4 Software Simulation Examples That Show You What’s Possible in Storyline
Software simulations allow learners to work with new software in a low-pressure environment. Safely contained within your e-learning course, there’s no “messing up” your software simulations: learners can’t switch off an important process or accidentally post a private document.How I Built This: The Confidence Self-Check Dashboard
What the Project Is The Confidence Self-Check Dashboard started with a challenge that many learning professionals will recognise: we're often very good at measuring learner perceptions at a single point in time, but much less effective at understanding the journey that got them there. Most confidence checks, smile sheets, and end-of-module surveys provide a snapshot. They tell us how a learner feels at the end of an experience, but they rarely show how much progress has been made between the starting point and the finish line. As learning designers, trainers, and educators, we're increasingly asked to demonstrate impact and effectiveness, yet many of our evaluation tools remain focused on isolated moments rather than measurable growth. The Confidence Self-Check Dashboard is an open-source framework designed to help visualise that growth. Learners can capture baseline, midpoint, and final confidence scores, creating a richer picture of progression across a programme, module, or learning journey. The system then visualises progress through checkpoints, historical tracking, and comparative reporting, helping learners and educators see not just where confidence sits today but also how it has evolved. What makes the project different is that the dashboard is only half of the solution. Built directly into the framework is a configurable Designer Mode that allows instructional designers, trainers, and subject matter experts to modify questions, scoring, weighting, feedback, and visual elements without touching the underlying code. Once configured, the framework can generate deployment-ready outputs for both standalone HTML environments and Storyline projects. For me, the project sits at the intersection of learning analytics, instructional design, and curiosity. It explores how we might move beyond static interactions and perception-based evaluation towards adaptable tools that not only support learning but help us better understand the impact of what we create. Why I Built This One recurring frustration I encounter as a learning designer is that many custom interactions end up as disposable solutions. They solve a problem for a specific programme, module, or client, but the moment somebody wants to adapt them, whether that's changing questions, adjusting scoring logic, updating feedback, or tailoring the experience for a different audience, the process often becomes disproportionately difficult. This isn't limited to Storyline. I've seen the same challenge across standalone HTML tools, JavaScript widgets, learning micro-applications, and community-shared frameworks. The learning community produces some incredible work, and I'm regularly inspired by the creativity on display. However, many of those solutions are understandably built to solve a specific challenge at a specific moment in time. Reusing them often means digging through code, unpicking logic, or rebuilding large chunks from scratch. At the same time, I was finding myself increasingly able to prototype ideas that previously would have stayed as scribbles in a notebook or half-finished thoughts in my head. That led me to a different question. Rather than repeatedly rebuilding interactions whenever requirements changed, could I create something that remained adaptable after development had finished? I became increasingly interested in building systems rather than outputs. Instead of creating another hardcoded interaction that would need future rebuilding, I wanted to explore whether the editing capabilities themselves could become part of the experience. The result was Designer Mode. Rather than expecting instructional designers, trainers, or subject matter experts to modify code, they could adjust questions, scoring, weightings, feedback, and configuration settings through a dedicated interface and generate deployment-ready outputs themselves. Ultimately, this project became an exploration of a broader idea: perhaps the most valuable thing we can build isn't the interaction itself, but the framework that allows other people to adapt it long after we've moved on. How I Built It The chronology of the project was actually quite different from what people might expect. It started with a community language-learning project where I was exploring how learners could benchmark their confidence over time using a simple Likert scale. At the time, I wasn't trying to build a framework. I was simply trying to create a better reflection point for learners. That evolved into a benchmarking dashboard, which I later adapted for quality management systems and professional development programmes. As the number of adaptations increased, I found myself repeatedly rebuilding or modifying the same interaction. The turning point came after sharing an earlier project with the Articulate community. Somebody asked a simple question (thanks to the E-Learning Heroes