In the world of e-learning development, attention to detail can make all the difference in user engagement and immersion. One particular challenge I encountered while developing an Articulate Storyline module was ensuring that the narrative text dynamically adjusted to accommodate users’ chosen avatar names, especially when it came to possessive forms. Today, I’ll share how I tackled this issue with a custom JavaScript solution.

In Articulate Storyline, variables play a crucial role in creating dynamic content. One such variable, let’s call it AvatarName, allows users to input their desired name for their on-screen avatar. However, incorporating this name seamlessly into the narrative text posed a unique grammatical challenge: ensuring correct possessive forms regardless of whether the avatar name ended with the letter “s”.

To overcome this challenge, I devised a simple JavaScript solution that dynamically adjusted the possessive form of the avatar name based on its final character.

Let’s break down the code:

We start by retrieving the AvatarName variable value entered by the user.

Next, we use JavaScript’s slice() method to extract the last character of the avatarName.

We then check if the last character is ‘s’. If it is, we set a new variable, EndS, to just an apostrophe (‘), indicating the possessive form without adding an additional “s”. Otherwise, we add both an apostrophe and an “s” (‘s) to EndS.

Finally, we update the EndS variable in Articulate Storyline to reflect the correct possessive form.

With this JavaScript in place, whenever the avatar name appears in the narrative text and requires a possessive form, we can simply append the EndS variable to ensure grammatical correctness.

By leveraging JavaScript and Articulate Storyline’s variable system, we’ve created a dynamic solution that enhances the user experience by seamlessly integrating their chosen avatar name into the narrative text, regardless of its grammatical context.

In conclusion, when faced with challenges in e-learning development, don’t hesitate to think creatively and leverage the power of scripting to find elegant solutions that enhance the overall learning experience.

Happy coding!