A Practical Approach to Creating Software Simulation Lessons in Toolbook
I have been using Toolbook to create software simulation lessons for a couple of years now at Courses by Wire and thought I would document my approach for others that may be interested.
First the tools required:
WindowSizer
SnagIt
and of course Toolbook itself -- I am currently using Toolbook 2004 SP1.
Preparations necessary for creating the simulation:
- You must have access to a running version of the program to be simulated and set up with all data for the desired simulation -- screen captures will be done on this system. It is desirable to have some mechanism of setting the data to "virgin", unmodified state if this is possible as you might have to duplicate the steps a number of times to capture the simulation.
- It is necessary that WindowSizer and SnagIt be installed on the machine that will run the application (I note this because sometimes in corporate environments installing software is verboten and it might be necessary to obtain special permission to allow this).
- It is desirable (but not strictly necessary) to have Toolbook also on the capture machine. The next best thing is to have it on a machine sitting on the desk next to the capture machine with some easy form of file transfer between the two. I current use a USB flash memory device but floppy or network connection can also work. If I am working on a corporate custom application I generally press for remote VPN access.
- It will be necessary to do some experimentation with application window capture size and parameters. The size chosen (and the captured portion) will depend on the application itself (most demand a minimum window size to operate effectively) and the target Toolbook window that the simulation will fit into.
- Set up the window style to suit what you want the simulation to reflect ( I suggest no gradients in window frames). Set the size of the window with WindowSizer. It might be necessary to set SnagIt to capture only part of the application window (but using a whole window capture is desirable). Make sure you save the SnagIt capture as a SnagIt profile.
- Make sure that you can duplicate the environment for the next time you might want to do captures (or you may find yourself redoing simulations). When I am doing captures on my desktop authoring machine I establish a second user with all the required visual desktop setup pre-established so that I can just login and start capturing. Another approach I have used is to setup a Virtual Desktop using something like Virtual PC. The only issues I have run into there are licensing requirements of the operating system and tools.
Authoring the simulation content:
We tend to create simulations that have 10 or fewer steps. That size tends to "feel" right and larger simulations with the Toolbook simulation engine are often problematic anyway. I have tried a number of times to use the automatic simulation creation tool but have found that it just doesn't work for my use. Our Toolbook lesson creation strategy is to author all content in Word, then build lessons from pre-created templates with built in display and navigation strategies, so we tend to do the same with simulations (though the process isn't quite as automated). Before I start on the simulation creation someone (usually not me) has created a "script" for the simulation of the following form: Step 1
To change the appearance of all the text, first select the entire document using a menu command.
Feedback Attempt 1
This is not correct - please try again.
Hint: Click an Edit menu command.
Feedback Attempt 2
Your second attempt is still not correct. Try again.
Hint: Click the Edit menu command to Select All the text.
Feedback Attempt 3
Incorrect again. You should review the lesson material.
Step 2
Now, select the menu command to change the font of the selected text.
Feedback Attempt 1
This is not correct - please try again.
Hint: Click a Format command.
Feedback Attempt 2
Your second attempt is still not correct. Try again.
Hint: Click the Format menu command to change the Font.
Feedback Attempt 3
Incorrect again. You should review the lesson material.
Step 3
a) Change the font to Arial 10 pt., and then
b) Leave the Font dialog box.
Feedback Attempt 1
This is not correct - please try again.
Hint: Click OK.
Feedback Attempt 2
Your second attempt is still not correct. Try again.
Hint: Click OK.
Feedback Attempt 3
Incorrect again. You should review the lesson material.
Feedback FontType (Attempt 1&2)
Remember the new font type is Arial.
Feedback FontSize (Attempt 1&2)
Remember the new font size is 10.
Feedback FontType (Attempt 3)
The font type required was Arial.
Feedback FontSize (Attempt 3)
The font size required was 10.
Step 4
Your document text now appears in the new font; and, for this exercise, the first 3 lines are already selected.
Select a toolbar button to centre the selected lines.
Feedback Attempt 1
This is not correct - please try again.
Hint: Click a button on the Formatting toolbar.
Feedback Attempt 2
Your second attempt is still not correct. Try again.
Hint: Click the Center button on the Formatting toolbar.
Feedback Attempt 3
Incorrect again. You should review the lesson material.
Step 5
Notice that the first 3 lines are still selected.
Select a toolbar button to centre the selected lines.
Feedback Attempt 1
This is not correct - please try again.
Hint: Click a button on the Formatting toolbar.
Feedback Attempt 2
Your second attempt is still not correct. Try again.
Hint: Click the Bold button on the Formatting toolbar.
Feedback Attempt 3
Incorrect again. You should review the lesson material.
Step 6
Your titles now appear with new formatting.
Select a menu command to change the page margins.
Feedback Attempt 1
This is not correct - please try again.
Hint: Click a File menu command.
Feedback Attempt 2
Your second attempt is still not correct. Try again.
Hint: Click a File menu command to change the Page Setup.
Feedback Attempt 3
Incorrect again. You should review the lesson material.