Community): "This is great, but how do I edit it myself?" That question stuck with me. The first version of Designer Mode was incredibly basic. It allowed users to configure the front and back of flip cards without touching the underlying code. Once that worked, I started asking questions: Could they change images? Could they update URLs? Could they alter scoring boundaries? Could they swap animations? Could they generate the code themselves? What started as a convenience feature gradually became the main project. At some point, I realised I wasn't really building interactions anymore. I was building frameworks that could generate interactions. The goal stopped being to build a better confidence tracker. The goal became building a system that could adapt itself. Once I made that mental shift, a lot of the design decisions suddenly became much clearer. My Development Workflow One thing I've learned is that my best ideas rarely arrive in a neat, structured format. They usually arrive as half-formed concepts, tangents, questions, and observations that need untangling before they become useful. Because of my dyslexia and dyscalculia, I often find it easier to explain concepts verbally than work directly with large blocks of code. Over time, I developed a workflow that helped translate those ideas into something more structured. ChatGPT often acted as a critical friend and sounding board. Gemini became my primary coding and debugging environment. Claude frequently challenged learner experience decisions, instructional design choices, and pedagogical assumptions. I also built a prompt generator that helped translate my often-discordant thought processes into something the various models could consistently understand and execute. Rather than generating code directly, it acted as a translation layer between ideas, constraints, learning requirements, accessibility considerations, technical limitations, and deployment requirements. One of the biggest lessons I learned was that prompting quality often mattered more than coding quality. I also learned very quickly that dirty context windows are real. The longer the conversations became, the more assumptions accumulated, and the more unpredictable the outputs could become. Managing context became almost as important as debugging. After what felt like the hundredth iteration, and probably wasn't far off, I finally realised I was solving the wrong problem: The challenge wasn't building a better interaction, it was making sure I didn't have to rebuild it again six months later. Exporting for Different Environments One of the design goals from quite early on was that I didn't want the framework tied exclusively to a single authoring tool. As a result, Designer Mode generates two separate deployment outputs. The first is a standalone HTML package that can be deployed independently and used outside of Storyline altogether. The second is a Storyline-compatible export. Rather than generating complete slides, the framework produces copy-and-paste-ready JavaScript that can be dropped directly into an Execute JavaScript trigger. The generated code sits behind a simple trigger, button, or slide event and handles the heavy lifting in the background. Supporting both outputs inevitably created additional testing and development effort, but it felt important that the framework remained flexible rather than becoming dependent on a single platform or workflow. Key Decisions & Trade-Offs One of the hardest parts of the project wasn't deciding what to build, it was deciding what not to build. There were plenty of moments where I could see an exciting next step. AI-generated learner feedback was one of them. Cloud storage was another. User accounts, enterprise integrations, reporting dashboards, and centralised administration all felt possible. But possible and sensible aren't always the same thing. AI-generated feedback sounds impressive until you remember that learners may act on that information. The last thing I wanted was a hallucinated recommendation confusing somebody or sending them down the wrong path. If that level of personalisation is going to happen, I think it belongs within a controlled organisational environment rather than inside an open-source learning widget. Cloud storage presented a similar challenge. Whilst it would unlock richer reporting and persistence, it also introduces authentication, security, GDPR considerations, APIs, hosting, maintenance, support requirements, and handover considerations. Very quickly, the project stops being a configurable learning tool and starts becoming a software platform. I had to keep reminding myself what problem I was actually trying to solve. The same challenge appeared within Designer Mode itself. Every new configuration option made the framework more powerful but also increased cognitive load. There is a point where flexibility becomes overwhelming. If somebody needs a developer sitting next to them to understand the configuration panel, I've probably failed. Sometimes the best design decision is leaving something out. 