Learner Groups: A Guide to Managing Groups in Your LMS
Our Learning Management System (LMS) lets you manage your Learner Groups with ease. This article will guide you through the layout and functionalities related to groups.
The Basics
- The ability to view groups is based on the level of administrative access. This feature is useful for admins who oversee multiple departments or locations within an organization.
- Groups are defined by their attributes. These attributes are evaluated against the learner's profile attributes to determine which group(s) the learners will be assigned
Searching and Listing Groups
You may have access to multiple groups within your organization depending on your level of access. View a list of all the groups you have access to by navigating to Learners on the left menu, then to the 'Groups' section. There is a search function to locate a specific group quickly.
Removing and Reordering Groups
If you need to remove a group, simply click on the group, and select the trashcan icon. You can also reorder your groups by selecting the "edit content display priority" box on the right, select the drag/drop icon and move them to the desired location. Note the "order" will not change at the main groups screen, ie when you toggle off "edit content display priority," the listing will show the original column sorting.
Group Banner and Picture
The group banner displays essential information, showing the number of group members and total amount of learning paths assigned to the group. You can also customize the group banner by selecting the pencil icon to add, change, or remove the group picture. On the learner site, the group picture appears near the top left next to the primary logo.
Adding and Configuring a Group
To add a new group, click on 'Add Group,' and input the required fields, such as group name and description. Then, configure the custom attributes specific to your LMS. The custom attributes are added via a dropdown menu. Once they're listed as an attribute, you can select the specific values of that attribute, or, all values under that attribute using the toggle.
Once added, you can configure the group by selecting the 'Configuration' tab. Here, you can edit basic information, such as the group name and description.
Group Attributes and Learner Profile Fields
Learner profile attributes are evaluated against group attributes to determine group membership. Groups in turn get assigned Learning Paths. Therefore, ensuring that group attributes are well thought out is the best way to ensure all existing and future learners get assigned the desired learning paths.
Within a group, multiple attributes can interact to determine the inclusion of learners based on their profile attributes. Each attribute represents a key characteristic or attribute of a learner's profile, while the values within the attribute represent specific options or categories within that attribute. The interaction between these attributes is essential for accurately funneling learners into relevant groups.
When a single attribute has multiple values, the grouping process follows a "this or that" logic. If learners possess any one of the values within that attribute, they are eligible to be included in the group.
Example: Consider the attribute "Department" with values "IT" and "Development". Learners from either the IT or Development department will be assigned to the group because it is sufficient for learners to have either one of the two values.
When multiple attributes are considered, the grouping process follows a "this and that" logic. Learners must meet the criteria for all the specified attributes in the group to be included.
Example: Consider a learner named Joe who is in the "Development" department and belongs to the "Blue" color. If a group requires both the "Development" department and the "Blue" color, Joe would be included because he satisfies both criteria.
Assigning and Unassigning Learning Paths
Learning Paths can be directly assigned and unassigned to groups by selecting the "choose a learning path to assign" dropdown, or, selecting the trashcan icon to the right of the learning path name respectively.
Note also the "Hire Date From" section, which can be utilized to hone in on specific learners within a group. It can be used potentially for onboarding new learners, they focus on that learning path first provided said learners are within the hire date.
(include importance of saving and required vs elective)
Marking Learning Paths as Required or Elective
When assigning learning paths to a group, you can mark them as required or elective. Hire Date can also be set for Required learning paths. This feature ensures that learners complete all mandatory learning paths before moving on to optional ones.
Managing learner groups within Knowledge Anywhere has never been easier. We hope this article has provided helpful insights into the functionalities of managing groups and their associated learning paths. For additional support, please contact our customer success team.