SSELearn Portal^SM

“Learning Management Solution”

APPLICATION DESCRIPTION

Purpose
SSE has developed custom interactive learning solutions for the past 5 years. These solutions were self-contained, deployed over a corporate LAN, or web-based. SSE recognized the need for an intuitive, web-based application to manage learning modules, without the high cost of a full-featured learning management system. Our solution is the SSElearn Portal^SM.

The application is designed to provide organizations with a simple solution to manage AICC and SCORM compliant learning modules, students, and course administration. Because the SSElearn Portal^SM is architected with mainstream Microsoft development tools and is designed to be AICC and SCORM compliant, our clients can be confident that their learning management investment meets industry standards, provides for an open architecture, leverages industry standard tools and is both scalable and maintainable.


Solution Overview
The SSElearn Portal^SM was developed using mainstream web development tools and leading-edge interactive learning development tools from Macromedia (Dreamweaver^TM and Flash^TM). The SSElearn Portal^SM provides course management, learning administration, and management reporting services that provide critical learner information to clients without the high cost of an LMS.

The application provides self service via a globally accessible online portal. Clients can add and administer their own users, view reports, have secure access and custom branding. The SSElearn Portal^SM is not attempting to duplicate the functionality of a full-featured learning management system, but to provide the most cost effective service that enables clients to successfully register and control users, manage training modules, and track learner progress.

Access to the SSElearn Portal^SM is through an ASP model. Additionally, the SSElearn Portal^SM can be purchased, customized and deployed on clients’ intranets (internal use).


Technologies

• Platform - Microsoft .NET architecture (ASP.NET, SQL 2000, IIS)
• Client Side Browser - IE 5.5 or higher
• eLearning Programs - Dreamweaver, Flash and Java script
• Bandwidth Design - minimum 56kbps bandwidth standard
• Hosting Environment
  • Appropriate data center location
  • Dedicated servers for application and database

Features
Security and Access
Security is provided through the use of usernames and passwords. Company administrators approve user access, roles, and groups assigned. The following roles are available:

• Student User
  • Access to functions and modules based on group membership
  • Groups can reflect function, geography, branch, title, or other grouping.
• Client Administrator
  • Administrative functions such as adding or deleting students, resetting passwords, viewing reports, creating groups, and assigning courses.
• Client Student Administrator (a group administrator)
• Perform administrative functions within the group

User Management
All users will log into the systems with a user name and password. Students can access and edit their own registration information. New users can register themselves into the system, through validation with the client administrator. New student user validation is through an automated email to the Client administrator, who clears the user for system access. A second automated email is sent to the user alerting them that their account is active.

SSE administrators can batch user registrations, to facilitate new clients, courses, and students.

Client administrator can add, view, and edit individual user registrations (including resetting passwords). The client administrator can also upgrade users to administrator status or assign groups.

Users access to learning modules may be based on their company and group membership.

Student users can view their course history and the current status of their registration. The system will track which courses students take, their progress within course modules, test scores, and course completion. The system will track the date/time of data updates.

Reporting
All reports are viewable online, and may be downloaded to Microsoft Excel.

Student users can generate the following query views:

• Summary of course progress/completion (all taken and the completion date)
• Client Administrators and Student Managers can generate the following query views and can be printed to a local printer.
• Student Roster Report (per company, listed students and the courses they have accessed)
• List of Registered Employees (per company, all registered employees). User can drill into student registration information.
• Assessment Results (per company and group, by course, by milestone, by student, list required score and actual score). Filter by department (one or all), course (one or all).
• Student Assessment Results (per company and group, by student, by course, by milestone, list required score and actual score). Filter by group (one or all), student (one or all).
• Statistics (per company, select a course. Number of students is displayed, and the mean and median score for each milestone is displayed).

Learner Survey
An optional five-question survey (radio buttons) to be taken by any student upon course completion. One free-text comment field.

Survey is used by SSE as a basis for improving the learning environment.

System Characteristics
A generic portal page where all users enter the system. This page will have SSE branding information, basic instructions for the user to register or login.

A generic user registration page that captures the following information for each user:

• Company Name (or company code)
• Office Location (drop down edit)
• First Name
• Middle Initial
• Last Name
• Nickname, if any
• Department (drop down edit)
• Title
• Email address
• Phone Number
• Desired User Name
• Password
• Group Assignment(s)
• Other optional demographics desired by the client

At least one Client Administrator must be registered by the SSE Administrator prior to the first client user attempting to register.

Following submit on the Registration page, the automatic registration process begins, as described above. Once registration is complete, the user will be able to login to the application.

Branded Company Portal Pages
Student User: Page will show company branding, list of classes available, and a tab to edit registration information. Available classes will depend on the groups assigned to the Student. The student reports will be accessed from this page as well.

Selecting an available class will launch that specific learning module.

Client Administrator: Page will show company branding, list of company courses, and tabs linking to pages to edit student users and the administrator’s own registration information. The client administrator page also displays available reports. All reports are available.

Client Student Administrator: Page will show company branding, list of company courses, and tabs linking to reports. All reports are available except the SSE survey results. Reports are automatically filtered to display only the manager’s department.

Administrator Functions
Client administrators will have additional screen functionality available to them. They will receive Email notification of new user registrations, and must validate new users in order for them to be activated in the system.

Client administrators will have the user registration screen available to them, bypassing the Email validation feature, to allow them to register users. Administrators will be able to edit user roles and all other information, assign groups, and reset passwords. This screen will allow searching on any field name.

Learning Modules (Classes or Courses)
SSE will develop learning modules, for deployment on the site. Modules are customized in content, engagement strategy, aesthetic and overall design, but will share common elements.

Interface with learning modules will be through the SCORM API standard.

The SSElearn Portal^SM accommodates “tracks”, or sequences of courses that must be taken in a certain order. The track provides for one pre-requisite for each course.
The SSElearn Portal^SM will manage content sequencing, and will communicate to the learning modules the order of pages in a lesson. An SSE administrator may change sequencing. Branching will be provided through the eLearning modules.

Course Administration - Courses will be added, deleted, or modified by the SSE administrator.

Courses will be designed to a designated screen size, interfacing with an ASP page that manages the inputs/outputs from the learning module, the database, and other application functions.

All courses will be designed with milestones, unit quizzes, and end of course tests. One version of the tests will be provided for.

Standardized student course activity information will be saved to the database, including:

• Student user name
• Transaction dates
• Start date
• Milestones reached

The system will accommodate book marking (tracking student progress and allowing a return directly to the leave-off point in training. This is done through the tracked milestones.

SSE reserves the right to change and update the functions of the SSElearn Portal^SM at any time.