SCORM Content Authoring Tool Captivate 3
SCORM Content Authoring Tool - Captivate 3
This document supplements Firmwater’s previous comparison of Adobe’s Captivate 2 and
Techsmith’s Camtasia Studio 4. The objective of this text is to aid you in selecting the product that
best meets your needs and to ensure proper functioning of Captivate 3’s SCORM content on the
Firmwater LMS. We were unfamiliar with these content authoring tools and conducted the
evaluation impartial y. This document’s focus remains on Captivate 3, how it differs from Captivate
2, and how to use this authoring tool to create SCORM compliant training content for the Firmwater
LMS. The text below summarizes:
Firmwater Inc.
differences between Captivate 2 and Captivate 3.
20 Maud Street
recommended settings for publishing SCORM packages.
Suite 405
Toronto, ON
M5V 2M5
instructions on generating SCORM compliant content with Captivate 3.
Phone: 416 815-1496
Please note that during the evaluation, SCORM 1.2 content packages created with Captivate 3 had
Fax: 416 815-1988
problems calculating students’ quiz scores for multiple attempts. Therefore we recommend choosing
info@firmwater.com
the SCORM 2004 format when using Captivate 3 to create content for the Firmwater LMS.
www.firmwater.com
1. Differences between Captivate 2 and Captivate 3
Captivate 2 and Captivate 3 are more similar than different, yet several new features were added to
Captivate 3 that have proven useful for creating SCORM training content. The following sections
wil focus on new features of Captivate 3 relevant to the creation of SCORM compliant content.
Please regard Table 1 for a summary of new features added.
New Features:
Captivate 2
Captivate 3
New question types
-
Sequence, Hot spot
Question pools
N
Y
Randomized quizzes
N
Y
Creates content without quiz or
N
Y
survey
Rollover slidelets
N
Y
Computer audio
N
Y
Improved animations and slide
N
Y
transitions
XML import/export
N
Y
Multimode recording
N
Y
Re-Recording mode
N
Y
Ful motion recording
Y (auto on & off)
Y
Table 1. Summary of Captivate 3’s New Features
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1.1. New question types
Captivate 3 offers two new question types: Hot Spot and Sequence. Hot Spot questions ask the
student to point out the correct area on the screen, such as picking out the right part of an image.
Sequence questions ask the student to rank order several points, such as finding the right sequence
to a procedure.
Question Type:
Captivate 2
Captivate 3
Multiple Choice
Y
Y
True/False
Y
Y
Fill in the Blank
Y
Y
Matching
Y
Y
Short Answer
Y
Y
Rating Scale
Y
Y
Hot Spot
N
Y
Sequence
N
Y
Table 2. Question Types Supported
1.2. Question pools and randomized quizzes
Captivate 3 offers the option of creating question pools that may contain any type of quiz or survey
question. After creating one of these pools, the author can add a Random Question Slide to the
learning content and the content wil automatical y draw a random question from the question pool.
1.3. Create content without a quiz or survey
Content created with Captivate 2, which did not contain a quiz or a survey, was not generated as a
SCORM package even if reporting to a SCORM LMS was enabled. Captivate 3, on the other hand,
allows the author to create functional SCORM content packages that contain neither a quiz nor a
survey. To ensure proper functioning of your content without a quiz or survey, please visit section
3.6.
1.4. Rollover slidelets
Rollover slidelets are small pop-up slides within a regular Captivate slide that appear when the
student moves the mouse over a specified area. These rol over slidelets may include text, pictures or
animation.
1.5. Computer audio
Captivate 2 cannot use computer audio as an input for audio. Captivate 3 can derive its audio from
computer audio, microphone, line in, or imported files.
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1.6. Improved animations and slide transitions
Captivate 2 was capable of converting Microsoft PowerPoint presentations into captivate slides. For
Captivate 3, new animation effects as well as Microsoft PowerPoint slide transitions have been
added. Captivate 3 now retains the animation effects when translating Microsoft PowerPoint
slideshows into Captivate slides.
1.7. XML import/export
Captivate 3 allows you to export your project into an XML file. This XML file makes it easy to
translate all relevant captions, description and buttons into other languages. After translating the
content, the XML file can be imported back into the project and Captivate wil automatical y fill in
all translations.
1.8. Multimode recording
Captivate 2 already offered different recording modes such as: demonstration, simulation and
assessment. Captivate 2 is only capable of running one of these modes at any one time, whereas
Captivate 3 offers the option of recording in multiple or all of these modes at the same time. A
demonstration, a practice simulation as well as an assessment can be created from a single recording.
Captivate 3 then adds captions and click boxes corresponding to each mode. This wil save the
author time by not having to record each mode individually. Such recordings may need further
editing, yet recording in this way ensures a high degree of consistency among the different
recordings.
