How Can I Show the Correct Answer When Reviewing Freeform Questions?

One of the great features of Storyline 360’s form-based quizzing is that it automatically allows the learner to review quiz questions they’ve answered with a direct comparison against the correct responses. This feature is cut and dry with form-based questions…but what if you’re utilizing freeform question slides?

In today’s blog, we’re answering the “as-heard-in-training” question: “How can I show the correct answer when reviewing freeform questions?”

We often develop question slides using the streamlined form-based approach, but so many of our clients also request the more custom freeform development from us. Both form-based and freeform processes have unique distinctions on the e-Learning development side, and both methods provide the learner a similarly great experience!

However, in comparing form-based and freeform styles during our hands-on Articulate 360 training, one of the differences we discover is that form-based questions automatically display correct answers in the post-quiz review, and freeform…does not.

This is all by design.

With freeform questions, creative freedom is the name of the game, meaning we have total control over how we want to display the feedback we provide during the post-quiz review.

Ready? Let’s do that now!

1) First, build out freeform questions, designating which choices are correct in each question slide’s Form View. In our example, we’ve built both a Pick One freeform question and a Pick Many freeform question, pulling from the sleek Content Library 360 template, “Vitality.”

2) While still in Form View, we’re going to type a space in the Post-quiz review field. This will create the “Review” layer that we’ll need, which will display when learners elect to review a quiz. (You can also type any additional material you want to communicate to the learner in this field now, but for now, we just need to type a single space to create the layer.)

Tip: You could also create a new layer in each question’s Slide View and title it “Review.” This works just the same! There are always several ways to do one thing in Storyline 360.

3) Now, select to open the Review layer in the Slide Layers panel (in Slide View). You can begin customizing this layer—however you wish—to display additional feedback during the post-quiz review. In our example, we began by deleting the placeholder text.

4) Within each Review layer, designate which choices are correct answers to indicate how the learner should have responded. We inserted check mark icons from Content Library 360 via Insert tab | Icons, placing a check mark next to each correct answer choice.

5) Finally, insert a results slide, and be sure to include the Review Button (found on the Result Tools Design tab), so that learners can compare how they answered to the correct responses, as displayed in your new Review layers.

To test this build, preview the entire quiz! When you get to the results slide, select the Review button. (You may also want to answer these questions incorrectly, just to be sure to completely test them.) As you review the questions, you should see your custom Review layers and the automatic message that Storyline 360 generates at the bottom of the slide, indicating “Correct” or “Incorrect.”

Tip: Did the Review function work how you wanted it to? By editing the Review button’s trigger, you can decide whether you want the learner to review all questions or only those that the learner got incorrect.

That’s it! Download our example file here if you like, and hopefully, this will help you provide some great additional learning through your post-quiz reviews.

There’s really no limit to creativity with freeform questions, so please share the ways you use this Review technique in the comments below!

For something extra to add to your quiz development process, check out our blog post on customizing your default question feedback here.

~ John B.

Sources: Grandcanyon. “Grand Canyon Quiz: Visitor Center.” Grand Canyon Visitor Center, 6 Oct. 2017, explorethecanyon.com/grand-canyon-quiz/.