User Assistance – Page 6 – The Logical Blog

June 5, 2014

Adobe Captivate 8: Responsive Projects for mLearning

by Kevin Siegel

Creating eLearning for mobile devices was high on the wish list a few years ago when Adobe asked users for the top features they'd like to see added to Adobe Captivate. It wasn't long before Adobe responded by adding HTML5 as a publishing option. HTML5 allowed developers to create interactive content that can be used by mobile learners who have a device that does not support Flash.

Publishing HTML5 solved the issue of creating interactive eLearning on the iPad. But there remained another problem. The size of the screen that learners use can vary widely. Your eLearning lesson might look perfect on a desktop system but might be too small when viewed on a small device (such as a smart phone). To accommodate the many screen sizes, your only recourse was to develop several Captivate projects, sized specifically to work on each screen size. Of course that also meant that you'd have to edit and update several projects. No thanks!

Adobe Captivate 8 now allows you to create responsive projects. During the development process, you can basically create and work on multiple screen sizes (called break points) in one project. When you publish the responsive project, the learner will automatically be served the break point appropriate for the device they're using. This one Captivate 8 feature is the main, compelling reason that upgrading to Captivate 8 isn't just something to consider… it's mandatory if your mission is to create eLearning for desktop and mobile users.

To create a responsive project, double-click Responsive Project on the Welcome screen or choose File > New > Responsive Project.

Developing a responsive project is pretty much the same as developing a standard project, but there's one notable difference–breakpoints. By default, new projects contain three breakpoints for the most common screen sizes (for desktop users, tablet users, and smart phone users). You can click each of the breakpoints to see how the layout changes dependent upon the size of the canvas.

In the images below, I've selected each of the default break points I was given in my new project (you can create as many break points as you need and edit existing break points at any time).

Adobe Captivate: Breakpoint for a desktop user.

Adobe Captivate: Breakpoint for a tablet user.

Adobe Captivate: Layout for a smart phone

In the images below, you can see a responsive project developed by Anita Horsley, and how she designed each canvas to work best with each of her break points. (As you review each image, pay particular attention to the position of the character as each break point is selected.)

Desktop user: 1024 pixels wide.

Tablet user: 768 pixels wide.

Mobile user: 360 pixels

Once you're done laying out each canvas, all you need to do is publish and post the lesson to a web server or LMS just like always. When the lesson is accessed by your learner, the lesson will automatically detect the learner's screen size and the correct canvas will be displayed. Awesome!

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Want to learn more about creating responsive projects? Join our3-hour mini course on creating Responsive Layouts with Adobe Captivate.

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Looking for instructor-led training on the top eLearning tools? We offer live, online training on Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline, Adobe Presenter, and TechSmith Camtasia Studio. We can also bring the same great training onsite to your facility. Interested? Contact us for details.

May 28, 2014

Adobe Captivate 8: A Cleaner, Simpler User Interface

by Kevin Siegel

Adobe last week announced Adobe Captivate 8, a significant upgrade to one of the top eLearning development tools in the world.

Over the past few years I've repeatedly heard a couple of complaints about Captivate. First, it was perceived as difficult to use. There were so many panels, pods, and toolbars it didn't take too much effort for the Captivate workspace to get cluttered. Sure it was possible to create a custom workspace, but that didn't seem to matter. The fact that a panel could be accidentally moved from one part of the screen to another was causing all kinds of drama.

Another major complaint was Captivate's lack of support for mobile users. You could publish a Captivate lesson as HTML5, but the way a lesson looked when viewed on different screen sizes wasn't something a developer could control.

Captivate users will be happy to learn that both major pain points have been addressed with Captivate 8. Shown below is the Welcome screen you will see when you first start Captivate 8. There are two tabs, Recent and New. After selecting New, you'll find the usual suspects including Software Simulation, Video Demo, and From PowerPoint. You'll also see a brand new… and very awesome… option for creating Responsive Projects (something I'll cover in a future post).

