Home National Learning Management System FAQs

FAQs

Background to the NLMS
Basic Functionality: What will it provide?
Installing and setting up OLM locally
Local content considerations
National content considerations
Pilot projects
Providing access and passwords
Tracking and recording progress

What is the NLMS?
The development of the National Learning Management System (NLMS) is a joint initiative between the Department of Health, NHS Connecting for Health, Skills Academy for Health Core Learning Unit, e-Learning for Healthcare and the Electronic Staff Record (ESR) Programme, which has introduced elearning capabilities into the Oracle Learning Management (OLM) and Self Service modules of ESR. The functionality is fully integrated with the ESR solution. It is available to all NHS employees with a staff record on ESR in England at no cost.

What is on the NLMS?
The NLMS provides the functionality for elearning courses to be delivered by ESR/ OLM. This has enabled providers of national content (for example NHS Connecting for Health, e-Learning for Healthcare and Skills Academy for Health Core Learning Unit) to deliver elearning to all staff within the ESR who currently have a staff record. It will also enable local NHS organisations to use ESR to deliver local course content to their staff (subject to the material meeting the technical design standards required).

When will it be available?
The NLMS was piloted over summer 2008 and is now available to all NHS organisations in England to implement. Find out more about the different models for implementation of the NLMS here.

Is this system mandatory for NHS organisations?
Organisations will be encouraged to use the NLMS for delivering local elearning content where this exists but it is not mandatory. For some national course content (produced by NHS Connecting for Health, e-Learning for Healthcare etc) the NLMS will become the only mechanism for employees with a staff record on ESR to access the content.

How much will it cost by organisation to adopt the elearning functionality?
The cost of the additional functionality will be met centrally by the DH (as for the existing ESR solution) meaning there will be no cost to local NHS organisations. Central team support for implementing the additional functionality will be provided through the existing ESR Operation and Benefits team (http://www.esrsolution.co.uk/contact/). Any other local costs that an organisation may incur (resources to implement/promote, hosting costs etc) will be met locally.

How does the NLMS fit with national policy?
The NLMS is a core element of the National elearning Framework for England (due in summer 2009). The framework sets out the direction of travel for national elearning and encourages wide adoption of the NLMS. The document also raises awareness of elearning products available nationally and how to access them.

Does elearning content currently exist?
Yes - there are currently three main national providers (Skills Academy for Health Core Learning Unit, e-Learning for Healthcare and NHS Connecting for Health) of a considerable number of elearning course and many local initiatives. There are over 40 different elearning courses available on the NLMS with more being added on a monthly basis. A full course catalogue is available on Kbase. 

 

Basic Functionality: What will it provide?                    back to top

Will the upgraded ESR OLM module provide functionality to produce, or author local elearning courses?
No, course production/authoring will need to be completed with a third party product or provider. In order for local courses to be able to be accessed via ESR they will need to meet standards defined in the A10000 document (available on KBase).

Will the new functionality enable on line chats and forums?
Yes, this is a standard part of the additional functionality that has been added to ESR and will be available immediately is available now. Local organisations are able to create Forums and Chats in their OLM catalogue.

Can notifications (e.g. for upcoming courses or approvals) be delivered via email?
No. All notifications are ESR system based. The ESR Central team are currently reviewing email options.

If OLM is the default platform for all elearning, when and how will it be adjusted to capture all elearning including that which occurs in other LMSs?
ESR is not linked to other elearning systems and can only automatically track learning that is accessed via ESR

How easy or difficult is it going to be to include short ad hoc courses and other elearning resources into the local catalogue?
Local catalogues can be updated to include any courses, whether short or long. The process for a user accessing, enrolling and playing these will be the same as any other elearning content Organisations can add simple e-Learning courses consisting of simple, non-SCORM compliant resources such as PowerPoint presentations or PDF documents.

