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Assignments: Overview

Convergence Training Support
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Article Links Introduction | Best Practices | Assignments and Electives Comparison | Assignments: Scheduling Options | Assignments: Scheduling Tools |

Qualifications and Training Programs are the same feature in the LMS. Qualification is the term used in the Enterprise LMS. Training Program is the term used in the MSHA LMS.

 

INTRODUCTION

The LMS allows you to assign one or more activities or qualifications/training programs to one or more users, organization units or teams.

When training is assigned, the activities are REQUIRED to be completed by a user. Assign training appears on the user's Training tab.

There are two types of assignments:

Basic Scheduling allows the LMS Administrator to create a one-time assignment. Refer to the Assign Training: Basic Scheduling article to learn how to set one-time assignment.

Advanced Scheduling allows the LMS Administrator to setup a recurring assignment and adjust start and due dates for inherited assignments. Refer to the Assign Training: Advanced Scheduling article to learn how to set a recurring assignment.

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BEST PRACTICES

  • Assign training to the highest organization level. For example, assign training to a site instead of 5 departments within the site.
  • Assign training to organization units or groups instead of users. For example, assign training to a team instead of the individual users who are in that team.
    Notes: (1) When you assign training to organization units and groups, users will automatically inherit the assignment when they are added to the unit or group at a later date. (2) Assigning training to an organization unit or group makes the assignment easier to troubleshoot. 
  • Before you roll out the LMS to your entire organization, assign training a small subset of your organization such as a team or department.  This will allow you to:
    • Obtain feedback from users on ease of use and monitor questions
    • Obtain feedback from administrators on ease of assigning training and running reports
    • Determine what steps you might need to take before rolling out to a larger segment of your employee population.
  • The best method to set up a recurring assignment is to figure out the Recurring Due Date first and subtract the number of days to complete the assignment to determine the Completion Status Expiration Date.  For example,
    Recurring Due Date Subtract Number of Days to Complete Assignment Completion Status Expiration Date
    December 31 each year 30 days December 1 each year
    December 31 each year 60 days November 1 each year
    December 31 each year 90 days October 2 each year
  • Use the Training Plan Simulator to verify that your advanced scheduling assignment is working as you expect it to. 
  • Use Scheduling Templates to help create recurring assignments.  Scheduling Templates will pre-fill the Completion Status Expiration Date and Recurring Due Date fields for you.

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ASSIGNMENTS AND ELECTIVES COMPARISON

The Express LMS is a basic feature LMS and does not include all the features of a full service LMS. The Express LMS does not include the ability to offer electives.

Assignments and Electives are defined as follows:

Assignment: Activities and qualifications/training programs assigned to users, organization units, or groups that REQUIRE completion by the learner.

Electives: Activities and qualifications/training programs offered to users, organization units or groups that allow users the OPTION to enroll in the activities or qualifications/training programs they choose.  

The chart below compares an assignment and an elective:

     Assignments      Electives
  • Appear on the Training tab
  • REQUIRED: Assignments MUST completed
  • Creates a completion record once the user completes the activities
  • Automatically appears in reports
  • Available for enrollment on the Catalog tab
  • OPTIONAL: MAY choose to enroll and complete
  • Creates a completion record once the user completes the activities
  • Does NOT automatically appear in reports

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ASSIGNMENTS: SCHEDULING OPTIONS

There are two scheduling options:

Basic Scheduling: Allows you to assign training and set scheduling dates that include: Start Date, Due Date, and End Date. You can also manage how the LMS handles previous completions. Refer to the Assign Training: Basic  Scheduling article for more information on this scheduling option

Advanced Scheduling: Allows you to assign training and set scheduling dates and in addition, provides a method to:

  • Set Recurrent Training Dates:  For training that is required to be completed semi-annually, annually or on some other schedule.
  • Set Options for Inherited Assignments: Adjust dates for learners who receive the assignment at a later date. For example, new hires and transfers from one department to another.

Refer to the Assign Training: Advanced Scheduling article for more information on this scheduling option.
Note: If your basic or advanced scheduling assignment includes a Class, please refer to the Assign Training: Classes article to learn how to assign any training that includes a class.

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ASSIGNMENTS: SCHEDULING TOOLS

There are two scheduling tools to assist with using the advanced scheduling feature.

  • Scheduling Templates: Allows you to select from a series of pre-configured assignment scheduling dates. Refer to the Assign Training: Scheduling Templates article for more information on this scheduling tool.
  • Training Plan Simulation: Allows you to see what an assigned learner’s Training tab (in particular the Due Date and Completion Status) would look like for any future, hypothetical date entered given the schedule you have created.  Refer to the Assign Training: Training Plan Simulation article for more information on this scheduling tool.

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