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!200+ Features for Better E-Learning
The e-learning industry never stands still—and neither do we. Our customers are constantly learning, experimenting, and raising the bar for effective training. Their commitment to helping people learn better inspires us to design smarter solutions that save time and simplify content creation. In 2025, we added more than 200 new and enhanced features to Articulate 360. Just as skilled instructional designers create learning experiences tailored to specific objectives and audiences, we’ve built these features to help teams deliver engaging workplace training at the scale and speed they need to succeed. Explore the video and list below to see the improvements we’ve made across each app. Together, we’ll continue turning today’s challenges into tomorrow’s learning opportunities. Storyline 360 Accessibility Checker: Improve the accessibility of your content. Get actionable feedback based on key WCAG guidelines to instantly identify barriers like missing closed captions and disabled course playback speed. Math Equations: Build math equations using LaTeX syntax and revise them by adding color and alt text, all within Storyline 360. Voice Library: Discover the right voice for your content with thousands of ultrarealistic, AI-generated voices that can be filtered by age, gender, and use case. Morph Transitions: Engage learners with fluid transitions that seamlessly animate objects, shapes, and other content between slides. Advanced JavaScript API: Wow learners with powerful interactivity. Precisely edit object properties and create advanced animations like parallax using a JavaScript API. AI-Generated Alt Text: Insert AI-generated alt text for slide objects to improve accessibility. AI-Generated Captions: Instantly generate high-quality captions for your audio and video content to boost accessibility. Adjust Corner Radius: Keep your course design consistent by defining precise values for rounded corners. Merge Shapes: Unleash your creativity—use merge options to combine basic shapes into custom, powerful designs. AI Chat: Chat with AI Assistant to easily create content like audio, images, JavaScript entrance animations, and more. AI JavaScript Entrance Animations: Create engaging entrance animations without coding. Describe your idea and let AI Assistant build the JavaScript trigger for you. Modern Player Sizing: Enjoy more sizing options for the modern player. Lock the player size or let it adjust to learners' browsers. Set-Focus Trigger: Optimize accessibility with a set-focus trigger that lets you control when course elements receive focus. Multiple Glossaries: Articulate Localization users can tailor translations for different regions or business areas using multiple glossaries within a subscription to fine-tune terms and organizational language. AI Text-to-Speech Translation: Easily translate text-to-speech audio and AI-generated narrations with Articulate Localization to make your content more inclusive. CC Icon Labels on Stage: Text-to-speech narration, sound effects, and audio with closed captions now display a CC label in their audio icons on the slide stage for quick identification. Clearer Upgrade Project Text Messaging: The description in the Upgrade Project Text window is clearer, indicating that upgrading project text uses text autofit improvements. Updated Embedded Chromium Engine: We upgraded the embedded version of Chromium to 130.0.6723.117 in Storyline 360. CC Icon Labels on Timeline: Text-to-speech narration, sound effects, audio, and video content with closed captions now display a CC label in their audio icons on the timeline for quick identification. Quick Access to Closed Captions Editor: Open the closed captions editor right from the context menu to add or edit captions for media content. Automatic Captions for Text-to-Speech: Closed captions are generated by default when converting text to speech. Media Library Image Sorting: Quickly sort images in the media library by their pixel dimensions. Accessible Icon Defaults: New icons now display as individual icons to accessibility tools by default. You no longer need to hide each shape component of the icon separately. New Singaporean English Voice: We added a new Singaporean English neural voice, Jasmine, for text-to-speech conversion. Clearer Apply to All Labeling: We clarified the function of the Apply to all button for adding alt text in the media library and Size and Position window. Tabbed Media Library Panels: The media library now has separate tabs for alt text, captions, and internal notes. Reusable Zoom Regions: Keep your zoom regions consistent by copying and pasting them across slides. Text Entry Character Limits: Guide learners toward focused responses by defining character limits on text-enasztry fields. Drag-and-Drop Media Import: Easily drag assets from your computer and drop them directly into the media library. Esc Key Window Close Shortcut: Use the Esc key to close any window in Storyline 360. Renamed Player Background Option: We renamed the “player background color” option to “custom background color” to clarify its purpose. Mac Delete Key Support: Use the Delete key on a Mac keyboard to remove an object. Consistent Closed Captions Editor Controls: The options in the Closed Captions Editor window are now consistent with other