1.9. Re-Recording mode
When the author records in the Re-Recording mode, Captivate will create a script for all actions that
occurred throughout the recording. Thereafter the author can reactivate the script and Captivate 3
wil automatically repeat the same actions throughout a second recording. This feature may be used
to create learning content in different languages, where the same on-screen actions are required for
multiple recordings.
1.10. Full motion recording mode
Ful motion recording mode al ows the user to record the screen as if a video camera is directed at
the screen. Recordings are slow with few frames per second. When the screen changes or the mouse
moves, steaks may be left behind. Editing a video is more complicated than editing a series of slides.
Ful motion recording mode remains a valuable new feature regardless of drawbacks mentioned
above.
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2. Recommended Settings to Create SCORM Content for the Firmwater LMS
The following outlines the requirements for creating SCORM 2004 content with Captivate 3:
a. If your content contains a quiz, then add a value for the element
<imsss:minNormalizedMeasure> in the manifest file and ensure al passing scores
are the same value. Otherwise pass/fail scores may not be recorded properly.
b. If your content does not contain a quiz or survey, ensure that passing scores have been
disabled. Otherwise reporting to the LMS may be inaccurate.
c. If answers to quiz questions need to be stored in the LMS database, ensure that
Interactions and score is selected for Reporting Level (Quiz Preferences…> Category>
Quiz> Reporting> Reporting Level). Otherwise, if Report score is selected, students’
answers to quiz questions will not be stored in the LMS database.
d. If your content contains a Quiz Pool, ensure that it is referenced in the manifest file.
Otherwise your content wil show blank slides instead of question slides.
e. Add a reference to the file standard.js in the manifest file. Otherwise content packages
cannot be launched, and the screen wil be blank.
f. Add a reference to the file theName_skin.swf into the manifest file or disable Skin
Borders. Otherwise content packages cannot be launched, and the screen wil be blank.
g. When publishing content, do not use any special characters (e.g. &, %, or $) for the .zip
filename, otherwise the content wil not launch.
Please refer to Section 3 for detailed information regarding these requirements.
2.1. Settings for quiz reporting
Click on Quiz on the menu bar and select Quiz Preferences…. A Preferences window will open
(Figure 1). In the Category branching menu, expand Quiz and select Reporting. We recommend
the following preferences:
► Check the Enable reporting for this project box.
► Set the Learning Management System (LMS) to SCORM (recommended settings for
Manifest… are provided in section 2.2).
► Under Report Pass or Fail, set Status as defined by report data.
► For Choose Report Data, select Quiz results and slide views.
► Under Report Score to LMS as, choose Percent.
► For Reporting Level set Interactions and score.
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Figure 1. Recommended Settings Quiz Reporting Preferences
2.2. Settings for the SCORM manifest
In the Preferences window (Figure 1), under Learning Management System (LMS)> SCORM,
click on the Manifest… button. In the Manifest window (Figure 2), we recommend selecting the
following options:
► Choose the SCORM 2004 format.
► Under Course, enter a unique Identifier. The course Identifier in conjunction with the
version wil create a unique id which is used by the Firmwater LMS to distinguish between
content packages. If the Identifier is not unique, the content may not load or may delete
existing content.
► Enter a descriptive course Title to capture what the content contains.
► Add a Description of the course if desired.
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► Under SCO, enter a unique identifier and a descriptive title for the content (SCO). These
names may be the same as the course identifier and course title.
► Set any other fields as desired.
► Click the OK button.
Figure 2. Recommended Settings for the SCORM 2004 Manifest
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2.3. “Pass or Fail” options
In the menu bar, click on Quiz and select Quiz Preferences…. On the left hand menu, under
Category, expand the Quiz branch, and select Pass or Fail (Figure 4).
► Under Pass/Fail options, select % or more of total points to pass (this score indicates
the passing score for the test within the SCO as reported on the Quiz Results Summary
slide).
► Set the percentage as required for passing the content. Please ensure that al passing scores
are always set to be the same value. Otherwise reporting may be inaccurate. For more
detailed information visit section 3.3.
2.4. Settings in the “Skin Editor”
The Skin Editor al ows the author to select the look of the playback control toolbar, add an on-slide
menu, and add relevant information to be displayed after the student clicks on the Information
button on the playback toolbar. To access the editor, select Skin... in the Project menu bar.
If you require the skin borders to be enabled, please view section 3.1 for instructions on how to add
the file theName_skin.swf to the manifest of your content package.
Otherwise, to disable Skin Borders:
► Click on the Borders tab.
► Un-select Show Borders.
► Click on the OK button.
2.5. Setting the “Project Preferences”
The Project Preferences menu permits to change production settings like loading screens,
background audio, etc. If you wish to use the same settings for Preferences repeatedly, we suggest
saving a template with the desired settings and simply loading the template for future projects. To do
this, open a blank project, set the settings in Preferences as desired, and save the blank project as a
template for future use. To access Preferences, click on Project in the menu bar and select
Preferences.
