The Logical Blog by IconLogic

New 1-Hour Live, Online Course: Microsoft PowerPoint to eLearning via Articulate Storyline, Adobe Captivate, TechSmith Camtasia, or Presenter

If you intend to create an eLearning course, it’s a good bet that you’re going to start the development process in Microsoft PowerPoint. However, PowerPoint is missing some key eLearning features to allow you to output finished eLearning content. For instance, PowerPoint cannot create software simulations or video demos. There is no way to add quizzes or learner interactions in PowerPoint. And, because there are no reporting features or provisions for SCORM or AICC, you cannot effectively integrate PowerPoint presentations with Learning Management Systems. 

Instead of relying on PowerPoint alone for your eLearning content, you’ll need to take your finished presentations into an eLearning development tool such as Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline, or TechSmith Camtasia. While in those tools, you’ll add the necessary eLearning features and then publish your content. Alternately, you can rely on Presenter, a PowerPoint plug-in that works together with PowerPoint to accomplish many of the things you can do in Captivate, Camtasia, and Storyline.

But what happens to your beloved PowerPoint slides when they get incorporated into today’s eLearning tools? Do the animations still work? How about the hyperlinks? Does the voiceover audio you added to your PowerPoint slides still work when the slides are imported into your eLearning tool? Do the fonts look okay? If you or the subject matter expert updates the PowerPoint presentation outside of the eLearning tool, does the eLearning version update or do you have to re-import?

Attend this action-packed session and learn how PowerPoint works with the top eLearning tools of the day. You’ll learn the strengths and weaknesses of each eLearning tool via live demonstrations (there is no pre-recorded content). This is live, online training at its very best!

You’ll learn how to integrate PowerPoint with:

• Adobe Captivate
• Articulate Storyline
• TechSmith Camtasia
• Presenter

Learn more or sign up.

eLearning: When Should You Record Your Voiceover Audio?

by Kevin Siegel   

Adding voiceover audio to eLearning enhances the learner experience. And before you spend thousands of dollars hiring voiceover talent to record your audio, you should know: your voice is fine (nobody likes their own voice so trust me on this, yours will do nicely). I've been creating eLearning for years (and years and years). I've found that the voiceover audio does not have to be highly produced to be effective. In fact, home-grown audio works fine provided the audio doesn't contain loud, annoying, distracting background noise, or the narrator has a very thick accent that hinders learner comprehension.

 

But when should you record your audio? If you're creating a software demonstration or interactive simulation, should the audio be recorded while you're recording the screen actions? Perhaps it's best to record the audio later (after the screen actions have been recorded)?

 

The answer to when it's best to record audio is... wait for it... it depends.

 

When I create video demos with Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline, or TechSmith Camtasia Studio, I tend to record my voice at the same time that I'm recording the screen. I find that if I try to record my audio after-the-fact (in the tool itself or in an external program), it's more difficult to synchronize my audio with what's happening in the video. 

 

I find that my "off-the-cuff" video demos sound more natural when I record my voice during the recording process... more informal. You can listen to samples of my audio in videos I've posted to the IconLogic YouTube channel. The audio on my YouTube videos isn't perfect... there's some flubs here and there. But perfect audio wasn't my goal. I was trying to create quick video demos to share with fellow eLearning developers. There wasn't time to go back over the audio or the videos again and again to make things perfect. The videos I've posted to YouTube are known as "just-in-time" videos. In other words, since there isn't time to make them perfect, I record the video, do some minor edits, and just get them out there.

 

So what about interactive software simulations or soft-skills learning? With those kinds of eLearning, when should the audio be created? Since simulations or soft skills lessons are typically produced slide-by-slide (in Captivate, Storyline, PowerPoint, or Presenter), I think it's best to record or import the audio directly onto the slide once the slide is done. All of the eLearning tools will let you record audio on-the-fly... it's really easy to do.

 

On the other hand, easy doesn't necessarily translate to quality. Because none of the off-the-shelf eLearning development tools are great at recording and editing audio files (they'll do the job of course, but they're lacking a lot of essential audio editing options that you'll find in more robust audio software), consider recording your audio externally in tools such as Audacity, a free and really powerful.

 

So what's your audio workflow? What tools do you use for audio? Is there a particular microphone you use? (I've recently picked up a Blue Yeti... it's awesome!) Please feel free to share your thoughts via comments or email me directly at [email protected].

 

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Looking for training or help with Adobe Captivate? Check out these awesome live, online Captivate classes.

Articulate Storyline vs. Adobe Captivate

A recent LinkedIn post asked eLearning developers: which tool is best: Adobe Captivate or Articulate Storyline? As I read through the comments, I was struck by how many people insisted that Storyline was the better choice because it was easier to learn than Captivate because it was so much like Microsoft PowerPoint.

