SkillPort 6.1 Users Guide
SkillPort Features
Home Page
The Home page appears when you login to SkillPort. It presents summary information
to help you develop your individualized learning plan and track your progress.
You can access all of SkillPort's various features and learning resources from
this page.
Along the left side is a Shortcuts menu that provides access to SkillPort
features and informational pages related to your e-Learning program. The SEARCH-and-LEARN
™ feature is located at the top of the screen. The My Plan
section contains links to the learning events that have been added to your formal
learning plan, either by you or your administrator. The My Favorites area
is where you can store links to certain types of learning events, such as SkillBriefs,
Job Aids, and books, for quick access. The My Report section contains
information regarding the courses you have started and completed. The Company
News scrolling list displays links to various topics relating to news and
learning events relevant to your company. Below is an example of a typical
SkillPort Home page.
Note: Depending on how your SkillPort
site is configured, some of the options described in the following sections may
not be available to you.
Catalog
SkillPort presents learning events in an expandable catalog of assigned content.
Content can be organized in standard curricula, by certification path, or in
a Learning Program. Depending upon the size of your course library, the SkillPort
catalog may contain thousands of learning events, including:
 Courses |
 Custom content |
 SkillBriefs |
 Mentoring |
 Simulations |
 Express Guides |
 Job Aids |
 Course evaluations |
 TestPrep exams |
|
Note: SkillBriefs and Job Aids are available from the Course
summary page. Mentoring objects, if available for your organization, appear
in the Certification View.
Learning events are organized into curricula that keep related subjects together.
The curricula are organized by subject-matter, represented by a folder icon
that contains additional sub-categories or the actual learning events. As you
select a category, the contents of the selected item are displayed in the catalog.
To view the contents of the catalog, browse through the catalog hierarchy.
A breadcrumb trail at the top of the course information panel will show you
where you are. You can also select the View Expanded Catalog
link to see the entire catalog, however, this may take some time to display,
depending on the amount of content you have access to.
To access a learning event, select the hyperlink title text next to the icon.
To quickly search for a specific learning event, you can also use SEARCH-and-LEARN.
Certification View
SkillSoft's IT skills and business skills library offer content mappings to
the professional certification programs of a number of vendors, including Microsoft,
Cisco, and CompTIA.
The Certification View allows you to see SkillSoft's content organized by vendor
certification and by vendor exam. You can use it to easily pinpoint the available
content that will help you prepare for certification. The Certification View
also offers brief summaries 
of
the required and elective portions of each certification within the Catalog,
enabling you to determine where to most appropriately direct your efforts.
Learning
Programs
Learning programs consist of a series of courses assigned to you by your company
or organization. The goal of the Learning Program is to track your training
performance on a designated series of courses. You complete a Learning Program
by finishing every course.
You can view your progress for a Learning Program in My Report.
Use SEARCH-and-LEARN™ to quickly find information on a specific subject using
keyword searches. You can search for all the different learning event types
available on SkillPort, including courses, individual topics, simulations, books,
SkillBriefs, and Job Aids.
Using SEARCH-and-LEARN
-
In the SEARCH-and-LEARN panel, type a keyword or phrase in the Search for
field. See Search tips for different ways of entering keywords.
-
Select a learning event category from the Category drop-down list. Alternatively,
you can search all content categories.
-
If content in more than one language is available to you, choose a language
from the Language drop-down list.
-
Select Search.
- The search results appear below the SEARCH-and-LEARN panel. If you searched
for all categories, the results will be grouped by category. The results will
be ordered according to relevance, as indicated by a thermometer icon
.
Refining your search
You can refine your search by:
Do a related search
-
After doing an initial search in SEARCH-and-LEARN, select a learning event
title in the search results.
-
The learning event summary page appears in the main pane on the right and
the other search results are shown as a list on the left.
-
Select the Related Search button to display a list of
learning events that relate to the event you have selected.
For example, if you do a search on the word "programming", SEARCH-and-LEARN
will likely return a list of events relating to a number of different programming
languages. If you select one of those learning events, say a course on Java,
and then do a related search, only learning events about Java will be returned.
Note: Once you have performed a related search,
the Related Search button will not reappear until you have
opened the summary page of another learning event.
My Plan contains items that are part of your formal learning program. You,
your training administrator, or your manager can add learning events to your
My Plan and assign them a goal and a completion date.
Adding learning events to My Plan
-
Find a learning event by browsing the Catalog or by specifying a word or
phrase using SEARCH-and-LEARN.
-
Select the name of the learning event that you want to add to your plan.
-
In the learning event summary page, select Add this Course to My
Plan. You will be presented with a Details dialog that permits
you to enter Due Date, Goal, and Reminder information.
-
Select the Submit button.
The learning event is now listed under My Plan.
Adding folders to My Plan
You can add folders to My Plan in which you can store related learning events.
-
In My Plan, select the Add New Folder to My Plan button.
-
In the Add to My Plan page, type a name in the Folder field.
-
Enter a goal and select a due date for the folder.
-
Select the appropriate e-mail reminder option.
- Select the Submit button.
The new folder should now be listed under My Plan.
Add learning events to a folder
-
Find the summary page for the learning event, either by browsing the Catalog
or by using SEARCH-and-LEARN.
-
Select Add to My Plan.
-
In the Select Folder page, select the Select this Folder
link next to the name of the folder.
-
Enter the goal, due date, and e-mail reminder.
-
Select Submit.
My Favorites is an area where you can store links to certain types of learning
event for quick access. It supports 
SkillBriefs,
Job Aids, and 
books - learning events that are considered part of your informal learning and
do not have scores tracked by SkillPort.
You can select the 
button to launch the learning event directly, or select the title of the event
to view its summary page.
Adding an item to My Favorites
-
Select a learning event by going to the Catalog tab or by specifying a
word or phrase using SEARCH-and-LEARN.
-
Select the learning event you wish to add to your favorites by selecting
the underlined name of the event.
-
Select Add to My Favorites.
-
Select the Close this Window button.
- Select the Home page tab.
The learning event now appears under My Favorites.
My Report displays a record of all your learning event activity. Your Learner
Records Progress Report indicates your status with items currently in your learning
plan, as well as those completed in the past and no longer part of your plan.
A summary of My Report is shown on the Home page. Select the Take me
to detailed reports ... button or the My Report shortcut
to view the full report.
My Report is broken down into sections:
- The Completed and Started Courses section provides details on your progress
with individual courses and simulations. You can generate a Completion Certificate
for courses and simulations you have finished.
- The Learning Programs section summarizes your training performance on a
designated series of courses assigned to you by your company or organization.
You can generate a Completion Certificate for Learning Programs you have finished.
- The Report Summary appears near the bottom of My Report. It shows the number
Distinct Courses and Simulations you have accessed. It also shows your Total
Training time, which is the sum of the course duration of all the courses
you have completed and started.
- The completion criteria set by your company or organization is explained
at the bottom of My Report.