feature windows. Expanded Icon Library: The icon library for buttons and markers now includes the X social media logo. New Korean Voice: We added a new Korean neural voice, Jihye, for text-to-speech conversion. New Emphasis Animations: Enchant learners with seven more playful emphasis animation options, including tilt, bounce, rotate, float, and more. Accessible Course Starter Template: Create inclusive content from the start with a template that meets accessibility standards. AI Caption Error Messaging: AI Assistant displays specific error messages when caption generation fails, making troubleshooting easier. Custom Player Background Color: Customize the page background color behind your content if you scale the modern player to fill the browser and turn off the menus and controls. Custom Sidebar Landmark Label: We improved the screen reader experience by adding a customizable player text label for the sidebar menu landmark. Adaptive Corner Radius Controls: Corner radius controls automatically hide on smaller objects to prevent accidental selection when trying to move shapes. Expanded Localization Language Support: Localization added support for 9 new languages—Khmer, Lao, Luxembourgish, Maori, Nepali, Nyanja, Samoan, Tetum, and Tigrinya. These languages are now available to everyone as text label options. Scene Thumbnails in Accessibility Checker: The accessibility checker now displays scene thumbnails, making it quicker to identify and fix scene-title issues. AI Caption Generation Status Alerts: AI Assistant displays a status notification when the caption generation process completes. Localized Audio Asset Insertion: Articulate Localization users can easily insert localized audio assets—no triggers needed. Accessibility Checker Performance Boost: We boosted the accessibility checker's performance to keep even the largest projects running smoothly and added sort order options for easier navigation. Windows Narrator and Magnifier Support: Windows Narrator and Magnifier are now officially supported in published courses, giving learners more ways to engage with content. Richer Screen Reader Context: Screen readers provide richer context for multiple choice and drop-down questions, math equations, and the player seekbar, ensuring learners can navigate and track progress more intuitively. High-Zoom Player Accessibility: Player controls, resources, and glossary terms remain fully accessible when resizing the browser or zooming up to 400%, giving all learners a smoother experience. Improved Image Generation Model: Get the image results you want with our latest image generation model that offers better prompt adherence and accurate text rendering. (This enhancement was enabled on October 23, 2025.) Automatic Captioning on Media Import: Streamline your captioning process with AI Assistant. Generate captions automatically when you import media with flexible settings to fit your workflow. Caption Text Shadow Control: Improve caption readability on any background by turning text shadow on or off. v3 AI Voice Model: Experience v3—the latest voice model for AI text-to-speech, delivering rich emotional expression and contextual awareness in over 70 languages. Legacy Voice Labels: Legacy voices are now clearly labeled to indicate that they won't be updated when AI models improve. Post-Recording Caption Generation: Maximize efficiency while ensuring accessibility by generating captions after recording audio in Storyline 360. Automatic Captioning on Project Import: Save time and boost accessibility by automatically generating AI captions for uncaptioned audio and video files when you import a Storyline 360 project. One-Step Caption Generation: Quickly improve accessibility by generating captions for course audio and video content in one step. WebM Video Support and Transcoding: Improve browser security for your videos. Storyline 360 now lets you add WebM videos and transcodes imported MP4s into both MP4 and WebM formats. Cover Photo Alt Text: You can now add alt text to your cover photos to improve accessibility. Optional MP4 Transcoding: Thanks to your feedback, Storyline 360 no longer transcodes MP4s into both MP4 and WebM formats. You can still add WebM videos. Bulk AI Alt Text Generation: Automatically generate alt text for your assets all at once, then edit or finalize each description right from the accessibility checker. AI Chat Text-to-Speech Generation: You can now chat with AI Assistant to generate text-to-speech narration from your slide notes in addition to your slide content or script. Rise 360 AI Course Drafts: Partner with AI Assistant to brainstorm, draft a full course, and iterate—quickly turning your ideas and source material into compelling content. Manage Blocks: Copy, move, and delete multiple blocks at once with manage blocks. Custom Block: Custom blocks give you new ways to engage learners by modifying pre-populated templates or creating your own custom block layout. Code Block: Ramp up interactivity by coding your own interactive blocks using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. New Real Content Templates: Get a jump start on your internal AI training with these AI Policy and AI Best Practices content templates. Math Equations: Build math equations using LaTeX syntax and revise them by adding color and alt text. Quick Share: Use Quick Share to easily deliver everyday