Advanced Interactions:
Building Real Engagement
into Your eLearning
June 2 & 3, 2011
Supplemental Materials
402
Using Captivate to Create
Meaningful Interaction
Melissa Heath & Larena Jackson,
WellSpan Health
Advanced Interactions:
Building Real Engagement into Your eLearning
June 2 & 3, 2011
Table of Contents
About Variables ............................................................................................................................................. 1
If Else Condition Statements ......................................................................................................................... 2
Recall Data from Text Entry Box Later in Same Lesson................................................................................. 4
Keep a Running Count................................................................................................................................... 5
Reset Variable Values ................................................................................................................................... 6
Check and Uncheck a Check Box Indefinitely ............................................................................................... 7
Multiple Check Boxes Clicked in Any Order on Same Slide .......................................................................... 9
Show Summary at End and if Passed Show Button to Credit in LMS ......................................................... 11
Session 402 – Using Captivate to Create Meaningful Interaction –
Melissa Heath & Larena Jackson, WellSpan Health
Page i
Advanced Interactions:
Building Real Engagement into Your eLearning
June 2 & 3, 2011
About Variables
Information about User and System variables, and steps to creating a user variable which can be
referenced within the Captivate Project or within an Advanced Action.
Two Types of Variables:
1. User
 What the learner enters or does
 Text Entry box or Click box
2. System
 Captivate’s standard variables which can be referenced
Create User Variable
1. Click Project, then Variables… from menu bar
2. Click Add New button
3. Type variable name (e.g. count_total or firstname)
in Name field
NOTE: Name it something that will make sense
later
4. In Value field, type the value
NOTES:
 If the learner will enter text, leave blank OR
what should display when the variable is used
 If the variable will be used to count, type the number in which you want the count to start (e.g.
0 for assessments so points can be added)
5. Click Save
6. The variable will display in the list
7. Close Variables window
System Variable Types
Type
Movie Control
Movie Info
Movie metadata
System Info
Quizzing
Use
Go to Slide, Closed Captioning, Playbar, Lock TOC
Displays information you can use in other files such as current slide to
display page number or Captivate Version on the title page
Project information for example, though the info button only displays
with the default playbar in Captivate 5
Uses information on the PC, such as date and time
Displaying Quiz information when using Captivate standard question
slides, and can be used in conjunction with User variables
Session 402 – Using Captivate to Create Meaningful Interaction –
Melissa Heath & Larena Jackson, WellSpan Health
Page 1
Advanced Interactions:
Building Real Engagement into Your eLearning
June 2 & 3, 2011
If Else Condition Statements
If Else Condition statements allow you to go down multiple paths depending on a condition. For
example, if someone scored high enough, they can continue to next lesson, if they did not, they either
repeat a lesson or go down a different remediation path.
Two Types of Advanced Actions
1. Standard command
 Perform X action all the time
 Sequence
2. Conditional If...Then...Else statement
 X action to be performed if specific criteria is met
 Sequence
Actions Associated with Advanced Action Types
1. Actions for Standard Advanced Action
 Continue
 Go to Previous Slide
 Go to Next Slide
 Go to Last Visited
 Jump to Slide
 Show
 Hide
 Enable
 Disable
 Assign
 Open URL/File
 Open Other Project
 Send mail
 Execute JavaScript
 Expression
 Apply Effect
2. Actions for Conditional Advanced Actions
 Perform action if
 Variable - System or user
 Comparison Operator - greater, less than, equal, etc.
 Variable or Literal - system, user, or specific number or word
 Action
 Same as Standard commands
 Else
 Same as Standard commands
Session 402 – Using Captivate to Create Meaningful Interaction –
Melissa Heath & Larena Jackson, WellSpan Health
Page 2
Advanced Interactions:
Building Real Engagement into Your eLearning
June 2 & 3, 2011
Create Basic If…Else statement in Advanced Actions
If you are only going for two options when checking a variable, you can create a basic if statement. (e.g.
depending on their score either show red or green smiley face)
1.
2.
3.
4.
Click Project, then Advanced Actions… from menu bar
Click Action Type drop-down arrow, then Conditional actions
Type action name (e.g. check_topic1) in Action Name field
Add lines and complete the drop-downs to determine if score was met, show green check, else
show red check (sample below)
5. Click Save, then OK to message
6. Close the Advanced Actions window
NOTE: At this point, need to add this advanced action to On Enter of slide where you want to determine
to show green or red check. Instead of showing an image, you could navigation to certain location
based on if the count is greater or equal to 14.
Session 402 – Using Captivate to Create Meaningful Interaction –
Melissa Heath & Larena Jackson, WellSpan Health
Page 3
Advanced Interactions:
Building Real Engagement into Your eLearning
June 2 & 3, 2011
Recall Data from Text Entry Box Later in Same Lesson
Show what learner entered in a textbox, later while in same file. For example, ask learner their name,
then later, say “Way to Go learner’s name” to increase personalization.