👉 Check out this build that exemplifies more of my design choices Why I Open-Sourced It The project is shared as open source because I genuinely believe we all stand on the shoulders of giants. That philosophy comes partly from learning design and partly from my blacksmithing hobby. Almost every forge project I've ever made has been inspired by somebody else's work, technique, or idea. Usually, somebody has already solved part of the problem before you arrive. The same is true in learning design: The more we share, the more we learn, the more we learn, the more we innovate. That's why the source framework, Designer Mode, and deployment outputs are all available for others to explore, adapt, and build upon. Not because it's finished, but because I hope somebody takes it somewhere I hadn't thought of yet. What I've Used It for Since Although the original use case focused on confidence benchmarking, the Designer Mode approach has quietly spread into a lot of my other projects. I've since added similar configuration layers to flip cards, quizzes, odd-one-out activities, swipe interactions, branching scenarios, media players, and other custom learning tools. Partly because it reduces build time, and partly because it reduces future maintenance. It also reduces the number of times I need to revisit the same problem. The framework can be adapted for: Skills audits Readiness assessments Professional development planning Reflective practice activities Learner self-assessment Progress check-ins What interests me most is that it turns what is often passive engagement into active reflection. Instead of simply consuming content, learners are asked to pause, think, and evaluate where they are right now. They feel included. Key Takeaways If there's one thing I'd encourage other instructional designers to take from this project, it's not that you need to become a programmer. You mustn't underestimate your ability to build. The tools available to us today mean that many of the barriers between an idea and a functioning prototype are lower than they've ever been. For me, the goal isn't to replace the work of learning design.It's to create more space for it. Less time wrestling with implementation. More time understanding learners. More time refining experiences. More time asking awkward questions. More time thinking. The biggest shift isn't that technology can generate code. The biggest shift is that instructional designers can now build tools, frameworks, and systems that previously required specialist development and teams. Use that opportunity wisely. Use it to remove the dross. Use it to reclaim time. And then spend that time doing the bits that humans are still brilliant at: creativity, empathy, reflection, judgement, and understanding what learners actually need. Ask Me Anything If you'd like to know more about the project, feel free to reach out or drop a comment below. I'm always happy to chat about generative AI in learning design, the successes, the pitfalls, and the occasional moments where everything goes wonderfully wrong. I'm also happy to talk about instructional design, learner engagement, accessibility, healthcare, accreditation, quality management systems, blacksmithing, or pretty much anything in between. Portfolio - Built with Claude Design and now hosted via GitHub Outside of learning design, you'll often find me metal-bashing in the forge, experimenting with new projects, or being supervised by my two feline quality inspectors, Tenacious D and Blackjack. Want to Share Your Build? Do you have a project you’d love to share with the community? We’re always looking for more How I Built This stories. Whether it’s a game, interaction, or unique design, we’d love to feature your process. Drop a note in the comments or reach out to the community team if you’re interested!Your One-Stop Shop for Storyline 360 Quiz-Building Tips
If there’s one thing most e-learning courses have in common, it’s that they have a quiz. Whether there are knowledge checks peppered throughout or an evaluation at the end, it’s rare to see a course without a quiz question or two. We’ve rounded up our most helpful quiz-related content on E-Learning Heroes so you can easily get up to speed on creating quizzes in Storyline 360, as well as learn more about designing effective quizzes. And how about getting off to a running start with some free downloads? Tutorials If you’re new to creating quizzes in Storyline, first things first! Start by taking a look at these helpful tutorials: Creating Quizzes with Form-Based Questions Creating Quizzes with Freeform Interactions Adding Quiz Result Slides Instructional Design Tips Once you’ve got the technical side of things down, check out these articles for tips on designing meaningful quizzes: How to Write Good E-Learning Quiz Questions Do’s and Don’ts of Writing Effective Multiple Choice Questions 20+ Tips for Writing Great Quiz Questions and Response Options 6 Common Quizzing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them How to Quiz Your Learners at the Right Time How to Write Effective Quiz Feedback How to Match Question Types with the Skills You’re Testing Creating Quizzes: Choose a Passing Score How to Write Plausible Incorrect Answer Options for Quiz Questions Downloads Whether you’re short on time or just looking for inspiration, these downloads are just the thing: Countdown Quiz Game Movie Trivia Game Question Bank Template Italian Drag and Drop Quiz Multiple Choice Quiz with Badge Awards Color Gradient Quiz Process Interaction Quiz Combination Lock Quiz Dog-Themed Jeopardy Template Wrap-Up These tutorials, articles, and downloads should be more than enough to get you ready to build your next quiz. But if you get stuck somewhere along the way, we’re always here to help! Feel free to reach out to us in the discussion forums with any technical- or design-related questions you may have. Did you find these resources helpful? 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).How to Add a Timer to Your Storyline 360 Quiz
