External Learning Requests
✋ This article specifically refers to Admins creating External Learning which members then go to and make a request to attend or be recognised for already have attended that learning ( or similar).
To view how Members can create their own external learning request view this article.
Config.
In Config. there are Permissions settings to display to standard users Let's Create as well as allow the user to have a secondary way to create external learning. Permission settings are shown in the image below. In Config, under Company Setup > Permissions when 'Allow only admins to see Let's Create' is checked and 'Allow Members to submit external learning requests' is unchecked only Admins will be able to create external learning. If 'Allow Members to submit external learning requests' is ticked, members whilst not seeing Let's Create will have a secondary way to make requests for future and recognition of prior achievement for external learning.
About External Learning
External learning occurs outside of Cognise. The learning could be a Conference, a workshop, an online course, a licence, professional development, or a qualification learning undertaken at a tertiary education provider like a University. Typically [not always] it will be for some known learning occurring in the future and the learning itself takes place outside of Cognise. Sometimes, a person has completed learning at some previous date and they wish that to be recognised. This is normally known as Recognition of Prior Learning [RPL]. Cognise allows members and admins to create external learning objects and for members to express interest or request recognition.
Admins can create external learning, set an approval [or not], request verification of attainment [or not] and they may wish to capture interest and report on the learning later.
For example, there may be a conference coming up where Admins suspect a number of staff may wish to attend. The conference also has a fee. HR and L & D may wish for the approval process to be formalised and decide to create the external Conference in Cognise and put in relevant details, as well as the conference URL They then place an approval on the learning and in this case, notify staff they think might be interested and best match the external learning.
The admins [or designated approver] can capture interest, approve [or decline]. They can also request to verify attendance by having the member upload proof of attendance. This then gets credited on the member's learning record.
Creating External Learning
Under Let's Create, Admins click the right icon External.
This will bring up a new External Learning creation page. Admins step through the main fields like they would with other learning.
The main page displays these fields:
Name - the name of the learning
Learning Type - select one of the four - Conference, Online, Workshop, Higher Education
Skill Type - select the category of skill this learning best matches e.g., Leadership
Banner
Dates - start and end dates [which could be the same day]
Duration - the length of time allocated eg 3 days if a conference might be applicable
What You'll Learn - describes the learning. This might even be pasted in from an external page featuring the learning.
Key Learning Outcomes - general or specific learning objectives. This might even be pasted in from an external page featuring the learning.
Cost - if there is a fee select and type.
Website URL - this is the learning's own website, or a page that your members can go learn more about the learning.
Advanced options displays these fields:
Approval Settings -
Require Approval to Enrol - whether this learning requires approval
Who Approves - if approval is required, by who. The Manager, or a designated person ['the Approver'].
Completion Settings
Require Verification - set whether after completing/attending it needs to be verified. For example, some completes an external driver's licence and admins want to see a scanned copy of the certificate [verification].
Valid Completion Period - for the example above it might be 365 days until renewal when it expires and the member is notified prior.
Certificate of Completion - whether you wish to award a certificate on completion of the learning.
Members Accessing External Learning
When admins create external learning members can filter in the library on the Type External. Like all learning types, they click on a card and go to the learning page. On the page they will see information relating to the external learning.
The page may be display a button 'Request to Take' which brings up a modal form for the member to complete and submit. Alternatively, if they have already completed the learning or something similar they can request recognition which also brings up a form for them to complete and verify the learning achievement.
Options
There is a lot of flexibility for admins in setting up external learning. They can set an an approval or not, they can set verification or not and have it totally open. So, let's take a look at the main use cases. External Learning created by Admins has settings for all of the following scenarios:
The external learning is being created to show members it is there and no approval is required. The member can choose to attend and self-credit later they did. This is the most open form of external learning.
The external learning is being created to show members who do not need approval to attend, however later if they wish to have the learning credited to their learning record they will need to upload a file to verify they attended, or completed something similar. The same request process for for Recognition of Prior Learning is used for completing external then returning and verifying.
The external learning has some associated cost [time away and/or a fee] and requires an approval [their manager, or a designated person] and post attendance needs the member to verify they have attended.
Recognition of Prior Learning
A member may have already attended or completed an external learning, course, workshop, etc and wish to have this learning recognised. On the external learning page created by admins, they select prior learning and complete the process.
What happens if the external learning does not exist?
Admins need to choose whether they wish to allow Members to create their own external learning requests. As above External can appear to members under Let's Create and/or in a secondary position under Edit Profile.
This member workflow to create external learning is slightly different. The external learning if it does not exist will be created but not published in a catalog seen by other members. If the external learning is placed in a catalog in the library others can see this learning and make a request. Members can make a request via the learning page or also independently go through the same member request workflow, find the learning and make a formal request (to attend, or to be recognised). To view how Members create an external learning request view this article.
Approving Requests
Like other forms of learning requests can be actioned at the learning or under the Requests tab on the main menu.
