Whether you’re new to Tribal Habits or just need a refresher, this article explains the key terms you’ll come across in your portal. The terms are grouped into four sections: people, content, building and managing content, enrolment and learner status, and portal management.
People
The different types of users in your portal, and the terms used to describe them.
Admins
‘Admins’ are the users who control your portal. Depending on your subscription, admins can have different access levels, which you can learn about here.
Creators
'Creators' are users who can create and edit knowledge. Whilst Admins are automatically creators, a creator can also be a user who is not an Admin. You can learn more about assigning creators here.
Learners
Learners are users who are exploring or enrolled into knowledge.
(Previously, Learners were referred to as Explorers.)
Assessors
'Assessors' can review learner task completion, event attendance, uploaded files and Q&A responses for assessment. Whilst creators are automatically able to assess, Assessors do not have to be a Creator or an Admin.
Manager/Team Leader
A user designated as a team leader (also known as manager) within Tribal Habits has access to information about their team via the 'Team' button on their dashboard. Optionally, you can also turn on manager enrolments, as well as subscribe them to manager email reports.
Mentors
‘Mentors’ are similar to managers, but they don’t have access to the Team page or any oversight of a learner’s progress. They’re used for notifications only, as topics and pathways can be set to notify a learner’s mentor. To learn more about assigning mentors, click here.
Activated and Deactivated users
When you deactivate a user they will no longer be able to log into the portal (they are 'locked out'). All their data and information will be retained.
An 'activated' user, on the other hand, is somebody who is able to log in. To learn more about activated and deactivated users, click here.
Monthly Active User
A 'Monthly Active User' is a user who has logged in within that particular calendar month.
Content
The learning content you create and share with learners.
Knowledge
In Tribal Habits, 'knowledge' refers to any learning content within the platform. This mainly includes topics and pathways, as well as external knowledge records. Topics can be created from scratch or sourced from the Tribal Habits Library.
Standard topic
A 'standard topic' is like a traditional online learning module. They usually contain several points, which act as 'chapters' to break your content up (although you can have up to 20 points per standard topic). Standard topics also have a main navigation page, and can have an end of topic assessment. You can additionally enable system-generated modules such as an Overview, Destination and Insights module.
Standard topics can be changed into short topics, if needed, via the topic’s Navigation settings (provided the standard topic only contains one point, and has no system modules enabled).
Short topic
A 'short topic' is similar to a 'standard topic' in that it is an online learning module. However, they are usually much smaller pieces of learning. While 'standard topics' can contain up to 20 points, 'short topics' can only have one single point. They also cannot include assessment modules or the other system-generated modules available for standard topics.
Short topics do not have a navigation page, nor can they have end of topic activities.
Pathway
A 'pathway' is a way for you to bundle topics together. For example, if you had 5 topics for new starters to complete you could bundle these into a single pathway called 'Induction'. Click here to learn more about creating pathways.
Catalogue
You can set up training for learners to self-enrol in via a catalogue (which can be accessed from their learner dashboard). The available training (topics and pathways) in a catalogue can differ for different users, depending on the rules you configure. Click here to learn more about creating catalogues.
External knowledge
‘External knowledge’ refers to training, licences, qualifications and other records completed outside Tribal Habits. These are recorded manually so they appear in a learner’s history alongside their topics and pathways. Learners, team leaders and admins can add them, depending on your portal’s settings. You can learn more about external knowledge here.
Building and managing content
How creators build, edit and publish knowledge, and how admins manage what’s available.
Active, Draft and Archived knowledge
Active, Draft and Archived refers to the visibility of knowledge by your admins. Topics can be active, draft or archived, while pathways can only be active or archived.
Active: This refers to topics and pathways that are currently in use and ready for enrolments.
Draft: This refers to topics that are still being developed, perhaps because your creators are editing or making changes to them. Draft topics are hidden from the default admin view, but learners can still be enrolled in them. Upon creation, all topics appear in Draft by default.
Archived: This refers to superseded topics and pathways that are no longer in use. Archiving knowledge removes it from learner dashboards and disables enrolment options, but retains its records.
Sage
Sage is our online virtual coach and provides guidance when creating or editing a topic. Sage can also help to build out content elements based on existing content.
