10 Replies Latest reply: Jun 20, 2010 8:36 AM by jod-zeee RSS

    Is it possible to navigate backward only?

    jod-zeee Community Member

      Is it possible to allow the user to navigate backward if they want to review slides, but not jump ahead?

       

      I want to enable self-paced learning so it will start where they left off, but want to make sure they don't jump ahead and inadvertantly skip sections.

       

      I've noticed while I'm testing it that it will go to where I've skipped ahead to even though the sections before them were not "checked" as completed.

       

      I do not plan to use an LMS, for now it will simply be deployed on a CD, then later online.

       

      Thank you,

      Jo

        • 1. Re: Is it possible to navigate backward only?
          Lilybiri CommunityMVP

          Hello Jo,

           

          What do you use for possible navigation? Is it the TOC with navigation enabled or do you use a playbar as well or complementary? As for the playbar you could just not show the 'Forward button' and 'Rewind Button' by using the Skin editor. If you are only using the TOC, there is no possibility to limit the enabled navigation to backward only as far as I know.

           

          Personally in those cases I'm not using the playbar, nor navigation with TOC (which I'm always showing) but use my own buttons on the slide for navigation because it gives me more control.

           

          Lilybiri

          • 2. Re: Is it possible to navigate backward only?
            jod-zeee Community Member

            I currently have the TOC with navigation enabled as well as the playbar.

             

            And since I've used the aggregator to combile 4 modules, I'd like to keep the TOC so they can navigate.

             

            I'm just trying to prevent them from jumping ahead and accidentally missing content.

             

            I think the way you do it makes sense (to have more control), but are you saying you just have forward/back buttons on each slide for them to use? I guess I'd like for them to be able to go back to wherever they want. I'm also thinking of how when I take online training, I often get distracted (or doze off!) and just need to rewind a little bit to review so I like the idea of the playbar.

             

            So it sounds like the answer to my question is no. If they're going to be able to navigate, they can go forward and backward.

             

            Thank you for your help!

             

            Jo

            • 3. Re: Is it possible to navigate backward only?
              Captiv8r CommunityMVP

              Hi Jo

               

              I'm sure it would be a bit of work, but if you have Captivate 4, I'm thinking that you could accomplish the goal by implementing some variables and advanced actions.

               

              My thought here is that you would set the value of a variable upon completing each slide. Then upon entering the next, perform an Advanced Action that checked the value of the variable. Assuming the value was what you expected (meaning that the previous slide had been visited) you would proceed. Otherwise, you would perhaps present a slide stating that they need to view the slides in the proper order. Then retun them to the slide they completed.

               

              Just thinking out loud a bit here... Rick

               

               

              Helpful and Handy Links

              Captivate Wish Form/Bug Reporting Form

              Adobe Certified Captivate Training

              SorcerStone Blog

              Captivate eBooks

              • 4. Re: Is it possible to navigate backward only?
                jod-zeee Community Member

                Interesting solution, but I'm not terribly familiar with variables. Sounds like it would involve a lot of work since the project is pretty much finished at this point. Hopefully the next version will have this capability? I suppose it's too late to submit it to the wish list!

                • 5. Re: Is it possible to navigate backward only?
                  Lilybiri CommunityMVP

                  Hello Jo,

                   

                  It is an interesting solution that Rick proposed and I just tried to find a simple realisation of his suggestion, by using some system variables and a user variable but couldn't sort it out quickly. I'm very tired (exams in college), which could be the reason, so I gave up. Checking in a sequential file if the previous slide has been seen is not that difficult comparing two system variables, but having them jumped back to the previous slide cause me troubles.

                  If I find an acceptable solution with not too much work, will post back tomorrow (it is evening here). But are all the slides sequential, or do you have branchings, jumps?

                   

                  Lilybiri

                  • 6. Re: Is it possible to navigate backward only?
                    jod-zeee Community Member

                    The only branching/jumps I have is from one module to the other via the daisy chain method when publishing.

                     

                    Don't work too hard on this one, it's just something I was hoping I could do easily by ticking a box somewhere. It seemed to me that it would be a commonly used feature that one would choose or not choose to do.

                     

                    Thanks both of you for your continued help with all our Captivate issues!

