Macromedia's Learning Interaction Smart Clips
Samples and Quick Instructions
by Dan Carr

Introduction:
Learning Interactions are Flash movie clips (smart clips) that allow you to set up test questions or groups of questions as quizzes. They come in the form of a single Flash Library holding 6 interaction types (drag and drop, fill in the blank, hot objects, hot spot, multiple choice, and true/false).

These Extensions can be downloaded for free from the Macromedia Flash Exchange. They are installed as a permanent Library inside the Flash program (available from Menu> Window> Common Libraries> Learning Interactions). Also included in the installation is a set of quiz templates for tracking a cumulative score (Menu> Help> Samples>Quiz1-6), a new HTML template with tracking scripts, and a detailed PDF instructions file. The PDF file is installed into a subdirectory of the Flash program folder named Extension Help. The HTML template is available within the Publish Settings HTML tab.

Read the PDF file before you work with these! Here's a link to a copy for quick download: Using Flash Learning Extns.pdf

Here's a quick overview of the process and some samples:

Building a simple quiz with the stand alone interactions.
working sample | download the fla
1. Create a new file and open the Learning Interactions Library.
2. Name the default layer "interactions" and add a new layer above it named "actions".
3. On the actions layer, add a Stop action to the keyframe. (This will keep the quiz from advancing when the movie is first opened. You will not need any other actions in the actions layer so you can lock it now.)
4. On the interactions layer, drag the desired interaction from the Learning Interactions Library to the stage.
5. Add another keyframe to the interactions layer and drag another interaction (of any type) to the stage on that keyframe. (Repeat step 5 for as many interactions as desired).
6. One at a time, click on each interaction's keyframe to select it, and open the Clip Parameter's panel. Within the Parameter's panel, set the custom information for each interaction.
7. Within the interaction's parameters, set the navigation for each interaction to either "Next Button" or "Auto GoTo Next Frame". If you want to use Auto GoTo Next Frame, Feedback must be turned off. Make sure navigation is set to "Off" on the last interaction. That's it!

Building a quiz with the quiz structure templates and the interactions.
working sample | download the fla
1. Open one of the quiz templates from Menu> Help> Samples> Quiz1-6 and open the Learning Interactions Library.
2. Save as, to save the quiz sample as your new file.
3. Set the page title to whatever you please.
4. Select the "interactions" layer and follow steps 4-6 from above.
5. This time, make sure that navigation is turned off on each of the interactions (navigation is provided by the quiz structure).
6. Feedback should be off and tracking should be turned on (even if you're not using a tracking system).*
7. Select the "Quiz Options" movie clip and set the Quiz Parameters. That's it!

* You can turn the Feedback parameter on, but it will conflict with the timing of the results page if activated. The original interaction specs specified that Feedback was to be turned off when in use with the quiz template.

TIP: You can "turn off" the background interface graphic within each interaction by adjusting the "background" layer inside the assets movie clip. Simply right click on that layer and check the Guide attribute.