Adding Custom Code (CSS+JavaScript) directly in your Rise Course

Articulate Rise is a powerful tool for creating responsive eLearning content, but what if you want to add custom styling, interactive elements, or advanced functionality that goes beyond the built-in options? With RiseOverride, you can inject custom CSS and JavaScript directly into your Rise courses, unlocking unlimited customization possibilities.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about adding custom code to your Rise courses, from basic styling to advanced interactive features.

Why Add Custom Code to Rise Courses?

While Articulate Rise provides excellent default styling and functionality, there are many reasons why you might want to add custom code:

Brand Consistency: Match your organization's exact color schemes, fonts, and visual identity
Enhanced Interactivity: Add hover effects, animations, and dynamic content
Custom Components: Create reflection blocks, progress indicators, or custom navigation
Advanced Functionality: Implement gamification, custom tracking, or API integrations
Responsive Design: Fine-tune mobile and tablet experiences
Accessibility Improvements: Add custom accessibility features beyond Rise's defaults

Getting Started with RiseOverride

Before diving into code examples, make sure you have RiseOverride installed. The free Chrome extension allows you to easily inject custom CSS and JavaScript into your Rise SCORM exports without manually editing files.

Installation Steps:

Install the RiseOverride Chrome extension
Open the extension and add your custom code
Export your Rise course as SCORM
Use RiseOverride to patch your SCORM file with the custom code

CSS Customization Examples

Visual Styling and Branding

Transform your Rise courses with custom visual elements that match your brand:

Custom Button Styles: Create unique button designs with gradients, shadows, and hover effects
Typography Control: Apply your brand fonts and text styling throughout the course
Color Schemes: Override default colors to match your organization's palette
Layout Adjustments: Fine-tune spacing, padding, and element positioning
Mobile Optimization: Enhance the mobile learning experience with responsive design tweaks

These visual customizations help create a cohesive brand experience that feels professional and polished, making your content stand out from generic Rise courses.

JavaScript Functionality Examples

Interactive Elements and Dynamic Content

JavaScript opens up a world of interactive possibilities for your Rise courses:

Progress Tracking: Create custom progress indicators that show course completion
Dynamic Content: Show or hide content based on user interactions or preferences
Form Enhancements: Add validation, auto-save, or dynamic form fields
Interactive Animations: Create engaging hover effects and smooth transitions
Custom Navigation: Build unique navigation patterns and menu systems
Gamification Elements: Add points, badges, or achievement systems

These interactive features help create more engaging learning experiences that keep learners motivated and actively participating in your content.

Interactive Reflection Blocks

Want to add interactive reflection components? RiseOverride includes a powerful Reflection Block Generator that makes this easy with a visual interface—no coding required!

The Reflection Block Generator allows you to:

Customize reflection questions and prompts
Style the appearance to match your brand
Preview changes in real-time
Generate the code automatically

Try it out: Visit our Reflection Block Generator to create custom reflection blocks for your Rise courses with just a few clicks.

Analytics and Data Collection

JavaScript enables sophisticated tracking and analytics capabilities:

Custom Analytics: Track specific learner interactions and behaviors
Time Tracking: Monitor how long learners spend on different sections
Engagement Metrics: Measure scroll depth, click patterns, and interaction rates
LMS Integration: Send custom data back to your learning management system
Performance Insights: Gather data to improve future course design

These analytics capabilities help you understand how learners interact with your content and identify areas for improvement.

Implementation Approaches

Start Simple, Build Complexity

When adding custom code to your Rise courses, it's best to start with simple customizations and gradually build complexity:

Visual Polish: Begin with CSS styling to improve the visual appearance
Interactive Elements: Add basic JavaScript interactions like event listeners with basic effects
Custom Components: Create more complex elements like reflection blocks, custom block layouts, and embedded videos
Advanced Features: Implement sophisticated functionality like custom analytics, gamification, or integrate AI-driven experiences

Code Organization Tips

Keep your custom code organized and maintainable:

Modular Approach: Break your code into small, focused functions
Comment Everything: Document what each section does for future reference
Version Control: Keep track of different versions of your customizations
Testing Strategy: Test changes thoroughly before deploying to learners

Best Practices and Considerations

Quality Assurance

Cross-Device Testing: Verify your customizations work on desktop, tablet, and mobile
Browser Compatibility: Test across different browsers and versions
Performance Impact: Monitor loading times and optimize code efficiency
Accessibility Compliance: Ensure customizations don't break accessibility features

Maintenance and Updates

Documentation: Keep detailed records of your customizations
Backup Strategies: Maintain copies of your original and modified files
Update Planning: Consider how Rise updates might affect your customizations
User Feedback: Gather learner feedback to improve your customizations

Conclusion

Adding custom CSS and JavaScript to your Rise courses opens up endless possibilities for creating unique, engaging, and branded learning experiences. With RiseOverride, the process is streamlined and accessible, allowing you to focus on creating great content rather than wrestling with technical implementation.

Whether you're looking to add simple styling tweaks or complex interactive features, the techniques covered in this guide will help you unlock the full potential of your Articulate Rise courses.

Ready to start customizing your Rise courses? Install RiseOverride for free and begin transforming your eLearning content today!