                     

                    Jodi

                    • 7. Problem with self-paced navigation
                      jod-zeee Community Member

                      In my original post I wanted to see if I can make sure the user doesn't jump ahead. But what I've discovered is really bugging me is not necessarily that, but that the self-paced navigation is transporting them to the last place they viewed if they jump ahead even if they don't complete that or the sections that came before it.

                       

                      The way I understand self-paced navigation is that when you close and reopen, it should bring you to what you last completed, not to where you last wandered. Here's what the help topic says:

                      Allow users to resume sessions

                      In a self-paced learning scenario, you can set an option to allow users to resume viewing a project from where they left off earlier. The status flag is not reset after the project is closed. When the user plays the movie again, the project resumes playing from the first slide that is not flagged.

                      1. Select Project > Table Of Contents.

                      2. Click Settings in the TOC panel.

                      3. Select Self Paced Learning.

                       

                      So I guess that's the functionality I'm really looking for. In testing, I watch the first few TOC topics and they get check marks next to them. Then I jump around to the end to make sure everything's working as it should, and close the browser.

                       

                      However, when I start again, it's not bringing me to the next topic that's not flagged. It's taking me to the last topic that I navigated to even though I hadn't completed that section.

                       

                      I hope that makes sense. Is there a way to control this, is it something I'm doing wrong when publishing?

                       

                      Thanks,

                      Jo

                      • 8. MORE problems with self-paced navigation
                        jod-zeee Community Member

                        I had used the aggregator but it didn't seem to be stable for me so I decided to go back to the daisy chain method and I added a little nav bar to the HTML so that they could move between the sections if they need to.

                         

                        I'm still using self-paced navigation so they can pick up where they left off, however, now when I'm testing it, sometimes it will jump to a slide (presumably the last slide I viewed) and skip like an old LP record. I just keeps looping the first second or two of that one slide. I had this problem previously and had no idea what was going on but I'm assuming it has something to do with the self paced navigation because if I hit the clear button, then start over, it stops doing it.

                         

                        At this point I guess the only thing I can do is to give up on using navigation entirely. Maybe I'll try keeping the TOC and self-paced, but disable the navigation in hopes that they will be able to continue where they left off, but to avoid it jumping around if they happened to be clicking around.

                         

                        Or maybe I should just assume they won't be poking around like I am because I'm just testing it, not actually viewing it like the user would be.

                         

                        <sigh>

                         

                        Jo

                        • 9. Re: MORE problems with self-paced navigation
                          Lilybiri CommunityMVP

                          Hello Jo,

                           

                          Sorry that I did not answer yesterday, my exams marking took more time than expected, and since you told me 'do not work too hard...'

                           

                          Never poked around with self-paced settings as you did, and I do not expect the same functionality as you do. Beware: your expectations are very logical, that 'self-paced' means to return the learner to the place in the course that is the first one not flagged with the Complete status. I was more expecting that the place where the user left was reported/stored by the LMS, so we supposed a different criterium. Having used also assessments created with CP on our LMS (Blackboard based), I do know that they are returned to where they left the assessment, but then I will never allow them to navigate freely in the assessment, they have to accomplish it sequentially.

                           

                          If I do have several modules of a course and want them to be taken sequentially I'm realizing this not in Captivate itself but with the functionalities of the LMS. I do create an adaptive rule in the LMS so that the next module is hidden until the previous one is completed. After exams period, perhaps I'll try to find out if the same scenario would be possible in CP itself.

                           

                          And when I find some time, want really to find if the solution proposed by Rick could work without having to create a very long list of user variables.

                           

                          Sorry again, for not being able to give you the right answer,

                           

                          Lilybiri

                          • 10. Re: MORE problems with self-paced navigation
                            jod-zeee Community Member

                            Thanks again Lilybiri. My project is going to have some updates in the coming weeks so for now I'll just release it on CD and turn off self-paced learning but enable navigation. My concern is they'll want to refer back to the material so I do want to allow them to navigate and I believe it's the self-paced learning that's causing my woes.

                             

                            Eventually the goal is to post it online with quizzes in each section and a certificate of completion at the end. I'm sure I'll have many more questions in trying to accomplish that. I hope all of what I need can be done within Captivate, but perhaps I will need to look into using an LMS. I'm afraid that's beyond my skillset though and/or my client is not going to be happy!

                             

                            Many thanks,

                            Jo