Topic modules (Overview, Points, Insights, Assessment and Destination)
A standard topic can contain several modules:
Overview: This module creates a welcome experience for learners in your topic. It outlines the What and Why parts of your topic overview, provides information on some topic settings and can display your selected introduction analytics (such as polls on the prior experience of learners or their learning goals for your topic). You can learn more here.
Points: Points are a way to break up your topic, similar to chapters within a book. Points contain the learning content of the topic itself. A topic can have up to 20 points, however most often a topic has between 4-6. Points can be labelled: Parts, Rules, Facts or Steps.
Insights: This module gathers all the insights from your entire topic into a single area.
Assessment: This module presents learners with a graded online assessment. You can learn more about assessments in this dedicated support article.
Destination: This module provides a conclusion experience for your learners. It can optionally ask them additional standard analytics questions about their experience in your topic. It also provides a congratulatory message and neatly wraps-up your topic. You can learn more about the standard analytics in this module in this dedicated support article.
Note: The Overview, Insights, Assessment and Destination modules are known as 'system modules' and can be enabled or disabled, and while they cannot be fully edited like a normal topic point, they have options that can be toggled on and off.
Elements
Topics are built using a 'building block' approach. Each element is a block of content that comes with a template for you to fill in. The following types of elements are available:
Section: A break in the content with a large heading, which triggers certain automatic formatting and interactions. Section elements also control the 'Next up' buttons in a topic.
Text: Paragraphs of rich text, with formatting options including bold, italic, underline, bullet lists, numbered lists and links. Text can be shown in a single box or side by side in columns.
Highlight: Draws attention to key information. Includes dividers, insights, callouts and quotes.
Media: Includes audio, video, image, narration and PDF/file download elements.
Sequence: A popular way to present larger amounts of written content in an engaging, visual format. Useful for breaking down a list of concepts or ideas. Includes accordions, acronyms, buttons, cards, checklists, flipcards, processes and more.
Interaction: Adds engagement with interactive elements such as hotspots, sort activities, polls, reflections, scenarios and more.
External: Hosts external content such as SCORM files, or embeddable resources including H5P, Google Maps and SoundCloud.
Quiz: Informally tests learners as they go, with quiz, fill-in and match activities. Spread quizzes through a topic to break up long stretches of reading.
Assess: A range of dynamic assessable elements, including Q&A, task, upload, event, requirement and observation.
Editing (Versions, Edit, Preview, Publish and Update)
Versions: Topics in Tribal Habits include the ability to have both an editing (creator) and published (exploring) version with built-in version control. This allows learners to access the published version, while a creator continues to make changes to their editable version.
Edit: The mode in which a creator can create and edit content.
Preview: As you are adding content to a topic, you can obtain a live preview of your topic at any time by clicking on the 'Preview' button on the top right of the screen.
Publish: When creators publish their topic, it creates a version just for learners. It's like saving and exporting a copy of that version of your content for learners to use.
Update: When creators want to update their topic, they can use the same process to apply an update and select either a minor or major update.
Enrolment and learner status
Once learners are assigned knowledge, their enrolments, due dates, progress and certification are all tracked.
Enrolment (Current and Lapsed)
Enrolling learners means assigning them knowledge (topics or pathways) to complete. You can enrol users within the people tab both individually and in bulk. You can also enrol users in bulk via the Upload People function.
To learn more about enrolling learners, click here.
When learners are enrolled, they may be sent an email letting them know about the enrolment, and given a due date for completing the knowledge. Later, they may also receive overdue reminders and, once they finish, a notification with their certificate.
Learners can have more than one enrolment in the same knowledge over time. These are known as current and lapsed enrolments:
Current enrolment: A ‘current enrolment’ is a learner’s active enrolment in a topic or pathway. Learners can only have one current enrolment in each piece of knowledge at a time.
Lapsed enrolment: A ‘lapsed enrolment’ is an earlier enrolment that has been replaced by a retake. When a learner retakes knowledge (either by an admin or when a recertification period has been reached), their existing enrolment becomes lapsed and the retake becomes their new current enrolment. A lapsed enrolment can still have a future certified date, which means the learner stays certified until that date passes.
Due dates and overdue
‘Due dates’ are the dates learners are expected to complete an enrolment by. They’re optional, and are set on each topic or pathway either as a number of days from enrolment or as a fixed deadline. Due dates trigger reminder notifications, but learners can still access the knowledge after the date has passed.
