Course Setup

• Who Can Use Ability LMS?

  The ORRS training compliance system (AbilityLMS) licensing allows for all employees, students, FPID holders, and guests affiliated with MSU requiring compliance training.  

  The Ability LMS excels at compliance training:

  • training that is required prior to conducting certain activities, before getting access to hazardous equipment, to maintain sensitive job roles,...
  • periodic refresher training (needing automated email reminders of due dates)
  • programs that allow selecting a course/s from from several options
  • programs that require pre-requisite course/s in order to enroll
  • reports on current training compliance status
  • self-paced online courses, scheduled classroom instruction, zoom webinars, hands-on, or competency-based coaching, in-unit professional development
    
    

  New Training Programs

  ORRS will consider hosting other units' training programs or combining training courses into "Tracks" if it supports ORRS's mission to assist with improving compliance with laws, regulations, MSU policies, and standards for research, teaching, and other University activities, and as our resources allow. Proposals for new courses are promptly reviewed. Contact the helpdesk for instructions early in the design process to ensure your course meets minimum standards or is not already covered by another course. 

  • New Course Proposal Form (DOCX)
• Change Course Properties

  Because other training programs and other campus systems reference course data, it is important to not make changes to course titles, course ID, or several other properties without evaluating the impact.

  Contact the helpdesk with your request and we can explore ways to accomodate required changes. 

  To change course equivalencies, prerequisites, or waivers, contact the helpdesk to discuss options. Ability LMS provides flexibility in structuring your training program. 

• Request New On-Site or Zoom Location

  Contact ORRS.train@msu.edu for addition of new on-site classrooms or new Zoom webinar/meeting links.

Course Types in Ability

Training, education, and job resources can be delivered in Ability system in many formats. If your training will be delivered in multiple ways, you will have a courseID for each delivery method. The title of the courses should be very similar or can be identical. For example:

• Fish Basics - Self-Paced Online
• Fish Basics - Instructor-Led

• Scheduled Training (ILT)

  Classroom events for instructor-led training participation. ILT courses are used to create re-occurring events on the Calendar.

  Guides:

  • Full Scheduled (ILT) Training Guide - 21 pages (PDF)
• Scheduled Virtual Training (ILTVC)

  The Virtual Course type is the most secure way to conduct Zoom webinars. Email confirmations and reminders do not include the Login information. Instead, learners login to Ability and go to their Enrollment page to use the Join Session button which hides the login link (screenshot image). 

  New Virtual Courses with the same title and objectives as an existing course in Ability do not need additional approval. Send the Ability Support Desk requests for access. Send any new Zoom webinar/meeting links and the passwords to Ability that you want use.

  See Scheduled Events

• SCORM (SCO) Courses

  SCORM courses are developed using 3rd-party software such as Camtasia, Captivate, Lectora, Inspire, Storyline, etc. to produce a portable set of files that may include slides and quiz in a single package.

  SCORM courses in development can be tested in the Test Training Area.

  Guide: Working with SCORM Courses (PDF)

• General Online (WBT) Courses

  Instructions and content that are delivered through a video, PDF, online quiz, link to a website or any combination of online activities. Generic can also be used to document the transfer of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) knowledge to your audience.

  Guides:

  • Updating a Course Video File (PDF)
  • Working with YouTube Videos (PDF)

Assessments

A variety of assessments of skills and knowledge including multiple-choice, multiple-select, T/F,  can either be included when designing SCORM packages or added to courses within Ability. New courses require assessment of learners' resulting skills and knowleldge.

• Set Up Ability Assessment

  Trainers can set up questions and answers within Ability to test knowledge for a course (image). 

  Navigate to Manager Menu > Courses > Questions Pool tab. Add your questions and then add Answers in a second pop-up window. 

  Once your question pool is created, use the Assessment tab to create one or more assessments that draw from your pool of possible questions. Having extra questions means that you can randomly select a subset of the questions available. This makes a quiz a little shorter and along with randomizing the questions, makes it difficult to cheat. 

  
  

   

  Guide: Online Assessments (PDF)