training to anyone via a shareable link that tracks learner views and guestbook entries. AI Text-to-Speech Translations: Easily translate AI-generated narrations with AI Assistant and Articulate Localization to make your content more inclusive. AI-Generated Captions: Boost your video's accessibility with AI-generated captions you can easily fine-tune using an intuitive built-in editor. Enhanced Matching Knowledge Checks: Matching knowledge check blocks have been upgraded with intuitive navigation, full keyboard support, and comprehensive screen reader integration. AI-Generated Text-to-Speech: Generate text-to-speech audio and transcripts with AI Assistant. Audio Transcription Interface: Add audio transcription for recordings and uploads with the updated audio interface. Audio Expansion: Insert audio in text, statement, image, list, carousel, flashcard, tabs, and accordion blocks. New Technical Training Course Template: Our latest course template gives you to the tools to provide next-level technical instruction with software demonstrations and engaging animation. Windows Assistive Technology Support: Windows Narrator and Magnifier are now officially supported in published courses, giving learners more ways to engage with content. Articulate 360 Tutorials Real Content Templates: Explore what can be done with and improve your authoring skills in Rise 360 with the Articulate 360 Tutorials real content template category. Multiple Glossaries: Articulate Localization users can tailor translations for different regions or business areas using multiple glossaries within a subscription to fine-tune terms and organizational language. Custom Block Focus Order Panel: Use the custom block focus order panel to set keyboard and screen reader order independently of object order. Expanded Localization Language Support: 9 new languages have been added to Articulate Localization. Custom Blocks Real Content Template: Explore how custom blocks can enhance your training with our latest custom built template. Content Tile Status Badges: Content tile badges let you see at a glance if content on your dashboard has been published to Reach 360 and if it's live or offline. Technical Training Tutorial: Get inspired by our latest technical tutorial that offers creative ways to combine blocks when creating technical training. Lines and Arrows in Custom Blocks: Create lines and arrows in custom blocks. LMS Export Usage Analytics: Training published to LMS export now sends Articulate non-identifiable usage data to help us improve our products. (Please note, this feature is rolling out incrementally to the entire community over the next 3 business days. If you don't see the LMS Export option, it hasn't been enabled for your account yet and data is not yet being collected for your exported training). Unlimited Matching Entry Characters: Eliminated character limits for matching knowledge check block entries. Updated Lato Font: The Lato font has been upgraded to V2 to support additional languages. This affects content published after this date only. Flexible Process Blocks: Enjoy more flexibility with process blocks. Turn off the step label to present non-sequential interactions. Improved Authoring Font Rendering: We've updated the font in our authoring experience to work better across platforms. The change only affects how things look while you're editing—not what learners see. Preserve Image File Quality: When uploading image files, select Preserve file quality to bypass optimization for the web. Button Block Customization: Customize button blocks with alignment, corner radius, and width options. Expanded Font Size Range: Font size now ranges from 1 to 800 pixels. Manually enter or access additional sizes from the font size menu in the text formatting toolbar. Scenario Block Visual Controls: Customize scenario blocks by turning off the background blur and hiding the characters. Global Audio Controls for Learners: Learners can adjust the volume and mute audio wherever it appears in training. Dynamic Browser Tab Titles: While authoring, your browser tab updates to show the current lesson title for better context and accessibility. Redesigned Matching Knowledge Check Blocks: Matching knowledge check blocks have been reworked to better reflect their original design while retaining full keyboard support and comprehensive screen reader integration. Restart Numbering for Divider Blocks: You can select a number at which to restart sequential numbering for numbered divider blocks. Accessible Audio Player Transcripts: Audio player transcripts are now keyboard and screen-reader accessible. Layout Color Swatch Selection: Unify your custom block design by selecting a color swatch from your current layout. Improved Multi-Object Guides: Improved the behavior of guides when multiple related objects are selected and moved in a custom block layout. Preview-to-Edit Context Preservation: When previewing a course from the course outline, clicking Edit opens the editor in the lesson you're previewing. Accessible Chart Blocks: Chart blocks are now keyboard and desktop screen reader accessible. List Block Color Overrides: Use the color picker in the list block formatting menu to override theme settings. Auto-Collapsing Navigation Sections: Automatically collapse sections in sidebar and compact navigation. Continue Block Styling Controls: Adjust the