Easy Course Creation - Course Creation Workflows
The easy course creation module offers the possibility to define differently configured course creation workflows, to cover different use cases, starting from a simple configuration including course details, to more complex ones, allowing adding content, and participants. In addition, by using the workflow usage options, the workflow can be adjusted to be used by learners in recording external courses they have participated in or that are requesting participation to.
Creation Steps of the Course Creation Workflow
New → Set up a new Workflow
The “Course creation workflow” manager provides the possibility to create new workflows, define their usage it, enable or disable a set of steps, and define step-specific configurations.
A navigation entry can be added by creating a new Default menu (Navigation/Create/Menu), choosing Course creation workflow as a default menu type, and the course_creation identifier.
The Workflow ID can be specified when creating a navigation entry of this type.
By default, the following steps are active: Choose template and course details, Add content, Add participants, and the Course overview
Workflows can be removed, duplicated, or edited. A workflow name and description can be provided.
Each step can be edited, and a step name and description can be provided. The text defined as the subtitle for the workflow will be the text displayed as a workflow name in the front end. For each step, the name and the description will be displayed to the user while navigating through the steps in the workflow.
Workflow Use
There are three usages currently available for selection:
Course creation by the manager
When this usage is selected, the courses created by using the workflow will be created as internal courses. The creator will not be automatically assigned to the course.External course recording by the learner
When this usage is selected, the course creation process using the workflow will only allow the creation of external courses, based on external course templates. For this type of usage, dates in the future are not allowed. If the enrolment type of the course is set without confirmation, the user who is creating the external course using this workflow is automatically set to pass. Any of the other enrolment types will result in a Requested state.External course request by learner
When this usage is selected, the external course creation process will not have restrictions based on the course start and end date.
If the enrolment type of the course is set without confirmation, the user who is creating the external course using this workflow is automatically set to the enrolled status. Any of the other enrolment types will result in a requested state.
General Workflow Behaviour
In the front end, all steps in the workflow have an indicator in the header, allowing the user to identify the remaining number of steps and also which steps have been completed.
The user can navigate back in the workflow by selecting the corresponding step, once that step is completed. It is not possible to navigate forward via the indicators without first saving the current step. Once a template is selected and the course details are filled in and saved, the course will be created. Navigating back to step 1 to choose a different template will have an effect on the creation of a new course.
A detailed description of what each step covers can be found below.
Workflow Steps to be Followed While Creating a Course
Step 1: Choose a Course Template
For a course template to be available in ILP for the Easy course creation, this will have to have both check-boxes for "Available in external applications" and "To use in workflow for course creation" marked.
ACLs are required for a course template in order for the template to be visible in the selection list.
Details for each available course template can be seen using the arrow from the bottom right corner of each template.
A maximum of 10 Course templates are displayed at first, but the user has the option to display more using the "More" button.
A search option is available to search for a particular template.
If only one template is chosen for the workflow, the "Choose template" step will be skipped in the course creation process and the workflow starts with the Course details step, based on the provided template.
The Template selection step can be configured as follows:
It can be defined that a unique template can be used with this workflow. This means that the template selection step is skipped for the user and the creation starts with the predefined template. This requires that users have access rights to the given template.
It can be defined which display mode the template list should have: Either one tile per row or three tiles per row.
It can be defined that the search field is hidden.
It can be defined how many search results should be displayed at once.
It is only possible to create courses via the Easy Course Creation from single language templates.
Step 2: Fill in the Course Details Based on the Selected Template
Based on the course template selected in Step 1, the details of the course will be populated with the default values set from template. The user has the possibility to modify the editable meta tags with the correct data suitable for the course.
The meta tags are visible in this section based on the following values, defined for the course level: Requires (highlighted with a *), Editable, and Not editable.
When saving the changes at this level, the course will be created.
Step 3: Additional Information
The Additional information step allows the course meta tags which are available in the course creation to be split into two steps. This allows as an example that the first step is used for mandatory meta tags, while the second step is used for optional meta tags.
While it would be possible at step level to add more meta tags than what is configured for the template, the template definition will have priority, so only meta tags which are set with the corresponding edit-ability type will be shown.
If defined for this workflow step, the learner can enter certifications and skills that he has acquired for this course. The certifications and skills are displayed based on the clearances. If configured an externally gained certificate can be uploaded . Certification and skills are credited to the user after the participation status for the course has been set to completed.
Note: If courses are to be assigned skills and certifications when they are created, it should be noted that the template on which the creation process is based has the “skills” and “certifications” tabs.
Step 4: Add Content to the Course
This step can only be activated for workflows with usage: Course creation by manager. It is not enabled for external course creation workflow usage.
This step is accessible with the condition that the user has the ACLs to access the Course progress (Administrator)report.
Based on the course template selected in Step 1, the list of contents will be populated, organized in folders. Only first-level folder structure is currently supported.
When editing this step, it can be specified whether users can create folders, whether they can add content and whether they can create new content. In case all of the options are configured, the user can add additional folders, or remove existing ones, and can add content to existing or new folders by selecting from a list of items, based on ACLs. For each element, details can be viewed.
Multiple elements can be added at once to the course. It is possible to remove elements one by one. The media items can be rearranged by drag and drop. Once this step is complete, the user can navigate to the next step by saving the changes. Beside media test and feedbacks can also be added.
It is possible to add any type of media to the course, with the exception of Adobe Meetings and Recordings, as a current limitation.
Furthermore the user can create new content via the easy media upload function.
Easy Media Upload | Steps to configure Easy Course Creation “Easy Media Upload”
Step 5: Add Participants to the Course
Can not be enabled for external course creation workflow usage. This step allows the user to add participants to the course, either individually or by group. Both selection lists are generated based on the clearances of the logged-in user. A list displaying all available participants is shown, where newly added participants can be removed. After saving the changes, participants added by mistake can be cancelled by using the Cancellation form. By an additional configuration to allow changing the enrolment status of the participants, this function is made available for participants who already have a status on the course (in edit mode, after saving newly added participants)
Step 6: Add Tutors
It is also possible to add tutors to courses created via the Easy course creation. It is however not possible to edit any settings related to the tutors such as Allow grading or On the job training or defining the role of the tutor.
Step 7: Course Overview
The last step in the workflow is an overview section where the user can review all the changes he made. The page is structured in the following sections: Course details, Content, and participants. If there are corrections required, he can navigate to the corresponding step in the workflow by selecting the Edit button (pencil) associated with each section.
Manage Courses (ECC)
The courses created via the Easy course creation workflow can be managed in the Manage courses section. It is possible to assign a different workflow for the editing of courses. Based on the workflow usage, the list of courses displayed in the list will be split either to show internal courses or external courses. Only a compatible workflow (with the correct usage defined) can be used for editing a certain course. When using a workflow definition for the Manage courses section, it can be configured that the courses are split into separate tabs, based on their planning status.
Note: External courses requested or recorded by learners are only shown in the course manager if configured under “Configuration → Course/ Learning path → Show external courses”. When ticked external courses that are requested and/or recorded by learners will be displayed in the “Admin → Content → Course administration → Courses” function where administrators will be able to edit to make changes.
Configuration Manager - Course/Learning Path