Sometimes it makes sense to limit the amount of time learners have to complete a quiz or survey. Perhaps you’re assessing time-critical tasks, or you want to create a sense of urgency similar to what they might experience on the job. In these cases and many more, a time limit can help keep learners accountable and ensure they complete an e-learning quiz or survey in a controlled amount of time. If you decide to add a timer, the good news is that it’s easy to add a time limit to your Storyline 360 projects. Let’s take a look! Step 1: Insert a Results slide The first thing you need to do is insert a Results slide into your project. Once you’ve added a Results slide, go to that slide, click the Design tab at the top, and then select Quiz Settings. Step 2: Add a time limit In the Quiz Settings window, look for the Quiz Timer. Select the checkbox and enter the total number of minutes you want to allow for the quiz. Step 3: Select Your Preferences Next, select the clock drop-down arrow and choose your preferences for starting and displaying the timer. Keep in mind, if you select Do Not Show Time, the timer will still function, it just won’t be visible to the learner. When you’re happy with your selection, click OK to close the Quiz Settings window. That’s all there is to it! When you publish your project, you’ll see the timer in the top right corner of the course player. What happens when time runs out? If a learner doesn’t finish the quiz in time, they’ll get a message telling them they’ve exceeded the time limit. Once they click OK, they’ll automatically be directed to the Results slide. Any unanswered questions will be marked Incorrect. Things to Consider Whenever you include a quiz timer, it’s only fair to prepare your learners. Add clear instructions so they know how the quiz will work and how much time they have to finish it. Keep in mind that while timers may be an effective motivational tool for some learners, for others they can cause stress and get in the way of learning. To be inclusive of all learners, it's a good idea to give them the possibility to opt-out. Summary Adding a timer to your Storyline course is super easy and can enhance the learning experience. Using a timer to assess time-critical tasks or to create a sense of urgency are just a few ways to use time in e-learning. Looking for some more quizzing tips and tricks? Check out these articles: How to Write Good E-Learning Quiz Questions Improve Your Quizzes with These Do’s And Don’ts How to Write Plausible Incorrect Answer Options for Quiz Questions What ways have you used a timer in your e-learning projects? Leave a comment and share your experience! Want to try something you learned here, 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.The Difference between Screencasts and Software Simulations
If you’re new to creating software training—and even if you’re not!—you might use the terms screencast and software simulation interchangeably. But did you know they’re actually two different things? It can be easy to get these terms confused, so let’s walk through the nuances that differentiate these two methods and explore the use cases for each. Screencasts Screencasts are videos that show a recording of your computer screen. They’re often used to demonstrate the use of an application or software. They include all of your mouse movements and typically have audio narration that gives learners more contextual information about the process they’re seeing—such as the names of various software features or steps. Because screencasts are simply videos, they’re not interactive. When to use a screencast Screencasts are great for creating simple “how-to” videos. This kind of visual walkthrough is beneficial when you’re trying to explain a process that’s too complicated to explain with written text alone. And if the process isn’t something learners will be doing frequently, screencasts can be a helpful performance support resource that learners can easily reference in the future. How to create a screencast If you have Articulate 360, you already have access to not just one but TWO apps that are specifically designed for screencasts: Peek 360 and Replay 360. Learn more about when to use each app in this article: How to Decide Which Articulate 360 App to Use for Screen Recording. Want to see an example? Watch the “How to Add Comments in Review 360” screencast I created with Peek 360 below. This screencast provides a short overview of how to provide feedback on courses in the Review 360 web application. It’s perfect for an audience who may be comfortable with web-based technology and already have familiarity with Review 360. The screencast focuses on a simple process. It’s clear, concise, and to the