Private Training Centers – Frequently Asked Questions
What kinds of training can be performed in my Training Management System site?
Any kind of training that serves a distributed audience and needs a practical solution. Examples might include employee orientation, software user training, technical skills enhancement, continuing education for professionals, computer systems workshops, personal enrichment courses, policy and procedures training, public service and citizen involvement courses plus many others.
Do my learners or I need to install a “Plug-in”?
Certainly not. Private Training Centers uses a lightweight, standards-based delivery system that requires no plug-ins.
If you choose to have audio, video or special formats in your course material, then you need to make sure the end users (students) have the proper equipment (like speakers) and software. If your course material is built with HTML, tables, images, photos, etc., then students don't need anything more than a standard web browser.
My company does not have a “server” – can I still create and deliver online training?
Absolutely. Private Training Centers provides a complete, secure training environment with all required modules and features. That includes complete authoring, course development, skills tracking, course delivery and automated testing, reporting, evaluations, and all the other online learning tools.
Is training limited to certain audiences, languages, and computers?
Any modern web browser can be used to take classes at your private training center. And the system supports any language you choose to select and define. For the course authors and managers, we recommend Internet Explorer or Firefox, and a fluent English speaker.
If I set up a Private Training Center training system, who will train my students, the computer or a subject matter expert?
The answer is either or both, depending on your needs. Private Training Centers is designed to facilitate direct interaction between students and an
optional instructor and among the students in each class.
With Private Training Centers, your students learn directly from your prepared course content, from your instructor and from each other in open discussion forums.
Do we need to have an instructor at all?
No, it's up to you. A good Training Management System can run without an instructor. When you define your course lesson plan (using the management center) you indicate whether the course you are building requires an instructor.
You may choose to have all your courses fully automated, with no Instructors assigned. Or, you can mix and match, with some courses self-paced and others instructor-led.
What kinds of materials and references can the courses utilize?
A wide variety. First, note that your courses can have as many content sections as you wish. The content sections are the "meat" of the class, flowing in a natural sequence from section to section, much like the lecture series in a college class. These may be from material you created elsewhere (like a PowerPoint presentation or an HTML page), or courseware purchased from a third party, or Learning Screens created right inside your training center, using our built-in Authoring Tool.
You can also add what we call a course guide, which consists of visual or text reference material. There is also a searchable document library you can activate for any or all courses, or you can leave it in an inactive status.
How long do the online classes last? How many tests and assignments should there be?
That’s completely up to you. Consider your class size, complexity of the training content and the workloads of the participants. Your Private Training Center can handle courses of any length, and can handle any number of tests (pre-tests, posts-tests, or even a test after every course section).
Are tests defined online and graded automatically?
Yes. You build tests of any length as part of the "create a course" feature. You also define how the testing process works for each test, within each course, including:
- Type of questions: multiple choice, T/F, hot-spot clicks, or fill-in-the-blank.
- The percentage of correct answers needed to pass.
- The number of attempts allowed for each specific test.
- The amount of time allowed for each test, and whether to warn the student.
- Item banking, where each student's test will contain a randomly drawn set of questions, equal to the number you specify.
- Streaming video or audio capabilities.
- An optional web site for further study.
Tests are graded automatically, as they are taken. You can use the reporting menu for summary data or more in-depth analysis, including:
- How each student has performed on each test.
- Analysis of each question and how students are answering it.
- Pre and post test scores, demonstrating the effectiveness of your training.
- Performance graphs plotting average test scores against goals.