<learningContent> with embedded topics

The Learning and Training specialization Lesson 3: Learning content <learningContent> with embedded topics

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In addition to the <learningContent> elements, <learningContent> topics can contain embedded topics.

Your instructional content might include a series of steps for the student to follow to complete an activity. In this case, you can embed a task topic within the <learningContent> topic to handle these steps:

<learningContent id="watching_ducks">
    <title>Watching ducks</title>
    <learningContentbody>
        <lcInstruction>
            <p>Read this to learn more about what you need to have a 
               satisfying duck-watching experience.</p>
        </lcInstruction>
    </learningContentbody>
    <task id="how_to_watch_ducks">
        <title>How to watch ducks</title>
        <taskbody>
            <steps id="steps_watching_ducks">
                <step>
                    <cmd>Choose a location to watch ducks.</cmd>
                </step>
                <step>
                    <cmd>Pick a field guide to identify the ducks.</cmd>
                </step>
            <step>
                <cmd>Find some good optics.</cmd>
            </step>
                </steps>
        </taskbody>
    </task>
</learningContent>

There are several benefits to embedding a topic within a <learningContent> topic:

Reuse. If you need to reuse content in your training materials, embedding topics allows you to use that content as written rather than restructuring it into learningContent-specific elements. Embedding topics can be especially useful for training departments that reuse a lot of content from other departments, such as tech comm or sales.
Control. The <lcInstruction> element in the body of a <learningContent> topic allows a limited element set. Embedding another topic type inside the <learningContent> topic allows you to use its element set instead. For example, you cannot use the <steps> element inside <lcInstruction> for step-by-step instruction, but the <steps> element is available inside an embedded task topic.
Flexibility. You can embed more than one topic into the body of a <learningContent> topic, which adds flexibility to your <learningContent> topics. For example, you might embed a concept topic to explain an idea to your students, and then embed a task topic to provide hands-on instructions to enhance their understanding of that concept.

Practice

Open the file lesson3/lc_task_exercise_start.dita and use it to convert the following content from a LearningDITA course, The DITA task topic type, into a DITA <learningConcept> topic with an embedded task.
Creating a new task topic
At a minimum, the task topic must contain a <task> root element (with an id
attribute) that contains a <title> element.
Following the <title> element and an optional <shortdesc> element, a
<taskbody> element contains the task content. The elements within the
<taskbody> conform to a specific order. This course presents the elements of the
<taskbody> in the order in which they must occur.
1. Make a copy of the file l_task_start.dita and open it in your editor.
  If you are using a DITA-aware text editor, make sure you are in text
  mode, rather than author or visual mode.
2. Inside the <title> element, update the text of the task title.
3. After the <title> element, add a <taskbody> element.
  The <taskbody> element contains all the actual content in the task.
  This is the essential part of a DITA strict task topic. The rest of this
  lesson shows you how to add the first two child elements to the
  <taskbody> element.
Check your file lesson3/lc_task_exercise_start.dita against the completed sample file lesson3/lc_task_exercise.dita

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Practice

Creating a new task topic

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