Introduction to Oracle Learning Management

Introduction to Oracle Learning Management

Oracle Learning Management (OLM) is designed to support all education models by providing a single
unified learning delivery system to the extended enterprise of employees, customers, and partners.

Tightly integrated with the talent and performance management functions within the Human Resources
application, OLM is also integrated with Oracle Financials and Order Management applications to
administer the financial and commercial aspects of your learning business. The application records
worker competencies, making them available for career planning as well as candidate placements,
performance appraisals, and other activities.

Note: The Appraisals and Questionnaire Administration functions are part of Oracle Performance
Management. The purchase of a Self-Service HR license on or after June 18th, 2007 does not permit the
use of Performance Management. You must purchase a separate Performance Management license in
addition to Self-Service HR license to use the Appraisals, Questionnaire Administration, and Objectives
Management self-service functions.

OLM offers a wide range of functions, from catalog and online class management to learner enrollments
and learning paths, enabling you to:

Manage All Learning With the Unified Catalog

The catalog provides an interface for administrators to manage the setup and delivery of learning. The
catalog model relies on five catalog objects:

 Categories organize the catalog so that learners and administrators can find what they're
looking for. A category can hold courses, learning paths, or other categories.

 Courses define subject matter and instructional objectives.

 Offerings define the delivery mode and language of a course. An offering might be an online
course given in French, or an instructor-led course taught in Danish.

 Classes are enrollable instances of offerings. For example, an instructor-led offering might need
delivery online, or in several different places at different times. A learner would enroll in a class
held at a specific time and place. You can also hold live online classes using OLM's integration
with Oracle Web Conferencing.

 Sessions are subdivisions of classes. To help you create a detailed agenda for a class, you can
break it down into shorter sessions, specifying the location and schedule of each session.

From the catalog, you can also create and maintain other objects that are not a part of the nested
hierarchy such as forums, chats, web conferences, learning paths, and learning certifications.
Administrators use the catalog to grant learners access, book resources, and assign competencies to
learning. Learners and managers can also view a version of the catalog to enroll in learning.

Group Courses Into Learning Paths and Certifications

Learning paths help to monitor performance and develop the careers of your workforce. Learning paths
group courses into meaningful sequences, and can include completion targets to indicate to subscribers
the dates by which they should complete the learning path.

Learning path types come from three sources:

 Catalog learning paths, created by a learning administrator, appear in the learner catalog and
enable multiple learners to follow a path.

 Manager learning paths enable managers to specify courses of study for their employees, either
directly or as a result of another Human Resources activity such as a performance appraisal.

 Learner learning paths, created by learners to set their own goals, define a plan to achieve them,
and measure their progress along the way.

Learning Certifications offer learners the opportunity to subscribe to and complete one-time and
renewable certifications, including regulatory certifications such as compliance training and professional
development certifications such as Oracle DBA. Unlike learning paths, certifications can include renewals
and enforced due dates. Administrators can choose from a wide variety of options to designate how
long a certification lasts, whether and when a learner can renew, and when the application sends
notifications.

Track and Manage Enrollments

Administrators can enroll and subscribe one or multiple learners in classes, learning paths, and learning
certifications. They control enrollment through a combination of learner access, self-enrollment
permission, and approval options. You can also track successful attendance, maintain learning histories,
and set up automatic updates to a learner's competency profile. Search capabilities enable you to place
the right learners into the right classes.

Using class and enrollment statuses, you can control enrollments in a class throughout its life cycle. For
example, you can create a Planned class to monitor learner interest and investigate resource availability.
You might then enter enrollments with the status Requested as learners express an interest in the class
and you can update their status to Waitlisted when the learners confirm their interest. You can update
the class status to Normal when you have sufficient Waitlisted enrollments to meet the minimum
numbers required to run the class, automatically taking Placed enrollments from the waiting list.

Grant and Restrict Learner Access

Learner access enables administrators to define which learners have access to which learning.
Administrators can specify this access on any catalog object. All catalog objects contained under this
catalog object inherit this access. For example, granting learners access to a category grants them access
to all the courses in that category. Learners cannot view or enroll in learning to which they lack access.

Manage, Deliver, and Track Online Content

The content interface enables you to organize and prepare content to be delivered as online self-paced
courses. You assemble online content within the interface, or import existing content, such as third-
party courseware.

