With PowerPoint, it can be hard to find ways to get learners to interact with your course beyond clicking the Next button. With Storyline 360, you can put learners in the driver’s seat by converting static slides into engaging interactions in just a few clicks, thanks to the Convert to Freeform feature. For example, let’s say you’re creating a course on sun safety. You might have a slide that looks something like this: It’s informative, but not interactive. Now let’s see how you could use that same content to create a lean-forward interaction that’s sure to captivate your audience: Click here to compare the two versions Put yourself in your learner’s shoes. Which version would you find more interesting and engaging? My money’s on the drag-and-drop interaction. 3. Designing Nonlinear Courses Building a single course for a target audience with varying knowledge and skill levels can be a real challenge. One way to ensure you meet everyone’s needs is by building a nonlinear, or branched, course. You can do this by creating a menu that allows learners to navigate the course content freely or by designing a choose-your-own-adventure-style course where the learner’s path through the course changes depending on their actions. Building nonlinear courses in PowerPoint can be extremely challenging. But with Storyline 360, it’s a snap. You can easily see and make changes to the flow of your courses by simply dragging your slides in Story View, as shown in the GIF below. The ability to create nonlinear courses is just one example of how building your courses in Storyline 360 allows you to quickly and easily deliver a more personalized experience to your learners. And the more personalized the experience, the more relevant the course will feel to your learners—making them more likely to remember and apply the concepts to their jobs. Want more tips on personalizing your courses? Check out this article: 3 Ways to Personalize Your E-Learning Courses. 4. Building Custom Navigation That’s Intuitive With Storyline 360, you have total control over the learner experience. You can turn virtually any object into a custom button that behaves the way learners expect it to—making navigation intuitive. Let me explain. When you’re navigating the web, how do you know that an object is clickable? If you pay close attention, you’ll notice a couple of visual cues. For example, when you hover your mouse over a clickable object, the cursor changes from an arrow to a hand. There’s also usually a slight change to the formatting of the object itself—the fill color might change to a slightly lighter or darker hue. These visual cues help you navigate the website and find what you’re looking for. You can do the same thing in your e-learning courses to ensure your learners never feel lost. Check out the GIF below to get a better idea of what that experience can feel like: Click here to explore the interactive version With easy-to-use features like states and triggers in Storyline 360, you can make any object clickable in just a few seconds. And because these objects will behave just like learners expect them to, they’ll be able to focus on the course content—instead of trying to figure out where to click. The Bottom Line Importing your Studio 360 courses into Storyline 360 is fast and easy. And with Storyline 360’s PowerPoint-like interface, the learning curve is almost nonexistent. What do you have to lose? Give it a try today! Here are some resources to help get you up and running: Tips for Importing Microsoft PowerPoint and Articulate Presenter Content into Storyline 360 Storyline 360 tutorial videos Storyline 360 training webinars Storyline 360 user guide Want to try 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.Bullet points in quiz feedback not left aligning
Hi there, despite left-aligning the bullet point sections in the feedback areas of the quiz, the text remains centre-aligned - how do I fix this? For context, when you populate the feedback sections, the text is not centre-aligned: In preview mode: In edit mode:Made by Members: On-boarding New Team Members
This month we’re spotlighting submissions across several eLearning Challenges that, when combined together, make an onboarding experience. These examples show how a variety of techniques can create memorable and easily referenced guides to simplify the fire hose of information that accompanies onboarding. Mix and match these examples for your specific use case if you’d like to give it a try, and be sure to comment below with what inspired you! A Blueprint for Day One and Beyond by SMcNicol Designed as a leave behind for after an interview, this course shows not only what an interviewee could use as a pitch for their first months in a job, but a clean and organized method for general 30/60/90 day plans. 