If you're a veteran Captivate user, you'll notice right away that in addition to the Welcome screen getting a nice redesign, there is no longer a check box in the lower left to permanently hide the Welcome screen. This may not seem like a big deal, but I can't tell you how many times I've heard from people using Captivate 7 and older who tell me that the Welcome screen is missing. It turns out that they've accidentally hidden the Welcome screen. And while it's easy to bring it back, I'm delighted to see that since it cannot be hidden that issue is gone.

You'll be happy to learn that projects created in Captivate 6 and 7 will open in Captivate 8, and those projects willautomatically be upgraded to version 8. However, once upgraded, Captivate 8 projects will not open in older versions of Captivate. Prior to upgrading, I suggest that you make backups of your legacy projects just in case you need to open them in the older versions of the software.

After creating a new project or opening an old one, your next discovery will be the clean Captivate 8 interface.

At the left is the familiar Filmstrip; in the middle is the stage (or slide… call it what you like). There's no Timeline, no Properties Inspector, no Library. There's no clutter at all.

Of course, the missing panels are critical to your success in Captivate so you'll need to be able to open them. Take a look at the bottom of the Captivate window and you'll see the wordTimeline. One quick click on the word and the Timeline opens at the bottom of the Captivate window.

Look in the upper right of the Captivate window and you'll find buttons that will show or hide both the Library and Properties Inspector.

Adobe Captivate 8: Library and Properties Inspector buttons.

You'll notice that you can open the Library… you can open the Properties Inspector… but you can't open them both at the same time. And you cannot drag panels around your screen like you could in legacy versions of the software. If you're a workspaces junkie, you're also not going to like the fact that you cannot create workspaces. No kidding. Visit the Window menu and you'll find Workspace > Reset Classic, but that's it. There's no menu item for creating a new workspace. Okay, so losing the Workspace feature is a bummer. But if you're really missing this feature, I've got good news. Visit Captivate's Preferences (Edit menu for Windows users; Adobe Captivate menu for Mac users) and you'll find an option to Enable custom workspaces/panel undocking.

Adobe Captivate 8: Enable custom workspaces.

Turn that option on, restart Captivate 8, and you'll be able to both drag panels around your screen and create custom workspaces.

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Looking for instructor-led training on the top eLearning tools? We offer live, online training on Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline, Adobe Presenter, and TechSmith Camtasia Studio.We can also bring the same great training onsite to your facility. Interested? Contact us for details.

May 23, 2014

New 3-Hour Mini course: Creating Responsive eLearning with Adobe Captivate 8

Last year the sale of smartphones exceeded the sale of traditional phones; the sale of tablets exceeded those of desktop computers. This trend has led to a need for eLearning developers to create courses that can be accessed from both mobile and desktop devices.

The size of the screen that learners use to access eLearning lessons can vary widely. Consider the size of a typical mobile phone compared to the various shapes and sizes of tablets such as the iPad, Microsoft Surface, and Amazon Kindle Fire. You could develop several Captivate projects that contain the same content, but are sized to work on specific devices; however, the problem is that you’d have to edit and update several projects! Who wants to do that? Additionally, who could possibly consider every screen size for every device? Even if you could build lessons for every screen size known today… what about the screen sizes for devices that have yet to be invented?

As an alternative to managing multiple Captivate projects, with Adobe Captivate 8, you can now create a single, responsive project that provides optimal viewing, and an effective learning experience, across a wide range of devices and screen sizes.

Responsive design is an approach to development that allows for flexible layouts and flexible images and assets. While the word responsive was traditionally used for building web pages, now with Adobe Captivate 8, responsive design can be used to develop online courses that detect the learner’s screen size and orientation, and automatically change what the learner sees.

This class covers how Adobe Captivate 8 uses responsive design features. You’ll learn how to navigate the new Captivate interface, how to create responsive projects from scratch, and how to incorporate responsive training demos, simulations, and question slides into your eLearning courses. Additionally, you’ll learn about multi-device previewing and publishing methods.

Who Should Attend This Course?

eLearning developers
Instructional designers
Content creators

More information.

