HR270 en SAP Learning Solution Overview Participant Handbook 2006

HR270 SAP Learning Solution Overview mySAP Human Resources

Date Training Center Instructors Education Website

Participant Handbook Course Version: 2006/Q2 Course Duration: 5 Days Material Number: 50083139

An SAP course - use it to learn, reference it for work

Copyright Copyright © 2006 SAP AG. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose without the express permission of SAP AG. The information contained herein may be changed without prior notice. Some software products marketed by SAP AG and its distributors contain proprietary software components of other software vendors.

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About This Handbook This handbook is intended to complement the instructor-led presentation of this course, and serve as a source of reference. It is not suitable for self-study.

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© 2006 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

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About This Handbook

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Icons in Body Text The following icons are used in this handbook. Icon

Meaning For more information, tips, or background Note or further explanation of previous point Exception or caution Procedures

Indicates that the item is displayed in the instructor's presentation.

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Contents Course Overview ......................................................... vii Course Goals ...........................................................vii Course Objectives .....................................................vii

Unit 1: Introduction to SAP Learning Solution...................... 1 Introduction to the SAP Learning Solution...........................2

Unit 2: Technical Essentials ............................................11 System Architecture of the SAP Learning Solution 600 ......... 12 System Landscape of the SAP Learning Solution ................ 22 Integrating Separate SAP HR Systems – ALE.................... 25

Unit 3: SAP Learning Portal ........................................... 35 Learning Portal General Information ............................... 37 Navigation.............................................................. 46 Booking and Cancellation in the Learning Portal ................. 56 Complete Training .................................................... 72 Learner Account....................................................... 77 Online Content Player ................................................ 85 Offline Content Player ................................................ 92

Unit 4: Organizational Management ................................ 105 Organizational Management General Information...............106 Enterprise Structure in Organizational Management............ 114 Organizational Management and Workflow ..................... 118

Unit 5: Personnel Development ..................................... 127 SAP Personnel Development ......................................128 Creating Scales/Qualifications Catalog ...........................132 Assigning Qualifications to a Person ..............................136

Unit 6: Training Management ........................................ 145 Training Management General Information ......................146 Creating a Course Catalog .........................................156 Creating Courses and Curricula ...................................170 Day-To-Day Activities and Other Activities .......................175

Unit 7: Collaboration ................................................... 189 Collaboration in the SAP Learning Portal.........................190

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Collaboration in SAP LS Training Management .................195

Unit 8: SAP LS Authoring Environment – Basics ............... 211 Creating Content with the SAP Authoring Environment – Basics..............................................................213 Structure of the Authoring Environment...........................223 User Interface for the SAP Authoring Environment .............228 Configuration .........................................................235

Unit 9: SAP LS Authoring Environment – Content Editing.... 257 Designing a Learning Net ...........................................259 Integrating Your Own Content ......................................285 Templates Manager .................................................292 Learning Objectives Manager ......................................305 Test Editor.............................................................314

Unit 10: SAP LS Authoring Environment – Repository Explorer ................................................................... 345 Playing Online/Offline ...............................................346 Repository Explorer..................................................349

Unit 11: Additional Information ...................................... 371 Reporting with Business Intelligence ..............................372 Correspondence in the SAP Learning Solution ..................381

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Course Overview Target Audience This course is intended for the following audiences: • •

• •

Training managers, training administrators Employees and consultants in HR departments that focus on Human Capital Management (HCM) and are responsible for talent management, knowledge management and personnel development. Authors and content owners Training administrators

Course Prerequisites Required Knowledge • •

HR050 Business Processes in Human Capital Management or HR100 Basics of Personnel Administration and HR120 Essentials of Personnel Planning HR130 Essentials of SAP Enterprise Portal in HCM

Recommended Knowledge •

HR515 Training and Event Management

Course Goals This course will prepare you to: • • • • •

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Gain an overview of the tasks and applications of the employee subgroups involved in the learning cycle in the SAP Learning Solution Use the graphic illustration of the system landscape to outline the data flows of the SAP Learning Solution Acquaint yourself with the functions of the Learning Portal, including collaboration, and the SAP Content Player Model the various delivery methods of blended training in SAP Training Management Learn about the most important processes in content management and creation with the SAP Authoring Environment


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Course Overview

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Course Objectives After completing this course, you will be able to: • •

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Describe the business processes of (Blended) Training Management, the Learning Portal and the Authoring Environment Define the structure of the SAP Learning Solution and the interplay between the various components


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Unit 1 Introduction to SAP Learning Solution Unit Overview Introduction to SAP Learning Solution You will receive a general overview of the topics covered in the course.

