Summary
This section describes the high level flow of a person using the system to obtain a credential. Use this entry as follows:
- Read through the English Language column first from top to bottom to understand what a common flow is from start to finish
- Start back at the top of the English Language column and read the LearningBuilder Translation column to explain how LearningBuilder handles the underlying mechanism
- When you are ready to learn how to configure the types of work, go back to the top and read the Configuration Tasks column to align with the English Language column
| English Language Task | LearningBuilder Translation | Configuration Tasks | System Concepts Used |
|---|---|---|---|
As a person interested in obtaining a credential, I access the Credential Management Portal. I usually start at the organization's web site and end up at the credentialing portal. | The person lands on the main LearningBuilder login page. | LearningBuilder presents content in many areas through configurable Content Blocks. Where we believe content is likely to change, we have created Content Blocks accessible to Administrators. Administrators edit Content Blocks under the Admin → Content area or by switching to the Edit view. When the Edit view is turned on, all content blocks show up with outlines indicating that they can edit the content. The landing page has several Content Blocks representing the title of the landing page, instructions for registering, and instructions for logging on to the system. Editing Content Blocks on the landing page is a bit trickier than others, because the ability to toggle to Edit mode is past the login page. To edit content on the Login page, user the Admin → Content path or turn on Edit mode while you are on a different page and then navigate to the login page on a different tab. | Landing Page Content Blocks |
| When I arrive at the Credentialing Management Portal, I see the ability to log on or register as a user. Because this is my first time, I register as a new user. | The landing page presents content blocks that the organization controls. Inside the content blocks, we may include links styled like buttons that link to a Registration process. | To manage the Registration links, edit the Public page contents. Add a link styled like a button that points to the "slug" defined in the Registration configuration area. | |
The first thing I do is to register in the system. To register, I provide my primary e-mail address, that the system will use to communicate with me, as well as an address. When I submit my information to register, I receive an e-mail to the address I entered. | The Registration process displays information the system uses as primary contact information. The e-mail address entered in the e-mail field will be considered the Primary Email address for purposes of communication. Email notifications use the Primary Email address. | A person with System Administrator access can adjust Registration forms. The System Administrator can adjust the default Registration form or set up a new Registration form. Each Registration form has its own URL. You use that URL as the destination in the links on the landing page. The Registration form dictates the Role a person is granted when they complete registration. If you don't specify a Role, when the person completes the Registration process, the person will have no Role. The Registration configuration options allow you to determine which address is used and which fields are required. | Member Identity Fields (SSN, Passport, Drivers License, FEIN) (DRAFT) Messaging and Notifications to manage the contents of the registration confirmation notification. |
I enter demographic information into the system. This is not evaluative information yet. Instead, it represents information about me that may be helpful to the organization to understand its credential holder community. The form will only let me submit when I have entered all required information and abide by any data requirements. When I finish entering my information, the system will update my Status to reflect that I am applying for the credential (often "Applicant"). | The Grant Workflow for the Role specified in the Registration form displays. The Workflow Editor governs which fields display to the person and any business rules such as which are required or have specific value parameters. If the person satisfies business requirements when they click the Next Step button, the system sets the Role Status to the default value defined by the Role. In this case, the default value for Role Status is "Applicant." Clicking the Next Step button may also set other values according to configuration. We often, for example, set the Begin Date to the <Current Date> to represent when the person started the Application process. We also typically set the Role IsGranted attribute to True. | We use the Workflow Editor to manage various Workflows in the system. The Grant Role Workflow is the workflow we use to manage information about the person as it relates to the credential. If the system has only one credential, we will capture general information about the person, as well. Credential-specific information includes details such as when the credential is granted and when it expires. General information might include questions about how many credential holders practice in the Applicant's workplace or the kind of practice setting they have. During the configuration process, Implementation Analysts will use the Workflow Editor to make sure we capture information desired by the program. The Workflow Editor controls all the business rules for an acceptable submission. We also use the Workflow Editor to determine any automated activities the result from a person completing the form. We may configure Behaviors on the Next Step button to populate the Begin Date and to set the IsGranted attribute to True. | |
