This article focuses on creating and managing learning programs.
TOPICS
Introduction to Programs
Programs are a great way of structuring a learner's learning path to further drive learning. This involves organizing a series of courses that must be completed in order to fulfill a curriculum or compliance.
Programs group courses to support a linear or conditional progression through them. For example, learners must complete 'Introduction to WHMIS' to begin the 'Health and Safety Intro Course,' or learners must complete both 'Introduction to WHMIS' and the 'Health and Safety Intro Course' before beginning 'Workplace Health and Safety.'
A program often includes completion dates and time frames for enrolled learners to complete each stage of the program. Customised messages and reminders can also be configured to be automatically sent to enrolled learners and their managers.
Learners can be enrolled in programs based on their particular organisation, position, or job assignment, or if they belong to a specific audience. Each group can have different completion criteria set if required.
Creating a New Program
1. Go to Site Administration > Programs.
2. Click the 'Add a new program' button, at the bottom of the page. You will then be redirected to the 'Create new program' page.
3. Select which course category your program will belong in from the 'Category' drop-down menu.
4. Enter the program name in the 'Full name' field.
5. Create a unique program short name in the 'Short name' field.
6. If necessary, you can enable both an 'Available From' and 'Available Until' date.
Enabling an 'Available From' date will result in the program being visible to learners on the specified date. Enabling an 'Available Until' date will result in learners being unable to access the program after the specified date.
7. If necessary, you can also add a Summary to provide learners with a program description. You can also upload summary files, such as relevant images or files related to the program.
8. If necessary, you can also add an Endnote to be displayed to the learner once they have completed the program.
9. In the 'Audience-Based Visibility' section, you can determine which audiences can see your program. Select your desired audiences in the 'Visibility' drop-down menu.
NOTE
Audience-Based Visibility is only available for those with Direct Access to Lambda Learn.
If you select 'Enrolled users and members of the selected audiences,' then you can select these additional audiences by clicking on the 'Add visible audiences' button.
10. In the 'Appearance' section, you can select a program icon and upload a program image.
TIP
The program image will be used as the primary image in the Lambda Store, with the option to add additional images once the program is synchronised into the Store. Click here if you would like to learn more about preparing your programs for sale.
11. Once you are complete, click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
Editing Your Program
When a program is first created, it is not immediately live for learners to see. There are still other settings that need to be configured before learners can be enrolled.
Once one or more learners are enrolled, then the certification will become live.
After you initially finish creating your program, you will be redirected to its editing page. There are five other tabs for you to edit.
Editing Overview: Content
The 'Content' tab shows any set of courses or competencies within the program.
Adding sets of courses or competencies creates the program's learning path. Once multiple sets have been created, set dividers are employed to allow the creation of sequences or dependencies between each set.
1. In the 'Add...' drop-down menu, you can select whether you would like to add a set of courses, competency, or recurring course to your program. Once this has been selected, click the 'Add' button.
In this example, we will be adding two different sets of courses.
2. Select the necessary courses for your first course set. Once you have chosen these courses, click OK at the bottom of the page.
3. Your first course set will then appear listed on the page as an 'Untitled set.'
In the 'Set name' field, add an appropriate course set name.
In the 'Learner must complete' drop-down menu, select the amount of courses that a learner must complete in order to complete the set.
Selecting 'Some courses' will prompt you to fill in the 'Minimum courses completed' field and select an option from the 'Course score field' drop-down menu.
In the 'Minimum time required' section, you can determine the minimum time required for a learner to realistically complete this course set.
You can also edit the courses in your course set by using the up and down arrows 
to change how they are arranged, using the delete icon 
to remove them, and clicking on the 'Add course' button to add additional courses.
4. Once you are complete editing your first course set, you can add another one by clicking on the 'Add' button on the bottom of the page.
5. Once you have multiple course sets, you can change the way that they are arranged to be completed through using two options.
In between each course set, you can select whether learners complete the following set alongside the previous one, subsequently after the previous one, or in whichever manner they choose by using the 'Then...' drop-down menu.
At the upper-right corner of each course set section, you can determine how the course sets are arranged on your program page by clicking either 'Move Up' or 'Move Down.' If you would like to remove a particular course set, you can also click 'Delete.'
6. Once you are complete, click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
Editing Overview: Messages
The 'Messages' tab is used to create automated messages that can be emailed to all learners assigned to a program. An optional message for managers of each assigned learner can also be added, depending on the message type selected.
1. In the 'Add...' drop-down menu, select your desired message type and click the 'Add' button.
Enrolment: To be sent to the learner when they are assigned to the program.
Exceptions Report: To be sent to site administrators when there are new exceptions on the program.
Un-Enrolment: To be sent to the learner if they are unenrolled from the program.