corner radius, color, and width for continue blocks. Code Snippet Copy Button: Use the copy button to easily copy the content of code snippet blocks. Superscript and Subscript Formatting: Add superscript and subscript formatting to text in custom blocks. Audio Transcripts in Custom Blocks: Add audio transcripts to audio objects in custom blocks. Private Block Templates: Block templates are no longer shared with your team by default. Hide LMS Interface Toggle: Select the Hide LMS Interface toggle when you export training for LMS to eliminate duplicate toolbar controls. Custom Block Alt Text Controls: In custom block, add alt text to objects, object groups, and the canvas. New AI Course Drafts Content Template: Learn how to create a first draft using AI Assistant with our latest real content template. Code Block Completion Parameters: Add completion parameters to your code block so that it works with continue blocks. Bullet and Number Styling Controls: Use the Bullet Style options in the text formatting toolbar to modify the size and color of bullets and numbers in lists. Unlimited Scenario Field Characters: Scenario block fields no longer have character limits. Web Export Without Cover Page: Remove the cover page when exporting training for the web. Default Language for Quick Share: Set the default language when sharing via Quick Share (requires Articulate Localization). Enhanced xAPI Export Reporting: When exporting training using the xAPI standard, you can set a reporting option. We've also made changes to xAPI exports to normalize file structure across all LMS export types. Multiple LMS Launch Instances: Launch additional instances of content exported for LMS outside of your training environment, as needed. AI Assistant Voice Library: Discover the right voice for your Storyline 360 content with thousands of ultrarealistic, AI-generated voices that can be filtered by age, gender, and use case. AI-Generated Alt Text: Insert AI-generated alt text for slide objects in Storyline 360 to improve accessibility. AI-Generated Captions in Storyline: Instantly generate high-quality captions for your audio and video content in Storyline 360 to boost accessibility. AI-Generated Text-to-Speech: Bring narration to life with AI-generated voices that are highly realistic and customizable. Add your script, define voice settings, and let AI Assistant in Rise 360 do the rest. AI Chat in Storyline: Chat with AI Assistant in Storyline 360 to easily create content like audio, images, JavaScript entrance animations, and more. AI JavaScript Entrance Animations: Create engaging entrance animations without coding. Describe your idea and let AI Assistant in Storyline 360 build the JavaScript trigger for you. AI-Generated Captions in Rise: Boost your video's accessibility with AI-generated captions you can easily fine-tune using an intuitive built-in editor. AI Course Drafts: Partner with AI Assistant in Rise 360 to brainstorm, draft a full course, and iterate—quickly turning your ideas and source material into compelling content. Context-Aware AI Writing: AI Assistant in Rise 360 is now aware of lesson material surrounding the current block and source documents, allowing you to generate relevant and cohesive content when writing and editing inline. CC Icon Labels on Stage: Text-to-speech narration, sound effects, and audio with closed captions in Storyline 360 now display a CC label in their audio icons on the slide stage for quick identification. AI Question Type Selection: AI Assistant in Rise 360 now lets you choose the question type upfront when generating knowledge checks and quiz questions. We’ve also improved the question preview for better readability. AI Statement Block Conversion: All text blocks can now be converted into a statement block with AI Assistant in Rise 360. Faster AI Voice Processing: We upgraded one of our AI text-to-speech voice models from Turbo v2.5 to Flash v2.5 in Storyline 360—boosting processing speed by 73%. CC Status Labels for AI Audio: Instantly determine if your AI-generated audio in Storyline 360 has closed captions with a CC label that appears next to each output in the Generate AI Audio window. CC Icon Labels on Timeline: In Storyline 360, AI text-to-speech narration and sound effects with closed captions now display a CC label in their audio icons on the timeline for quick identification. Expanded AI Source Documents: Repurpose your audio, video, and Storyline files as source documents for AI Assistant in Rise 360. Larger Source Document Uploads: We’ve increased the file size limit for source documents in Rise 360 from 100 MB to 1 GB. AI-Generated Knowledge Check Blocks: Instantly convert blocks into interactive, AI-generated knowledge checks that boost learner retention. PowerPoint Notes Extraction: AI Assistant in Rise 360 can now extract text from the notes section of a PowerPoint source document. AI-Generated Timeline Blocks: Turn sequential information into an interactive, AI-generated timeline block in Rise 360 that encourages learners to explore. AI-Generated Table Blocks: Transform raw data in source documents into a structured, AI-generated table block with just a few clicks. AI-Generated Quiz Interactions: Boost interactivity and reinforce learning with AI-generated fill-in-the-blank and matching questions for quizzes and knowledge checks in Rise 360. Source Upload Status