Step 1—Create Variable to Hold Data
1. Click Project, then Variables… from menu bar
2. Click Add New button
3. Type variable name (e.g. firstname) in Name field
4. Leave Value field blank
5. Click Save
6. Close Variables window
Step 2—Create Text Entry Box to Capture Data
1. Click Insert, then Standard Objects, then Text Entry Box from menu bar
2. Type Item Name (e.g. txtbx_firstname) in Item Name field
3. Click Var Associat… drop-down arrow, then select variable just created
4. Set text entry box with other preferred options
Step 3—Create Caption to Display What Learner Typed in Text Entry Box
1. Click Insert, then Standard Objects, then Text
Caption from menu bar
2. Set Text Caption with preferred options
3. Click
in Format area of Properties
4. Click Variables drop-down list, then desired
variable
5. Change maximum length if necessary
6. Click OK
NOTES:
 Text caption displays with $$ around the variable
name--$$variablename$$
 Additional text can be added around the
$$variablename$$, if desired
 If text caption displays at the same time of the text
entry, the text entered will display real-time
Session 402 – Using Captivate to Create Meaningful Interaction –
Melissa Heath & Larena Jackson, WellSpan Health
Page 4
Advanced Interactions:
Building Real Engagement into Your eLearning
June 2 & 3, 2011
Keep a Running Count
Create an Advanced Action that keeps a consecutive count and
jumps to next slide
Step 1—Create Variable to Keep the Count
1. Click Project, then Variables… from menu bar
2. Click Add New button
3. Type variable name (e.g. count_total) in Name field
4. Type 0 in Value field
5. Click Save
6. Close Variables window
Step 2—Create Advanced Action to Increase Count and Advance to Next Slide
1. Click Project, then Advanced Actions… from menu bar
2. Type action name (e.g. inc_jump_total) in Action Name field
3. Add lines and complete the drop-downs to increase count and navigate to next slide (sample
below)
4. Click Save, then OK to message
5. Close Advanced Actions window
Step 3—Create Click Box to Perform Advance Action to Increase Count
1. Click Insert, then Standard Objects, then Click Box from menu bar
2. Click On Success drop-down arrow, then Execute Advanced Actions
3. Click Script drop-down arrow, then desired action
4. Set click box with other preferred options
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for all click boxes
NOTES:
 Can use Advanced Actions with text entry boxes and buttons as well as click boxes
 Can copy and paste click box, text entry box, and buttons with Advanced Action to save time
The variable can be displayed in a text caption, for example, “Congratulations you received
$$count_total$$ (e.g. 15) out of 16” or used in another Advanced Action, for example, learner cannot
move to next section until the count reaches a certain amount.
Session 402 – Using Captivate to Create Meaningful Interaction –
Melissa Heath & Larena Jackson, WellSpan Health
Page 5
Advanced Interactions:
Building Real Engagement into Your eLearning
June 2 & 3, 2011
Reset Variable Values
When a variable keeps a count, the variable needs reset back to original value when a learner retakes a
lesson so they are starting like new.
Step 1—Create Advanced Action to Reset All Variables to Zero
1. Click Project, then Advanced Action… from menu bar
2. Type action name (e.g. reset_variables) in Action Name field
3. Add line and complete the drop-downs to set variable back to 0 for all variables needed
(sample below)
4. Click Save, then click OK to message
5. Close the Advanced Actions window
Step 2—Add Advanced Action to Reset All Variables to Slide Entry
1. Navigate to first slide that contains a variable that counts
2. Click On Enter drop-down arrow, then Execute Advanced Actions
3. Click Script drop-down arrow, then appropriate action (e.g. reset_variables)
Session 402 – Using Captivate to Create Meaningful Interaction –
Melissa Heath & Larena Jackson, WellSpan Health
Page 6
Advanced Interactions:
Building Real Engagement into Your eLearning
June 2 & 3, 2011
Check and Uncheck a Check Box Indefinitely
Make a check box appear to function as it does in an application, use Advanced Actions to allow learner
to check and uncheck the check box indefinitely.