To deliver the online content to learners, you can create a catalog offering, in which learners enroll and
which they access through the online player. Web conferences facilitate delivery of online synchronous
classes. Instructors can host a live web conference and deliver the class to learners over the web.

The player supports any type of Web-playable content--such as video, HTML, and Flash--that resides on
a web server.

The application tracks learner progress through an online course. By default, the application retains
performance details at the learning object level, including time spent, completion status and test scores.
Further, the application supports content that contains recognized e-learning industry specification
function calls, such as SCORM CMI or AICC HACP, to enable finer-grained tracking within the content
when required.

Create and Manage Tests

The test builder enables you to create tests, to measure a learner's performance, knowledge, and skills.
You can also create and maintain question banks, which help to organize and reuse questions across
multiple tests.

You deliver a test to a learner either as a topic within a course, or as an offering in its own right. The
application scores a test, and a learner passes or fails based on the results.

The application displays performance statistics, enabling you to analyze learners' performance for a
given test or question.

Define Player Prerequisites

For online offerings, you can define one learning object, including a test, to be a prerequisite for another
learning object within the same course, or in a different course. When a learner attempts to play a piece
of content (learning object), the online player prevents access unless the learner has successfully
completed the identified prerequisite (mandatory) content.

Import and Export Online Content

You can import and export existing content--both the metadata and, optionally, the content files
themselves--that conforms to recognized content specifications, such as SCORM and IMS QTI. This may
be content created in-house, but external to the application, or content purchased from third-party
vendors, either off-the-shelf or custom-built.

Enable Learners To Manage Their Learning

The learner interface makes it easy for learners to find, enroll, view, and play their learning. Learner
pages include:

The Learner Home page, which provides a snapshot view of learning paths and courses in which a
learner is currently enrolled. Learners can:

 View the detailed course, offering, and class descriptions as well as enrollment information

 Manage their learning paths

 View online and offline classes, where learners can obtain their class progress, view their class
enrollment status, and take online classes

 View and access catalog forums and chats that they have subscribed to

The Catalog and Search pages, which present an online catalog of available learning. When navigating
through the catalog, learners can find and enroll only in learning to which they have access. Learners can
also:

 Search for learning paths, learning certifications, category forums and chats, and learning
related to a subject matter; learners can search by course name, description, location,
competencies, and training dates

 Browse for learning by drilling down through categories to find the desired courses and learning
paths

 View catalog information such as course objectives and descriptions, to help them find the
desired learning

 Enroll directly in the learning they find

The Requested Learning page, which displays the classes for which the learner has requested
enrollment, but cannot enroll because of pending approval or a full class. The learner can also view
classes in which they are waitlisted and courses that are pending approval.

Offer Learning Access to External Learners

All learners, including those in the extended enterprise of customers and partners, can use the Learner
pages, making classes available to virtually anyone you wish to train.

View Complete Learning History

 Individual Enrollments presents detailed information for courses (not attached to their learning
paths or certifications) such as status, score, and time taken.

 Learning Paths lists the expired learning paths and those that the learner has subscribed to and
completed, unsubscribed from, or moved to Learning History.

 Learning Certifications displays information on expired certifications and certifications that the
learner has completed, unsubscribed from, or moved to the Learning History page

 External Learning shows learning taken externally, such as from an outside vendor, and entered
manually.

Manage Learner and Course Competencies

Like learning paths, competencies help to monitor performance and develop the careers of your
workforce. This release extends to learning paths the existing ability to link HR competencies to courses.
Administrators can configure the application to update, automatically or with approval, learners'
personal competency profiles after they have completed classes successfully. For each course they can
also set competency prerequisites, courses a learner should or must complete before they can enroll in
a given class.

Enable Managers To Manage Their Workers' Learning

Managers access a page from which they can view learning-related information about their employees.
After choosing an employee to view, managers use the learner interface to enroll that employee in a
course, or to view employee performance and progress.

Enable Instructors to Manage Their Classes

Using the instructor interface, instructors can manage their classes and bookings, communicate with
learners online, and carry out their administrative tasks. The instructor pages include:

 The Home page, which lists the classes that you are scheduled to teach

 The Class Details page, which provides detailed class information on resources, enrollments,
sessions, course prerequisites, and class forums and chats.

 The Forums and Chats page, which displays your class forums and chats and the forums and
chats that you need to moderate.