Completed and Started Courses
| Report Field |
Description |
| Learning Event title |
Course number and title. If you select the
hyperlink, you are taken to the course summary page. |
| First Access |
The date and time you first accessed a learning
event. |
| Last Access |
The date and time the learner last accessed
a learning event. |
| Times Accessed |
The total number of times you accessed a learning
event. |
| Duration |
The total amount of time you spent
in a learning event. |
| Overall Score |
This is the average of your Preassess,
Mastery Results-high, or Mastery Results-Current scores. Your Overall Mastery
Results-Current score is used to determine completion. |
| Preassess Results |
This score represents results from
a pretest. |
| Mastery Results - High |
This score represents the highest
score for either a pretest or a test. |
| Mastery Results - Current |
This score represents the most
current score for either a pretest or a test. |
| Courses Completed |
Total number of courses you have
completed. |
| Courses Started |
The total number of courses you
have started. |
Learning Programs
| Report Field |
Description |
| Learning Program Title |
The name of the Learning Program
assigned to you. You may see this title in My Plan and in the Course Catalog. |
| First Access |
The date and time you first accessed
content in a Learning Program. |
| Last Access |
The date and time you last accessed
content in a Learning Program. |
| % Started |
This is the percentage of the
Learning Program you have started. This is determined by dividing the number
of started courses by the total number of courses in the Learning Program.
Learning Events that do not track progress (e.g. a lone document, a URL,
etc.) are not counted in this calculation. |
| % Completed |
This is the percentage of the
Learning Program you have completed. This is determined by dividing the
number of completed courses by the total number of courses in the Learning
Program. Learning Events that do not track progress (e.g. a lone document,
a URL, etc.) are not counted in this calculation. |
| Avg. High Score |
This is the average of the overall
scores for all completed and started courses in a Learning Program. Learning
Events that do not track progress (e.g. a lone document, a URL, etc.) and
ones where you have not taken any assessments are not counted in this calculation. |
| Learning Event name and status |
Course number and
title. If you select the hyperlink, you are taken to the course summary
page. The current status for the learning event is shown next to the title:
- Accessed - Learning events that do not track progress are considered
accessed once you have opened and reviewed the content.
- Started - Learning events that track progress are considered started
once you access the course.
- Completed - Learning events that track progress are considered completed
when you have finished the course (based on the completion criteria
that appears at the end of the report).
|
Completion certificates
When you complete a learning event that has a score, such as a course or simulation,
you can print a certificate of completion for that event.
Note: Completion certificates are an optional feature and
may not be enabled on your system. Certificates for Learning Programs can only
be generated by a SkillPort administrator.
To print a completion certificate:
-
Go to the My Report page and select the Create Certificate
link next to the name of the completed learning event.
-
Follow the on-screen instructions for printing the certificate.
Customizing SkillPort
You can customize the following aspects of SkillPort:
- Update your User Profile
-
This option lets you update your User Profile which includes your name,
e-mail, and password information.
- Configure Language Settings
-
This allows you to choose the language in which the SkillPort site appears.
You can also choose a language preference for search results that will
override your company's default language for the site.
- Personalize your Shortcuts
-
This option lets you personalize which Shortcuts appear in the Shortcuts
list as well as the order they appear.
- Select Business Skills Player Skin
- This option lets you customize the appearance of the Business Skills
Player by selecting a skin. A skin changes the appearance of the Business
Skills Player by presenting different colors, fonts, and graphics. Skins
downloaded via the SkillSoft Course Manager are not altered by selection,
these courses will need to be downloaded again.
Note: Skins may not be an available option on
your SkillPort.
Once you have located a course, select the underlined course or topic title
to view the course summary page. In the upper left hand corner of the information
page, are buttons that enable the following actions:
 |
Select this button to take a course live over
the web. This will immediately launch the course in a separate browser window. |
 |
Select this button to add a course to your
My Plan page to take at a later time. |
|
Select this button to download a course to
your PC, so you can take it off-line. The first time you choose this link,
you will be prompted to install the SkillSoft Course Manager (SCM) to manage
your off-line course content. Once the SCM is installed selecting this link
will launch the SCM and enable you to download content. |
 |
Select this button to display a list of related
Job Aids and SkillBriefs. |
 |
Select this button to access the online evaluation
form associated with this course. (An Evaluation has to be created and assigned
to the course(s) in order for the link to appear) |
A SkillSoft Course 
is web-based instructional content delivered to you on your computer. During
the course you practice and are assessed on your mastery of skills and knowledge
learned in the course. Instructional content includes business skills and information
technology courses. The following course types are available on SkillPort: Business
Skills courses, e3 courses, and Classic courses.
Communities
Your community is a starting point where you view and post messages to online
discussions or hold real-time meetings with your coworkers. Select the Click
here to go directly to the community link to view the message boards
and chat rooms available in your community.
Note: Communities are an optional SkillPort feature
and may not be available on your system.
Chat Rooms
Use Chat Rooms to host and participate in virtual conferences or meetings with
one or more people. Select the Click here to view your community Chat Rooms
link to go directly to view your community chat rooms. Select a chat room
from the list of chats that are available.
To verify you are logged in to a chat room:
For assistance with participating in a chat, select the Help button
located within the Chat room window.
Message Boards
Use Message Boards to post messages that can be read immediately or viewed
at another time. Select the Click here to view your community message boards
link to go directly to your community message boards. Select a message board
from those listed to participate in a discussion.
-
A discussion is a collection of messages on the same topic.
-
You can post messages to an existing discussion, or select "Add Discussion"
to begin a new discussion ( the conference manager must set up the site
to allow you to add discussions).
For assistance with posting a message, select the quick-edit help link
located within the message board window.
Ask My Mentor
Mentoring provides a convenient way of accessing the Ask my Mentor feature
for a particular course or certification path. They map to specific
certification exams, and appear in the Catalog beneath corresponding exams
within the Certification View.
You can access
mentor support by selecting a link from the course summary page or from the Ask
My Mentor button in the objectives screen of a mentored exercise. You are then
taken to the Ask My Mentor page, where you have a choice of entering into a Chat
or sending a question to your mentor via email.
You may also be able to access
mentoring through special mentoring assets which appear in the Certification
View of the Catalog and in SEARCH-and-LEARN in the same way as other trackable
learning events. When accessing mentoring through a mentoring asset, you also
have the option of activating daily email reminders.
Note: Ask My Mentor is an optional SkillPort feature
and may not be available on your system.
Chat with a Mentor
If you have a short course or certification question, your Mentor can provide
you with a quick answer. To enter a live chat with a Mentor, select Chat
with a Mentor.
E-mail my Mentor
If you have a detailed course or certification question, your Mentor can provide
you with a detailed answer via e-mail. To create and send an e-mail to a Mentor,
select E-mail my Mentor.
Activate Daily E-Mail
Select Activate Daily E-mail to begin receiving the mentored Daily
E-mail messages. Once this Mentoring is activated, you will receive Daily E-mail
messages providing you with questions on information relevant to your course.
Note: You can only activate Daily Email reminders on the Ask My Mentor page from
within the Mentoring asset.
Credentialing
The Credentialing system on SkillPort allows you to earn
education credits by completing SkillSoft training.
Note: Credentialing is an optional SkillPort
feature and may not be available on your system
Credentialing Page
The Credentialing Page displays all of the Credentials
offered by your organization. For each Credential, the Credentialing page
contains a link to a Credential course catalog and Credential report. The
Credential report lists the specific requirements for a selected Credential
along with your progress with each courses or courses.