Step 1—Insert Checked Check Box Image
1. Click Insert, then Image… from menu bar
2. Locate image, then click Open
3. Open Properties panel if needed, click Window,
then Properties… from menu bar
4. Type image name (e.g. check) in Item Name field
5. Uncheck Visible check box
6. Move image to desired location on slide
Step 2—Create Variable to Count the Check
1. Click Project, then Variables… from menu bar
2. Click Add New button
3. Type variable name (e.g. count_check) in Name
field
4. Type 0 in Value field
5. Click Save
6. Close the Variables window
Session 402 – Using Captivate to Create Meaningful Interaction –
Melissa Heath & Larena Jackson, WellSpan Health
Page 7
Advanced Interactions:
Building Real Engagement into Your eLearning
June 2 & 3, 2011
Step 3—Create Advance Action to Determine to either Show a Check or Hide the Check
1. Click Project, then Advanced Actions… from menu bar
2. Click Action Type drop-down arrow, then Conditional actions
3. Type action name (e.g. show_hide_check) in Action Name field
4. Add lines and complete the drop-downs to determine if check should show or not show (sample
below)
5. Click Save, then OK to message
6. Close the Advanced Actions window
Step 4—Create Click Box to Perform Advance Action
1. Click Insert, then Standard Objects, then Click Box from menu bar
2. Click On Success drop-down arrow, then Execute Advanced Actions
3. Click Script drop-down arrow, then action (e.g. show_hide_check)
4. Set click box with other preferred options
NOTES:
 If check box should always be empty when learner views the slide (in case they go back), an
advanced action to hide the check and reset the count to zero need created. If it is okay to keep the
check displaying, if they go back, then know need to hide/reset.
 A way to advance to the next slide is needed, this advanced action continuously loops. For example,
select check box and then click OK, need to add the OK button to advance.
Session 402 – Using Captivate to Create Meaningful Interaction –
Melissa Heath & Larena Jackson, WellSpan Health
Page 8
Advanced Interactions:
Building Real Engagement into Your eLearning
June 2 & 3, 2011
Multiple Check Boxes Clicked in Any Order on Same Slide
For when a screen has multiple check boxes and the learner doesn’t have to click them in a certain
order, just as long as a certain number is checked, or specific ones.
Step 1—Insert Checked Check Box Image
1. Click Insert, then Image… from menu bar
2. Locate image, then click Open
3. Open Properties panel if needed, click Window,
then Properties… from menu bar
4. Type image name (e.g. checkbox1) in Item Name
field
5. Uncheck Visible check box
6. Move image to desired location on slide
7. Repeat steps 1-6 until all checks needed are placed
in appropriate location
TIP: Once one image is created, copy and paste the rest of the images needed, though remember to
name each image a specific name
Step 2—Create Variable to Count the Check Boxes
1. Click Project, then Variables… from menu bar
2. Click Add New button
3. Type variable name (e.g. count_checkbox) in Name
field
4. Type 0 in Value field
5. Click Save
6. Close the Variables window
NOTE: If tracking specific check boxes, you need to
make a separate variable for each
Step 3—Create Advance Action to Determine to Show a Check
1. Click Project, then Advanced Actions… from
menu bar
2. Type action name (e.g. show_check1) in
Action Name field
3. Add lines and complete the drop-downs to
show check box, add to count, and continue
(sample right)
4. Click Save, then OK to message
5. Click
to create a new action
6. Repeat steps 2-5 until all check box
instances have an advance action
7. Close the Advanced Actions window
Session 402 – Using Captivate to Create Meaningful Interaction –
Melissa Heath & Larena Jackson, WellSpan Health
Page 9
Advanced Interactions:
Building Real Engagement into Your eLearning
June 2 & 3, 2011
Step 4—Create Click Box to Perform Advance Action to Show Check in Check Box
1. Click Insert, then Standard Objects, then Click Box from menu bar
2. Click On Success drop-down arrow, then Execute Advanced Actions
3. Click Script drop-down arrow, then corresponding action
4. Set click box with other preferred options and place at appropriate location
5. Repeat steps 1-4 until all check boxes have a click box on top of them
Step 5—Create Message to Display if All Check Boxes Not Selected
1. Click Insert, then Standard Objects, then Text Caption from menu bar
2. Type message if learner doesn’t complete all checks in text caption
3. Type caption name (e.g. incompleteMessage ) in Item Name field
4. Uncheck Visible check box
5. Set text caption with other preferred options
Step 6—Create Advanced Action to Go to Next Slide
1. Click Project, then Advanced Actions… from menu bar
2. Click Action Type drop-down arrow, then Conditional actions
3. Type action name (e.g. adv_all_checked) in Action Name field
4. Add lines and complete the drop-downs to determine if checks are met, if so then advance, if not
display message (sample below)
NOTE: If you are tracking specific check boxes, the first line of code would be “Check If (count1 is
equal to 1) AND (count2 is equal to 1) AND (count3 is equal to 1), etc.”
8. Click Save, then OK to message, and then close Advanced Actions window
9. Insert click box (with pause until user clicks) where the learner is to click when all boxes are checked
and on success Execute Advanced Actions and select the one just created
NOTE: At this point, the checkboxes will work, though if the learner clicks the back button, the checks
will remain. If needed, create an Advanced Action to hide all check boxes, and reset count variable back
to starting point and place that Advanced Action On Enter for the slide.