Step 7
a) Change the left margin to 1 inch, and then
b) Leave the Page Setup dialog box.
Feedback Attempt 1
This is not correct - please try again.
Hint: Click OK.
Feedback Attempt 2
Your second attempt is still not correct. Try again.
Hint: Click OK.
Feedback Attempt 3
Incorrect again. You should review the lesson material.
Feedback LeftMargin (Attempt 1&2)
Remember the left margin is 1.
Feedback LeftMargin (Attempt 1&2)
The left margin required was 1.
Step 8
Your page margins are now changed.
Save your changes in a new file.
Feedback Attempt 1
This is not correct - please try again.
Hint: Click a File command.
Feedback Attempt 2
Your second attempt is still not correct. Try again.
Hint: Click a File menu command to Save As a new name.
Feedback Attempt 3
Incorrect again. You should review the lesson material.
Step 9
a) Enter “MyTips” as the new file name, and then
b) Leave the Save As dialog box.
Save in filename “MyTips”.
Feedback Attempt 1
This is not correct - please try again.
Hint: Click Save after entering the file name.
Feedback Attempt 2
Your second attempt is still not correct. Try again.
Hint: Click Save after entering the file name.
Feedback Attempt 3
Incorrect again. You should review the lesson material.
Feedback Filename (Attempt 1&2)
Remember the new file name is “MyTips”.
Feedback Filename (Attempt 1&2)
The file name required was “MyTips”.
Step 10
Notice the Title bar now indicates your new file name.
You have now completed all the steps!
Click on the Reset button to try the simulation again, or
Click on the Next button to continue to the next page of the lesson.
Creation of the simulation in Toolbook:
I start with a set of pre-established tools - a simulation on a page, the step scripts for 10 steps ready and a separate simulation support button with action scripts ready for use. I use a separate simulation support object to contain for scripts that are used to set up each step. My general philosophy is that every object necessary for a step is (or could be) hidden and could be on an unknown layer. So it is necessary at the start of each step to make the required objects visible and to move the object to the front. At the end of every step I also hide evaluation objects used during the step. This is because these objects in html are on the top layer regardless of the layer setting in action script.
I author simulations to run only in "practice" mode and allow 3 attempts for each step before showing the continue button. After the first attempt the author provides a hint, after the second step a stronger hint is provided and a red ellipse is displayed around the object(s) that must be acted upon to continue. Hints are displayed after the first and second attempts for any evaluation objects that the user might have to modify.
The general process I follow for creation of each step:
- Capture the screen snap for the background (using SnagIt). Assuming the capture machine and the authoring machine are the same I capture to the clipboard. If they are different some extra steps might be involved here (like saving the graphic to a file, transferring the file, creating a "reusable graphic" button, importing the graphic into Toolbook as a resource then establishing the resource as the graphic for the button followed by placing the button at the appropriate place for the simulation). If the capture machine and the authoring machine are the same I paste the picture into the simulation page (the sample I provide has a script to automatically turn the picture into a button/resource and place it in the correct spot). After the background graphic is created, it must be named with an appropriate name (be careful though as objects should have unique names).
- I create the target "continue" objects from the dotted line rectangle and red ellipse objects (provided in the sample) and name them with appropriate names.
- If there are evaluation objects for the page they should be created now.
- Modify the initializing script to show (make visible and move to front) the initial objects (usually the background graphic, the continue object targets and the evaluation objects).
- Modify the "step" script to make visible the error ellipse.
- Modify the "end" script to hide any evaluation objects
- Modify the step instructions and feedback to appropriate text.
- Create "correct" and "incorrect" actions for the step(the correct objects usually are the rectangle targets and the error ellipses - the incorrect object is usually the background graphic) and also evaluation objects.
- Modify evaluation object feedback to appropriate text.
- Make sure incorrect object feedback is set (I generally have it set to "no feedback" but specific feedback could be used -- the default is "automatic")
- Modify the simulation objects to hide the new objects on startup.
- Test the step in reader mode (this may involve going through all steps to this point). I suggest that the step be debugged and totally functioning before continuing as it is easy to lose track of where you are otherwise.
- Save your work often. Toolbook has the tendency to go into lala land during this process and nothing is more frustrating than losing an hour's work.
Often a step will require extra targets, mouse over graphics or even creation of a simulation menu to give the right "feel". This can be done as you are creating the step but can be added afterwards as well.
I have packaged a simulation authoring book sample for download to help you understand my process. Feel free to use it or modify it to meet your needs. A general note-- I author, test (and export for test) using this authoring environment. Our process involves later transferring the simulation to another template book for customer delivery. I have included in the download sample the OpenScript we use to transfer the book (another effect of the script is to remove the visible dotted line around the target areas to make them invisible). It may be helpful in doing something similar to match your situation.
For a sample of the output we produce using this strategy visit the Courses by Wire demo page.
You can contact me here if you have questions or suggestions.
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© Copyright
2008
Brian Sullivan.
Last update:
22/06/2008; 12:24:45 PM. |
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