To access the Credentialing Page, select the Credentialing
shortcut from the Shortcuts menu.
Credentialing Catalog
View and Play courses linked to a Credential
Each Credential has a course catalog that displays all the
courses that you can receive credit for in that Credential. In the Credentialing
page, select the corresponding Catalog link to view the course catalog
for a Credential.
In the Credential catalog, select a course link to display
the summary page for that course. From the summary page, you can play the
course, download the course to your local machine, or add it to your MyPlan.
Note: Once you begin a course in a Credential, you must
complete that course within a year or you cannot receive credit for that course.
Credentialing Report
The Credentialing report allows you to view your scores for
the courses that you have completed or started for that Credential. You can also
access course evaluations or view/print certificates earned. The Credentialing
report lists the requirements to receive credit for the course. These
requirements can include any combination (or all) of the following:
- The
overall high score is <score set by your organization>% or better.
- Every
page of every topic has been viewed.
- The
course evaluation has been completed.
Note: If you
are taking a NASBA course, you must complete the evaluation in the Credentialing
report. If you complete the evaluation in the SkillSoft Course and do not
complete the evaluation in the Credentialing report, you will not receive NASBA
credit.
To launch the Credentialing Report, select the Report
link for a specific Credential in the Credentialing page.
Take a Course Evaluation
Depending on the Credential's requirements, you may have to
complete a course evaluation in order to earn credit for a course. To access the
course evaluation after you complete and pass an applicable course, open the
Credentialing Page, launch the Credentialing report, and select the applicable In
order to achieve credit please complete credential evaluation link in the
Credentialing report.
View/Print a Credentialing Certificate
To View/Print a Credentialing certificate that you have
already earned, launch the Credentialing Report and click on the applicable View
Certificate link. You can print the certificate using the print button.
Referenceware™ from SkillSoft subsidiary Books24x7 is available from within
SkillPort. Referenceware provides complete access to the full text of books,
vendor documents, research reports and more. You can easily and quickly locate
and read content, add bookmark and notes, and organize books and other documents
of interest according to your own personal preferences.
You can search for Referenceware titles using SEARCH-and-LEARN and you can
add them to your My Favorites view.
Note: Books24x7 is an optional SkillPort feature
and may not be available on your site.
Accessing Referenceware
You can access Referenceware titles using SEARCH-and-LEARN.
- From within the Search results, select either a book title or chapter
section to launch the Book Viewer.
You can also access Referenceware titles by selecting the link on the Books24x7
page within SkillPort. This will take you directly to the Books24x7 site and
may offer slightly different navigation options.
Book Viewer
When you select either a book title or chapter section directly
from the Search and Learn results the Book Viewer launches in a new window.
The Book Viewer provides a simple interface to view a single book.
- Select the book title to display the book's Table of Contents in the Viewer.
- Select any chapter or section listed in the Table of Contents displayed
in the Search results, to display the first page of that section or chapter
in the Viewer.
Viewing book contents
To view the contents of a book in the Viewer, select the Table of Contents
button and select a chapter to view its contents. When the chapter is displayed,
chapter navigation buttons that go to the 'Table of Contents' and the next and
previous chapters can be found at the top and bottom of the page. The 'Next'
and 'Previous' links above and below the content move from section to section.
The link 'Chapter Contents' goes to a list of sections within the chapter. Here
you can select any section to jump to that page in the book.
Navigation Buttons
Select
the Add to my Favorites button to add the book to "My Favorites"
(and to the default bookshelf folder on the Books24x7 site).
Select the Create Bookmark button to add a bookmark and note to the chapter.
Select
the Book icon to connect to an external e-commerce site where you may
purchase a printed copy of the book you are viewing.
Select
the Previous Chapter button to go to the previous chapter in the book.
Select
the Table of Contents button to return to the book's Table of Contents.
Select
the Next Chapter button to go to the next chapter in the book.
Select the Books24x7 button to go to the Books24x7 site.
Select the Help button to display the Help page for the Book Viewer.
Select
the Close button to end the Viewer session.
Searching the book's contents
A search box, found on the book's 'Table Of Contents' and all content pages,
lets you enter a term to search the entire contents of the book. You can enter
a word or phrase, combine search concepts with Boolean logic or use the "*"
to truncate a term to find all matches with the same root.
To search a book's contents:
-
Enter a key word phrase in the Search box.
-
Select Go.
-
Search results are displayed.
-
Select the appropriate link in the Top Section Hits.
-
Select the Back button at the bottom of the page to return to the
content page.
The search engine employs several strategies to enhance results. Search results
identify the most relevant chapters with a gold bar icon. To find out the relevancy
of the results, place your mouse over the gold bar to see the relevancy percentage.
Access the chapter to find the most relevant sections within the chapter.
Search Tips
The search engine searches the full text of the book. All search results are
relevancy ranked not only by the number of occurrences of the search term, but
also by their location. Results found in chapter titles and section headings
are given greater weight than occurrences in the body of the text.
You may specify words or phrases alone or grouped in Boolean combinations
(phrases are words enclosed in quotation marks). The search engine is not case
sensitive.
Adding a book to My Favorites
To add a book to "My Favorites", select the button
at the top of a book's TOC page or at the top of any chapter/section page. Adding
a book places the book in your 'Favorites (and adds it to your 'Default' Bookshelf
folder on the Books24x7 site).
Removing a Book from My Favorites
To remove a book from "My Favorites", select the 
button at the top of a book's TOC page or at the top of any chapter/section
page. This will remove the book from 'My Favorites' and the 'Default' Bookshelf
folder on the Books24x7 site.
Creating bookmarks
You can create one or more bookmarks and notes on any content page for your
own personal reference by selecting the button.
Creating a bookmark automatically places the book in your 'Favorites (and adds
it to your 'Default' Bookshelf folder on the Books24x7 site) with a link directly
to the section where you placed the bookmark. Bookmark indicators also appear
on the table of contents page under the appropriate chapter headings and on
the specific content page.
To create a bookmark:
-
Select the
button.
-
If desired enter a label in the Label field.
-
If desired, enter text in the Notes field.
-
Select Create to create the bookmark and return to the content
page. (To cancel out of the Manage Bookmark page, select the Back button
at the bottom of the page.)
Once a bookmark is created, 'Edit Bookmark' and 'Delete Bookmark' links appear
next to the bookmark on the content page and allow you to make modifications
or remove the bookmark.
Editing or deleting bookmarks
You can edit or delete a bookmark from the content page using the 'Edit Bookmark'
and 'Delete Bookmark' links. Deleting a bookmark does NOT remove a book from
your 'Favorites'.
The 'Edit Bookmark' link takes you to the bookmark page where you can:
Make sure you select the 'Update' or 'Delete Bookmark' at the bottom of the
page when you are through.
The 'Delete Bookmark' link simply removes the bookmark.
You navigate through the course content using the navigation controls, resource buttons, and the learning point links.
- Navigation controls appear in the navigation bar when instructional content is being played.
- Additional navigation buttons appear in various places within the instructional content.