Must every course on offer fit one or another of the existing categories? What if they don't?
All learning added to ESR must be placed under at least one national category or sub category. Added in Release 5.2 (31/05/08) sub - categories have been devised with input from the National OLM Special Interest Group and also the three national elearning content providers. Categories and Sub-categories are used to enhance the effectiveness of reports produced from ESR both locally and nationally, and also enable users to perform more targeted searches.

Basic Functionality: What will it provide?
The new elearning functionality provides users with a way of playing and tracking nationally provided elearning courses, along with locally created content. Where elearning is SCORM compliant, scores, statuses and other information is returned to OLM to allow for local reporting.

If a user requires some observation or test outside an elearning programme in order to be rated as ‘competent,’ is it possible to add in this certification of competence as a separate stage or individual field?
Where further observation is required following a local training course before awarding of a competency, the competency update process can be set to require supervisor approval. Where a separate test is required this can be created within OLM which can be linked

Installing and Setting Up OLM Locally                   back to top

Are there any changes regarding the user set up for the systems administrator?
Two new URPs, Learning User and e-Learning User, have been created, to give organisations greater flexibility and choice when implementing OLM and/or Self Service. Although there is no requirement to implement OLM, all employees needing access to elearning must be allocated the e-Learning User URP. The systems administrator will need to allocate relevant URPs along with userid and password if the employee is a new user of ESR. There is also a new role that has been created called Internet Access Approval; this enables the role holder to approve remote access requests from users of elearning. The five models of NLMS implementation are outlined in NLMS0018 - Implementation Models for NLMS, which is available on KBase.

Where do we get the SCORM adaptors from?
These are available to download from the McKesson Customer Information Portal, the trust remedy account holders should have access to this. The SCORM adaptor will need to be placed on the trust’s content server and a Service Request will then need to be raised to have the adaptor registered in ESR.

Can you recategorise a course once the categories and sub categories have been set?
Yes. See release notes for ESR release 5.2 from Page 22.

What are the new categories and sub categories?
These are available in the Guide to Implementing OLM and Talent Management (including elearning) on KBase.

If we want to transfer legacy data from another LMS, can this be done only once or is it ongoing?
This is a one off data migration in order to maintain data integrity. Each organisation will need to determine when the best time for migration to take place is. For more information you should discuss with your ESR Account Manager.

What training will be provided?
The ESR user guide and standard training materials has been updated and a Guide to OLM set up has been produced. Many regions have a buddying scheme so trusts which have already implemented the NLMS can pass on their knowledge.

If one trust has developed or procured elearning resources how can these be shared with or made available to other trusts?
The trust that has developed the elearning can either share the URLs with other interested trusts, who would then have to set up local version of the course, offering and class. Alternatively a Shared Training Centre (STC) model can be adopted using the current functionality.

What kinds of names should be given to elearning programmes so that users can find what they are looking for in the catalogue?
Naming conventions for elearning content should follow the same as those for all other courses, offerings and classes within the OLM catalogue. It is recommended that the employee / learner is always considered first in developing any naming conventions. See the Guide to Implementing OLM and Talent Management on KBase for further recommendations.

The timescale to implement NLMS is about three to six months. What size trust is this based on?
This is based on medium sized trust of 6-8000 employees. It is however dependant on a number of factors included whether only national content is to be deployed, if local content is being developed, whether a third party supplier is involved, whether there is collaboration with other trusts, resources available, structure of the organisation etc. As such all plans must be customised to meet local requirements. There is detailed information available on KBase and your ESR Account Manager can help you review this.

Local Content Considerations                   back to top

Will the course content actually be stored on ESR?
No, users will access the content via ESR, but the course content will need to be hosted (held) on a separate server by NHS organisations.

What standards will local content need to meet in order to work with ESR?
Local content should be developed in line with SCORM 1.2 standards and according to guidance contained in the A10000 document. The SCORM 1.2 standards are an international standard for elearning and enable the tracking of learning within the NLMS.

