We all create training for a variety of different reasons and purposes. You might create an informational module for users to peruse at their leisure. You might have a mandatory, annual compliance training. Or, you might have an urgent product update that everyone needs to review by the end of the week.
We recognize there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ when it comes to due dates, so we have created many options from which you can choose for any training need.
Standard Start Date & End Date
How it Works: You pick the days on the calendar when the training will start and when the training will end. Anyone who does not complete the training by the due date will fail*. If a user fails, he will no longer have the opportunity to complete this training. Once the due date has passed, you will not be able to assign this Lesson Plan to new users.
When to use it: Use this option when you need a firm end date. Often, the end date is related to another event. Perhaps this is pre-training for an in-person meeting, and anyone who does not complete the elearning on time is not allowed to attend. Maybe the information in the training will expire and no longer be relevant past the due date.
*Users will only fail if the course is set to expire. See #4 below.
No End Date
How it works: You choose the calendar “Set Date” option, but you do not select an end date. This Lesson Plan will never expire, and you can always assign this training to new users.
When to use it: Use this option when you want to give your users the most flexibility to complete their training.
Duration
How it works: You choose the option to “Set Days” and enter a number of days. Every user, no matter when he is assigned, will have the same number of days to complete the assignment.
When to use it: This is a great option for New Hire training. You might have a standard set of training every new employee needs to complete, and you would like them to complete it in a certain number of days. The training will never expire and can always be assigned to new users. However, any user that does not complete the training within the timeframe will fail.*
*Users will only fail if the course is set to expire. See #4 below.
Course Set to Expire
How it works: If you use a due date (on the calendar or number of days) you can choose if users will really fail if they do not complete the training within the timeframe. If you do not set the course to expire, users will not fail. Rather, their status will now say OVERDUE, and they will still have the opportunity to complete the training. If you do set the course to expire, any user who has not completed the training by the due date will fail.
When to use it: Choosing not to set a course to expire is a great option if you want to give users a due date (this can be very motivating), but you do not want them to fail and you want them to complete the training – even after the due date has passed. This is a nice, flexible option. Choosing to set a course to expire is the stricter option. All users who have not completed the course will fail and they will no longer have the opportunity to complete the training.
Extension Days
How it works: If you create a course with a due date that is set to expire, you have the option to grant extension days. These are days past the due date during which users still have the chance to complete the training. You can choose to notify users if they have been given extension days or not.
When to use it: If you need to have a firm due date, but you are willing to allow a set number of extra days, then this is a great option. For example, you have an in-person class, and you really want all users to complete some eLearning BEFORE they come. However, you are willing to allow them to complete it during the in-person class. If they haven’t completed the eLearning by the end of the in-person class, they should fail. This would be a great time to use extension days.
Questions? We want to hear about your training needs!
Contact your account manager or post your questions in the comments.
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