- The Topic Introduction page provides links to each learning point in the topic. You can navigate to a learning point by selecting a link or select the Next Page button to go to the first learning point in the topic.
Control |
Definition |
 Course Menu
|
Displays the Course Menu in the Content Area. |
 Return to Bookmark
|
When returning to the Course Menu of a topic you entered previously, the Return to Bookmark button displays on the right side of the Navigation Bar. You can use this button to enter the last page you were viewing when you exited the instructional content. |
 Show Learning Points
|
Select to display the Learning Points dialog box. Use the Learning Points dialog box to view and navigate to the learning points in the selected topic. |
 Hide Learning Points
|
Select to hide the Learning Points dialog box. |
 Show Captions
|
Select to show the page notes (captions) dialog box. |
 Hide Captions
|
Select to hide the page notes (captions) dialog box. |
 Show Resources
|
Select to show the resources dialog box. |
 Hide Resources
|
Select to hide the resources dialog box. |
 Auto Advance On
|
Turns on the Auto Advance feature. If Auto Advance is on, the page automatically advances to the next page.
Note: The Auto Advance feature will by default be enabled for all CCA Business Skills content. |
 Auto Advance Off
|
Turns off the Auto Advance feature. If Auto Advance is off, you have to navigate to the next page by clicking the Next Page button.
Note: The Auto Advance feature will by default be enabled for all CCA Business Skills content. |
 Turn Audio Off
|
Turns the audio off during the current course play session.
|
 Turn Audio On
|
Turns the audio on during the current course play session. |
 Previous Page
|
Displays the previous page in the course. |
 Play
|
Plays the audio track if the page contains audio. Plays the video and audio if the page is a recorded session.
Note: If the audio or video is in paused mode, then the button changes to Pause. |
 Pause
|
Pauses the audio track if the page contains audio. Pauses the video and audio if the page is a recorded session.
Note: If the audio or video is in play mode, then the button changes to Play. |
 Replay
|
Replays the audio track if the page contains audio. Replays the video and audio if the page is a recorded session.
Note: If the audio or video is in play mode, then the button changes to Pause. |
 Begin Course
|
When viewing the Course Menu, the Begin Course button is displayed on the right side. You can use this button to navigate to the first page of the course.
If you have previously entered a topic in the course, the Return to Bookmark button replaces the Begin Course Button. |
Next Page
|
Displays the next page in the course. |
 Skip Topic
|
Select to skip to the next topic in a course. |
 Exit
|
Select to exit the SkillSoft Player.
Note: Upon clicking Exit, a confirmation dialog displays. Click Yes to exit or No to cancel the exit command and continue. |
 Help
|
Select to open the SCP Help. |
The Course Menu opens when you first launch a course or select the Course Menu button.
The course menu displays the hierarchy of the course down to the topic level. It contains links that allow you to go directly to a particular topic or test. The course menu also provides information about the type, status, and current score for each component.
Note: DO NOT use the 
close window button in the top right corner of the browser window or other Windows control functions to exit the course. Scores and bookmarks may be lost if you do not use the Player's Exit button.
Course Hierarchy
Courses follow a general organizational structure:
- Overview - Launches the overview for the course.
Note some courses were intentionally designed without course overviews.
- Lessons - Lessons are containers for related topics. Lesson titles are displayed in bold text on the course menu.
- Topics - Topics contain the content in SkillSoft courses. Topic titles act as links to the specific content.
Note: If you downloaded individual topics from a course using the SkillSoft Course Manager (instead of downloading the entire course), some of the links in the course menu may not be available to you.
Hierarchy for Dialogue Design Courses
Dialogue Design courses have a slightly different course hierarchy:
-
Course - Dialogue Design does not have the concept of a lesson and the entire course is treated as a single lesson.
-
Segments - Segments are equivalent to topics in other courses. A Dialogue Design course can contain one or more segments.
-
Slide - Slides are equivalent to learning points in other courses. In Dialogue Design courses a learning point is limited to a single page.
Menu Information
- Goal/Objective - Displays a general description of the high-level goals for the course.
- Current Course Score - Displays your current score for the course. This score is an average of the current score on all tests in the course. All tests that you have not attempted display as "---" and are scored as 0% until you take them.
- Type - This column describes the topic type.
- Status - This column indicates your progress navigating through each topic. A not started icon
displays if you have not opened any of the pages in the topic. A started icon 
indicates that you have opened at least one page in the topic. A completed icon 
indicates that you have opened and navigated through all pages in the topic.
- Current Score - This column displays your current score for each lesson or topic. An "N/A" indicates that the content associated with that entry is not tested anywhere in the course.
- Take Course Test/Pre-test - The entries in this column launch the test for the entire course, an entire lesson, or a single topic within a lesson. The testing options will vary depending on the course.
Bookmark - Indicates the last topic you were viewing when you closed the course or selected the Course Menu button.
- Completion Status - The completion status can be either Started or Completed. SkillPort considers a course Started as soon as you launched it whether you have accessed any pages or taken any tests. When you click the completion status link, you will be taken to the Test Score Report.
Learning Points Tab
Selecting the Learning Points tab displays the Learning Points dialog.
Use the Learning Points dialog box to view and navigate to the learning points in the selected topic.
Note: The links are active and selectable the entire width of the dialog.
Captions Tab
Selecting the Captions tab displays the Captions text box. This tab will only be displayed for content that has captioned text.
Once the caption box is opened, it will remain open until you select to close it.
The caption box will always be displayed if audio is turned off or disabled and the current page has caption text. In this case the captions box will not have a close button and the captions tab will be selected and disabled.
Resources Tab
Selecting the Resources tab displays the Resource page.
Depending on the type of course you have chosen, this page may contain any combination of the following resources:
- References/Resources
- Job Aids
- SkillBriefs
- Mentoring
- NASBA Information
- Transcript
- Print Scores
Note: Clicking on any of the links above will display the selected resource on a new page.
References/Resources
Depending on the type of course you have chosen, there
will be a link to either a Reference or Resource page. This page displays links
to supporting information related to the course. Select the Resources
tab in the Navigation bar, then click References
or Resources. This opens a new window where you can access the
information.
- Course Objectives - Objectives are statements of intended learning outcomes. The page shows the course title and all related topic-level objectives. Test questions are used to measure your knowledge relative to the course objectives.
- Job Aids - The Job Aids page lists links to all of the Job Aids available for the course.
- Additional Resources - A list of published resources related to the content of the course.
- Copyrights - The Copyrights section contains SkillSoft copyright information.
- Licensing Agreement - The Licensing Agreement section contains SkillSoft licensing information.
- Learning Aids - Learning Aids are documents that support course content presentations or practices. Learning Aids are designed for use during course play. Examples of Learning Aids include:
- Worksheets
- Charts and Tables
- Financial Statements
- Follow-on Activities - A Follow-on Activity (FOA) provides an opportunity to extend instruction beyond a course. FOAs typically describe specific activities that you can do to transfer learning from the learning environment into your daily life and job.
- Glossary - The Glossary gives definitions of terms that appear in the course.