 The Supplemental Bookings page, which displays your bookings for non-catalog activities such as
vacation or preparation time. You can view your past bookings on the Booking History page.
Automate Communication With Workflow Notifications

The application delivers over 25 workflow notifications that inform learners and managers of classes
such as enrollments that require approval, and enrollments and cancellations made by managers or
others. Implementers can use Oracle Workflow and Oracle Approval Manager to configure these
notifications and their behavior.

Develop and Budget for Courses

You can assign budgets both for the development of new courses and for the running costs of all classes
scheduled for a course. You can assign instructors and other resources for course development.

Secure Access to Functions and People

You can restrict administrator access to a subset of the application (such as the catalog or resources)
and people (such as members of other business groups) through OLM's implementation of Role-Based
Access Control and HR Security Groups. Using Role Based Access Control you can control which
functions an administrator can use on the catalog and content data.

Control Access to Categories and Folders

Using the Administrator Access Control feature, enterprises can determine who can view and work with
a specific category and content. You can control administrators' access to OLM data. You can define
administrator control at the catalog category level or content folder level. Administrators belonging to a
specific administrator group can access the catalog objects belonging to that category or the content
objects belonging to that content folder.

If access to a category is restricted using an administrator group, then this restriction can be removed by
the learning administrator by selecting the Remove Administrator Group check box in the Update
Category page. If the learning administrator selects the Remove Administrator Group check box and
clicks Apply, a concurrent program runs in the background that removes the association between
category and administrator group. The category and the content within the category then become
accessible to all administrators.

Manage Waiting Lists

You can create a waiting list for a class, either because the class is full or because you want to prioritize
enrollments before allocating places. When a place becomes available (a learner may cancel their
enrollment or you increase the available places), or you are ready to allocate places, you can view the
waiting list and select from it.

Automatic Waitlist Enrollment

Alternatively, you can enroll waitlisted learners automatically, based on waitlist priority or enrollment
date. Automatic enrollment for waitlisted learners occurs when a learner has cancelled an enrollment,
or after the maximum number of attendees for a class has increased. OLM automatically moves the first
eligible waitlisted person into the class.

Record Outcomes of Attendance

When a class has taken place, you can record the results of each attendance, including the failure
reason, where appropriate.

If you are holding competency information in Oracle Human Resources, you can update learner records
to show the new qualifications, knowledge, or experience they have gained from the class.

Cross Charge Class Fees and Resources

You can transfer the cost of class fees or resources between organizations, departments, or cost centers
within your enterprise.

You can designate, at finance header level, a receiving cost center and a paying cost center, and
summarize finance details for charges (or credits) for each combination of approved finance headers
and lines. You can also create output to be included in the open interface for the Oracle General Ledger
system (or another general ledger or accounts receivable application).

Use the Electronic Records and Electronic Signatures (ERES) Functionality of Oracle E-Records in OLM

Oracle E-Records is a configurable framework for secure capture, storage, inquiry, and printing of
electronic records and electronic signatures (ERES) in compliance with government regulations.

OLM uses the electronic records and electronic signatures (ERES) functionality of Oracle E-Records to
enable organizations meet legislative compliance, such as the United States Food and Drug
Administration (US FDA) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Title 21 Part 11, otherwise known as 21 CFR
Part 11.

Using the electronic records and electronic signatures functionality, you can obtain electronic signatures
for the following business transactions:

 Administrator updates course name, course code, or course description

 Administrator or instructor changes the enrollment status of a learner.

 Learner completes a course.

You can use the Oracle E-Records Evidence Store to query electronic records and esignatures.

See: Electronic Records and Electronic Signatures (ERES) in OLM

Oracle Learning Management Requirements

Oracle Learning Management (OLM) supports a wide range of business activities associated with
learning and development.
What courses can you set up?

You can set up courses, learning paths, and learning certifications to describe any educational or
developmental undertaking designed to enhance competencies, qualifications, or experience. Courses
are not restricted to conventional training--you can use them for online training, on-the-job training,
work experience, apprenticeships, tests, and so on.

Can instructors deliver live online classes to learners over the web?

The integration with Oracle Web Conferencing (OWC) enables instructors to deliver live online classes to
learners over the web. Administrators can set up online classes as web conferences using the integration
with OWC. Instructors can host the web conference and deliver the class over the web. Learners
automatically join the live web conference on playing the class from the learner interface.

Can you create and maintain the content for the online courses within OLM?

