8. Interactions and Templates

The interactions are properties applicable to a Malted Frame, which require a range of Media Objects, Panels and Containers for their correct running. They allow the designer to create different types of exercises that can be verified and checked, except for Null Interaction.

The interaction we would like to apply is selected from Frame>Behaviour, Description thumb. Each interaction has several parameters associated to it, which can be modified from the Parameters thumb. On the other hand, the list of available Actions when editing Media Objects will change depending on the chosen Interaction.

Malted templates are based on these interactions and they include all the necessary items so that each interaction works properly, so that the designer will only have to integrate texts and media files (images, audio, etc.) in order to develop a fully functional exercise.

Demo Multimedia 6:"Interactions" 

The available interactions are described below in alphabetical order:

Crossword Interaction:
Templates: Crossword_000.template

This interaction is a crossword: the user must drag the letters on to the boxes so as to fill in all the gaps following the provided definitions. The interaction requires the following items:

1. Panel called Main

2. A container called Crossword, inside the Main panel

3. The boxes are included inside the Crossword container. Each box is a media:
-
Numbered box: media labelled as “the number”, Value=nogap
- Lettered box: its value is the required letter

-
Transparent box: transparent media whose value is nogap
- Black box: black background media whose value is nogap
4. A container called Letters inside the Main Panel

5. The draggable letters inside the Letters container
- Each letter is a media which must be labelled as that same letter
6. A media associated to a text file including the prompts or definitions

7. A media whose action will be verify or check and that will verify the entries

8. A media whose action will be clear or clearAll that rubs out the entries

Crossword2 Interaction:
Templates: Crossword2_000.template

This interaction consists of a crossword. The user must write the letters in the boxes so as to fill in all the gaps following the provided definitions.
The interaction requires the following items:

1. Panel called Main

2. A container called Crossword inside the Main panel

3. A media called Crossword, inside the Crossword container, linked to a text file with a specific format (see Help>Interactions>Crossword2)

4. A media called Across inside the Main Panel

5. A media called Down inside the Main Panel

6. A media called Definitions inside the Main Panel

7. A media whose action is verify or check and whose value is “Panel( Main )” which verifies the entries

8. A media whose action is clear or clearAll that rubs out the entries

Dialogue Interaction:
Demo Multimedia 5:"Dialogue template"
Templates: Dialog_000.template

This interaction simulates a dialogue that the student can follow both with sound and text. The dialogue can take place between two characters from the teaching unit or between the computer and the student if recording options are added.

The dialogue mode COMPUTER-COMPUTER requires the following items:

1.Panel called Main including as many cards as parts in which the dialogue is divided

2.Inside the Main panel, each character usually has:

- a media with the character image

- a media with the text associated to the character

- a media associated to both an audio file and an image file (Play icon).

When clicking this media, the sound of the active card is played.

1. A container that behaves as a navigation bar inside the Main panel which shows the number of cards that the panel has:

- Card number displayer: a media called Main.cardNumber

- Back arrow: a media whose action is previous and whose value is panel( Main ), associated to an arrow image

- Next arrow: a media whose action is next and whose value is panel( Main ) associated to an arrow image

The dialogue mode COMPUTER – STUDENT is developed exactly in the same way as the previous one but taking the following into account:

The character that the student plays must have:

- A media with Record Action and Value “audio/(nameofthefile).mp3”

- A media with Play Action and Value “audio/(nameofthefile).mp3”

Below you can read other actions which are applicable to the media from the Dialog Interaction:

- RunAllDialog plays all the cards within a panel with their audio files in a linear way.

- Recap plays the audios included in all the cards, from the first card up to the active one

- Continue plays from the active card up to the last one

GapFilling Interaction:
Templates: Spelling.template, TextGaps.template, TextGapsWithContractions.template, Transcription.template, Translate.template, TranslateWords.template, WordGaps.template

This interaction allows the designer to develop gap exercises for the student to fill in. Besides, used with audio files, it can also be useful to develop spelling or translation exercises.

Necessary items:
1. A panel called Main
2. Inside the Main panel, a container called Phrases
3. Inside the container called Phrases, a media with the exercise text:
There are two ways of incorporating the text:
a) By linking the media to a text file from the text folder
The file contains the whole text with the gap words between square brackets, i.e. [Where] do they live? Do [they live in] England?
b) By keying the text with the gap words between square brackets into the Media Text field.

When there are several likely solutions for a gap, we can add them separating them by the use of vertical bars (Alt Gr+1). i.e. [we'll go|we will go|we're going|we are going] tomorrow to the movies.