- About This Course - About This Course gives a list of information about the course:
- Course Title
- Overview/Description
- Target Audience
- Certification
- Expected Duration
- First Publication Date
- Last Revision
- Course Number
Job Aids
Job Aids are tools and forms that complement and support the content presented in the course. They are designed for use after you complete a course and can serve as a guide for application of the skills learned in the course. Select the Resources tab in the Navigation bar, then click Job Aids. This opens a new window where you can access the
information. Examples of Job Aids include:
- Guidelines
- Checklists
- Reusable forms and templates
- Step-by-step procedures
SkillBriefs
The SkillBriefs page lists links to all of the SkillBriefs available for the course.
SkillBriefs are condensed summaries of the instructional content of a course topic. SkillBriefs are designed to be used as an instant reference. Select the Resources tab in the Navigation bar, then click SkillBriefs. This opens a new window where you can access the information.
Mentoring
SkillSoft's Mentoring service offers you individual attention from vendor-certified professionals. This service is delivered through email, online chats, and threaded discussion groups and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. To access this service, select the Resources tab in the Navigation bar, then click Ask My Mentor. This opens a new window where you can access the information.
Note: Ask My Mentor is not available in all courses.
NASBA CPE Credit
National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA)
CPE Program credit is offered for select SkillSoft courses.
Eligibility
Check the SkillSoft® Course Catalog to determine if
this course is eligible for NASBA CPE credit.
Requirements
To earn NASBA CPE credits for an eligible course, you
must meet the following criteria:
1.
Achieve a minimum Overall Score of
70%.
Your Overall Score is the average of the current
post-test scores for each lesson. A lesson post-test has a score of 0 until it
is taken.
Example: A course with three lessons has three
lesson post-tests. Your overall score at any given time is the average of the
current post-test results recorded for all three tests. If you score 85 on the
1st post-test, 95 on the 2nd post-test, but have not yet taken the 3rd
post-test, your Overall Score is 60 (85 + 95 + 0 divided by 3 = 60).
To take the Lesson post-tests all at once, click
the Take Course Test link in the
Course Menu.
2.
Take the course in full.
CPE credit is only granted for instructional
content that you actually access. You must access every topic in the course to
meet this requirement.
3.
Complete the course within 1 year.
The one-year time frame begins when you first
access a course. You must complete all lesson post-tests within one year of
that date to earn CPE credit.
Publication Date
The course publication date is available in the About
this Course section of the course References.
Course Evaluation Forms
You have the option to print out and complete an
evaluation form once you complete a course.
Transcripts
A transcript is a one-page display of the instructional text presented in a topic. To view a transcript of the topic, click the Show Resources tab then click Transcript. The transcript launches in a separate window.
If
the Transcript link does not display in the Resources dialog, a
transcript is not available for that learning content.
To print the transcript, select the Print link in the transcript document window.
You will have an assortment of topic types in a course. Topic pages present information in a variety of formats. Some pages present instructional content alone while others are interactive, requiring you to answer questions, select graphics, or advance the course with content navigation controls. Instructions for working with these various pages are indicated within the content. A topic's type is shown in the Course Menu list.
Topic Type Descriptions
- Overview - Provides introductory information for the lesson including the learning objectives covered in that lesson.
- Instruction - Gives instructional content and assessment questions to reinforce the instructional material.
RolePlay - A RolePlay presents instructional content within a business context, in the form of a scenario or situation. You are led through a series of choices that can lead to several possible endings. You have the choice of entering a RolePlay in either Explore or Score mode.
Explore mode provides feedback about the choices you make during the course of the RolePlay before you make a final choice. Choice feedback appears when you select one of the available answer choices.
Score mode allows you to test your skills within the RolePlay. In Score Mode, you receive feedback only after you select your final answer. Unlike Explore Mode, you cannot return to previously viewed pages.
- Test - Questions that assess your knowledge of the learning objectives.
- Simulation - A simulation gives you the opportunity to practice the tasks and procedures taught in this course in a simulated software environment. When you complete a task, the Player judges whether you did so correctly and lets you proceed to the next task. If you perform the task incorrectly, you can repeat it or move on to the next part of the simulation.
- Article - Provides an abstract, narrative text, and a summary.
- Exercise - Reinforces instructional content with practice tasks. Includes hardware exercises, conceptual and problem-solving exercises, and coding exercises.
- Mentored Exercise - Presents a series of tasks to complete, usually relating to using software. You submit your results of the exercise to a mentor, who then replies with a solution.
- Self-Assessed Exercise - Similar to Mentored Exercises, except that you self-evaluate your performance against a course-supplied best practice answer.
A test measures your knowledge of the material presented in the course.
The Player provides optional pre-tests and post-tests to assess your knowledge before and after you go through the instructional content.
Note: Depending on how the SkillSoft Course Player is configured by your organization or the specific course type, some of these pre-test and post-test options may not be available to you.
Tests can be taken at any time. However, when the Player is configured with the pre-test and/or post-test options, the tests display sequentially in the content either before the lesson is started (for a pre-test) or at the end of last topic in a lesson (for a post-test). This is useful if you like to start at the beginning of a course and continue through to the end of the course, in order, without having to go back to the Course Menu to make test selections. Depending on the course design, you can also skip a test and return to it at a later time. Tests always remain accessible from the Course Menu.
Taking a Test
To take a test, select the Take Test button. You will be presented with a Test Summary/Transition page, select the Start Test button to start the test. You will then be presented with a series of questions. You can choose to answer the question when it is displayed or you can choose to answer the question later.
To answer a question, check the appropriate answer(s) (for multiple choice type questions) or drag and drop the appropriate answers (in matching questions). When you are satisfied with your answer, select Done. The correct answer is displayed. Select the Next Page button to continue to the next question.
Ending a Test
The Test Summary screen is displayed when you finish taking the test. You can review any topic covered in the test by selecting the appropriate link. You can retake the entire test or a topic test by selecting the applicable Retake Test link. If you are finished with the test, you can return to the Course Menu. The ability to retake a test can vary depending on the course.
Test Summary Page
The Test Summary page contains your scores for the test. The scores are broken down by topic. Each question in the test is related to a lesson topic. The topics scores are the total of all the applicable questions for that topic in the test.
A value of "--" in the score column indicates that you have not yet taken that test. A zero in the score column indicates that you took the test but did not answer any questions correctly. The scores are divided into three columns:
- Pre-test score - Displays the score for your course or lesson pretest. You can only take a pre-test once. If pre-tests are not enabled, the name of this column changes to First Score and displays the score for the first time that you took this test.
- Highest Score - Displays the average of the highest scores you received for each individual objective.
- Current Score - Displays the score for the last time that you took this test.
- Current Course Score - Displays the current average score for all test items in the course, based on the tests you have completed. All the tests that you have not attempted are scored as 0% until you take them.
Test Summary
When you finish a test, the Test Transition/Summary page is displayed and shows your updated scores for the test you just completed. The topic titles become selectable so that you can review a topic. You can also retake the test unless it was a pre-test (you can only take a pre-test once).
You may also have the option of retaking the questions in the test for a specific topic by selecting the Retake Test link next to the applicable topic. When you retake questions for one topic, you are scored for your new attempt along with the score you got for the other topics in your last attempt.