Notifications: AI Assistant in Rise 360 now informs you when uploading source content takes longer than expected. AI Caption Generation Status Alerts: AI Assistant in Storyline 360 displays a status notification when the caption generation process completes. AI Content Feedback Controls: Help improve AI Assistant for everyone by providing quick thumbs-up or thumbs-down feedback on generated content in Rise 360. Public URL Source Support: Broaden the scope of your AI-generated output in Rise 360 using text-based content from publicly accessible URLs as source material. AI Caption Error Messaging: AI Assistant in Storyline 360 displays specific error messages when caption generation fails, making troubleshooting easier. Expanded Voice Favorites Limit: Add as many favorites as you’d like from the voice library—we’ve increased the limit from 10 to 10,000. EU Data Residency Compliance: AI Assistant now works better for EU data center users. AI requests made in the EU stay within the EU from start to finish to comply with regional data residency and processing requirements. v3 AI Voice Model for Rise 360: Experience v3—the latest voice model for AI text-to-speech in Rise 360, delivering rich emotional expression and contextual awareness in over 70 languages. Improved Image Generation for Rise 360: Get the image results you want in Rise 360 with our latest image generation model that offers better prompt adherence and accurate text rendering. Automatic AI Cover Images: AI Assistant now automatically adds a relevant cover image to your generated course draft in Rise 360. Improved Image Generation for Storyline 360: Get the image results you want in Storyline 360 with our latest image generation model that offers better prompt adherence and accurate text rendering. (This enhancement was enabled on October 23, 2025.) Automatic Captioning on Media Import: Streamline your captioning process in Storyline 360 with AI Assistant. Generate captions automatically when you import media with flexible settings to fit your workflow. v3 AI Voice Model for Storyline 360: Experience v3—the latest voice model for AI text-to-speech in Storyline 360, delivering rich emotional expression and contextual awareness in over 70 languages. Legacy Voice Labels: Legacy voices are now clearly labeled to indicate that they won’t be updated when AI models improve. Post-Recording Caption Generation: Maximize efficiency while ensuring accessibility by generating captions after recording audio in Storyline 360. Automatic Captioning on Project Import: Save time and boost accessibility by automatically generating AI captions for uncaptioned audio and video files when you import a Storyline 360 project. One-Step Caption Generation: Quickly improve accessibility by generating captions for your Storyline course audio and video content in one step. Bulk AI Alt Text Generation: Automatically generate alt text for your assets all at once, then edit or finalize each description right from the accessibility checker in Storyline 360. AI Chat Text-to-Speech Generation: You can now chat with AI Assistant in Storyline 360 to generate text-to-speech narration from your slide notes in addition to your slide content or script. AI-Generated Animations: Easily add built-in entrance, emphasis, and exit animations by chatting with AI Assistant in Storyline 360. Review 360 Annotated Screenshots: Make your feedback more precise by adding screenshots annotated with text, drawings, and shapes to comments. Course Updates in Review: Articulate Localization now includes a workflow for focusing on updated content. Validators can easily view and validate only modified text segments Review Request Status Button: We moved the Request Review button to the top bar so it's easily visible. The button label is dynamic, so you can see the item's request status at a glance. Improved Authoring Font Rendering: We've updated the font in our authoring experience to work better across platforms. The change only affects how things look while you're editing—not what learners see. Recent Reviewers Dropdown: Save time and effort when requesting reviews with a dropdown list that shows your most recent reviewers. Reviewer-Controlled Version Refresh: Reviewers now have control over when to refresh to a new version of a Review 360 item while viewing it. When a new version is published, a message with a Refresh button appears in the lower-left corner, and comments and validation suggestions for the outdated version are disabled. Restart Review Request: Restart your request review with a few clicks. No need to manually re-add reviewers or delete and create a new request. Nested Folder Depth Limit: We’ve limited nested folder depth to six levels to maintain accessibility and system performance. Custom Screenshot Annotation Styling: Customize individual screenshot annotations with specific colors, opacity levels, and stroke widths. Reach 360 Manual Course Completion: Manage course completion your way by entering quiz scores and completion dates for enrolled learners from course and learner reports. Custom Email Domains: Reach 360 accounts that use a custom domain can now send notifications from a custom email domain. Additional Learner Interface Languages: Additional learner profile languages added: Danish, Dutch, English (UK), Finnish, Norwegian, and Swedish. Rise Access from Reach Courses