Unit Objectives After completing this unit, you will be able to: •

Place the functions of the SAP Learning Solution in an overall context.

Unit Contents Lesson: Introduction to the SAP Learning Solution ...........................2 Exercise 1: Blended Learning for SAP LS? (Optional) ...................7

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Unit 1: Introduction to SAP Learning Solution

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Lesson: Introduction to the SAP Learning Solution Lesson Overview Participants receive a general overview of the SAP Learning Solution.

Lesson Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: •

Place the functions of the SAP Learning Solution in an overall context.

Business Example The management want to offer the employees in your company training and education opportunities on an integrated learning platform with a blended learning offering. It is your job to evaluate the advantages of such a learning platform.

Introducing the SAP Learning Solution The SAP Learning Solution offers an all-round training and education solution to satisfy customers' demands for a complete system structure. By establishing e-learning as an integral part of the modern training catalog, the SAP Learning Solution has shown itself to be a logical, extensive enhancement to the previous SAP Training and Event Management functions. SAP worked on developing an all-round solution right from the start: Learning (Content) Management System (LMS or LCMS), learning platform, learning portal, … – however you choose to define these terms and whatever solutions they include, the SAP Learning Solution incorporates all their functions. In this respect, SAP stands out from other providers, who have developed their solutions gradually out of one application (e.g. CMS or content providers). This is probably one of the main reasons why SAP was one of the first ERP providers to decide to develop its own solution in full. The advantages of this for customers of the SAP Learning Solution are two-fold: the high quality SAP development standards of the entire product suite are guaranteed in the SAP Learning Solution as well, and customers are ensured global 24/7 support. To facilitate participants' understanding of the overview course, there is a brief explanation of the core e-learning terminology. In addition, the introduction gives a short explanation of the roles used in SAP Learning Solution.

E-Learning E-Learning – that is, learning using interactive instructional material that can be accessed on the Internet or intranet. Modern e-learning is accompanied by tutorials (e-mails, discussion groups, ...) and is combined with traditional teaching

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Lesson: Introduction to the SAP Learning Solution

forms (“Blended Learning”). It has not revolutionized the training sector, but it is assuming an ever more important role in large enterprises thanks to the increasingly high quality of the e-learning content on offer. From the multitude of new terms that has emerged in the world of e-learning, we will define only the most important here (see list). Please note that the term curriculum is used in the Learning Solution to refer to a collection of courses, that is, a course package. A curriculum in the Learning Solution represents a Blended Solution. •

[E-Learning] A blanket term for computer-aided instructional programs made available via public networks, intranet and Internet.

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[Blended Learning] Combination of traditional“ face-to-face” courses and e-learning units.

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[CBT], [WBT] – –

Computer Based Training with the help of special (interactive or multimedia) learning software. Web Based Training calls these learning units via Internet or intranet, and is also supported by collaboration (e-mail, discussion groups), if necessary.

Implemented in the right way, e-learning can help achieve increased sales (“time-to-market ”= “time-to-revenue”), reduce costs (travel and administrative costs, opportunity costs), provide more efficient training and education, and

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enhance the image of a company. Its implementation needs to be well-planned and supported so that inexperienced learners in particular are not overwhelmed by having to take on too much responsiblilty for their own professional development. •

Increased sales

•

– “Know-how” as a commodity – Enhancement of the service offering – Swifter and better-targeted knowledge transfer Cost reduction

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– Travel and administration costs – Opportunity costs More efficient internal education and training

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– Flexible learning – Integration of learning and working Image enhancement – –

Innovation through new technologies Hybrid teaching and learning concepts

Roles in the SAP Learning Solution The SAP Learning Solution offers an all-round “problem-free” solution in contrast to the stand-alone products commonly implemented as e-learning pilot projects in many companies. The integration of training administration and personnel development in particular constitutes a definite success factor in the area of e-learning.