2.6. Publishing options
Click on the Publish icon in the menu bar. The Publish window will pop up (Figure 3). For
Output Options, select the Zip files check box.
Please ensure that the Project Title does not contain any special characters like &, # or %.
Otherwise the content wil not launch and instead a blank screen will appear.
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Figure 3. Recommended Settings for Publishing
2.7. “Advanced Interaction”
Advanced Interaction is a one-stop-menu to alter the settings of quiz questions and interactions
(i.e. click boxes, text entry boxes, buttons). To access Advanced Interaction, click on Project in the
menu bar and select Advanced Interaction.
3. Generating SCORM Content
Below you will find instruction on how to alter Captivate’s SCORM packages in order for them to
function properly on the Firmwater LMS. Please note that if some of those changes are made to
templates immediately after installing Captivate 3, these changes only need to be made once and the
template can be used thereafter.
3.1. Manifest does not contain references to files “standard.js” and “theName_skin.swf”
(when skin borders are enabled)
SCORM 2004 requires that the manifest lists al files to be used. Each SCORM content package
created with Captivate contains a standard.js file. However, the reference to this file is missing in
the <resources> part of manifest file. Also, if Skin Borders are enabled (default), a file
theName_skin.swf wil be created but not referenced in the manifest file. This will result in a blank
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screen when launching your content on the Firmwater LMS. There are two solutions for adding the
reference for file standard.js:
Solution 1: Modify the manifest file of the content package.
Open imsmanifest.xml of the content package. Add the following line to the
<resources> part:
<file href="standard.js"></file>
Solution 2: Modify the template manifest file.
Go to C:\Program Files\Adobe\Captivate\Templates\Publish. Open
manifest2004.xml. Add the fol owing line to the <resources> part:
<file href="standard.js"></file>
When using solution 2, you do not need to modify the manifest file of each individual content
package.
As to the missing reference to theName_skin.swf, if you require Skin Borders to be enabled,
then you need to add a reference to the file theName_skin.swf to the manifest of your
content package. In this case theName stands for the Project Title that you assigned to your
content package (Figure 3). To add the reference to this file, open the imsmanifest.xml of
your content package and add the fol owing line to the <resources> part:
<file href="theName_skin.swf"></file>
Remember to substitute theName with the exact title of your project. As the title of your
project is likely to change, you will have to add this reference to each manifest file individually.
Adding the reference in the template manifest file may result in content not loading into the
LMS.
3.2. Question pools not referenced in the manifest file
Question Pools are not referenced in the manifest. For content containing a quiz or a survey pool to
function properly, a reference to the question pool that the training package draws upon needs to be
added to the manifest file.
When creating a question pool, please take note of the name given to the question pool (default is
Pool1). To look up the name of a question pool, click on Quiz in the menu bar and select Question
Pool Manager. The names of the pools wil be displayed in the list on the left side. To simplify
instructions, the sample pool for this demonstration will be called PoolName.
After publishing a content package with a question pool, open the .zip file of your content package
and take note of the file that contains your question pool. It will be called PoolName_CQP.swf. To
reference this pool, add the following line to the <resources> part of the file imsmanifest.xml:
<file href=”PoolName_CQP.swf”></file>
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Repeat these instructions if you have multiple pools and remember to substitute PoolName with
the exact title of your question pool. As the title of your Pool is likely to change, you will have to add
this reference to each manifest file individually. Adding the reference in the template manifest file
may result in content not loading into the LMS.
3.3. Setting passing scores for quizzes
Captivate’s SCORM content accounts for two different quiz passing scores:
a. scores reported within the SCO (reported on the results summary slide)
b. scores reported to the LMS (as indicated in the Firmwater LMS attempt history)
Entering different passing scores for these two values may result in inaccurate reporting; therefore
ensure that al passing scores are the same value.
To set the passing score as reported within the SCO (a), click on the Pass or Fail Options tab
(Figure 4 – also see section 2.3) within the Quiz Manager. Set the passing score as desired.
The value for element <imsss:minNormalizedMeasure> in the manifest file determines the
passing score for the LMS (b). Checking the template manifest file (i.e. manifest2004.xml) will
suggest that the code for reading the passing score is missing, as indicated below:
<imsss:objectives>
<imsss:primaryObjective objectiveID="PRIMARYOBJ"
satisfiedByMeasure="true">
<imsss:minNormalizedMeasure></imsss:minNormalizedMeasure>
</imsss:primaryObjective>
</imsss:objectives>
The line <imsss:minNormalizedMeasure></imsss:minNormalizedMeasure>
requires code that reads the passing score set by the content author. This missing value wil result in
inaccurate reporting of the students’ status to the LMS. There are two ways for adding a value for
the element <imsss:minNormalizedMeasure>.
