Background
When a participant's internet connection is unstable or rather unreliable, it may be useful to preload all media files (images, videos, audio files, etc) when the assignment is started. Starting the assignment will take a little longer in that case, however, when the internet connection is interrupted in the middle of the participant's session, he or she will be able to continue and see all media files immediately.
To preload media files, the option "Preload media and other files" must be enabled in the assignment template.
Note: This option is not available by default in assessmentQ channels, but can be enabled upon request. If you are interested in using this option, please contact Televic Education via support@televic-education.com.
Advantages of preloading media and other files
- Once all files have been preloaded, the participant can navigate without interruptions in the assignment, and all images, videos, etc will be visible immediately.
- In combination with the option "Allow navigation without internet", a participant can complete an assignment offline, except for 2 moments: he needs an internet connection when he starts the assignment and when he finishes the assignment.
- The user experience for the participant is great, as he does not notice any internet interruptions while completing an exercise or exam.
Disadvantages of preloading media and other files
- Starting the assignment will take a little longer (depending on the speed of the internet connection) as all files need to be downloaded first. Therefore, it is not recommended to enable this option when you have more than 250 exams starting simultaneously.
- Preloading media files only works for files that have been uploaded in assessmentQ, not for embedded files. For example: when you upload a video in a multiple-choice item, this video will be preloaded. But when you embed a Youtube video in a multiple-choice item, this video cannot be preloaded.
- In combination with the option "Allow navigation without internet", there is a small risk of losing answers: when the participant answers several questions while he is not connected to the internet, his answers are saved locally in the browser. If he then does not click the "Finish" button of his assignment, but closes the browser instead, his answers will not be stored in assessmentQ.