4. A media with verify or check Action and Value panel( Main ), which verifies what the student has written.
5. A media with clear or clearAll action and Value panel( Main ), which allows the student to rub out the entries

HangMan Interaction:
Templates: HangMan_000.template, HangMan_001.template

This interaction allows the designer to develop an exercise based on the hangman game.
Necessary items:
1. A panel called Pictures that contains cards including the different stages through which the drawing portraying the hangman goes
2. A panel called Main within which you can find:
3. A container called hiddenWord in which there is a media whose value must be the word that we are searching for
4. A container with 30 medias, each of which are labelled with a letter in the Label field
5. A container with a media that behaves as a clue (text, image, audio or video)
6. A media with clear Action
7. A media with solve Action

Match2 Interaction:
Templates: Association.template, Match_000.template, orderParagraphs.template, orderSentences.template, orderText.template, orderWords.template,

This interaction allows the designer to develop exercises in which the student must match objects or words.
Templates: Association, Match, OrderWords, OrderSentences

Necessary items:
1. A panel called Main within which there will be:
2. A container called Options that includes the solutions that the students will drag:
- Each solution is a media labelled in the same way and a value consisting of a number that will coincide with the value of the dragged media.
3. A container called Answers where there are boxes to which the students drag the former media.
- These boxes are media which can be labelled or not, and whose value is a number that coincides with the value of the media called solution that was inside the container Options.
4. Optionally, the designer can also add a Container called Questions which includes the media with the questions and that match with the empty boxes, as long as they have the same Value. (see Match_000 template)
5. A media with verify or check Action and a value panel( Main ) that verifies the entries
6. A media with clear or clearAll action and a value panel( Main ) that rubs out the entries

The matching takes place by dragging the solutions to its corresponding box.
In the Interaction parameters the designer can decide when to verify:
a) anyTime, that is the student will be able to check the answers at any time
b) atEnd: that is the student will only be able to check after having completed the whole exercise
c) onAssociation: that is the student will automatically check when matching each couple; while dragging each solution to its corresponding box an arrow will be shown on the screen. That arrow can be checked again after completing the exercise (atEnd), at any time while doing the exercise (anytime), or after matching two objects (onAssociation).

DND Match Interaction:
On the verge of extinction, since its functionalities are included in Match2.

Memory Interaction:
Templates:

This interaction allows the designer to develop an exercise that consists of matching pairs, based on the classical memory game: the cards are on their backside and can only be seen in couples, so that the goal of the exercise is to find the couples until all have been revealed.
Necessary items:
1. Panel called Main
2. Within the Main panel, a container called Options
3. Within the Options container there will be several media that will behave as the cards of the exercise:
- They can portray images or include text in their Label.
- Each couple of medias must have a Value with exactly the same number.
4. A media with retry Action and Value panel( Main ) that returns all the cards to their initial state.

MultipleChoice Interaction:
Demo Multimedia 4:"Multiple Choice template"
Templates: MCh_1Q_anyTime.template, MCh_1Q_atEnd.template, MCh_1Q_onClick.template, MCh_MQ_anyTime.template, MCh_MQ_atEnd.template, MCh_MQ_onClick.template, TrueFalse_anyTime.template, TrueFalse_atEnd.template, TrueFalse_onClick.template, WordGaps.template
This interaction allows the designer to create multiple choice and true/false exercises.
Necessary items:
1. A panel called Main
2. Within the Main panel, a media that includes the prompt or question (text, image, etc)
3. Within the Main panel, a container called Answers in which the designer will decide to activate or not the Checkbox display option, according to the fact if the designer wishes to enable the answer marks or not
4. Within the container called Answers, there will be several media which will behave as the several likely answers.
5. Each media will include:
- Label: the answer text
- Value: true or false according to the nature of the answer
- Checkbox:
- if activated, it allows us to select several answers at the same time, although it will be necessary to add a check button
- if not activated, the verification is automatic with a correct or wrong feedback sound when clicking the answer

If the checkboxes are activated:
6. A media with verify Action so as to check the answers and to show the right and wrong ones, or a media with check Action that only shows the user's score.
7. A media with clear Action that rubs out the selected answers. In the Multiple Choice interaction parameters the designer can choose checkOnlyOne, which will enable the student to select several answers or only one.

Null Interaction:
Demo Multimedia 3:"Blank template"

Templates: _Blank.template, acknowledgements.template, freeWriting.template, Functions.template, Menu_001.template, onePanel.template, plantilla_portada.template, plantilla_templates.template

It features a lack of interaction. It is used in exercises that do not require any of the other interactions, either because they are simply screens to be seen with no other purpose, or because the media actions and properties are enough so as to produce interaction with the user, such as writing exercises, listening exercises, video ones or any other type of exercise that does not require a verify button.

Order Interaction:
Templates: Order_000.template

This template features a range of words for the user to order and build a sentence.
Necessary items:
1. A panel called Main
2. Within the Main panel, a container called Questions
3. Within the container called Questions, as many media as chunks of the sentence.
- Each media will have the chunk of the sentence keyed into the label field, and the sentence will be written in order; the order interaction will automatically break the chunks when running the frame.
4. If more sentences are needed, it will be necessary to add more containers, which must be named as Questions1, Questions2, Questions3, etc.
5. A Media with verify Action that verifies the answers and show those right and wrong ones.
6. A media with clear Action that rubs out the score so that the exercise can be done again. .

Transcription Interaction:
Templates:

This interaction can verify a written text. It compares the text that the user keys in with a sample one and, if there are differences, it returns the wrong answers.

Necessary items:
1. A Panel called Main
2. Within the Main Panel, a container called Text
3. Within the Text container, a media whose value is the path to the sample text and whose editable text box is ticked, i.e. Value: text/Transcription.txt.
4. A media that includes the prompt, for instance an audio file if it is a dictation, a text file if it is a question, etc
5. A media with verify or check Action, which checks the entries.
6. A media with clear or clearAll action, which rubs out the entries.


<<