External Content - Create

External content allows playlist creators to add training to their playlists even if the training is published outside the learning management system (LMS). Creators can add links to videos, books, external online courses, and more.

To add external content to a playlist, go to Learning > Playlists. You must have permission to create playlists and the permission to create external content. Either click the Create New button to create a new playlist, or click the title of an existing playlist to make changes to a previously created playlist.

PERMISSION NAME PERMISSION DESCRIPTION CATEGORY
Course Catalog - Update

Grants ability to manage and edit training items listed in the Course Catalog and also grants access to the Course Console, where training can also be managed and edited. This permission also grants access to the Popular Requests and Highest Rated widgets on the Learning Admin Console (in conjunction with the Learning Admin Console - View permission). This permission also allows administrators to reversion online courses via the Course Console page. This permission also allows administrators to access an Edit Training option for training items included as objectives in Development plans.

This permission can be constrained by OU, User's OU, Training Type, Training Item, Provider, ILT Provider, User's ILT Provider, User, User Self and Subordinates, and User's LO Availability. This is an administrator permission.

Note: Adding an OU constraint and a provider constraint to this permission results in an "AND" statement.

Learning - Administration
Course Catalog - View

Grants access to view the learning objects in the course catalog and enables administrators to view the Course Console and the Popular Requests and Highest Rated widgets on the Learning Admin Console (in conjunction with the Learning Admin Console - View permission). This permission can be constrained by OU, User's OU, Training Type, Training Item, Provider, ILT Provider, User's ILT Provider, and User's LO Availability. This is an administrator permission.

Adding an OU constraint and a provider constraint to this permission results in an "AND" statement.

 Learning - Administration
External Content - Create Grants the ability to create external content. This permission can be constrained by OU or by aspects of the user. When a user creates external content, the availability is determined by the constraints of the permission. This is an end user permission. Learning
Learner Home Grants access to the Learner Home and the Learning Search page. This is an end user permission. This permission cannot be constrained. Learning
Playlists - Create Grants ability to create private Learning Playlists. This permission cannot be constrained. This is an end user permission. Learning - Administration
Playlists - Make Visible

Grants the playlist creator the ability to make their playlists visible to others. This permission can be constrained by OU and User's OU. If this permission is constrained, then only users within the constraints can see the playlist. If this permission is not constrained, all users in the portal can see the Playlist. This is an end user permission.

If this permission is added to a standard security role (Approver, Cost Center Approver, Instructor, Manager, etc.), the constraints of the role are applied to the permission. The users included in the constraints of the role are also the users who can view the playlists made visible by a user with the Playlists - Make Visible permission. If this is not the desired result, add this permission to a non-standard security role to ensure the constraints appropriately limit access to playlists.

 Learning - Administration
Playlists - View Playlists will be visible to users with this permission. The user can search for playlists, follow playlists, and consume training contained within playlists that are available to them. The learning playlists that are visible to a user are not impacted by this permission, but instead is based on the availability of the playlist. This permission cannot be constrained. This is an end user permission. Learning - Administration

External Content

When creating a playlist, you can either add training from within the LMS, or you can add links to external content outside the system if you have the permission to create external content. To add external content to the playlist:

  1. Click the External Content tab at the top of the playlist's structure. Instead of searching for training within the system, you will need to provide a link to the external content you wish to add.
  2. Paste a link to the external content you wish to add into the Paste a link to add to your playlist field. Press the Enter key on your keyboard after entering your link.
  3. The system automatically populates as much information about the external content as possible. If any fields for the external content are blank or incorrect, manually populate the fields. The following fields are available for each external content item:
    • Title - This is the title of the external content. The system attempts to automatically populate this field with information from the provided link. If needed, manually enter the correct title into this field.
    • Description - This is the description of the external content. The system attempts to automatically populate this field with information from the provided link. If needed, manually enter a description into this field.
    • Image - If available, the thumbnail image for the external content is automatically populated. The thumbnail image can be removed by clicking the Remove Image link, and the system substitutes the default training image for external content, as defined in Default Training Image Preferences. See Default Training Image Preferences. . The image displayed for the external content displays for the external content item when users view the playlist. Note: It is not possible to upload a custom image for external content.
    • Content Type - From the drop-down menu, select the media type of the external content. Available media types include:
      • Article
      • Audio
      • Course
      • Document
      • Image
      • Video
      • Website
    • Duration - The Duration fields indicate the number of hours and minutes the external content requires to complete. If available, the system automatically populates this information, but you can manually enter a duration for the external content if needed. Note: The Duration fields only display if Duration fields are enabled via Playlist Preferences.
    • Languages - The Languages drop-down allows you to specify the languages in which the external content is available. The system automatically attempts to populate this field, but if not all available languages are selected, click the drop-down menu and select all applicable languages.
    • Comment - The Comment field allows you to provide an annotation for the external content. This field is limited to 300 characters. This field is optional, but if a comment is provided, it appears to users on the Playlist Details page.
  4. After ensuring all the options for the external content have been correctly configured, click the Add Item button to save the external content to the playlist. Alternatively, if you wish to discard the external content without saving it to the playlist, you can click the Cancel link.

Duplicate Detected when Adding External Content

When a user attempts to add external content to a playlist and the system recognizes that the external content already exists in the Course Catalog, the user is instead redirected to the Add From Catalog tab, where they can instead add the existing external content to their playlist. Providing the user with quick access to the existing external content reduces the opportunity to create duplicate content.

The workflow for a user adding external content that already exists in the system is as follows:

  1. Click the External Content tab at the top of the playlist's structure. Instead of searching for training within the system, you will need to provide a link to the external content you wish to add.
  2. Paste a link to the external content you wish to add into the Paste a link to add to your playlist field. Press the Enter key on your keyboard after entering your link. If the link is a direct URL match for another training item in the system, is a canonical URL match for another training item in the system, or the same YouTube link variety as another training item in the system, the user's new external content will be identified as a duplicate.
  3. If the external content the user is attempting to create is identified as a duplicate, the user is redirected to the Add from Catalog tab, where the original version of the content they are trying to create is pre-populated from the Course Catalog. The user can enter an annotation which will display with the training item in their playlist. The Annotations field is limited to 300 characters.
  4. Click the Add Item button to add the training to the playlist structure. If needed, you can click the Cancel link to discard the training item instead. After the training has been added to the playlist, it displays as a training tile in the playlist's structure.

This process helps to prevent the creation of duplicate external content.

What is a Canonical URL Match?

A canonical URL match is a technical solution for duplicate content. For example, there might be a post or a product which is attached to two categories and exists under two URLs, such as:

  • https://example.com/black-shoes/black-and-red-shoes/
  • https://example.com/red-shoes/black-and-red-shoes/

If both URLs are for the same product, choosing one as the canonical URL tells search engines which URL to display in search results. Canonicals also enable you to direct search engines to the original version of an article. By referencing canonical URLs for external content, the system can help identify duplicate content.

Playlist Structure

After external content has been added to a playlist, it displays as a training tile in the playlist structure. The following information displays for each external content tile:

  • Thumbnail Image - The thumbnail image associated with the external content displays at the top of the training tile.
  • Content Type - This is the content type of the external content, which displays next to the words "External Content."
  • Title - This is the title of the external content.
  • Options - The following options are available for each training tile:
    • Move Content Up - Click this icon to move the content higher in the playlist structure.
    • Move Content Down - Click this icon to move the content lower in the playlist structure.
    • Delete - Click this icon to remove the external content from the playlist structure.
    • Actions - The following additional actions may be available for external content items:

      • Launch - Click the Launch option to launch the external content in a separate window. Note: When a learner clicks the Launch option, they are automatically registered into the training, and the training is added to their transcript.