Test Options
There are several options available to you when taking tests. You can choose to take a full course test or take the test by lessons and topics. If you decide to take topic or lesson tests your results contribute towards the completion of the course test. You can choose to answer questions later and review your progress on the Test Status page.
In the example shown below, you can see that portions of each topic test have been completed and their resulting contribution to the Current Course Score.
Course-Level Testing Options
- Course Pre-test - The course pre-test assesses your knowledge of the learning objectives that are covered in the course before you play the instructional content. To launch the course pre-test, select the Take Course Pre-test link in the Course Menu. Once you complete any other test, the link changes to Take Course Test and the course pre-test option is no longer available.
- Course Post-test - The course post-test assesses your knowledge of the learning objectives that were presented to you in the course. To launch the course post-test, select the Take Course Test link in the Course Menu.Tests can be taken at anytime.
Lesson-level Testing Options
There are three lesson-level testing options: pre-test, post-test, and topic-level tests.
- Lesson Pre-test - The lesson pre-test assesses your knowledge of the learning objectives that are covered in the lesson before you play the instructional content of a lesson. Once you complete any other test in a lesson, the lesson pre-test option is no longer available for that lesson.
- Lesson Post-test - The lesson post-test assesses your knowledge of the learning objectives that were presented to you in each lesson.
Topic-Level Tests
The topic test assesses your knowledge of the learning objectives that were presented to you in each topic. As you complete each topic test, the results contribute towards the completion of the course test. You can take a topic test at any time, regardless of whether or not you have reviewed the course content for that topic. To launch the topic test, select the appropriate Take Test link for that topic in the Course Menu.
Status Page
The status page indicates the progress that you have made in a course or topic test and is accessed by selecting the Status button during the test. Questions that were skipped display the answer later icon 
. The status screen has links to each test question allowing you to answer skipped questions and review questions that you already answered. To exit the Status screen and return to the test, click the Close Status button.
Answer Later
You can mark questions that you wish to return to later. When you are ready to answer the question, you must open the status screen and select the link for that question. Access the status screen by selecting the Status button during the test or by selecting the Return to Status button in the dialog box that displays when you finish the test. The icon displays next to the question in the status page. If you skip a question and end the test without answering it, you receive a score of 0% for that question.
Skipping a Test
In some courses you may be given the option to skip a test. If you select Skip Test, you proceed directly to the next lesson or topic. You can use the course menu to return to the test at a later time.
Testing Modes
Proficiency Mode
When you launch a test in an IT Skills course, you are assessed in Proficiency Mode. Proficiency Mode tests allow you to assess your competence before or after you take a course or topic. Answers you give will be marked correct, incorrect, or partially correct, and you can check your score at any time against a specified mastery level by selecting the Status button.
During a test session, you can review all your answers but you cannot change any answers. However, once you have ended the test, you may return to the questions that you answered incorrectly and retake them. By comparing your score against the required mastery level, you can easily assess your competence in any course or topic.
Your test score is saved and you can return at any time to retake the test.
Course Scoring
Your Current Course Score is the average of the current test scores for each lesson. Lesson tests that you have not taken are scored as zero until you complete the test. To take the Lesson tests all at once, click the Take Course Test link in the Course Menu.
Partial Credit Scoring
If partial credit scoring is enabled, you can earn some credit for answering a portion of a question correctly. For every matching question or question that has multiple correct answers, you receive a percentage of what that question is worth for every correct answer you select. You lose a percentage of that question's value for every incorrect answer you select.
If partial credit scoring is not enabled, you must choose all correct answers or match all choices correctly to receive credit for that question.
Example: A course with three lessons has three lesson tests. Your overall score at any given time is the average of the current test results recorded for all three tests. If you score 85 on the 1st test, 95 on the 2nd test, but have not yet taken the 3rd test, your Overall Score is 60% (85 + 95 + 0)/3.
Other scoring models
Some courses provide tests for each topic. Your total score is determined by either the score that you receive from the course test or by the average of the topic scores out of a possible 100%. Each topic score equals 0% until you take it.
Example: If a course has 5 topics the current score is the average of the 5 topic scores. If you score a 100% on the first three topic tests, 50% on the fourth topic test, and 0% on the fifth, you would receive a current score of 70% (100 + 100 + 100 + 50 + 0)/5.
Course Completion
At the end of the course, you will be notified whether you have completed a course or not based on the completion criteria. The completion criteria to complete a course can vary depending on the configuration of your Learning Management System (LMS). Course completion criteria may be based on:
- Playing all the pages in the course.
- Answering all test questions correctly.
- Answering a certain percentage of the test questions correctly.
- A combination of page play in conjunction with correct test answers.
- Achieve a certain percentage of the overall course score.
- Achieve a minimum percentage on each lesson (Legacy BUS courses only).
- Achieve a minimum percentage on each topic (e3 courses only).
The course completion criteria will be available on the Test Score Report.
Test Score Report
Click on the Print Scores button to display a printer-friendly version of your scores in the Test Score Report window.
This button is only available on the Course Menu when you click Show Resources Dialog and on the test transition/summary pages. This is similar to clicking on the Completion Status link which appears on the upper right corner of the SkillSoft Course Player.
The Test Score Report includes the following:
- Student Name
- Course Title
- Current Course Score
- Completion Status
- Completion Criteria
- Pre-test Score
- Highest Score
- Current Score
You launch a course from your Learning Management System. The following features
and navigation items are found in all courses.
Note: Depending on how your SkillPort is configured, the
content described in the following sections may not be available to you.
When you launch a course, the course map is displayed to the
left of the screen. The course map is arranged by units. You can choose to start
the course at the beginning, or at any of the units.
The course map displays the structure of a course. Each course is divided
into units. Each unit is made up of topics. Topics are divided into a series
of screens.
Course Navigation
When you first start a course, the course map is displayed. From the course
map, you can choose to run the course from the beginning, or jump into the course
at any unit, topic, or screen of your choice.
-
Select the unit title to view the topics within the unit.
-
Double click the topic title to start the topic at the beginning screen
for that topic.
-
Double click a screen number to start the topic at that screen.
Course Map Control Panel Buttons
Along the bottom of the course map, are control panel buttons.
The 
button returns you to the beginning of the topic
last visited. This applies even if you have exited and reentered the course. This
button is only available if you have accessed at least one unit.
The 
button displays your
progress through course units and any test scores.
The 
button starts a selected topic
or screen number.
The 
button launches your web
browser and provides access to the Course Resources web page, which contains
all the web links belonging to the course. Web links are provided to supplement
and complement the course, as well as to enhance your learning experience. They
are not intended to fulfill course objectives.
The 
button exits the course after a confirmation screen.
Course Navigation Features
Once you enter a topic, the Smart Controls are displayed by default in the
right-hand side of the screen – either fixed or as a floating control palette.
The control palette can be maximized by using the maximize/minimize button.
You can return to the course map from any point in the course by selecting on
the Navigate button.
The 
buttons enable you
to navigate through a course.
The 
button takes you
to the course map screen.
The 
button displays
a Web links dialog box with a link to the Course Resources page on the Internet.
Selecting the link will launch your browser and bring you to the page.