 

As someone who uses both Captivate and Storyline, I have to disagree with that recurring sentiment. Sure, Storyline seems to be more like PowerPoint (there's a similar Ribbon and toolset). But honestly, how many of you are PowerPoint experts? I bet you can make a traditional presentation in PowerPoint including text, bullets, and images, but do you really know how to use PowerPoint efficiently and to its potential? I would submit that the answer is no... unless you received proper PowerPoint training. Both Captivate and Storyline seem simple at first glance... just like PowerPoint. However, PowerPoint, Storyline, and Captivate are robust development tools and if you aren't trained, you'll quickly find yourself doing the "hunt and peck" shuffle as you learn on-the-fly... spending double (perhaps triple) the time necessary to perform simple tasks.

 

I'm a big fan of both Captivate and Storyline (and TechSmith Camtasia Studio too). I'm constantly asked which tool is best (typically this question comes from new eLearning developers who are under pressure to pick one tool for their corporate eLearning initiatives over another). People want to know the inherent strengths and weaknesses of each tool.

 

My answer? It depends mainly on two things: your budget to purchase an eLearning tool (are you a one-person shop buying a single license or are you part of a team requiring multiple licenses?); and the output you are trying to provide your learners.

 

Captivate costs around $1,000. If you don't want to shell out the cash up front, you can subscribe to Captivate for around $30 per month. Given that Adobe upgrades Captivate approximately once each year, and you get the upgrades for free as part of your subscription, subscribing is a pretty good deal. Storyline is far more expensive (I've seen it listed for upwards of $2,000 and there isn't a subscription plan).

 

When it comes to output, both Captivate and Storyline can publish SWF and HTML5 content. However, if you're required to publish interactive PDFs or create responsive eLearning, the choice has to be Captivate (Storyline does not currently support either output).

 

Here's an analogy for comparing Captivate against Storyline. Consider the Toyota Tundra to the Toyota Takoma. Both are trucks. Both are awesome. Both have similar appointments in the cabin (some of the appointments are identical and if you learn how to use a feature in one truck, you know how to use it in the other). The Tundra (Captivate) can tow a house; the Takoma (Storyline) can tow a boat. The Takoma is easier to park in a small garage; the Tundra... not so much.

 

Do you need to tow a house or just a boat? If just a boat, go ahead and get the boat-puller. However, once you've purchased the boat puller and then need to pull a house... yikes!

 

If you use both Captivate and Storyline, I'd love to read your comments about both tools below as comments.

 

And of course, no matter which tool you choose, we've got an awesome collection of training classes to support you.

Articulate Storyline: Adding Accessibility

by Kevin Siegel   

You can use Storyline to create eLearning lessons that are accessible to learners who have visual, hearing, mobility, or other types of disabilities. If you publish Flash content (SWF), the content can be made compliant. However, HTML5 and Articulate Mobile Player output isn't currently compliant.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) publishes the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, a document that specifies what developers should do to their content to make it accessible. Today, many countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, and countries in Europe, have adopted accessibility standards based on those developed by the W3C.

In the United States, the law that governs accessibility is commonly known as Section 508. Part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 508 requires that federal agencies, and federally funded organizations such as colleges and universities, develop or use information technology that is accessible to people with disabilities.

Generally speaking, eLearning is considered accessible if it can be used by a learner who does not have to rely on a single sense or ability. Learners should be able to move through lessons using only a keyboard or a mouse. In addition, the lessons should include visual and auditory elements to support both hearing and visually impaired learners.

Your published Storyline lessons can be read by a screen reader. Screen readers are programs that use auditory feedback to read screen information to a learner. In addition, the screen reader acts as a mouse pointer, providing navigation via keyboard commands.

The most widely used screen readers are JAWS from Freedom Scientific, Window-Eyes from GW Micro, Dolphin Supernova by Dolphin, System Access from Serotek, and ZoomText Magnifier/Reader from AiSquared.

The following Storyline elements can be made accessible:

• Images
• Slide text
• Slide names
• Buttons
• Playback controls (The function of each button is read by screen readers.)
• Slide transcripts using the Notes tab
• Question slides (Some Question slides are not considered accessible. Multiple choice and true/false are the easiest for a visually impaired learner to navigate.)

You can learn more about Section 508 by visiting www.section508.gov. And you can learn more about Storyline and Accessibility by visiting the Articulate website.

Here's how you can make a Storyline image accessible

 

Select an image and then, on the far right of the Ribbon's Format tab, click the Size drop-down menu to open the Size and Position dialog box open.

 

 

From the left of the dialog box, select Alt Text. In the Alternate text field, type some text and then click the Close button.

 

When an assistive device comes across an object with Alternative Text, the assistive device will read the text aloud for the learner. To hear the Alternative Text, the learner would first have to enable the accessibility features of their computer.

