The Event element allows creators to add instructor-led training (ILT) events into their topics or articles. This may be as simple as managing registrations and attendance at a workshop or webinar, or as part of a blended-learning experience with both online and offline activities.
What does the event element do?
The event element provides explorers with information about an instructor-led event (workshop, webinar and similar), while also tracking their requirements for that event (registration, attendance, assessment).
The event element can be used in a variety of ways:
For simple event management, you may create an article with a single event element in one section and use it to record attendance.
For blended learning, you may use an article or topic and utilise other elements to provide explorers with knowledge which sits "around" (before or after) the event, such as pre-workshop theory or post-webinar polling.
For multi-session activities, you may use a topic and put one event in each point or use a series of topics or articles each with a single event and then bundle them into a pathway.
In all cases, the explorer will see upcoming events on their dashboard and can view information about the event within that topic or article.
Expand the sections below to learn more.
Steps to add an Event element to a course
Steps to add an Event element to a course
Add the event element to your topic by selecting the 'Event' option from the content box, then follow these steps:
Select the type of event. This field is purely a label and does not change any other setting. You can select from Workshop, Webinar, Conference, Meeting or Event.
Add a Title - (Required). The title of your event. For simple events (an article with just an event element), your event title may the same as your article title. IMPORTANT - The event title will be used in calendar invitations and email notifications, so make it descriptive (so 'First Aid Workshop' not just 'Workshop').
Add a Code - (Optional). This can be a code associated with this event.
Add a Location - (Optional). The physical address or URL of the event.
Add Instructor(s) - (Optional). The names of the instructors or facilitators.
Add Notes - (Optional). Any additional notes you would like to provider to explorers (which you would like specifically included in invitations and notifications). You can also use other elements - text, download, video and so on - to provide more detail information, workbooks, pre-work and so on. This field is more about specific notes for the event itself, such as passcodes, directions, parking, catering and so on.
Add State - (Required). Select your start date and time.
Add Duration - (Required). Select the length of the event (in minutes).
Add Timezone - (Required). Select the timezone of the event (matching the date and time you selected - this will ensure the correct date and time for all explorers by adjusting to suit each explorer's timezone).
Manage your Event settings, as preferred
Click 'Save'
Settings and options
Settings and options
After a creator enters the information about the event, they also have several settings to help manage the event. These settings determine two key issues.
Explorer requirements
First, what are the explorer requirements for the event? The requirements determine what an explorer must do or obtain in order to 'finish' with an event.
Registration - (Optional). By default, when an explorer is enrolled into a topic or article containing events, they are 'registered' for all the events within that topic or article. So enrolment = registration. There may be times when you would like the explorer to separately confirm registration for an event and this option allows you to do that. When enabled, explorers will see a 'Registration' button on the event which they can click to confirm registration. Creators and admins can then view registration reports for each event.
Attendance - (Required). After an event has finished, you will need to select one of three options to record attendance at the event.
1 - Automatic. In this case, your learning portal will automatically confirm the attendance of every explorer once the event has finished (we check and update this once per hour so there can be a slightly delay depending on the finishing time of the event).
2 - Explorer. In this case, the explorer must return to the event and, once the event is finished, they will find a button to manually confirm their attendance.
3 - Instructor. In this case, a creator or admin must return to the topic or article, navigate to the Assess menu and the Review events tab, and then confirm the attendance (or absence) of each explorer. NOTE: The event must be finished for the instructor's rollcall to take effect - setting attendance to Yes before an event has finished will not take effect until after the event as finished.
Outcome - (Optional). Sometimes your event may contain an assessment process, which is typically graded by the instructor during or after the event. If so, you can enable this option. Creators and admins will now see a new option to set a Pass or Fail (or Pending) outcome for each explorer, along with a score (from 1 to 100). This option will require explorers to obtain a PASS outcome in order to finalise their requirements (the score is purely for reporting purposes). If the explorer does not obtain a PASS outcome, then they will not be able to complete this event (they will not meet the event requirements).
Progress Settings
Second, how do the requirements impact the progress of an explorer through the topic? For instance, should the explorer be allowed to keep exploring the rest of a topic, or should they be 'paused' until they have completed the requirements of that event?
There are also two settings you can enable to restrict (control) an explorer's progress in a topic or article which contains an event. This restriction is tied to the explorer's requirements for that event.
Topic/Article Progress - (Optional). By default, explorers will be able to progress in a topic or article after they review the event information (i.e. before they have attended and, if required, registered or passed the event). If you would prefer to stop explorer progress until after they have met all the event requirements, then you can enable this option. This will prevent the explorer from moving to the next section in the topic or article (which may contain post-event information or polling).
