tut2mc

Creating a Multiple Choice Question

MACROMEDIA AUTHORWARE ™ TRAINING SERIES

[For a preview of This Tutorial is designed for Macromedia Authorware, Version 4. In this this tutorial, run file tutorial you'll create a multiple choice question which can serve as a model 2COLORQS.EXE] or template for questions for other lessons. This question can be answered

using the mouse or keyboard. At the end, several elaborations will be made for test creation purposes. This tutorial is presented in step by step fashion. It is assumed you have a basic familiarity with the Macintosh and have at least completed Tutorial #1 in this series using Authorware ™. As you follow the steps, think through what you are doing for further application on your own.

Conventions:

• Text which you are to type in is presented in Italics.

• Icon titles (after they have been typed) are enclosed in 'single quotes'.

• Menu titles and commands in the pull down menus or dialogue boxes are indicated in Bold text.

• To Select means to place the mouse cursor on an image and single click the button.

• To Open means to place the cursor on an image and quickly double click the button. To execute a command from the menu bar, Click and Hold the button on the menu title, Drag the cursor (which is now a vertical black bar) down to the desired command, and release the button.

• Key presses will be denoted by capital letters as in "press the RETURN key."

Enjoy this tutorial.

Section 1

Build Instructional Strategy - Selection of Icons

Step 1: Create a new lesson. Create an Authorware file which will be named 2COLORQS.A4W. . To do this, select the Save command from the File Menu, enter the title into the Save file as: 2COLORQS.A4W. Then choose Save. Refer to Steps 1 & 2, Tutorial #1 to review these actions.

Step 2: Add an interaction icon. Click AND Drag an interaction icon (icon which looks like an arrow pointing right with a (?) inside in the vertical palette of icons) to a point on the flowchart line. Give the question the name "Color Question" by typing it in now.

Step 3: Attach a display icon. Attach one display icon to the right of the interaction icon. A dialogue box will appear, asking you to choose the answer type. Select Hot Spot response (not Hot Object). Your work should look like Figure 1. Click OK.

Figure 1

Step 4: Attach more interaction icons. Attach four more display icons to the right of the one you just added. Name them as noted in the Figure 2 on the next page. Note that these all automatically have the Hot Spot -answer Type.

Step 5: Add decision and display icons. Add one decision icon below the interaction icon. Then attach two more display icons to the right of the decision icon. Name them as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

Section 2.

Edit Interaction and Attached Icons

Step 6: Edit the operation of the interaction icon. Click on the interaction icon and select Icon: Properties from the Modify menu. In the interaction icon Dialogue Box which appears, select or confirm the following settings: Erase: Upon Exit, Transition: None, Pause Before Exiting, and Show Button, (Figure 3).

Figure 3

Step 7: Edit the text of the interaction icon. Select the Display tab with a single click, then select Open. Select "A" in the toolbox, then from the Text pulldown menu, select Font "Geneva", Style "Bold", and "12 point" (if available). Move the cursor to the upper left hand portion of the screen and SC to locate the beginning of the question text (Figure 4). Type in the text of the question, which is The instructional designer must be aware of color guidelines in computer displays. Which guideline below is NOT valid?

Step 8: Create a tab on the text ruler. To type the five question options, first create a TAB by clicking the cursor on the horizontal line above the question text you entered (see Figure 4). Locate the tab to about 1/5 the distance from the left. It can be moved later.

Step 9: Type the five foils or question options. Enter the five question options:
a. press RETURN twice, TAB once and type the first option (Figure 4)
b. repeat Step 9 a. and type the second option
c. repeat Step 9 a. three times for each of the remaining options. We'll deal with the ghosted rectangular hot spots in the next step.

Figure 4

The horizontal line which appears over the text can be lengthened or shortened by placing the cursor over the box at the end of the line and HOLDING and DRAGGING it to a new location. Tabs for text and numbers can also be added to the line by simply clicking on the line where they are to appear. A SC gives a text tab while a DC gives a decimal tab. To move them, click, hold and drag. To remove them, drag them off the text ruler.

Step 10: Position the hot spot regions behind the five foils. Note the 5 "Hot Spot" areas (dashed rectangles) in the Figure 4. These were created automatically when you attached the 5 hot spot display icons. Move each of these areas behind their corresponding answer options (See Figure 5):
a. select the pointer (arrow) from the Toolbox
b. Click and drag an edge (not corner) of the lower dashed box until it rests directly behind option 5.
c. adjust the size of the box to include the option number and statement by clicking and dragging the lower right hand corner of the box
d. repeat this procedure for the remaining four boxes -- then click on the white square in the Toolbox to close it.

e. Select Command-J to return to the icon flowline.