 

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Looking for training on Articulate Storyline? We've got you covered with an awesome array of courses. Looking to learn all things eLearning? Check out these live, online eLearning mini-courses(including a 3-hour introduction to TechSmith Camtasia Studio).

Articulate Storyline: Recolor Art

by Sally Cox  

 

One of my favorite hidden gems in Storyline 2 is an obscure feature called Recolor Art. It allows you to alter the color of an object within Storyline-not affecting the original art, but merely "recoloring" it within the project.

 

In my workflow as an Instructional Designer, I create my own artwork in Adobe Illustrator and export as transparent PNGs. This works out nicely, but there are times when I need to create rollovers from icons or buttons. I want to avoid returning to Illustrator to create separate versions. Enter "Recolor Art."

 

In the image below there are a few examples of icons you might use in your eLearning project. I'll demonstrate how to use Storyline's Recolor Art feature to alter the Hover state, creating a rollover.

 

 

To begin, select your artwork (remember, transparent PNGs work best) and open the States panel by selecting the word "States" at the bottom of the Storyline window.

 

 

Click Edit States, click New State, choose Hover from the drop-down menu, and then click Add.

 

 

You've created the Hover state; now you'll alter the appearance. With the Hover state still open, select the object on your slide. Then right-click and choose Format Picture.

 

 

Choose Picture from the menu at the left and then click the arrow next to Preset.

 

 

You'll find a number of options for recoloring your art, and you'll see the categories listed above the icons. No Recolor means you see your original image. Color Modes and Dark Variations are the ones that give the best result, for me. Experiment with Brightness, Contrast, and Transparency for different effects.

 

These are limiting however, so if you want more, go to Blend.

 

Choose a Color from the Blend section and apply a Blend Mode. These behave just like Photoshop Blend Modes and give you a variety of effects based on the color you choose.

 

 

If you don't like what you've done, you can click Reset Picture, or use Storyline's Undo command.

 

When you're done with Recolor, click Close. Lastly, and most importantly, click Done Editing States in the States panel to save the changes.

 

Here are examples of before (left) and after (right) applying the Recolor feature to an icon. It can always be removed later, and edited as needed. Any way you cut it, it's a real timesaver!

 

 

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Looking for training on Articulate Storyline? Check out our live, online instructor-led Storyline classes.

Articulate Storyline: Trim Videos

by Kevin Siegel   

 

You can easily insert videos into Storyline from just about any video format. All you need to do is click the Insert tab on the Ribbon. From the Media group, click Video drop-down menu and choose Video From File.

I was working on a project recently and inserted a video onto one of my Storyline slides using the step above. Upon previewing the slide, I saw that a portion of the video needed to be trimmed. Fortunately, trimming a portion of a video is just as easy as inserting a video... and you don't have to leave the Storyline application.

First, select the video on the slide. Next, click the Video Tools Options tab on the Ribbon.

At the left of the Ribbon, click Edit Video to open the Articulate Video Editor. 

  

Once you're in the Video Editor, click Trim.

  

By default, the first and last half-second of the video is selected for Trimming. All that you need to do now is extend or reduce the Trim Start and/or Trim End markers as needed to specify the areas of the video that need to be trimmed.

When you're done, click Save & Close and the video is trimmed. It can't get much easier than that. 

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If you'd like to learn more about eLearning, come hang out in my next eLearning basics mini course. And if you'd like to learn more Adobe Captivate, Adobe Presenter, or Articulate Storyline, we've got a great collection of live, online classes for you. 

Articulate Storyline 2 Mini Course: Come Learn What's New!

The Articulate folks have done it again... they've added some new and amazing features that we think will put a smile on the face of existing Storyline users and the eLearning development community in general.

Attend this mini 3-hour course and get up to speed on Storyline 2's hottest new features and their practical uses. You will learn new ways to bring content to life, fine-tune the way your course looks and feels, and learn how to get your work done faster than ever before.

Using hands-on exercises focus on Storyline's new features, you will walk away ready to take full advantage of this awesome update. 

Learn more and sign up here!

eLearning: Add Some Character to Your Lessons

by Kevin Siegel   

Let's face it, some of the eLearning content you are required to create is a bit... shall we say, dry? A tad boring? A teeny bit heavy on the text and short on graphics?

One easy way to spruce up your eLearning content is to add characters (or guides). But where do you find quality images to use as guides? The good news is that both Articulate Storyline and Adobe Captivate offer some awesome, and most importantly, free Characters--out of the box.

Let's take a look at the Character features in both programs. While Characters have been around for several years in Captivate, and in both versions of Storyline, the images below are taken from the most recent versions of both programs, Captivate version 8; Storyline version 2.