May 23, 2014

eLearning: Creating Accessible Content

by Anita Horsley

While I don't have a disability, I have experience, both personally and professionally, with people who have physical and learning disabilities. I have assisted people with developmental disabilities, and I volunteer for a Therapeutic Horseback riding program that helps children with disabilities ride horses.

When it comes to eLearning, I develop content for many government and education organizations where Section 508 Compliance is required. Section 508, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, requires all Federal agencies to make electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities.

If you want to make your eLearning courses accessible for everyone, it's a good idea to think about people who are hearing, visually, and dexterity (motor skills) impaired. Additionally, it's important to consider the elderly population and people who speak English as a second language.

Assistive devices provide a way for people with disabilities to communicate and train using technology. People who are visually impaired or blind need devices such as:

Screen readers (Jaws, Window Eyes)
Screen magnification
Braille displays

People with hearing impairments need visual representation of auditory information such as:

Closed captions
Graphic displays

People who have mobility impairments may need:

Alternative keyboards
Keyboard shortcuts

Although creating accessible eLearning can feel like an additional task, the goal is to enhance your eLearning courses by ensuring that all learners can master the instructional material and meet the learning objectives. When learning is accessible to all types of learners, you are not only complying with regulations, but you are reaching a larger audience, upholding social responsibility, and increasing your effectiveness as an eLearning developer and instructor.

Note: This is the first in a series of articles covering accessible eLearning from Anita. Stay tuned for more! And if you'd like to take a 3-hour deep-dive into the best practices for creating accessible eLearning, check out Anita's live, online course.

May 21, 2014

Adobe Captivate: Kill the Click Sounds

by Kevin Siegel

I received an email from a new Captivate developer who was having a hate-hate relationship with the click sounds he was hearing in his Adobe Captivate demonstrations and simulations. He told me that in his demonstrations, the mouse was making an obnoxious click sound when a click occurred. In his simulations, the same click sound was heard every time the learner clicked a click box.

The developer was desperate to disable the mouse-click sounds in his projects but was unable to find the option in Captivate's Preferences. While looking in Captivate's Preferences seems like a logical place to look for the click sound option, it's not there. Nevertheless, the solution is very simple. Here's how you disable the click sounds for the mouse, click boxes, and buttons.

To disable the mouse click sound in a software demonstration, select the mouse pointer on any slide. On the Properties panel,Options group, deselect Mouse Click Sound.

Adobe Captivate: Turn Off Mouse Click Sound

To remove the click sound from every mouse pointer in the project, click the drop-down menu in the upper right of the Options group and choose Apply to all items of this type.

Adobe Captivate: Apply to all items of this type.

If you've created a software simulation with click boxes, you can easily get rid of the click sound for a single click box, or all of the click boxes in the project. First, select a click box on any slide. Then, on the Properties panel, Options group, select Disable click sound.

If you'd like this change to affect every click box in the project, click the drop-down menu in the upper right of the Options group and choose Apply to all items of this type.

Adobe Captivate: Apply to all items of this type.

If you'd like to see a demonstration showing how to remove the mouse click sound from interactive objects and the mouse, check out the video I created on IconLogic's YouTube channel.

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May 16, 2014

Adobe eLearning Community: Maryland, DC, and Virginia. First Meeting Scheduled

I'm happy to report that the first meeting for the "Adobe eLearning Community: Maryland, DC, and Virginia" on the books: July 9, 2014 at Adobe HQ in McLean, VA.

Address: 7930 Jones Branch Drive Suite 500, McLean, VA 22102
Time: 7-9 p.m., Eastern.

We'll be posting information about the meeting via our Meetup space and our LinkedIn page.

I'm really excited to meet all of you in person (and online… we will be running virtual sessions for all of our meetings).

May 15, 2014

Localization: Training and Development in Ecuador

by Jen Weaver

¡Hola! Let's journey down to South America and explore some common cultural facts about Ecuadorians and their expectations when it comes to training and development.

Test Your Knowledge of Ecuadorian Culture:

True or False. Ecuador is South America's second largest producer of oil.
What is the official language of Ecuador?
What currency is used in Ecuador?

