Material Versioning - Learning Assignment Types and Behaviors
Whether or not a user automatically receives new versions of a material learning object (LO) that was assigned via a learning assignment is dependent on the assignment type, the Assign New Occurrence option, and Recurrence settings.
Standard Assignments
When creating a standard learning assignment for a material training item, the expected behavior is that all active versions of the material will be assigned to users. If a learning administrator selects a material for the assignment and there are two versions available, both versions are assigned to users' transcripts.
If the Assign New Occurrence option is not selected, users with one existing version of the material are skipped and do not receive another version. If this option is selected, users with an existing version of the material receive a new assignment. This reflects current learning assignment functionality.
Dynamic Assignments
When creating a dynamic learning assignment for a material training item, the expected behavior is that all active versions of the material will be assigned to users. If a learning administrator selects a material for the assignment and there are two versions available, both versions are assigned to users' transcripts. This behavior also applies when a user enters the learning assignment availability after the initial creation of the learning assignment.
If the Assign New Occurrence option is not selected, users with one existing version of the material are skipped and do not receive another version. If this option is selected, users with an existing version of the material receive a new assignment.
Dynamic Recurring Assignments
Dynamic recurring learning assignments ensure that all active versions are assigned to users at the time of recurrence. The material is reassigned to all users included in the assignment, regardless of which material version is on their transcripts. All currently active versions of the material are reassigned.
Dynamic Reassignment Conditions
Learning Assignment Tool rules for dynamic reassignment are always obeyed, but for materials which have been reversioned with Append, additional rules apply. In order for a user to be dynamically reassigned to a material learning object (LO), the following steps must occur:
- The user is assigned the material LO via a dynamic learning assignment. The learning assignment has the Dynamic Removal option enabled.
- A change on the user's user record results in the user no longer meeting the criteria for the dynamic assignment. The material LO is automatically removed from the user's transcript.
- Another change on the user's user record results in the user meeting the criteria for the dynamic assignment again. The user is assigned the material a second time. The following circumstances dictate which material version the user receives:
- If the user was in a pre-registered status for a material when the material was removed from their transcript, the user is upgraded to a newer material version upon registration, after they have been reassigned.
- If the user was is in a post-registered, upgrade-supported status when the material was removed, the user is given the upgraded version when they are reassigned the training.
Dynamic Removal Conditions
When Dynamic Removal is active for a dynamic learning assignment, training in certain statuses equivalent to Not Started and In Progress are automatically removed from users' transcripts when users no longer meet the availability requirements for the assignment.
Training in the following statuses equivalent to Not Started is automatically removed from users' transcripts via dynamic removal:
- Pending Approval
- Pending Approval / Waitlisted
- Pending Approval / Past Due
- Pending Approval / Waitlisted / Past Due
- Approved
- Approved / Past Due
- Registration Pending
- Registration Pending / Past Due
- Registered
- Registered / Past Due
- Registered / Not Available
- Registered / Not Available / Past Due
- Pending Prerequisite
- Pending Prerequisite / Past Due
Training in the following statuses equivalent to In Progress is automatically removed from users' transcripts via dynamic removal:
- In Progress
- In Progress / Past Due
- Incomplete
- Incomplete / Past Due
- Pending Completion Approval
- Pending Completion / Past Due
- Failed
- Failed / Past Due
- Pending Evaluation
- Pending Evaluation / Past Due
- Pending Acknowledgment
- Pending Acknowledgment / Past Due
- Pending Completion Signature
- Pending Completion Signature/Past Due
- Pending Pre-work
- Pending Pre-work/Past Due
- Pending Post-work
- Pending Post-work/Past Due
Dynamic Removal Conditions for Reversioned Materials
- The Learning Assignment Tool only dynamically removes training items that were assigned by the same learning assignment. The Dynamic Removal setting selected for one assignment cannot remove the same training assigned via another assignment.
- The most recent instance of registration defines whether or not dynamic removal applies to a user's training.
- Completed materials are NEVER removed via dynamic removal.
- Materials in any status not listed above are never removed via dynamic removal.
Reversioned Material Behavior Use Cases
Use Case #1: Appended Material Versions - Dynamic Assignment
Mary is a learning administrator at the ABC Life Science Company. She assigns the training, “How To Wash Your Hands” V1 to all manufacturing employees on January 1st, 2016. Any new hires hired in manufacturing after this date will also automatically receive this new version.
Jon is a current manufacturing employee on January 1st, and he receives the training “How To Wash Your Hands” V1 on his transcript.
Mary is informed that the training, “How To Wash Your Hands” will be reversioned, and all employees who already have the training should be trained on the new version before January 1st, 2017, when V1 becomes obsolete. She creates “How To Wash Your Hands” V2 on October 15th, 2016, and pushes it to all users who were previously assigned V1 via dynamic learning assignment.
Jon can access the training, “How To Wash Your Hands” V2 on his transcript, and he also still has access to V1.
After the reversionining, and before the training “How To Wash Your Hands” V1 is obsolete, the new users who are entering the dynamic assignment availability will receive the training, “How To Wash Your Hands” V1 and V2.
Note: This use case also applies to standard learning assignments.
Use Case #2: Appended Material Versions - Standard Assignment
Mary is a Learning Administrator at the ABC Life Science Company. She assigns the training “Basic IV” V1 to all employees in the position of Nurse.
A current appended version of “Basic IV” V2 is also available at the same time, so all nurses receive both versions on their transcripts.
Use Case #3: Dynamic Re-Assignment*
Mary is a learning administrator at the ABC Life Science Company. She assigns the training, “How To Wash Your Hands” V1 to all manufacturing employees on January 1st, 2016. Any new hires hired in manufacturing after this date will also automatically receive this new version.
Andrew is a current employee on January 1st, and he receives the training, “How To Wash Your Hands” V1 in his transcript.
Andrew moves to the Marketing division in April 2017, and is removed from the learning assignment which has the dynamic removal option enabled. The training, "How to Wash Your Hands" is removed from his transcript as a result.
Mary is informed that the training, “How To Wash Your Hands” will be reversioned, and all employees who already have the training must be trained on the new version by January 1st, 2018, when V1 becomes obsolete. She creates “How To Wash Your Hands” V2 on October 15th, 2017, and pushes it to all users who previously received V1 via dynamic assignment.
Andrew moves back to the manufacturing division on January 2nd, 2018, and is reassigned the latest version of “How To Wash Your Hands” V2 on his transcript.
Note: If the two material versions were available at the same time, Andrew would have been reassigned both versions.
Use Case #4: Removal of Appended Versions
On January 1st, 2016, Ryan, an administrator, creates a dynamic learning assignment for a material called, “Product Management 101” V1, and assigns it to the Product OU, which includes a user named Helen.
On June 1st, 2016, Ryan reversions and appends the material, “Product Management 101” to V2.
On August 1st, 2016, Helen transfers to the Marketing OU, and is dynamically removed from the assignment. Both V1 and V2 are removed.