Session 402 – Using Captivate to Create Meaningful Interaction –
Melissa Heath & Larena Jackson, WellSpan Health
Page 10
Advanced Interactions:
Building Real Engagement into Your eLearning
June 2 & 3, 2011
Show Summary at End and if Passed Show Button to Credit in LMS
Display summary at end of slides to communicate areas of strength and weakness, and depending on
score to show a button to pass/credit in LMS.
Step 1—Create Summary Slide with All Graphics Needed
1. Import image(s) into Library—one for correct, one for incorrect
2. Place a copy of each image for each topic
3. Name each graphic instance with unique name (c_topic1, i_topic1) to know what the graphic is
(correct or incorrect) and for what topic
4. Add button that has Include in Quiz checked from Reporting area (this will give credit in the LMS),
and name this button (e.g. passButton)
5. Add and name a button (e.g. failButton) that does not score, but allows them to continue to next
slide
NOTE: Need to display “scoring slide” in Captivate (Quiz…Quiz Preferences…Quiz Settings…Show Score
at End of the Quiz). You do not need to show anything on this slide but pass and fail messages, as a
Continue button automatically displays and can either go to next slide if they pass, or jump to a specific
slide if they fail.
Step 2—Create a Variable for Each Topic Tracking and One for Total
1. Click Project, then Variables… from menu bar
2. Click Add New button
3. Type variable name in Name field
4. Type 0 in Value field
5. Click Save
6. Repeat steps 2-5 for all topics and for total
7. Close the Variables window
Step 3—Create Advanced Action to Increase Count and Advance to Next Slide
1. Click Project, then Advanced Actions… from menu bar
2. Type action name (e.g. inc_jump_topic1) in Action Name field
3. Add lines and complete the drop-downs to increase variable count and go to next slide
4. Click Save, then click OK to message
5. Click
to create a new action
6. Repeat steps 2-5 for each topic
Step 4—Create Advanced Action to Reset All Variables to Zero
1. From Advanced Action window, type action name (e.g. reset_variables) in Action Name field
2. Add line for each topic and total using drop-downs to set count back to 0
3. Click Save, then OK to message
4. Close the Advanced Actions window
Session 402 – Using Captivate to Create Meaningful Interaction –
Melissa Heath & Larena Jackson, WellSpan Health
Page 11
Advanced Interactions:
Building Real Engagement into Your eLearning
June 2 & 3, 2011
Step 5—Apply Advanced Action to Reset All Variables on First Slide that Counts
1. On the first slide that includes a count, click On Enter drop-down arrow in Action area of Properties
panel, then Executive Advanced Actions
2. Click Script drop-down arrow, then reset variable action
Step 6—Create Click Box to Perform Advanced Action to Increase that Topic’s Count
1. Click Insert, then Standard Objects, then Click Box from menu bar
2. Click On Success drop-down arrow, then Execute Advanced Actions
3. Click Script drop-down arrow, then desired action
4. Set click box with other preferred options
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for all click boxes
NOTE: Can use Advanced Actions with text entry boxes and buttons as well as click boxes
Step 7—Create Advanced Action to Calculate What to Show on Summary Screen
1. Click Project, then Advanced Actions… from menu bar
2. Click Action Type drop-down arrow, then Conditional actions
3. Type action name (e.g. calc_summary) in Action Name field
4. Add lines and complete drop-downs to hide items (sample below)
NOTE: Show and hide actions have to be on the slide the item is on, so needs to be part of the
calc_summary Advanced Actions
Session 402 – Using Captivate to Create Meaningful Interaction –
Melissa Heath & Larena Jackson, WellSpan Health
Page 12
Advanced Interactions:
Building Real Engagement into Your eLearning
June 2 & 3, 2011
5. Click next decision button
TIP: Name the decision buttons to reference what this part of the advanced action is doing
6. Add lines and complete drop-downs to determine which image (correct or incorrect) needs to show
for each topic (sample below)
7. Repeat step 4-5 for each topic and for pass/fail
8. Click Save, then OK to message
9. Close Advanced Actions window
Step 8—Add Advanced Action to Summary Screen
1. Navigate to slide that contains the summary
2. Click On Enter drop-down arrow, then Execute Advanced Actions
3. Click Script drop-down arrow, then appropriate action (e.g. calc_summary)
Session 402 – Using Captivate to Create Meaningful Interaction –
Melissa Heath & Larena Jackson, WellSpan Health
Page 13
Advanced Interactions:
Building Real Engagement into Your eLearning
June 2 & 3, 2011
Examples of Summary Screens:
Overall learner passed, though had one topic that was weak
Overall learner did not pass and needs to try again, though did well on the Edit topic
Designed for various audiences, only needed two topics, which they passed
Session 402 – Using Captivate to Create Meaningful Interaction –
Melissa Heath & Larena Jackson, WellSpan Health
Page 14