Tips for Training & Development in Ecuador¹

Don't discuss other Spanish-speaking countries with Ecuadorians. Ecuador lost half its land to Peru in 1941 in an invasion supported by the United States, Argentina, and Brazil. Ecuador was previously conquered by Spain and has also faced many border disputes with Colombia. Similarly, be careful not to exhibit a sense of American superiority, as many Ecuadorians are sensitive to this attitude.
Ecuadorians tend to make decisions on a case-by-case basis rather than using universal laws or standards to guide behavior. Accordingly, an individual's faith or personal feelings may be viewed as "truth" independent of facts or data. Research alone will not gain buy-in from Ecuadorian learners; you must engage them on an ideological or emotional level.
Family gives Ecuadorians a sense of stability, but personal achievement and individual status are more important than the success of a group as a whole.
Despite government efforts to promote punctuality, most Ecuadorians view arriving 15 to 20 minutes late as still being on time. As a foreigner, you are expected to be prompt to all business meetings.
At the executive level, many business professionals arrive at the office after 9:00 a.m. Keep this in mind and avoid scheduling meetings or classes before 10:00 a.m., if possible.
Address Ecuadorian contacts by their professional title or formal name until invited to do otherwise.
Ecuadorian time is the same as Eastern Standard Time, so if you're traveling there from the United States, you may be tempted to schedule meetings the same day that you arrive. However, allow yourself at least a day to acclimate if training on location in Quito–not for the time difference but for the high altitude.

Trivia Answers:

True.
Spanish. English is commonly used in business settings, plus there are many indigenous languages still used by the Amerindian population. Be sure to clarify the language needs of your audience before finalizing training materials.
The United States Dollar.

References:

¹Morrison, Terri, & Conaway, Wayne A. (2006). Kiss, bow, or shake hands (2nd ed.). Avon: Adams Media.

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Developing international training and development materials? Contact Jen at Carmazzi Global Solutions.

May 12, 2014

User Assistance: Standard Gauge

by Tony Self

It doesn't quite sound believable, but it's true. In 21st Century Australia, there isn't a standard national rail gauge. (Gauge is the gap between railway tracks.) In some states, narrow gauge is used, in others broad gauge, and ironically in just one state, standard gauge. This means that rail cars and locomotives can't travel between states.

This schmozzle started in 1847, before the independent colonies of the Australia continent became states in a federated nation in 1901. It was in 1847 that the first railway lines (in South Australia) were built. It started well, with a decision by the British Government's Secretary of State for the Colonies that all colonies should adopt standard gauge.

But what does this obscure historical anecdote have to do with technical communication? Let's think standards, and how standard adoption by an industry can go horribly wrong with enormous, long-term financial consequences.

A private company building a railway line in New South Wales lobbied for the standard to be changed to broad gauge. Broad gauge became the new standard in 1854. A year later, the chief rail track engineer in New South Wales was replaced, and the new chief convinced the New South Wales government to unilaterally change the NSW "standard" back to standard gauge. And the same pattern continued until there was no standard left.

You may be awestruck by these decisions, but in context, having a standard made little difference. Australia is a big continent, and the mooted railway lines were short and were contained well within the colony. There were no plans for railway lines to cross borders, so as long as all lines within a colony used the same gauge, there would be no problem.

There are many standards in technical communication, and their adoption is haphazard and parochial, to put it kindly.ISO/IEC 82079 is an international standard for technical communication, covering all types of product, software, and service related instructions for use. ISO/IEC 26514 provides requirements for the design and development of software user documentation. Both these standards arouse very little discussion in online forums or at technical communication conferences.

The Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards, OASIS, approved the DITA standard in 2005, and although its adoption is growing, it is still nowhere near widespread in technical communication. Are technical communicators generally reluctant to adopt standards? It is undeniable that technical communicators love some standards, such as spelling and grammar, and argue strongly for the benefits of such language standards and conventions. But it seems to me that beyond language standards, we collectively show the same attitudes as the late 19th century colonial railway engineers.