point. So, how does a software simulation differ? Well, I’m glad you asked. Software Simulations While you also have to record your screen to create a software simulation, the major difference is that instead of simply showing the learners what to do, you give them the opportunity to try it out for themselves. They’re called simulations because you simulate the software’s interface by recording it and turning that recording into an interactive practice environment for learners. They can go through and click on all the buttons—like you did when you recorded it. It’s almost as if they’re using the software themselves. The advantage of doing it this way—versus simply having them use the actual software—is that you can build in on-screen explanations and feedback to guide them as they practice. Software simulations are usually the go-to for creating software training because they provide learners with a risk-free environment to help them learn a new app or process. Another thing that sets simulations apart from screencasts is that you can test your learners’ understanding by creating a simulation that’s graded. For every click in the right spot, learners can earn points. And for clicks in the wrong spots, points can be taken away. It’s a great way to ensure learners have understood how to complete specific processes within an app or software. When to use a software simulation Interactive software simulations are ideal when you want learners to physically practice using the software themselves—including entering data, interacting with drop-down menus, and identifying multiple steps in a more complex process. Software simulations give learners an opportunity to practice using the proper click-path of a specific process or software without fear of impacting the actual production environment or ruining any real-life data. With software simulations, you can put your learners in the driver’s seat so they can deepen their knowledge of a process, gain experience, and build confidence in using an app or piece of software. How to create a software simulation Articulate 360 subscribers can use Storyline 360 to create software simulations quickly and easily. Want to learn how? Here’s a tutorial that’ll help you get started: Creating Software Simulations in Storyline 360. Want to see an example? Explore the software simulation created with Storyline 360 below. In this example, users learn how to get started using the Review 360 web application. This simulation walks through four basic steps that you need to know how to do if you’ll be using Review 360. You’ll notice that because learners actually click through the software themselves, they must pay closer attention to each step in the process. This simulation is perfect for an audience who might not be as familiar with web-based technology or for users who are brand new to navigating Review 360. With simulations, learners can confidently navigate a new application because they’re practicing in the safety of a learning environment. View example More Resources Now you’re well on your way to identifying the nuances between screencasts and software simulations and you should be able to use these terms confidently when tackling your next project! To help you keep everything straight, I’ve outlined the differences in the handy table below. Screencasts Software Simulations Use case Demonstrate a simple, straightforward process. Train learners on a complex process through interactive practice and/or assessment opportunities. Interactive No Yes On-Screen Hints & Feedback No Yes Looking for more best practices around creating screencasts and software simulations? Check out these resources! And let us know in the comments what screencasts and software simulations you’ll be creating next. Follow This Process to Create Software Simulations and Systems Training Like a Pro 3 Methods for Recording Screencasts 4 Tips on Creating Software Tutorials in Rise 360 Tips for Using the Storyline 360 Screen Recorder Like a Pro Follow us on Twitter 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.Labs: Explore, Experiment, and Help Shape What’s Next
The best features we build don’t come from us alone. They come from you! From the courses you build to the creative ways you push our tools, your ideas shape what we create next. And while we’ve always listened through surveys, interviews, and community conversations, we wanted a way to work with you even more closely. So we started looking for a way to build more collaboratively, bringing you into the process while ideas are still evolving, not just before or after they ship. That’s how Labs came to be. With Labs, you can opt in to try early features and explore new ideas in the context of your real work. Instead of relying on retrospective feedback, Labs gives us a chance to learn alongside you in real time. Most experiments include built-in ways to share feedback, so what you’re experiencing can immediately inform what we improve next. It also helps us connect with creators who want to be more involved in the process. If you’re exploring an experiment, there’s a good chance we’ll reach out to hear more about your experience and keep the conversation going. Some experiments will be a success. Others will help us pivot in a new