Data-Driven Wizardry: Uses of Dynamic Data in Authorware

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Data-Driven Wizardry Uses of Dynamic Data in
Authorware

• Presented by Mark Steiner
• mark steiner, inc.
• eLearning Producer Conference 2006
• Boston, MA

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Agenda

• Introductions
• A Quick Example
• Why Data-Driven?
• General Constructs and Guidelines
• Designing the Data Structure
• Designing and Developing the Engine
• Designing and Developing the Wizard
• Examples
• Questions and Answers

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Some Stuff About Me

• BS Industrial Tech. 88
• MS Instructional Design 92
• 15 years eLearning interactive media dev.
  experience
• Dozens of projects from 2 min. to 33 hours in
  runtime
• Authorware 2.0, 93
• Presenter - eLearning Confs. US Europe
• Started mark steiner, inc. in March 2001

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Some Questions About You

• Project Manager/ID/Developer mix?
• Tool use Authorware, Flash, Director,
  Dreamweaver, Toolbook, other?
• How many have built data-driven apps?
• Data structure / database experience level?
• What do you expect to learn?

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A Quick Example

• SBC (now att) Sales Information Guide

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Why Data Driven?

• Oddly enough, computers are really good at
  computing, so why not leverage that valuable
  ability?
• Your client and the economy DEMAND it
• Extend the functionality, usefulness, life, and
  value of your application
• Ease of updating content

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Many Ways to Go . . .

• Most problems have either many answers or no
  answer. Only a few problems have a single
  answer.
• Edmund C. Berkeley

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General Constructs and Guidelines

• First, your mindset must embrace all things
  self-defining, relative paths and structures,
  lists, data structures.
• Specify your applications requirements before
  authoring.
• Define the line that separates the dynamic from
  the static, weighing the costs of over-building a
  dynamic app and under-building a static app.
  Apply a simple cost-benefit analysis.
• Utilize an engine and wizard approach.

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Designing the Data Structure

• Start with paper and/or a white board first,
  prior to authoring.
• What is your app going to do? What problem are
  you trying to solve?
• What structures and media types will be
  dynamically supported?
• What do the structures look like?
• What is the relationship(s) between various data
  sets?

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Designing the Data Structure (Continued)

• Flat data files or database? What are the
  criteria?
• Over the web?
• Any cross-platform issues?
• Lots of sorting / relationships?
• What is the size of the user base / enterprise?
• What is the criticality of application?
• What is the complexity of the data structure?
• Does data already exist somewhere else?
• What is the depth of database knowledge on your
  team?

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Designing the Engine

• Again, though from purely an application
  standpoint what is your app going to do?
• Map it out first on paper or a whiteboard first.
• Define global initializations / data reading and
  writing.
• Define local / incremental initializations and
  data reading / writing.
• Define and order the mechanics and transactions
  that the engine needs to process.

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Designing the Engine (Continued)

• Data and media What info will your data (related
  to media) store, and when and how will you
  display corresponding media elements?
• Consider any cross-platform issues.
• Consider any web issues.
• Data
• Media
• Firewalls

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Time to Develop . . .

• Plans are only good intentions unless they
  immediately degenerate into hard work.
• Peter Drucker

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Developing the Engine

• Employ Rapid Prototyping techniques.
• Create a dummy data file with sample data. Mock
  up portions of the functionality and / or data.
• Depending on the complexity of the engine, you
  may want to develop pieces at a time.
• Implement global initializations / data reading
  and writing.
• Is entire engine in one part of your code? Or,
  are the several subroutines?

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Developing the Engine (Continued)

• Implement local / incremental initializations /
  data reading and writing.
• Implement each mechanism / transaction. Are they
  in the correct order? If they are related,
  ensure that all relationships and links are
  addressed and functioning.
• Again, if the engine is complex, break
  development into logical, manageable chunks.
• Test individual components, then start assembling
  and testing multiple pieces and finally,
  everything.

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Designing the Wizard

• How sturdy are you going to build it?
• What defaults will you specify?
• What if the user makes no selections?
• What things will break it?
• If you choose to allow some brokenness, what
  are the consequences?
• What error detection and corresponding error
  messages are needed?
• Ensure that both New and Edit function
  equally well.

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Designing the Wizard(Continued)

• Follow the design youve already established for
  the engine.
• What data do you need to gather from the user?
• What are your interface requirements?
• Is your layout easy to understand and user
  friendly?
• How does the user navigate?
• Can / should they be able to skip steps?
• When do you save / write the data?
• Can the user revert?

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Developing the Wizard

• Employ Rapid Prototyping techniques.
• Follow the lead of the already defined needs of
  your application.
• Ensure that everything you want to manipulate can
  be successfully manipulated.
• Develop chunks of functionality at a time.

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Developing the Wizard

• As with any development, be aware of various
  dependencies within your code.
• Start assembling and connecting chunks of
  functionality.
• Let plenty of users test functionality for
  usability and bugs.
• Make it functional first, pretty later.

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Two Cents on Designing for Clients

• If you are going to design for yourself, then you
  have to make sure you design deeply for yourself.
  Otherwise you are just designing for your
  eccentricities, and that can never be satisfying
  to anyone else.
• Charles Eames

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Examples

• Walgreens XML Engine
• SBC Online Assessment Tool
• Green Screen (mainframe) Simulation Wizard and
  Engine
• PowerPresenter Presentation Tool-Wizard and
  Playback Engine
• Orius Multimedia CD-ROM and Database Wizard

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Questions and Answers