Course Resources

Resources are curated educational materials that support the learning process for any course delivery method. They include documents, media files, URLs, and custom HTML pages. 

Feature Overview and Requirements 

Quick Facts About Resources

  • Generally, all open file types are accepted, but the use of some may require additional corresponding software/plug-ins to render the content when accessed by a user.
  • There is a file size limit of 360 MB for standard upload. This is an increase from the figure shown in the screen shot.
  • Resources are searchable using the Administration menu or the Navigation page Resources option.
  • They are not recommended for protected content.

Step by Step Procedure and Field Description

Search Resources

All LMS users can search available resources by clicking Resources > Search Resources from the left navigation menu of the Classic Home page or from the Navigation page Resources icon. Search results can be filtered by Keyword, Type, or Category. As with all LMS search pages, click Search using blank criteria to return a list of all active Resources. Results, as shown below, offer the option to launch the resource under the Action column (if applicable). To edit the resource, click the Resource Name link.

Add Resources

Portal Administrators can build a resource catalog customized to their training needs by uploading content (e.g. PDFs, Word, Excel, MP4, WAV) to the LMS and/or providing links to objects such as websites, videos, and more. These educational materials can then be shared with the student community via the searchable resource library, links from specific courses, or “Quick Links” under the left navigation menu.

To create a new entry, click Resources > Add Resource from the left navigation menu. Here are the key parameters that appear on the Add Resource form. Note that asterisks (*) in the form indicate a required field. The example shows a “File” type resource addition.

Provide Access to the Resources

Refer to the option below based on the Type selected.

  • File: Click the Choose File button to upload a file (size limit is 360 MB). Note: When uploading files, please be sure that the path name of the source file is less than 255 characters; otherwise the file name will be truncated and fail to launch properly. To shorten a filename and path, save it to a folder higher in your directory structure. For instance, place it on your C: drive root directory, or create a C:UPLOAD directory to which you can move the file.
  • Link: Insert a fully-qualified URL.
  • Page: Select your content page from the HTML Content drop-down list. These are pages you edited or created from Site Management > Edit HTML.

Contact Information

  • Contact Name and Contact Number are optional fields associated with “Document and Media” resources only.

Click Submit to save the entry.

Edit Resources

Portal Administrators can edit a resource and provide replacement content as needed. From the Administration menu, select Resources > Search Resources, conduct your search, and click on the Resource Name of the item you want to update.

The Resource Details page includes a “Details” tab, which displays read-only information, and a “General Information” tab, which allows you to edit.

For File type resources, you have the option to Replace Document by selecting Yes and uploading a new file. Links and Pages can also be updated.

Click Submit to save changes.

Link a Resource to a Course

When a Resource is designed as support material for a specific course, you can streamline the Student-user experience by associating the resource directly to a course during both the Add and Edit course processes. Once added to a course, the “Course Details” page allows credentialed users, regardless of their enrollment status in the course, to view the list of course resources that are presented as direct links to content.

Portal Administrators can make this customization during the Add Course process by clicking Choose Resource under the General Information section and using the picker to make selections. Resource assignments can be modified at any time by conducting a course search from the left navigation menu (select Courses > Search Courses), opening the Course Details page and editing the course record on the “General” tab, as shown below.

Note that the Content Type is only available when the delivery method is Self-Study and the Resource Content drop-down list is visible when Content Type = Resource. All course delivery methods allow selection of Resources using the Choose Resources option.

Provide Resources in Quick Links and Other Customizable Areas 

Any resource in the catalog can be deep-linked from any of the customizable HTML areas in your LMS. These links direct credentialed users to targeted content or performance support tools, eliminating the need to conduct a search.

Each resource has a unique URL found on the Resource “Details” tab. You can copy and paste the URL into your HTML content using the hyperlink editing tool located in the left navigation menu under Site Management > Edit HTML Content.

In the example below, a “New User Guide” has been added to the Quick Links area under the left navigation menu of the Classic Home page.