Creating content is a task for curriculum developers outside of the application. OLM supports all Web-
based content and places no restriction on the authoring tools that you use to create the content, as
long as the content is playable on the web. You can set up one or more content servers in OLM, to store
and maintain the online content. You can transfer online content to the server using the Upload and
Import utilities.

What industry specifications does OLM support for sharing content across learning management
systems?

You can create, manage and better distribute online content across learning platforms if the content
adheres to common industry specifications. OLM supports industry specifications such as IMS, SCORM
(SCORM 1.2 and SCORM 2004 Edition 4), and AICC to reuse common content across applications without
making significant changes. You can import and export learning objects, tests, and content hierarchies
using XML files that adhere to these specifications.

Can you design curriculum for specific goals?

Yes. Not only can you can design curriculum for specific goals and objectives, but you can also include
licenses, certificates, and management training.

Does OLM support external learners?

OLM enables Applicants (people of the type applicant in HR and iRecruitment), who are not created as
learners in OLM, to search and enroll in learning using the learner interface. They can either self enroll
through the learner interface, or an administrator or a manger can enroll them. Enrollment is subject to
the learner access conditions defined on the learning.

Can you update competencies?

You can update competencies automatically or manually after a learner successfully completes a class.
Can I use HRMS Intelligence to investigate and monitor career management?

If you also have Oracle HRMS installed, HRMS Intelligence includes Reports, Discoverer Workbooks, and
Performance Measures designed to help you investigate the competencies, proficiencies, and training
within your enterprise. You can use HRMS Intelligence to answer business questions such as:

 How many people, and which ones, have the required skills and competencies for the job?

 How quickly can I improve the skills of a group of people, and at what cost?

 How does a person compare with the skills and competencies needed for the job?

 Do my employees need more training?

Introduction

The Learning Cycle

The learning cycle followed in the Oracle E-Business Suite model appears in the figure below.

You can use Oracle Learning Management in tandem with other Oracle Applications to support just as
much of the learning cycle as you require.

Setup Stages

1. Create administrator groups to restrict administrators' access to learning categories and folders.

2. Define the competency requirements of your business: define the competencies (qualifications,
knowledge, and experience) your enterprise requires from its current staff and future
applicants.

3. Assign competency requirements to organizations, jobs, and positions: assign your general and
specific business requirements to particular structures within your enterprise.

4. Assess competency achievements and gaps: evaluate your current workers and applicants, then
conduct a development needs analysis to identify the gaps.

5. Design or identify development courses: develop new internal courses or identify external
activities that can supply the competencies required to close the gaps.

6. Price courses: create budgets and create price lists, if appropriate.

7. Group courses into learning paths and categories: design your catalog to accommodate the
needs of organizations and individuals.

8. Identify resources and suppliers: identify the equipment, venues, instructors, and other
resources required to run your courses, and build up a database of resources you can book.
User Stages

1. Create classes and book resources: create online and offline classes and book the resources
required to run them. Manage payments to resource suppliers.

2. Manage charges and commercial relationships.

3. Enroll learners in classes.

4. Manage enrollments and cancellations: handle multiple enrollments using waiting lists and
confirmations, issuing standard letters as required. Invoice paying customers.

5. Record attendance and achievements: after classes, record results including test scores,
attendance levels, and competencies attained.

6. Evaluate courses: assess their effectiveness and compare actual revenues and spending with
budgets.

7. Appraise learners: evaluate the longer term impact of learning management.

8. Create learner groups to group learners based on their common interest or job responsibility.
You can use learner groups to give learner access to specific training.

The OLM Learning Cycle

Before you set up Oracle Learning Management so that users can perform their tasks, we recommend
that you plan carefully.

The responsibility for planning and setting up the different stages of the OLM learning cycle varies from
enterprise to enterprise. Typically, stages 1 and 2 may be the joint responsibility of several departments,
stages 3 and 14 may be the responsibility of the human resources department, while stages 4 to 13 lie
more clearly within the domain of learning management.

OLM is integrated with Oracle Human Resources, and together these applications can support all stages
of the learning cycle.

You may not be concerned with every stage in the cycle. For example, commercial learning service
providers need not identify internal training requirements nor maintain detailed learner records. They
mainly focus on the maintenance of schedules and the management of enrollments and financial
transactions.

Internal training departments that do not open up their classes to external learners on a commercial
basis may be less interested in the management of price lists and other financial information. To support
internal accounting practices, however, the application does enable cross-charging.