Can you put an expiry/end date on elearning courses or content?
Yes. As with any other entry in the OLM catalogue it is possible to put on an end date.

What authoring tools should be used to develop local content and is there any guidance given?
You may choose any tool, although preferably ones which are SCORM 1.2 compliant and adhere to the guidance and standards laid out in the A10000 document. It is a local decision as to which tools are used.

Can the A10000 document be shared with suppliers?
Yes

Can SCORM 2004 compliant material be used?
No. OLM uses SCORM 1.2 standards.

How will I be able to test my new local content with the NLMS prior to making available to staff?
The TPL1 ESR environment is available for the testing of local content.

Are there any other IT set up requirements for content servers?
Yes. Please refer to the content hosting guide and the A10000 document for a full list of requirements. SCORM adaptors need to be installed and the servers will need to be internet facing if content is to be available remotely.

Will there be a release control process for new local content?
Local content can be added to the OLM catalogue at the discretion of the Local Learning Administrator.

Are naming conventions required for local courses?
Yes. As per previous standards all names should be prefixed with your three number VPD and follow a sensible naming convention to ensure that they can be found and recognised by anyone viewing the course catalogue. This is also covered in the Guide to OLM Set up and the Building a Course Catalogue document linked on KBase.

Is there a forum for procuring and establishing links between local and national content requirements and development?
The Elearning Management Board is currently reviewing this. The group is currently led by Adam Wardle (Yorkshire and Humber SHA). The National Elearning Framework is due out in summer 2009. Please contact your local SHA Elearning Lead for details.

National Content Considerations                   back to top

How will it be decided what national content should be provided?
There is an initiative led by Nic Greenfield from the Department of Health and Adam Wardle at the Yorkshire and Humber SHA to determine policy on national content provision. The National Elearning Framework is due out in summer 2009. Please contact your local SHA Elearning Lead for details.

Will all national content be internet facing or will an N3 connection be needed?
Content providers are generally committed to ensuring that all material will be available by remote (internet) access, although it is possible that some content could be hosted on N3.

Can national content be repackaged for local (remote) use?
No.

Is there a list of national elearning courses available?
Yes. There is a full NLMS course catalogue available on Kbase.

Pilot Projects                                                     back to top

Are there any experiences from other deployments of learning management systems which could be helpful to us in doing this? Is any special training being provided to the Benefits Teams since they are helping but haven’t been through this particular kind of process before?
It is hoped each of the pilot sites will offer to engage with other trusts and share knowledge and experience of implementing the NLMS. There is a detailed post pilot evaluation report available on KBase. In addition to this, the ESR Operations and Benefits team will receive the appropriate training to enable them to fully support and advise future implementation.

Will pilot sites need to work with other NHS organisations?
Yes. It is proposed that a buddy system is adopted whereby pilots work in conjunction with other nearby pilot sites. In addition the expectation is that pilot sites will then be able to provide support to early adopters following completion of the pilot phase.

Will there be a report produced at the end of the pilot phase?
Yes. Lessons learned have been gathered and a full evaluation report is available on Kbase.

Should competencies be associated with courses to be used during the pilots? Can competencies be attached to nationally defined courses?
Yes: competencies can be attached to local courses but it is not possible to attach competencies to national courses. If competencies are defined they should be associated with the local course in the OLM catalogue and tested to ensure that competency profiles are updated accordingly.

Providing Access and Passwords                  back to top

What about learners who need access to elearning content, but are not covered by ESR?
Current arrangements for accessing, completing and recording elearning will remain in place for these staff, whilst plans are made to procure and deploy a national elearning solution. The ESR NLMS project and the project team for delivering elearning to non ESR organisations will work closely together as the projects progress.