Articulate Storyline 2

To insert a Character on a Storyline slide, open a slide and from the Insert tab on the Ribbon, click Character. You'll find two choices in the Character drop-down menu: Illustrated Character and Photographic Character.

 

In the image below, I've selected Illustrated Character, which opened the Characters dialog box. From here, you'll find multiple Characters, Expressions, and Poses.



I found the Expression options particularly cool... plenty from which to choose.



Shown below are Storyline's many poses. And if you look in the lower right of the dialog box, you'll even find three pose directions (Left, Front, Right).



And perhaps my favorite thing about Storyline's Characters is how easy it is to change the appearance of an inserted Character. In the Image below, notice that you can select a Character and totally change it to another character, change its Expression, Pose... even its Perspective. Simply awesome!



If you'd rather work with Photographic Characters, go back to the Character drop-down menu and choose Photographic Characters. As with the Illustrated Characters, you'll find multiple actors and poses.





Adobe Captivate 8

To insert a Character in Adobe Captivate, simply choose Media > Characters.



Similar to Storyline, Captivate's Characters dialog box presents you with several Categories, Characters, and Poses. (In the image below, I've selected a Character and Pose from the Business Category.)



If Captivate's Illustrated Characters work better for you, choose Illustrated from the Category drop-down menu and you'll be presented with four Illustrated Characters and various poses.



If you want to change the Character's pose in Captivate, you'll need to manually delete the Character from the slide and replace it with another (not as cool as Storyline's edit-on-the-fly technique, but perfectly functional).

Note: The Characters shown above aren't limited to Storyline and Captivate. You'll find many of the same Characters in Presenter.

 

Downloadable eLearning Characters

If you're not happy with the selection of characters that come with those programs, you'll find resources on the web offering thousands of eLearning characters. While you'll need to purchase those characters (typically in groups or packs), you are almost guaranteed to find the perfect character to fit within your scene. 

Two companies in particular jumped out when I went on an Internet search for characters: the eLearning Brothers and eLearning Art.

Between the two, the eLearning Brothers is likely the better-known company (orange anyone?). They call their Characters "cutout people," and they've got thousands of them. 

Over on the eLearning Art website, characters are referred to as "people cutout images." And like the eLearning Brothers, there are plenty from which to choose.

Another quick Internet search took me to eLearning.net where I found several free characters.

If you'd prefer stock photography for your eLearning projects, the eLearning Coach has compiled a handy list of resources. 

Lastly, check out AJ's article on free zombie characters... perfect for the season. 

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Looking for instructor-led training on Adobe Captivate? Check out our live, online, instructor-led Captivate classes. If Articulate Storyline is more your style, we've got you covered there too. 

Articulate Storyline: Insert Unused Screen Recordings

by Kevin Siegel   

Recording screen actions with Articulate Storyline couldn't be much easier... all you need to do is click Record screen on the Storyline Welcome screen and off you go.

During the recording process, Storyline records your screen actions using three different modes: View, Try, and Test. Once you have finished recording, the Insert as dialog box opens and, if you select Step-by-step slides, you can choose to insert any of the three modes into your project.

But what happens to the two unused modes? And what if you change your mind about the mode you used and instead want to use one of the other modes? At first glance, the unused modes are thrown away. If you want to use a different mode, it seems like you'll need to re-record. But that wouldn't be much fun, would it?

You'll be happy to learn that Storyline keeps each of the modes hidden away in the project and you can insert them into the project whenever you want.

From the main toolbar, click the Record Screen tool to display the mode you're currently using.

Click the thumbnail of the inserted mode and the Insert as dialog box opens.

Select one of the other modes from the Step-by-step slides drop-down menu and click the Insert button. The slides will be added to the project as a new scene.

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Looking for instructor-led training on Articulate Storyline? Check out our live, online, instructor-led Storyline classes. We've also just rolled up three new mini-courses. Check them out here.

Fundamentals of Designing and Developing Cost-Effective eLearning

When: September 22-25
Where: McCormick Place, Chicago (Part of the Online Learning Conference Certification program)

There are multiple tools available that will let you create compelling eLearning content including Adobe Captivate, Articulate Storyline, TechSmith Camtasia Studio, and Adobe Presenter. But which tool is the best, most affordable option for your needs?

Once you select your eLearning tool, what's next? How do you get started creating your first eLearning content? Once you start, how long is it going to take you to finish? What's the real cost for your effort? Are there hidden costs? How will you be able to measure the effectiveness of your eLearning?

Join IconLogic's Kevin Siegel for an intense, tool-agnostic, hands-on workshop where you'll get a jump start on  building your first eLearning course.

Among other things, you'll learn:

• Strategies for building effective eLearning
• The eLearning development process
• How to create an eLearning script and/or storyboard
• How to get started on creating eLearning content using Captivate, Storyline, Camtasia or Presenter

More information.