Tab: Reach admins who are also Articulate 360 seatholders can now switch to Rise from the courses tab via the Add Courses button. In-Place User Role Management: Modify a user’s role from learner to reporter, manager, or admin, and vice versa without leaving the users tab. Group Self-Registration Links: Existing users can now add themselves to groups using self-registration links. Enrollment Details in Reports: On course, learning path, and learner reports, see when a learner enrolled and if they enrolled themselves. Rise Dashboard Links: Quickly switch to Rise 360 with a handy dashboard link. Updated User Interface Font: We've updated our user interface font for a more consistent experience across platforms. The change only affects the user interface and doesn't impact learner content. Additional Learner Interface Languages: Learner profile languages now include Chinese (Simplified), Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Polish. Localization Articulate Localization: Articulate Localization launched! Train a global workforce within Articulate 360. Instantly translate Rise 360 and Storyline 360 courses into 70+ languages with fully integrated AI translation. Verify the accuracy of localized content with language validation in Review 360. Validators can preview their changes in context, and authors can import them directly back into the source project. Manage all your translations as one item, and publish them all at once to Reach 360 or your LMS. Multiple Glossaries: Tailor translations for different regions or business areas using multiple glossaries within your subscription to fine-tune terms and organizational language. AI Text-to-Speech Translations: Combine AI Assistant and Articulate Localization to easily translate text-to-speech audio in Storyline 360 and AI-generated narrations in Rise 360, making your content more inclusive. Course Updates in Review: Review 360 now includes a workflow for focusing on updated content. Validators can easily view and validate only modified text segments. Localization Usage CSV Logs: Keep track of Localization usage with a downloadable CSV log that shows admins every translation run by individual and group in account management. Audio Text Segment Identification: Quickly identify text segments for closed captions, audio transcripts, and text-to-speech scripts in Review 360, making audio validation more efficient. Publish your multi-language projects with the latest versions of Rise 360 and Storyline 360. Next-Generation DeepL Translation Engine: We've upgraded to DeepL's next-generation Large Language Model (LLM) to deliver better translation quality. Simplified Multilingual Publishing Options: We've simplified multilingual course publishing by moving package type options to the publishing window. Paragraph-Level Animation Support: We added support for animation by paragraph in multi-language projects. Rise 360 Localization Snapshots: Save and restore any version of your multi-language Rise 360 content with snapshots. Centralized Validation Toolbar: Quickly find all validation tools in a single, centralized toolbar in Review 360. Localized Audio Asset Insertion: Easily insert localized audio assets—no triggers needed. Refined Layout Issue Detection: To improve efficiency, the layout issue finder no longer identifies translated text with more or fewer lines. Language Search Filtering: Find your target language faster when translating projects—simply type the first few letters to filter the options in the dropdown list. Latin American Spanish Support: Added new Latin American Spanish language option. Expanded Language Support: Added support for 9 new languages—Khmer, Lao, Luxembourgish, Maori, Nepali, Nyanja, Samoan, Tetum, and Tigrinya. Improved Translation Accuracy for Headings: Improved accuracy when translating headings and formatted text in our top languages. Bulk Text Segment Updates: Reduce validation time by updating all identical text segments at once in Review 360. Default Language for Quick Share: Set the default language when sharing via Quick Share in Rise 360. Language Selection Reporting: Track which languages learners are selecting in Rise 360 courses using Localization data now included in xAPI and cmi5 statements. Caption Validation Sync: Validation suggestions for Storyline 360 closed captions are now reflected in the Review 360 course preview. Faster Review 360 Publishing: Publishing to Review 360 is now significantly faster. Articulate 360 Teams New Manage Teams Experience: Manage users, set permissions, and control access to Articulate products all in one place. Expanded User CSV Export: To provide a comprehensive view of both active and pending team members, we’ve included invited users and added Last Login and Status columns to the CSV export. Creator Permission Transfer: Members with 360 admin and group manager permissions can now transfer creator permissions to themselves, giving more flexibility when transitioning team members.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.Meet the Team: Hover Quotes for Storyline
Here's an example of how I've used quotes for meet-the-team type interactions. I've always been a fan of using quotes in my trainings and try to include a few in every course. Rise has some good options for quote blocks but quotes are rare in Storyline courses. View the example (download included)