direction. Either way, they help us move faster and build better tools for you. Not every feature will go through Labs, but when something is available, you’ll find all the details in the Labs community group. That includes what the feature does, any current limitations, and the type of feedback we’re looking for. Following the group is the best way to stay up to date on new experiments. Labs isn’t a replacement for the ways we’ve always worked with you. It’s an extension of that relationship and a new way to shape the future of the authoring experience together. Explore Labs, try out what’s new, and let us know what you think. Go to Labs *All features on Articulate Labs and are subject to change. These features are experimental and may be modified or removed at any time. Beta Services Terms apply.How to Decide Which Articulate 360 App to Use for Screen Recording
We're ending support for Studio 360, Replay 360, and Peek 360 on December 31, 2026. Learn more. Since software training is one of the most common types of e-learning, it’s no surprise that Articulate 360 includes not one, not two, but three apps with screen recording features. Each of these apps has a unique feature set and is specifically designed for a different purpose. If you’re wondering which app to use for your project, you’re in the right place! Keep reading to learn more about how screen recording differs in Peek 360, Replay 360, and Storyline 360 and the types of projects best suited for each. Peek 360 Peek 360 is a lightweight app that works natively on both Macs and PCs and lives in your menu bar or system tray, so it’s always just a click away. Once you’ve recorded your screen, it automatically uploads to Review 360, generating a shareable link. You can also download the .MP4 file and insert the video into your Rise 360 or Storyline 360 courses or export it for LMS to use it as a stand-alone asset. Since Peek 360 doesn’t have editing capabilities, it’s best for recording short screencasts to share with team members on the fly or to insert into your courses as is. Check out our tutorials and user guide for more details on how to create and distribute screencasts with Peek 360. Replay 360 If you’re looking to create a longer screencast that could require some editing, Replay 360 might be a better choice. In addition to some lightweight editing options, this Windows-compatible desktop app allows you to record your screen and your webcam simultaneously, creating a cool picture-in-picture effect. You can also insert images, video clips, and lower thirds, making it easy to create a polished tutorial video that you can use on its own or insert into your Rise 360 or Storyline 360 course. For more information on Replay 360, check out our tutorials and user guide. Storyline 360 Storyline 360 also allows you to record your screen, but unlike Peek 360 and Replay 360, that’s not its sole purpose. Storyline 360 is a full-fledged authoring app that not only lets you record screencasts and build software simulations but also lets you add custom interactions, quizzes, and much more. This makes Storyline 360 the ideal choice when you want your software training to be interactive. It’s also a great option if you want to overlay text or objects—like arrows or highlight zones—on top of your video. Storyline 360 has some editing capabilities, allowing you to make adjustments to your recording after the fact. You can also easily add subtitles to your screencast—and your entire course—directly in Storyline 360, which is great for accessibility. When you’re done, you can publish to video, web, or LMS. If you want to take a closer look at the screen recording feature in Storyline 360, check out this tutorial or head on over to the user guide. The Bottom Line Peek 360, Replay 360, and Storyline 360 are all great options for recording your screen. Which app you use depends on your project requirements. If you need to record a screencast super-fast, Peek 360 is the way to go. When you want to edit your screencast or record your webcam along with it, go with Replay 360. And when you want to create an interactive software simulation, overlay additional content, or add subtitles to your screen recording, opt for Storyline 360. To make it super-easy to compare the feature-sets of the different apps, I pulled together this quick-reference guide: Peek 360 Replay 360 Storyline 360 Work natively on Macs X Work natively on PCs X X X Record screen X X X Record mic audio X X X Record webcam X X* Edit recording X X Add interactivity X Add closed captions X Publish to video (.MP4) X X X Publish for LMS X** X** X Publish to Review 360 X X X Once you’ve decided which app to use, you might be wondering how to start building your software training. Here’s an article that’ll help you get off on the right foot: Follow This Process to Create Software Simulations and Systems Training Like a Pro. Want to try out these apps, but don’t have Articulate 360? Start a free 30-day trial. And subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest product updates, e-learning examples, and expert advice directly in your inbox. *Webcam recording must be done separately from screen recording **Publish FoR LMS via Review 360Comfortable 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.