Figure 5

The Hot Spot ghosted rectangles can also be moved by selecting them and pressing the arrow keys on the keyboard.

The interaction structure has now been entered and you are ready to set up the feedback and branching instructions for each of the five answer options.

Section 3.

Edit Display Icons Attached to the Interaction Icon

Step 11: Enter operational characteristics for the first hot spot.

a. DC on the dotted box above first display icon, enter a|A in the box labeled Key(s). (Figure 6). Note the separator between a and A is a vertical bar, NOT a forward or back slash.

b. Then select Match with a Single Click, Highlight on Match

c. Select Custom Cursor. Click on the cursor arrow next to the "Custom Cursor" box and select the pointing hand.

d. Select the Response tab and choose Erase: After Next Entry, Status: Wrong Response, and Branch: Try Again. (See Figure 7).

Figure 6

Figure 7

Step 12: Enter the wrong answer feedback for foil A.

a. Still in the Response tab area, select Open

b. From the Toolbox, choose "A", and at your option, select a new Font, Style and Size from the Text pull down menu to be used for feedback to the student.

c. Near the bottom of the screen so it does not overlap with the question, type the feedback message:
This IS a valid guideline. Benefits of color as an information grouper, value assigner, and attention getter are lost if too many (e.g., more than six) colors are used

d. With the text still on the screen, turn on the grid by selecting the Grid or Snap to Grid command from the View menu. Close the toolbox.

The grid will help align the 5 different feedback messages to appear at the same location. You can also invoke the Snap to Grid command for further precision in object placement.

Check your work. Select the Run command from the Try it pull down menu. Your lesson will now run in student mode and you can try answering by clicking on option a or selecting a from the keyboard. You should get the feedback message you just typed in. To return to creating the lesson, select Jump to icons from the Try it, menu.

Step 13: Enter the correct answer feedback for foil B.

a. DC on the rectangle above the second display icon and set it the same as Step 11 EXCEPT-- select Optional Key(s)=b|B, Status: Correct response and select Branch: Exit Interaction.

b. repeat steps 12 a. and b.

c. Enter the feedback (near the bottom of the screen): This is the correct answer. Brightest and highly saturated areas of color displays draw immediate attention. Close the toolbox

Notice how the flow diagram has changed (the arrows below the 2nd display icon) and the label "attention" now has a + in front of it, denoting a correct answer.

Step 14: Enter the wrong answer feedback for foils C, D and E.
Repeat Steps 12, a, b, & c for the remaining three display icons. Change the Optional Keys to c|D, d|D, and e|E, respectively. Substitute the following feedback for icons 3-5 respectively:

The validity of this guideline IS based on research showing that color grouping can prepare the learner for related events and information.

This guideline IS valid and is to be used when you must increase the number of different colors used in a single display.

This too IS a valid guideline. Warmer (longer wavelength) colors cause people to "approach" information while colder colors create the opposite reaction.

At this point you may wish to try the question out to see how well it is working before you proceed. Also, remember to SAVE your work every 10 minutes or so. To do this, select the Save option from the File menu above.

Section 4.

Set Branching Based on Correctness of Answer

In this section you will create a simple branch based upon whether the question was correctly answered the first time or not. We will use a system variable named "FirstTryCorrect". This strategy is useful when we wish to provide additional information tailored to individual student performance.

Step 15: Set the branching and repeating options in the decision icon. DC on the decision icon “Branch” , select Repeat: Don't Repeat, Branch: To Calculated Path and in the box below it, type FirstTrycorrect + 1 (variable names have no spaces or punctuation) (See Figure 8). OK

Figure 8

Step 16: Set the branching parameters for the first attached icon.

DC on the small diamond above first attached display icon "Sorry", select Erase Contents: Upon Exit, Pause Before Branching, Opem.

Step 17: Edit the remedial feedback for incorrect answer on first try. Select "A" from the Toolbox, change Font, etc. as desired and type in the message: Well you did get it right but not on the first try. Please read Murch, G. M. (1985). Using color effectively: Designing to human specifications. Technical Communications, Fourth Quarter, pp. 14-20. Close the toolbox to return to the flowline.