The 
button allows you to launch
a text editor, copy the on-screen text to a text editor, or copy the text of
the entire topic to a text editor. Once you have copied the text, open the application
you want to paste it to and save as normal.
The 
button displays extra
information relevant to the point being discussed in the course. When a footnote
is available, a small yellow icon appears to the right of the text. Select the
icon or Footnote button to access the information.
The <Audio> button allows you to take an audio-enabled course
in one of three different ways – text and audio, text only, or audio only.
The 
Displays
the Course Help System.
The 
button exits the course
after a confirmation screen.
The 
button maximizes or minimizes
the Smart Control palette.
Course Features
There are a variety of features in the courses ranging from Notes and Web Links
to Lab Exercises and Simulations. Not all courses contain all the features listed.
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Unit Aim and Objectives
|
This screen displays the unit aim and learning objectives for the unit.
|
|
Notes
|
Notes appear on screen in a note box separate from the regular text.
Notes are used to include additional, useful, interesting, or aside information
about the text immediately preceding them. They are also used to refer
to relevant sources of information—other SmartCourses, manuals, online
Help, and so on.
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|
Footnotes
|
Footnotes are used for nonessential information relevant to the text
being discussed. Sometimes they are used when the information that would
normally be included in a note is too long. They are indicated on screen
by this icon appearing at the end of a paragraph . The icon stays enabled
as long as the information in the footnote is relevant. Selecting the
icon displays the footnote on screen.
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Web links
|
Web links are used to access helpful information on the Internet from
within a course – these types of web links are referred to as embedded
web links. An embedded web link has specific relevance to the information
under discussion and is inserted in the course text itself.
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Demonstrations
|
You are guided through a demonstration of tasks that apply the concepts
to practical situations. In the case of a software application, this is
illustrated by a screen shot, with the relevant feature clearly indicated.
This improves your understanding of how to use a given tool in a real-world
environment.
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|
Course Questions
|
Course questions (or "discovery" questions) encourage you to think about
the material and anticipate the correct answer. Unlike the course or unit
tests, no record is kept of your answers to questions in the course, and
you are only scored on your performance when you choose to take a test.
There are nine different types of course question, such as true/false,
yes/no, and multiple-choice.
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|
Unit Summary
|
Each unit ends with a unit summary screen. When you enter the unit summary
screen, a brief account of what you have covered in the unit displays.
If you want to view the full summary for the unit, select the Summary
button.
|
|
Exercises
|
Exercises offer a thorough interactive practice session appropriate
to the learning points covered previously in the course.
Both lab exercises and coding exercises are indicated in the list of
topics in the course map by a pointing-hand symbol.
A Lab exercise offers you an opportunity to work
in a simulated version of an application.
A Coding exercise gives you an opportunity to analyze and write
code or commands. This type of exercise uses a simulated version of a
realistic programming environment. This allows you to become actively
involved in building one or more coding statements on screen by answering
special coding questions throughout the exercise. Appropriate feedback
is always given after each question. In all coding questions you can choose
to access a question hint by selecting the Hint button.
A Simulation allows you to practice using the application. They
differ from other exercises because they are integrated into the course
text rather than appearing in a separate dialog box.
A DecisionPath exercise simulates the process of making
complex decisions. You are presented with a business problem and asked
to come up with a solution by answering a series of questions. Each time
you answer a question, your decision—and its consequences—is recorded
in the log window. There is no single right or wrong answer, although
one decision is generally better than the others. Every decision you make
receives feedback. In addition, if you wander too far in the wrong direction—that
is, continue to make bad choices—you receive feedback prompting you to
move back in the right direction.
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Assessment
Test results provide important information on whether you have successfully
assimilated the course content and learned the intended skills. You can take
a test at either a unit or a course level. You can choose to take a test on
a piece of learning content at any point before, during, or after launching
the content.
You can see your score by selecting the Status button in the test question
box.
Note that no Cancel button is available in test questions. This means that
you must attempt every test question. You can, however, choose to exit the test
at any point. If you do opt to exit, you will abandon the test completely and
you will have to start from the beginning the next time you take the test.
Unit tests are designed to assess your knowledge of a particular unit. Depending
on your performance in the unit test, you may or may not want to complete the
actual unit. Your score displays when you finish the test.
The Course Test covers material on the entire course. This test can
serve as a pretest when taken before going through the course, or taken after
you have gone through the course to assess your knowledge. The Course test questions
are randomized from a bank of test questions.
FastTrack assessment creates a personalized learning path tailored to your
particular needs. When you have mastered the questions for a unit, a check mark
appears beside that unit title in the course map. If you are unsuccessful in
questions for a unit, an X will appear beside the unit. A dash appears beside
the unit when no test has been taken.
What is a SkillSoft Simulation?
A SkillSoft Simulation (SkillSim) is a technology-enabled simulation which
puts you in an authentic business or professional situation.
You will play a major role in a variety of simulated interactions where your
decisions will have a direct impact on the course of events and result in realistic
consequences. The SkillSim is designed to help you practice or assess your mastery
of skills and knowledge learned in a series of SkillSoft courses. As you progress
through a series of scenes, you will receive feedback on your performance. To
assist you, the simulation incorporates links to context sensitive SkillSoft
course material.
Note: Depending on how your SkillPort is configured, the
content described in the following sections may not be available to you.
Playing a Simulation
Simulations are started within a web browser. The way you enter into a simulation
will depend on the specific setup of your company's on-line training environment.
Regardless of the exact system, each simulation will start from a summary page
that provides:
Select the Play link on the summary page to launch the simulation.
Introducing a Simulation
Simulations begin with an introduction page that allows you to either view
the introductory material or begin the Sim.
Note: If you are taking this Sim for the first time, we recommend
that you read through the introductory material. Make sure you read and
become familiar with the introductory information. This will assist you in your
performance during the simulation!
Introductory Material
All simulations have an introduction page that provides overview information
about the simulation. For example, the introduction page may include information
about:
- The company you work for.
- The characters you will interact with.
- The resources that are available to you during the simulation.
The specific information available on each introduction page depends on the
simulation content. You can review the information from the introductory page
(along with other important pieces of information) after the simulation begins
by selecting Reference Info from the Simulation Player Menu.
Note: Some older simulations do not allow you to skip the
introductory material and go directly to the Sim. In the future, all Sims will
have this functionality.
Explore Mode vs. Score Mode
When you enter a simulation, you are given the choice to take the simulation
in either Explore mode or Score mode. Place the mouse over each button to get
a brief description of each mode.
Explore Mode
Explore mode provides helpful feedback about the choices you make during the
course of the simulation. Choice feedback appears when you roll your mouse on
one of the available answer choices. You can also navigate back to previously
viewed pages and select alternate choices to experience a variety of different
outcomes. You will not receive any assessment scores for simulations taken in
explore mode.
Note: You do not receive any assessment scores for simulations taken
in explore mode.
Score Mode
Score mode allows you to test your skills within the simulation. Unlike Explore
mode, you will not receive any Choice Feedback about the choices you make until
you complete a scene within the simulation. You are also restricted from returning
to previously viewed pages. Your performance will be assessed against the simulations
objectives (introduced in the simulation's summary page).