Once the system gives me the right status, I will be able to start an Application. The Application collects all the information I need to provide to demonstrate I qualify for the credential. | When the person completes the Role Grant Workflow successfully, the person is directed to the Applications List page. The Applications List page shows all of the Applications that the person can start based on a combination of circumstances. For example:
A person will be able to start the Application with the Begin button displays in orange. When the person clicks the Begin button, LearningBuilder creates a Learning Plan Instance that possesses the parameters set up during configuration and displays the Learning Plan Instance. | We configure Application using the Visual Rules Engine. Each Application is called a "Learning Plan" in LearningBuilder parlance (we can rename the term the system uses in the Glossary). We call them Learning Plans because they were intended originally to manage a person's continuing education plan. Now we usually call then "Applications" because we more commonly use them for applications for the process of applying for initial certification or certification maintenance. The Learning Plan configuration engine allows us to configure all sorts of aspects of the Application, including who can start it and when. The Learning Plan Definition includes:
| Learning Plans Learning Plan Instance Glossary Learning Plan Complete Workflow |
Within the Application, I provide information according to logical and visual groupings. There will be one or more sections that organize the different kinds of information required of the Application. | Each Application is organized as a collection of Task Groups to provide visual and logical groupings. Task Groups will have labels and Short and Long instructions to explain how to use the system. Each Task Group contains a set of "Tasks." The Tasks represent Activities that have specific patterns for completing the information. | We configure Task Groups in LearningBuilder using the Visual Rules Editor. This is a drag-and-drop mechanism for creating Task Groups, ordering them, and prescribing how they are used. Some Task Groups have pre-added Activities that must be completed. Other Task Groups have a mechanism for the Applicant or someone else to add an Activity from a group of available Activities. | Learning Plan Definition Task Groups |
| In some cases, I will see buttons that open forms for me to fill out. For example, if I need to provide my college degree, there is likely to be a button called "Provide College Degree" that opens a form to collect relevant information about my degree. | Where the application requires a single piece of data, such as an Academic Degree, we pre-Add Activities to the Application. In these circumstances, the Activity already exists on the Application when the person creates it. Tasks are completed through associated Activities. Each Activity is a representation of an Activity Type. Activity Types have Workflows that defines the attributes associated with the Activity and the order in which data about the Activity is collected. A person starts the data entry process by clicking the Active Button for the current Workflow Step of the Activity. After clicking the Active Button, a Workflow form displays. The Workflow form contains the fields requested at that point in the data entry process (or, Workflow Step). For example, if we are collecting information about an Academic Degree, the first step in the Workflow will be to collect the name of the school, the kind of degree, and possibly an upload field to collect an electronic version of a transcript. These fields will be defined as Extrinsic Attributes on the Academic Degree Complete Activity Workflow. The Workflow Step governs which fields are required, the data types necessary for each field, and any other input validation requirements that will help make sure the data is formatted correctly when entered. When the person is finished with data entry, the person clicks one of the Actions visible to them. Each Action has the possibility of saving the information entered, moving to another step, and closing the window. | Pre-Added Activities are placed on the Application as part of its definition. To pre-add an Activity, it needs to have been created and then added on the Learning Plan Definition page. Activity Types represent the structure of different data entry schemes. Each Activity Type is defined by two Workflows: A Create Activity Workflow, which is the way you create an example of the Activity, and a Complete Activity Workflow, which defines the way data is collected and reviewed. When a person is performing data entry to provide evidence they meet requirements, the person is progressing through the Complete Activity Workflow for the relevant Activity Type. Complete Activity Workflows can be as simple as a single step with fields on it to extensive paths that require review and feedback. All aspects of data entry are controlled by the Workflow Editor. That includes the field name and label (which can be different from one another), whether it is required, its data type, visibility rules, and other validation requirements such as acceptable ranges. Each Workflow Step has a set of Actions that tell the person what the next action is. | Activity Types Activities Activity Instances Workflows Complete Activity Workflow Create Activity Workflow |
| In other cases, I will see buttons that give me choices about the kinds of information I am supposed to provide. For example, I may be required to enter my degree from a prescribed list of schools. I might see a button called "Select School" that presents a list of acceptable options. When I choose my option, the system would then present a form to collect details about my degree. | Some Task Groups give the Applicant choices of the kinds of Activities to add to the Application. In these scenarios, the Task Group will probably not have any pre-added Activities, and instead will provide a means for the Applicant to add Activities. The Add Activity can do one of two things:
| Task Groups Pre-Added Activities Activity Search | |
As I complete my Application, the system keeps track of what I have entered and whether the Application is ready to be submitted. The Application will not let me submit unless I meet all of its rules. The rules I might need to meet have a few patterns:
As I fill out my Application, I see my progress rendered with several visual conventions, like thermometers, colors, or icons that show what I have completed and what I have left to do. When I have completed all the requirements of the Application, it will show me that I can submit the Application. | LearningBuilder keeps track of what a person has entered in several ways:
When the Application is Complete based on all the requirements defined, the Application displays the Active Button for the Application Workflow. | To configure Application requirements, we use the Visual Rules Editor. The way we configure the requirements depends upon where we locate the requirement. Where it is clear that we can put a requirement at the Task Group level, we do that first. Task Group requirements are convenient because the requirement is closely associated with the location of the data entry. A Task Group can, for example, have a minimum number of Units or can specify that a minimum number of Tasks be completed. Where the Task Group contains all of the Activities that contribute to requirements, we put the requirements on the Task Group. Where requirements may span Task Groups, we use the Requirements Model to establish completeness. The Requirements Model can keep track of Units and Completed Activities across all the Task Groups on the Application. We can also turn specific Requirements on and off depending upon the Application's Workflow Step and attributes on a person's Role record. In limited circumstances, we might use the Legacy Requirements Model. This is a simple calculation of the number of Units added to the Application. | Learning Plans Learning Plan Instances Requirements Model Task Group Requirements Requested Units Granted Units Units |
When I am able to start the submission process, there are still a few steps to take. For example:
As I progress through the Submission process, the system shows me the steps I need to take and how to complete them. When I have done everything the Application asks me to do, I will be able to Submit my Application. | When a person clicks the Active Button to submit the Application, the Active Button displays the form for the current step in the Complete Learning Plan Workflow. Like Role and Activity Workflows, the Workflow Form shows the fields that belong to the step, input validation requirements, instructions, and available actions. We typically use the Learning Plan Complete Workflow to manage attestations and payments because they often are completed after the more substantial portions of the Application are completed. We also typically use the Learning Plan Complete Workflow to manage auxiliary processes such as Accommodations requests. | Learning Plan Complete Workflow Workflows Extrinsic Attributes Intrinsic Attributes | |
| After I Submit my Application, I will most likely receive an e-mail notification confirming my submission. That e-mail will have instructions letting me know how long to expect to hear back from the organization. | The mechanism to submit the Application will be an Action on the Learning Plan Complete Workflow. We commonly connect an Email Behavior to the Submit button to send a confirmation. | Learning Plan Complete Workflow Actions Behaviors Email Behaviors | |
There will be some period during which I will wait to hear back from the organization about the status of my Application. If I haven't provided everything the organization was looking for, I may receive a request for clarification. The system will give me specific instructions about what changes I need to make. I may need to provide additional information or perhaps upload additional documentation. | |||
At some point in the process, I will receive a notification that my Application has been accepted and I am ready for the next step in my credentialing process. In the most common cases, this will mean that I am eligible to take the high stakes certification exam. Often, the system will at this point change your Status from Applicant to Candidate. At this point, the system will provide me information about registering at an associated Test Administrator. These are usually outsourced to a company that specializes in managing high stakes tests. The gives me a link that directs me to the Test Administrator's registration system. When I arrive at that site, LearningBuilder will already have sent a message that I am authorized to take a test. The Test Administration portal will allow me to choose a test centers for an available date. | |||
Once I take the test, the Test Administration system will send my results back to LearningBuilder. When LearningBuilder learns of your status, the system will move you to the next stage in the process. This may mean that you are now ready to receive your credential or it may mean that you are now eligible for a new qualification exam. If you fail the test, LearningBuilder will let you know when you are eligible to take the test again. That might be immediately or it might be after a waiting period. LearningBuilder will know if you have taken the exam more times than the program allows and prevent you from taking it too many times. | |||
If you have completed all requirements, the system will close out your Application and update your Status to something like "Certified" or "Active." It will update several aspects of your record, such as the date you were certified and your expiration date. You will keep that status until your certification expires, you are disciplined by the organization, or you voluntarily surrender your credential. |