Does my organisation need to fully implement Employee Self Service to enable elearning to be accessible for our employees?
No.
• Elearning content can only be played via the e-Learning User URP.
• In order for national course content to be made available to your staff, it will be possible to utilise a new User Responsibility Profile (URP), 'Learning Self Service' that enables users to access just the learning area of employee self service.
• Implementing full employee self service will allow employee access to the full range of features within employee self service, rather than simply accessing learning. For example the ability to review and request changes to personal data and view your payslip.
• Additional resource will be provided to support the existing ESR Operations and Benefits Realisation team (ESR Account Managers) to meet the anticipated extra demand for deploying the NLMS and Employee Self Service Modules.

Will users be able to access elearning away from work?
Yes, remote access allows users to register for an elearning course and complete an elearning course ‘remotely’ from suitable computers connected to the internet.
Users will be required to register for remote access (with managerial or role based approval) Course content that is hosted on the N3 network will not be accessible remotely.

Does an elearning user need to have an employee record on ESR?
Yes

If using a secure VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection from home providing access to N3 can you then login to ESR rather than using remote access?
Yes. VPN set up needs to be approved and configured by local IT departments.

Do you need to grant remote access on a per course basis?
No. This is a one off exercise per employee.

Do you have to have N3 access to request remote access?
Yes

Can you set up remote access as a default?
No. There has to be a formal request and approval via the system to ensure security and auditability.

Will set up of the new URPs be automated?
No. There has to be a local procedure to determine and agree which employees are allowed access as for any other URP on ESR. There is limited support for this process from the ESR central team. Please contact your ESR Account Manager to discuss.

How do employees play content?
From the e-Learning User URP the user selects e-Learning which displays a list of courses that the employee is enrolled on, content is launched by clicking on the play button.

Is internet access required when playing elearning content on an N3 connection?
Yes

How do you ensure that the user’s remote login is the same as that for ESR within N3?
The two logins and passwords are separate for security reasons. Remote userid and passwords are requested by the employee and can be of their own choosing.

Will you need jinitiator installed on a home (remote) pc?
No

Are there specific requirements for a home (remote) pc?
A PC Checker utility is available at http://www.esrsupport.co.uk/nlms/index.htm which can be run to determine whether the computer meets these needs. There may be specific requirements such as Adobe Flash Player dependent on the content of each course. For national content these requirements will be listed in the course details.

How will passwords be managed for remote users (for example, forgotten password)?
Requests for password resets by the user are possible. These will then require approval via their manager if Self Service is in use or by someone with role based approval.

How does a request for password change get attention?
Workflow notifications are delivered to the employees’ manager or the Internet Access Approval role holder.

Does my organisation need to fully implement OLM in order to access elearning and do users still need to be set up if it is not?
OLM does not need to be implemented to access national elearning material which will be set up automatically in the course catalogue. Employees will need user accounts set up with access to the e-Learning User URP. This URP will allow employees to self enrol and play national content.  If your organisation uses local content this will require set up using OLM.

Does Self Enrolment on courses require self service?
Self enrolment on elearning courses is possible using the e-Learning User or Learning User URPs. If Employee Self Service is being used it is also possible to self enrol here.

Tracking and Recording Progress                    back to top

Will ESR track what elearning courses staff have completed?
Yes, the training history of elearning courses completed by individuals will form part of their training history using OLM. This will be fully integrated with the employees’ training record already held on ESR for non elearning courses.

Who will be able to access elearning content on ESR?
Once an NHS organisation has implemented NLMS, national content is available to all employees with a staff record on ESR. Local content will only be available to employees with a staff record within an NHS organisation that has commissioned/completed the local content.

How does feedback on the learner's progress through course material get into OLM?
Assuming that content is SCORM compliant then this data will be recorded in OLM. The way that elearning is configured in ESR means that an interface runs twice daily to update the learner’s record in ESR.

If a user stops in the middle of a course can they pick up where they left off?
Yes - assuming that the content is SCORM compliant.

Can a user start a course on N3 and finish / continue remotely?
Yes

Will feedback in to OLM only take place when a course is completed?
No. The interface to update OLM runs twice a day so any data from partially completed courses held at that time will be transferred.