After you complete the simulation, your score is recorded in the learner management
system database. Choices in the simulation are rated "Appropriate,"
"Fair," or "Inappropriate." The Simulation Player uses these
ratings to determine your score.
Scoring Examples:
-
You complete the simulation making all "Appropriate" choices.
Your score is 100.
-
You complete the simulation and some of the choices are rated "Fair"
or "Inappropriate." Your score is less than 100 but greater than
0.
-
You fail the simulation. Even though you may have made "Appropriate"
choices, you selected an "Inappropriate" choice that terminated
the simulation early. A Final Summary feedback page is displayed and you
are not presented with the remaining material in the simulation. Your score
is 0.
Navigating through a simulation
There are several ways to advance through a simulation:
- Select specific choice text.
- Choose to use an active resource on the desktop or from the Simulation Player
Menu.
- Select the previous button located near the top-right of the simulation
interface. The button allows you to page back through the simulation screens.
Note: The previous button is unavailable throughout a
simulation if you are in Score Mode. This prevents the student from scrolling
back and re-answering questions they may have answered incorrectly. In Explore
Mode, the previous button is inactive on the first page of a new scene. You
can only return to a previously played scene by exiting the SkillSim Player
and restarting from the beginning.
Simulation Player Menu
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Client, Phone, Course, Document, Computer
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Resources used throughout the simulation to aid you
in making decisions. Sub-menus will appear if there are several choices
available under each resource (e.g. there are several computer files for
you to reference during the simulation). |
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Reference Info
|
Reference information is available throughout the
course (it is always available on the menu). Reference information is background
information or other pieces of data that you would always have available
(e.g. information on the various characters that appear during the simulation). |
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Audio On
|
Toggle button that allows you to turn simulation
audio on or off. |
|
Print
|
Allows you to print simulation feedback. |
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Exit
|
Exits the simulation. |
|
Help
|
Opens the web-based help utility for
the Simulation Player. |
Active Resources
Several resources are made available to you during the course of the simulation.
Resources that are available to you at a given point in the simulation are called
active resources. They appear as selectable items in the interface (a picture
of a phone, computer, folder files, etc.) or you can access them via the Simulation
Player Menu. The availability of a particular resource is dependent on where
you are in the simulation or on a specific event. There are five different resources
available in simulations: Computer, Document, Client, Phone, and Course.
Note: Not
all resources are available during a given simulation.
|
Computer
|
Access to simulated
e-mails and other computer files used during the course of the simulation. |
|
Document
|
Access to various documents that support
simulation content (e.g. a company policy memo). |
|
Client
|
Represents interaction with characters throughout
the simulation (i.e. clients, coworkers, managers, etc.). |
|
Phone
|
Allows you to have telephone conversations with characters
in the simulation. |
|
Course
|
Links you to SkillSoft course content that addresses
one of the instructional objectives of the simulation. |
Choice Text
Choice text options are available to you as you progress through the simulation.
Usually, the response choices are either actions you can take or dialog to respond
to another character. Once you have made your decision, select the choice text
to continue the simulation. Depending on the situation, you may get a response
from a character in the simulation through character dialog.
Choice Feedback
Choice Feedback is only available in Explore Mode. Choice Feedback appears
as you roll your mouse over the various choices you have available during that
point of the simulation. The Choice Feedback text box is color coded to help
you identify if a choice is good, fair or inappropriate.
-
Feedback for an appropriate choice is displayed in a green text box.
-
Feedback for a fair choice is displayed in a blue text box.
-
Feedback for an inappropriate choice is displayed in a pink text box.
Events
Events are timed actions that occur at a specific point in the simulation.
You have no control over events; their occurrence is predetermined. You will
be prompted to respond to an event through graphics and audio (e.g. the phone
starts blinking or a message saying "You've got mail" appears on the
computer screen), pop-up text, or a combination of the two.
Note: It is up to you to choose whether or not to respond
to certain types of timed events. However, be aware that the choice you make
may impact the final outcome of the simulation.
Feedback Pages
You will receive feedback for the choices you at the end of each scene on a
Feedback Page, and at the end of the entire simulation on the Final Summary
Feedback page. Each of the responses you made during the scene are rated as
either Appropriate, Fair, or Inappropriate. A list of the objectives covered
in the scene also appear at the bottom of the feedback page. You can print a
copy of the feedback page by selecting Print from the Simulation Player
Menu.
After each scene, you will receive feedback based on the selections you made
during that portion of the simulation. The options you are presented with on
the Feedback pages depend on the mode you selected when you first began the
simulation.
Explore Mode Feedback
After completing a scene in Explore Mode, your are presented with four options
on the Feedback Page:
-
Continue - Begins the next scene in the simulation
-
Retry Scene - Restarts the scene you just completed
-
Retry Simulation - Restarts the simulation at the very beginning. You
will again be given the option of choosing between Explore and Score mode.
-
Exit - Exits the Simulation Player
The same options are available on the Final Summary Feedback page (however,
the Continue option will not be available because the simulation has ended).
Score Mode Feedback
After completing a scene in Score Mode, your are presented with three options
on the Feedback Page:
-
Continue - Begins the next scene in the simulation.
-
Retry Scene - Restarts the scene you just completed.
-
Exit - Exits the Simulation Player.
The same options are available on the Final Summary Feedback page (however,
the Continue option will not be available because the simulation has ended).
Continue/Restarting a Simulation
You may exit a simulation at any point by selecting Exit from the Simulation
Player Menu or from a Feedback Page. When you return to the simulation, you
are given the option of continuing or restarting the simulation.
- Continuing a simulation will place you back at the beginning of the scene
you were in when you originally exited the simulation, not on the exact page.
Your previous scores will be retained.
- Restarting a simulation will place you back at the beginning of the simulation.
Your scores will be reset.
Test Prep Exams
Note: Depending on how your SkillPort is configured, the
content described in the following section may not be available to you.
A Test Prep Exam is a practice test that helps you prepare for
a certification exam. You can take a test in Study Mode (where you receive feedback
after each question) or in Certification Mode (designed to mimic a certification
exam).
Express Guides
Note: Depending on how your SkillPort is configured, the
content described in the following section may not be available to you.
While e-learning courseware can help organizations master new technologies
effectively, cost-efficiently and on a globally dispersed basis, there is usually
a time gap of several months between the announcement of new technologies and
the first emergence of quality e-learning courses.
SkillSoft Press Express Guides close that time gap, delivering
a cost-effective means of learning new technologies within just a few weeks
of the availability of important new technology and certifications.
Express Guides are electronically-delivered equivalents of the student guides
that IT professionals receive when they attend instructor-led training classes.
They consist primarily of text and graphics and do not contain interactive practice
questions or assessments.
Access the SkillSoft Online Support page
via the link below. In this portal you can access frequently asked questions,
search our product based solution libraries, send a support question to SkillSoft
support representatives, or find additional methods for contacting support.
Contact
Technical Support
"Assigned"
check (appears when an administrator or manager assigned the course to you).
to modify the due date, goals and reminders, or to remove a learning event
from My Plan.
button beside the learning event name to launch it
directly.
button to create a new folder in your My Plan view. Use folders to organize
your learning events into related categories.