In our presentation today, we looked at a new product called Articulate Storyline. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to get to all your questions and comments.
The good news is that you still have a chance to ask your questions and share your thoughts. Please do so below and join in the discussion!
Articulate has really achieved something here with a tool that is easy to use out of the box as well as powerful. It has a timeline and screen recording like in Captivate, interactivity using actions like in Lectora and ToolBook, and simple visual design like in PowerPoint. Branching is easy to set up and you can see your path flow at a glance in the Story View. A library of characters is at your disposal to set up and deliver emotionally effective scenarios. There are 20 different question types including engaging drag and drop interactions and results can be tracked using SCORM and AICC. There is support for Section 508 and Translation. The courses can be published for HTML5, Flash, and Mobile Devices. This tool seems to have it all. I can’t wait to dig in and do a project using this tool.
I swear I’m not a sales person for Articulate, I’m just really impressed with what they have come up with.
What does the Storyline file structure look like? We have Articulate Studio and I have never felt that the file structure was clean. It requires saving multiple files (engage, quiz, presenter, ppt) together. This can be a bit "bulky" -- especially when working with multiple engage interactions. I was just curious if Storyline does this better.
With Articulate Studio, Engage and Quizmaker are add-ons and create separate files that have to be bundled into and Articulate Package in order to share a course. In Storyline, the quiz and interactive features are all included in the one tool. All content, questions, interactions, screen captures, and media are saved in one file, a .story. This single file makes for a clean file structure but can also result in a large file size. It is similar to Captivate in the way it stores all media within the file. There is not currently an asset library in Storyline like there is in Captivate, but I have already seen requests for this feature and I think it will be a good and necessary addition.
Here are some interesting questions about Articulate Storyline that were asked during our Scenario Based Learning webinar.
Q: With regard to Articulate Story Line - can the output be saved in a format - PDF for example, which can be integrated into a VLE or LMS?
A: Articulate Storyline, like most of the popular e-learning authoring tools on the market, can output a few different web-friendly and standards-conformant formats. Most can package their output into a SCORM package that integrates into most VLE’s and LMS’s. SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) is a collection of standards and specifications for web-based e-learning that defines how content and learning systems communicate data and track user performance. Storyline’s output can optionally be in Flash or HTML5 format which can help with device compatibility as well. These output formats also make it easy to deploy the content outside of a VLE or LMS. You can deliver the output on the Internet, intranet, CD/DVD ROM, etc.
Q: Does Articulate Storyline work with Mac OS Lion?
A: According to Articulate Storyline's website, it only runs in Mac OS 10.6+ if you are using virtualization software such as Parallels Desktop or VMware Fusion.
Q. What is the best way to get training for Articulate Storyline?
A: IAC offers virtual and live classes for Articulate Storyline. The classes (TBA July 2012) are designed to be interactive and hands-on. The instructor, Dan Richards, provides practical tips, techniques and best practices to help you to be successful with Storyline right away and to avoid common pitfalls.