An enrolment is ‘overdue’ when its due date has passed and it hasn’t been completed. Overdue isn’t a progress status, so an overdue learner still shows their usual progress (for example, Unexplored or Exploring). It is, however, one of the certification statuses. You can learn more about due dates here.
Progress (Unexplored, Exploring, Applying and Completed)
User progress falls into four main categories: unexplored, exploring, applying and completed.
Unexplored: The learner has been enrolled in a topic or pathway, but has not started exploring it. Due dates and enrolment notifications start from the point of enrolment.
Exploring: The learner has started exploring the topic, or at least one topic in a pathway, and is reviewing the knowledge.
Applying: The learner has commenced but not yet completed the topic assessment.
Completed: The learner has finished all the modules in that topic or completed all the required topics in a pathway. They are finished exploring the relevant knowledge.
Note: Progress is different to certification status. Progress shows how far a learner has got through an enrolment, while certification status shows whether they hold a valid certification. You can read more under Certification status below.
Certified date
The ‘certified date’ is the date a learner’s certification is valid until. A future certified date means the learner is certified. Once that date passes, their certification has expired. If there’s no certified date, the learner hasn’t achieved certification yet.
Recertification
‘Recertification’ is when a learner retakes knowledge to renew their certification. It happens when an admin re-enrols them, or when a recertification period has been reached.
Certification status
A learner’s certification status shows where they’re at with obtaining or maintaining certification in a topic or pathway. Statuses appear as badges in the Certification report, which is based on each enrolment’s certified date. You can learn more about the Certification report here.
Certified: The learner is certified. Their current enrolment is completed and has a future certified date. This is the ideal state.
Renewing: Still certified, but due to renew. The learner’s previously attained certification is still valid, and they’ve started a new enrolment to renew it. Ideally, they’ll complete it before the certification expires.
Underway: There’s no future certified date, but the learner has a current enrolment in progress. This is usually someone working towards their certification for the first time.
Overdue: With no future certified date and the due date for their current enrolment now passed, the learner is both uncertified and late.
Expired: There’s no future certified date and no new enrolment to renew it. This is the worst case scenario.
Note: Certification status is different to progress (Unexplored, Exploring, Applying and Completed). Progress shows how far a learner has got through an enrolment, while certification status shows whether they hold a valid certification. For example, a learner who has been re-enrolled to recertify will be Unexplored in progress until they start their new enrolment. Their certification status will be Renewing, though, because their earlier certification is still valid.
Certificates
‘Certificates’ are downloadable PDFs that learners receive when they complete a topic or pathway that has a certificate enabled. Learners can find them on their dashboard and profile, and in their completion email. A certificate is different from certification: a certificate is issued on completion, while certification status shows whether a learner currently holds a valid certification. You can learn more about certificates here.
Portal management
The features that help you organise your users and knowledge, track skills, and set up how your portal is structured.
Parent and child portals
Some organisations have more than one portal. In this setup, one portal is the ‘parent’ portal and the others are ‘child’ portals, each with its own URL and branding. Parent admins can log in to any child portal with their parent portal credentials, and can share topics with their child portals. Multiple portals are available on certain plans. You can learn more about sharing topics with child portals here.
Custom fields
‘Custom fields’ are extra fields (up to 20) that you can add to user profiles to store information specific to your organisation, such as job title, division or location. They can be used to filter reports and to set up enrolment and catalogue rules. You can learn more about custom fields here.
Groups
‘Groups’ let you organise users, such as by location, division or cohort, so that admins and assessors can only see and manage the users in their own groups. Groups are available on Business 50 or larger plans. You can learn more about groups here.
Roles
‘Roles’ describe what a learner is working towards, such as a position (‘Sales Manager’), a requirement (‘Fire Warden’) or a qualification. Each role is made up of competencies and skills, which learners attain by completing topics and pathways or by recording external knowledge. Roles are available on Business 50 or larger plans. You can learn more about roles here.
Categories
‘Categories’ are labels that admins create to sort, filter and search topics and pathways. They’re also handy for filtering reports, and can be shown on the learner dashboard so learners can find knowledge more easily. You can learn more about categories here.