The consequences of the Australian railway gauge decisions are still being felt, and paid for, 130 years later. Interstate tracks are slowly being changed to standard gauge, often by duplicating tracks. Blame for the decisions of the late 1800s is often sheeted to "politics." Rivalries between companies and colonies and even individuals, power struggles, and deep-seated prejudices were the cause. We have to be non-standard because our requirements are special. These same arguments are used by some technical communicators to avoid adoption of standards and as an excuse to implement a custom solution. Perhaps we, as a profession, need to move beyond the politics of standards and work together in a standard way.

Have anything to add when it comes to standards in technical communication? Feel free to post your comments below.

May 7, 2014

Adobe RoboHelp: Assigning Master Pages to Word Sections

by Willam Van Weelden

A few weeks ago I showed you how you can use master pages to control the headers and footers of a generated Microsoft Word document. But setting a single header and footer for your entire Word document may not be what you need. The Table of Contents may need a different header and footer than the actual content. Perhaps the even and odd pages require different headers and footers. With RoboHelp 11 you can use different master pages for different sections of your Microsoft Word output.

After you have created multiple master pages, you assign these master pages to different sections of the document:

Open the Single Source Layouts pod (View > Pods > Single Source Layouts).
Double-click a Printed Documentation layout to open the Print Document options.
Click Multiple Header/Footer to open the configuration dialog box.
Select a section in the left side of the popup.
From the First Page drop-down menu, choose a master page.
From the Even Pages and Odd Pages drop-down menus, choose a master page.
Repeat these steps for all of the sections of the document.
Click OK to return to Print Document options.
Click Save and Generate to create a Microsoft Word document.

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Looking for instructor-led training on RoboHelp? We offer live, online training once each month. We can also bring the same great training onsite to your facility. Interested? Contact us for details.

May 1, 2014

Localization: Training and Development in Denmark

by Jen Weaver

Today's foray into cultural insights takes us to the Scandinavian nation of Denmark. Let's explore some common cultural facts about this kingdom (Hint, hint!) and its citizens' expectations when it comes to training and development.

Test your knowledge of Denmark's culture:

True or False. Denmark is considered one of the least-corrupt countries in the world.
Chileans live in Chile. Colombians live in Colombia. What do you call the people of Denmark?
True or False. Denmark is a constitutional monarchy.

Quick Tips for Training & Development in Denmark¹:

Many Danes work at keeping their public and private lives separate. The common perspective is "work to live," not "live to work," and they may resist overtime or discussing business matters outside of the workplace. For this reason, your Danish counterparts may limit or do away with small talk.
Danes are often slow at making major decisions, so be prepared with all pertinent details and a generous waiting period while they deliberate.
The Danish people tend to be independent and may seek individual achievement over group success. Keep this in mind when establishing group activities.
While Danish is the official language, English is taught in schools and is the predominant second language. Most Danes will be excited to speak English with you, but complex training topics may be best covered in Danish.
Danes are typically found to have a high tolerance for risk and a low index of uncertainty avoidance. Individuals are encouraged to take risks to establish themselves and develop strong self-images.
Punctuality is highly valued, as late starts communicate incompetence and poor time management.
Jokes may not translate well, as Danish humor is very dry and often considered out of place in business settings.
The American greeting "How are you?" is culturally understood as a pleasantry in the States and is answered with "Doing well!" or "Fine." In Denmark, this question will be interpreted as an actual inquiry into how an individual is doing. A more appropriate greeting is "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Gesturer beware! The American hand gesture for "okay" is considered an insult.

Trivia Answers:

True. But even so, many Danes do not regard rules as inflexible and enjoy finding ways to get around regulations.
Danes.
True. The Queen or the King is a symbolic leader; the Prime Minister is the head of government as chosen by the Parliament.

References:

¹Morrison, Terri, & Conaway, Wayne A. (2006). Kiss, bow, or shake hands (2nd ed.). Avon: Adams Media.

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Developing international training and development materials? Contact Jen at Carmazzi Global Solutions.