Step 18: Edit the remedial feedback for a correct answer on first try. Repeat Steps 16 and 17 for the second display icon attached to the decision icon 'Branch', select Erase Upon Exit, Pause Before Branching, OK-Edit. Type in the feedback: That's correct. And you got it on the first try. You seem to know your color research quite well. Close the toolbox.

Step 19: Erase the question

In order for the question to remain on the screen while the remedial feedback (steps 17 & 18) was displayed, we over rode the automatic question erase option. We now have to erase the question. Add an erase icon (Figure 9) after the decision icon and name it er Color Question. Run the lesson from the beginning (Control: Restart or COMMAND-R) and choose the question text when the erase icon opens up.

You have now completed the majority of this tutorial. However, you might wish to clean up the flowline you have created to give you more working space. (Authorware does not scroll). In doing this, you will create a second level by using a maps icon.

Step 20: Select the question and its attached icons. Select the interaction icon and its attached display (answer) icons by drawing a box around them. (Click & hold the mouse button and draw a rectangle around the above. All selected icons become inverted. (See Figure 9).

Figure 9

Step 21: Group the question into a separate map. Select the Group command from the Edit pull down menu. Note the new map icon was automatically named "Color Question". To see the question, double click on the map icon labeled "Color Question". Note that the maps icon opens at Level 2. (Figure 10).

Figure 10

You have now completed this tutorial. You have used a system variable called FirsTtryCorrect which AUTOMATICALLY keeps a running total of the number of times the questions were answered correctly on the first try. To examine this variable, click on Windows menu, drag to Variables and release. (Figure 11). In the dialogue box, choose Interaction Category. Scroll to and select FirstTryCorrect. You may then read about it, determine its current status as well as initial value. Click on Done to return. The Variables Dialogue Box is shown in Figure 11.

Figure 11

Review Questions

What Did You Learn?

What did you learn from this experience? Try answering these questions.

1. What is the key difference between the way the interaction and decision icons function?

2. What is the purpose or function of the following settings in the Hot Spot Dialogue box (see Step 11 above)?

optional keys
inverse area
custom cursor
setting the response to correct, wrong, or not judged (hint-it relates to FirstTryCorrect)
setting it to Try Again or Exit interaction

3. What causes the decision icon (Branch) to choose between the two paths?

4. How many map levels did you use in this exercise? (see Figure 10)

5. How many levels of maps can an Authorware lesson have? (hint-as many as the available file space will permit)

6. In Figure 8 above, what actions do the three other "Branch" options cause? ... the four other "Repeat" options?

Review Questions

Suggested Answers

If your answers do not include most of the following points, you may want to review this section before proceeding to the next Tutorial.

1. What is the key difference between the way the interaction and decision icons function?

decision icons allow the computer to control the branching, while the interaction icons allow for student choices in branching.

2. What is the purpose or function of the following settings in the Hot Spot Dialogue box (following Step 15)?

optional keys

permits choice via a set of keypresses in addition to clicking
inverse area

darkens the hot spot to signal to the learner that the choice has been successfuly made
custom cursor

changes the shape of the cursor when a hot spot is encountered
setting the response to correct, wrong, or not judged (hint-it relates to FirstTryCorrect)

allows for automatic scoring via the variables FirstTryCorrect, FirstTryWrong, PercentCorrect and PercentWrong

setting it to Try Again or Exit interaction

Try again cycles back to the interaction icon, whereas Exit interaction moves to the next icon in the path.

3. What causes the decision icon (Branch) to choose between the two paths?

All paths are implicitly numbered from the left, starting with zero, one, two, etc. The branching can be set to sequential (choose each path in sequence), random to any path (random selection with replacement), random to any unused path (random selection without replacement) or variable driven. If the variable specified is one, path one will be chose, etc.

4. How many map levels did you use in this exercise? (see the figure following Step 27)

5. How many levels of maps can an Authorware lesson have? (hint-as many as the available file space will permit)

As many as available file space will permit

6. In Figure 8, what actions do the three other "Branch" options cause? ... the four other "Repeat" options?

See answer to question number three. In addition, the repeat controls how many of the branches will be encountered. For example, if a decision icon has 5 attached icons and repeat is set to once, the lesson will display only one icon. If until all selected is chosen, all 5 icons will be encountered. Similarly, you can specify that a subset of icons will be selected, for example 3, or choose to continue displaying icons until some variable condition is satisfied.

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