      • Mark Complete - Click the Mark Complete option to mark the external content complete on your transcript.
      • Add Comment - Click this option to provide or edit the comment for the external content. Comments are limited to 300 characters.
      • Quick Add - The titles of your five most recently updated playlists display as options. Click the title of a playlist to add the external content item to that playlist. A validation message displays at the top of the page when the training has been successfully added to the playlist.
      • Create New Playlist - Click this option to begin creating a new playlist, using this training item as the playlist's first item.
      • Save for Later - Click the option to save the external content for later. The item is saved to the Saved for Later carousel on Learner Home. See Learner Home - Training and Banner Carousels.

For more information about creating a playlist, See Create Playlists.

External Content in Course Catalog and Course Console

After an external content item has been added to a playlist, the external content becomes available as a learning object in Course Catalog Search. From the Course Catalog, administrators can access the Course Console page for the external content, where they can view and edit its metadata, update its availability, and view dashboard reports for the external content.

Course Catalog Search

On the Course Catalog Search page, you can use the Training Type drop-down filter to filter for external content. If you select only the external content training type, only external content items will display in search results below. Metadata for the course can be managed via the Course Console page for the external content, but NOT via the Course Catalog itself. Under the Options drop-down next to external content items in the search result, the following option is available:

  • View as User - Click this option to launch the external content in a new browser window. You can view the external content as a learner.

Note: Course Catalog is only accessible by Administrators.

Course Console

To make edits to an external content item's metadata, click the title of the external content. You will be navigated to the Course Console for the external content. From the Course Console, you can view information about the external content and modify certain fields and settings, including the external content's availability.

Note: Course Console is only accessible by Administrators.

The following Course Console fields display for external content:

  • Title
  • Provider
  • Keywords
  • Description
  • Thumbnail Image
  • Version
  • Active
  • ID
  • Status
  • Created Date
  • Created By
  • Default Language
  • Last Modified Date
  • Language
  • Exclude from Recommendations
  • Availability
  • Training Over Time
  • Training Status
  • Training Statistics

External Content on Learner Home and Learning Search

External content that has been added to a playlist can also be found using Learner Home and Learning Search. External content items appear as training tiles on both pages, with the following information:

  • Thumbnail Image - The image associated with the external content. Clicking the image of the external content navigates you to the Training Details page for the external content.
  • Content Type - The type of external content (i.e. video, website, document, etc.)
  • Training Type - The type of learning object (external content)
  • Title - The name of the external content. Clicking the title of the external content navigates you to the Training Details page for the external content.
  • Duration - The number of hours and minutes required to complete the external content (only visible if configured to be visible via Playlist Preferences)
  • Options - Click the "..." icon to access the following actions:
    • Request (if available) - Click this option to request the external content. This adds the training to the user’s transcript. The page will then refresh to the transcript.
    • Save for Later (if available) - Click this link to save the external content. Saved training items display in the Saved for Later carousel on the Learner Home page.
    • Remove from Saved (if available) - This link is only available if the training has already been saved by the user. Click this link to remove the training item from the Saved for Later section.

External Content on Global Search

External content items can appear in Global Search results, and users can filter search results specifically for external content.

External Content on Learning Transcript

Learners can add external content to their transcripts by requesting it from a playlist, from Learner Home, or from Learning Search. After the external content has been added to their transcript, options are available for managing the content. The following information and actions may be available when the user views an external content item on their transcript:

  • Training type icon - The icon for external content appears for the external content item on the user's transcript.
  • Training Title - Click the training title to launch the external content.
  • Due Date - Due dates cannot be associated with external content, so this field default to "No Due Date."
  • Status - The following transcript statuses may display for external content:
    • In Progress
    • Completed
  • Transcript Actions - The following actions may be available for external content on a user's transcript:
    • Mark Complete - This option moves the external content to a status of Complete. This is the default action for external content. The completion date for the external content is set to the date the training was marked complete.
    • Launch - Clicking the Launch option opens the external content item in a new window.

Note: The View Training Details option, which is available for other learning types, is not available for external content.