💡Inspiration to take: How to use what Shannon describes as an “AI assisted workflow” to tailor plans and content Layered descriptions of not only what a process looks like, but concrete tactics for success Who is behind the scenes? By Kate_Golomshtok A bright example of vector image use, this submission shows a quick and memorable way to introduce different team roles. This approach makes it easy to understand the division of responsibilities in complex teams or projects. 💡Inspiration to take: Vector images that clarify tool use and positions for projects that could be confusing at first glance An “insider” approach to content presentation that includes field specific lingo Data Security Training by BrilliantTeams Submitted as part of the accordion interaction challenge, this submission shows how to make compliance training into an easily referenceable tool. New team members can easily dig down into more detail, while keeping high level information such as common initialisms above the fold. 💡Inspiration to take: Compliance training is notoriously a slog, so use engaging interactions to break up detail heavy content Stack information with the rationale behind it to help contextualize the “why” of procedures Meet the Team by AsweniGD Just what it says on the tin, this team introduction is a new team members’ dream for understanding organizational flow, titles, and personalities. Between the color coded org chart and detail on responsibilities this would help new hires understand who to ask what, when. 💡Inspiration to take: The morph transition makes for a clean transition from contextualized visuals to greater detail information Embrace color coded visuals to leave more room for what Ash describes as “human centered” introductions 🏅 Want to Be Featured Next? We’re always looking to highlight inspiring examples from the community, and your work could be next! Here's what we look for in a standout submission: A downloadable .story file or link to your Rise course so others can explore, adapt, and learn from your build. A clear explanation of what you built, how it works, and what makes it unique. Behind-the-scenes insight into your process, techniques, tools, or challenges you tackled. Purposeful design, whether it’s solving a problem, teaching a concept, or experimenting with a new approach. Bonus: Share your ideas for how your design is widely applicable beyond the specific example. Got something cool to share? Post it in Share Examples, and you might see it featured in an upcoming roundup!Behind the Scenes: Storyline’s Move to Modern .NET
We just wrapped a project that’s been hanging over Storyline for a long time: Moving from .NET Framework 4.8 to modern .NET (now .NET 10). This one goes deeper than it might sound. Back when Storyline was first built, choosing .NET Framework was the obvious call. This was 2010-ish. Windows dominated our space, and the .NET ecosystem gave us a lot of what we needed to move fast and build a really capable tool. That decision worked. For a long time. It also shaped some of the realities of the product today. Questions about platform support come up a lot, and early architectural choices like this are a big part of that story. They helped us move fast early on, but they also made certain paths more complex later. Fast forward to now… Microsoft has effectively stopped evolving .NET Framework and put their energy into modern .NET. Meanwhile, we were still running on a foundation that wasn’t keeping pace with where things were going. So we made the call to move. This wasn’t a simple upgrade. We relied on parts of .NET Framework that don’t exist anymore. AppDomains. Binary serialization. A handful of “seemed like a great idea at the time” features that modern .NET intentionally left behind. We had to rethink and rebuild some pretty fundamental parts of the product. So what did all of this actually get us? We’re now on a modern, actively supported runtime. It’s easier for us to keep improving performance, adopt new capabilities, and evolve the platform without constantly working around legacy constraints. We also retired some very old pieces of the system along the way, which… felt pretty great 😅 And then there's performance. Microsoft has invested heavily at performance improvements in modern .NET, and we're seeing that surface in Storyline. We ran benchmarks across 18 Storyline projects, measuring open, save, and publish times. Every single project got faster with improvements ranging from 0.4% to nearly 30%. The larger the project, the larger the improvement. In the animated gif below, I put .NET Framework (left) head-to-head with modern .NET publishing the same course. Neither project was pre-published to warm the cache, and I even gave .NET Framework a slight head start by clicking Publish there first. The gif is sped up for easier viewing, but the result is real: modern .NET finishes publishing well before .NET Framework. Big credit to the team that pulled this off. This was deep, risky work in some of the most critical parts of the product. Curious to hear from folks here: If you're on the latest Storyline 360, have you noticed any performance improvements when opening, saving, or publishing your projects?