Solution 1: Modify the manifest file of a content package.
Open imsmanifest.xml of the content package. Add a passing score (in a decimal form)
between
<imsss:minNormalizedMeasure></imsss:minNormalizedMeasure> (e.g.
0.6 for 60%, 0.8 for 80%). If the content package does not have a passing score, put zero.
Solution 2: Modify the template manifest file.
Go to C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Captivate 3\Templates\Publish. Open
manifest2004.xml. Add a passing score (in a decimal) between
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<imsss:minNormalizedMeasure></imsss:minNormalizedMeasure> (e.g.
0.6 for 60%, 0.8 for 80%). If the content package is not supposed to have a passing score,
enter zero. This way you do not need to modify the manifest file of each individual content
package, but the passing score of all content packages produced wil be the same. If a content
package requires a different passing score, modify its imsmanifest.xml manual y fol owing the
procedure in Solution 1.
Figure 4. Screenshot of “Quiz Manager” pop-up window – Pass/Fail Options highlighted
3.4. Students’ quiz attempts are not limited
Quizzes can be set to allow one attempt, several attempts, or unlimited attempts. However, for
SCORM 2004 content packages, the number of students’ quiz attempts is not actually limited.
Consequently, even if a quiz was set to allow only one attempt, the student could actually attempt it
multiple times.
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To effectively limit the number of attempts, we suggest loading the content into the Firmwater LMS
and then editing the number of attempts al owed in the LMS before assigning the content to
students. To do this, click on the Content tab within the Firmwater LMS, select your content, click
on the SCO title and edit the SCO. Reset the number of attempts as desired and save.
3.5. Two limitations regarding surveys
First, students’ survey attempts are not recorded the same way as students’ quiz attempts. Second, if
a content package contains both a quiz and a survey, the survey questions wil be included in the
total number of quiz questions, and the total number of correct questions. For example, if a content
package contains five quiz questions and three survey questions, the total number of questions
indicated on the quiz results summary slide will be eight. If a student answered one quiz question
and all three of the survey questions correctly, his/her number of correct questions would be
recorded as four rather than one.
This wil affect the number of correct questions recorded, yet this will not affect the scores or
accuracy percentages assigned to students. Therefore, reporting of quiz scores, accuracy percentages,
and pass or fail values should not be affected. If you require the number of correct questions to
reflect quiz questions only, the solution is to include either a quiz or a survey, but not both.
3.6. Content without a quiz or survey
Passing scores need to be disabled when creating content that does not contain a quiz or a survey.
To do this, make the following changes by using either solution 1 or 2 listed below. Otherwise
reporting to the LMS may be inaccurate.
Solution 1: Edit the manifest file of your content package.
Open the file imsmanifest.xml of your content package. The value for
satisfiedByMeasure="true"> needs to be changed to false. After your changes, the
correct line of code should look like this:
<imsss:primaryObjective objectiveID="PRIMARYOBJ"
satisfiedByMeasure="false">
Solution 2: Change settings in the Firmwater LMS
After loading the content into the Firmwater LMS and before assigning it to any students,
change the passing score options of the SCO of your content to No passing score.
3.7. Settings for reporting interactions
Interactions with students (i.e. click boxes, text entry boxes, and buttons) can be tracked and scored.
Within the interaction reporting settings, the user can select/ unselect two options: Report Answer
and Add to Total. However, in our testing we did not observe any differences in the reporting of
interactions caused by changing these options.
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3.8. Special characters in the filename
When the content contains special characters in the final .zip filename (i.e. Project Title, also
displayed as theName in Figure 3), then the content wil not launch. Instead a blank screen appears.
The solution is not to use any special characters as &, $, or % when naming the .zip file.
3.9. Suspend and resume not supported
SCORM 2004 content packages do not support suspending and resuming of training sessions.
Students cannot resume their training at the point they exited it on a previous attempt.
Note:
The information gathered here was the result of our review of Tech Smith Camtasia Studio 4, Adobe
Captivate 2, and Adobe Captivate 3 over a five month period. We have attempted to accurately
reflect our experience using these tools. All these products are available on trial basis and we
recommend you test the product to ensure of its suitability to your application before purchasing. If
you have any comments, please send them to info@firmwater.com. All comments are welcome.
About Firmwater
Firmwater is an Internet consulting and development firm based in Toronto founded in 2001. Our
focus is on enabling learning content providers to deliver their courseware and assessments simply
and economically via the Internet to any number of their clients. Firmwater’s leading product is the
Firmwater LMS, a training delivery solution offered on a software as a service (SaaS) model.
Firmwater offers consulting, custom development, and courseware creation services in support of
the Firmwater LMS.
Please contact us if you require any further information or visit our website at www.firmwater.com.
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