Topic/Article Completed - (Optional). By default, explorers will be able to complete a topic or article before they complete the requirements in any event in that topic or article. However, by selecting this option you can prevent the topic or article entering the 'completed' status until they they have met all the requirements for the selected event. In this case, the explorer will be able to complete all modules within a topic or article, but their topic status will not move to 'Completed' until all events within the topic or article are also finalised. If an explorer has complete all other requirements in a topic or article apart from an event, then as soon as the event requirements are met (such an instructor passing their outcome), their status will move to completed without requiring the explorer to return to the topic or article.
How explorers see an event
How explorers see an event
First, explorers see upcoming events on their dashboard as soon as they login to your learning portal. Events are grouped with the topic or article they relate to and are also visible on the overview slideout.
Explorers can quickly filter their dashboard by pressing the Event button to just show upcoming events (the button will only be visible if the explorer has upcoming events).
Once an event has finished, it will be removed from the dashboard and overviews once the explorer's attendance is recorded (or seven days have passed since the event finished).
Second, explorers see your event as another element within a topic or article.
They will see whatever information the event contains, presented in your organisation's branding, along with buttons to register or confirm attendance (plus other status information, depending on the settings for that event).
Explorers can also elect to download an invitation for their calendar (in .ical format) which will include the event information. Note that the option to download the event invitation will be removed after the event has been completed to reduce clutter for explorers.
Finally, after an explorer has had their attendance at an event confirmed (see below), the duration of the event will be included in their training records (in addition to the duration of any pre- or post- content they explored in the topic or article with the event).
Examples
Examples
Let's look at a few common scenarios to see how the Event element works in practice.
Example 1: A compulsory meeting
In this scenario, you have a team training meeting which has compulsory attendance. There is no pre-work or post-meeting information. Everyone will be attending as the meeting is compulsory. You simply want to share the meeting information with explorers and record their training hours.
Create an article with the title of the meeting.
In the article, add one section (blank or 'Meeting details').
In that section, add an Event. Select 'Meeting' type and fill in the relevant meeting details. In the requirements settings, set attendance to 'Automatic' and leave everything else unchecked. In the progress settings, select 'Explorer cannot complete this article until all requirements are met.'
Enrol explorers into the article.
Explorers can explore the article to obtain the meeting information and then click to finish exploring the article. The picture below shows the explorer view:
After the end of the meeting, explorers will automatically be marked as attending and their progress set to completed (without them having to return to the article).
Example 2: A webinar with post-webinar materials to download
In this scenario, you have a webinar where explorers will need to implement an on-the-job activity after the webinar (to implement new skills).
Create a topic with the title of the knowledge you are focused on.
Create one part in the topic with the title 'Webinar information'.
In that part, create a section ('Webinar details') and add an Event. Select 'Webinar' type and fill in the relevant details for the webinar. In the requirements settings, select 'Explorers must confirm attendance'. In the progress settings, select 'Explorer cannot progress in this part until all requirements are met.'
In that part, create a second section which provides explorers with any post-webinar information (slides, templates, information).
Create your Activity in the topic with the required information for the on-the-job activity.
Enrol explorers into the topic.
Explorers can explore section one in part one of the topic to obtain the webinar information. They will then be held at that position and unable to move to section two (and therefore unable to start activity one). The picture below shows the explorer view:
After the end of the webinar, explorers can return to the topic and access section two of part one to obtain any downloads. They can then complete part one which will unlock activity one for completion.
Example 3: A workshop with preparation info and a post-workshop online assessment
In this scenario, you are running a workshop and want to provide explorers with pre-workshop content - share some initial learning content and obtain some pre-workshop polling.
After the workshop, you want explorers to complete a graded online assessment of 10 quizzes. Since it is possible that some explorers do not attend the workshop, you want the creator to do a roll-call and mark which explorers did actually attend.
Create a topic with the title of the knowledge you are focused on.
Create two parts in the topic and enable the assessment module.
In part one, create and share your pre-workshop content as you like. You can use all the Tribal Habits elements to share knowledge, complete polls, ask questions, provide downloads and more.
In part two, create two sections. In the first, section, use an Event element. Use the event type 'Workshop' and add in the workshop information. In the requirements settings, select 'Instructor must confirm attendance.' In the progress settings, select 'Explorers cannot progress in this part until all requirements are met.' In the second section of part two, add a little post-workshop information and then create all the quizzes for your online assessment (selecting each quiz to only appear in the assessment).
Finalise your assessment module settings.
Enrol explorers into the topic.
Explorers can explore part one to obtain pre-workshop information and complete any initial polling or questions. They can also explore section one of part two, to obtain information about their workshop.
After the workshop, explorers will need to wait for the creator (instructor) to make their attendance. Only explorers marked as attended will be able to complete part two and then complete the online assessment.