Program Due: To be sent to the learner a set period of time before they are due to complete the program.
Program Overdue: To be sent to the learner when the program completion date has passed.
Program Completed: To be sent to the learner when they complete the program.
Course Set Due: To be sent a set period of time before the current course set is due.
Course Set Overdue: To be sent a set period of time after the current course set is due.
Course Set Completed: To be sent whenever a course set is completed.
Learner Follow-Up: To be sent to a learner a set period of time after they have completed the program.
2. Create an appropriate subject line and add your desired text for your message.
3. If necessary, you can enable 'Send notification to manager' to send an additional notification to the learner's manager. You can also create a separate subject line and text for this message. If a learner has multiple job assignments with more than one manager, the message will be sent to all managers.
NOTE
The Send Notification to Manager feature is only available for those that have Direct Access to Lambda Learn, and requires an HR Import setup.
4. Once you are complete, click Save Changes at the bottom of the screen.
Editing Overview: Completion
The 'Completion' tab allows you to manage and edit a learner's progression through a program. If enabled, you have the ability to complete many tasks, such as:
- Manually change a learner's current completion record.
- Add, edit, or delete program history for learners, even if they are no longer assigned.
- View a full audit trail of all changes made to a learner's program completion records.
- Identify any program records that contain problems.
To edit or amend a particular learner's program completion record:
1. Find your desired learner, and click on the corresponding 'Edit completion record' link.
2. If you would like to amend a learner's current completion status, select a new status from the 'Status' drop-down menu.
3. If you would like to set a new program due date for the selected learner, first enable a new due date and click the calendar icon to set a new due date and time.
4. Once you are complete, click Save Changes.
5. Scroll down and expand the 'Completion history' section if you would like to add or amend a learner's completion history.
Click on the 'Add History' button to amend the learner's program completion date.
Click on the cog icon 
to edit a particular record, or click on the delete icon to remove it.
Editing Overview: Assignments
NOTE
The Assignments feature is only available for those who have Direct Access to Lambda Learn. Creating organisations, positions, or audiences will also require an HR Import Setup.
Learners can also be assigned into your program through purchasing it in the Lambda Store.
The 'Assignments' tab is used to select learners who should complete the program. Learners can be assigned by organisation, position, audience, and/or manually. Once learners are assigned to a program, they will be provided access to enrol in each selected course.
Assigning by Organisation or Position
1. In the 'Add...' drop-down menu, select Organisations or Positions. Then, click the 'Add' button.
2. Click on the 'Add organisations to program,' or 'Add positions to program' button.
3. Browse through all of the hierarchies available in the system, or search for a specific one. Click on the name of the hierarchy to include it under Items to add.
4. Once you have selected your desired hierarchies, click OK at the bottom of the screen.
Assigning by Audience
1. In the 'Add...' drop-down menu, select Audiences. Then, click the 'Add' button.
2. Click on the 'Add audiences to program' button.
3. Browse through all of the audiences available in the system, or search for a specific one. Click on the name of the audience to include it under Items to add.
4. Once you have selected your desired audiences, click OK at the bottom of the screen.
Assigning by Management Hierarchy
1. In the 'Add...' drop-down menu, select Management hierarchy. Then, click the 'Add' button.
2. Click on the 'Add managers to program' button.
3. Browse through all of the managers available in the system, or search for a specific one. Click on the name of a manager to include them under Items to add.
4. Once you have selected your desired audiences, click OK at the bottom of the screen.
Assigning by Individual Learners
1. In the 'Add...' drop-down menu, select Individuals. Then, click the 'Add' button.
2. Click on the 'Add individuals to program' button.
3. Browse through all of the learners available in the system, or search for a specific one. Click on the name of a learner to include them under Items to add.
4. Once you have selected your desired learners, click OK at the bottom of the screen.
Assignment Due Date
Once you have assigned a group of learners to your program, then you must also assign a due date. The due date for learners enrolled in the program must be set using a fixed completion date, or using a time relative to a specified event.
An assignment due date will be assigned to other learners as they join the group. The actual due date cannot be changed if the learner has already completed the program. Learners' actual due dates may differ for various reasons.
To set an assigned due date:
1. Find your desired learner or learner grouping, and click on the corresponding 'Set due date' link.
2. On the 'Completion criteria' page, you can select whether you would like a fixed completion date or Set [a] time relative to event.
If you would like to set a fixed completion date, then click on the calendar icon and set a date and time. Once you are complete, click on the 'Set fixed completion date' button.
If you would like to set [a] time relative to event, then select an event from the drop-down menu and set an appropriate time span. Once you are complete, click on the 'Set time relative to event' button.
3. Once you are complete, click Save Changes at the bottom of the page.