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Role

Component: SAP LS

Learner

Learning Portal

Training administrator

Training Management

Personnel development manager

Personnel Development, Organizational Management

Author

Authoring Environment

Trainer

Learning Portal


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Practically every role profits from the SAP Learning Solution: •

•

•

•

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Users: have direct access to their training activities and a wideranging course offering that is tailored exactly to their specific qualification gaps (based on their job requirements). Users can register for courses themselves, submit participation requests for approval, and most importantly work on e-learning courses directly for this single-point-of-entry. The Training Administrator: can manage and administer all courses and participants in SAP TEM and take account of combination options with e-learning measures and collaboration tools. Personnel Development Manager: Skills management has direct access to an up-to-date database that is automatically maintained. Training measures can be implemented swiftly and target group-oriented to support the systematic development of personnel resources. Trainers (teletutors): The deployment of instructors can be optimized in Training Administration - for example, checking availability and potential replacements. The possibility of assessing courses and participants automatically and online significantly reduces the administrative effort required. Teletutors can provide constant assistance by supporting the course participants in the collaboration room. Learning software designers: The Authoring Environment can be used to design and create learning objects that can be reused and updated as required. Version management functions prevent version conflicts. External content offerings can be integrated according to recognized standards.


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Exercise 1: Blended Learning for SAP LS? (Optional) Exercise Objectives After completing this exercise, you will be able to: • Discuss various aspects of e-learning as a component of blended learning, based on a specific example.

Business Example You want your employees to get to know the SAP Learning Solution in a blended learning course and are considering whether or not the animations that you have received from SAP Sales are suitable for this purpose.

Task 1: 1.

Start the corresponding Sales demo (Information Kit under the SAP Learning Solution program) and briefly discuss the roles shown in the product demonstration. For testing purposes, working with sound is not important to you.

Task 2: You are an e-learning specialist who is responsible for setting up course HR270 SAP Learning Solution Overview Course - as a blended learning course for your company. One of your colleagues proposes that the exercise you just performed can be used as an e-learning component exactly the way it is. 1.

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Discuss this approach with the other course participants.


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Solution 1: Blended Learning for SAP LS? (Optional) Task 1: 1.

Start the corresponding Sales demo (Information Kit under the SAP Learning Solution program) and briefly discuss the roles shown in the product demonstration. For testing purposes, working with sound is not important to you. a)

Start the program with Start - Programs - SAP Learning Solution Information Kit. If you use the WTS, sound will not be available; click "No" when prompted to do so. In the next menu, you will find the various roles of the SAP Learning Solution in the Product Demonstration tab, and can also navigate through this information.

Task 2: You are an e-learning specialist who is responsible for setting up course HR270 SAP Learning Solution Overview Course - as a blended learning course for your company. One of your colleagues proposes that the exercise you just performed can be used as an e-learning component exactly the way it is. 1.

Discuss this approach with the other course participants. a)

Points that could be mentioned in a discussion: •

•

•

• •

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A sales demo is not a (good) CBT. There is precious little interaction, nor are there any learning progress checks for the learner. Does it make sense to go through the e-learning unit in the classroom at a fixed time when using a blended approach? This approach will probably be much less effective than offering it to the participants beforehand as a self-learning unit in a learning portal. A common benefit of e-learning is that content is kept up to date thanks to centralized administration. You should therefore consider updating the demo to release LSO 600. Learners should be given an opportunity to check their learning progress. ...


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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Place the functions of the SAP Learning Solution in an overall context.

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Unit Summary

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Unit Summary You should now be able to: • Place the functions of the SAP Learning Solution in an overall context.

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Unit 2 Technical Essentials Unit Overview Participants receive an overview of the different system units that are affected by the SAP Learning Solution installation.

Unit Objectives After completing this unit, you will be able to: • • • •

Describe the system architecture of the SAP Learning Solution Explain how and why the individual components of the SAP Learning Solution communicate with one another Identify and describe the system landscape options for the SAP Learning Solution Explain the integration options for older SAP HR Systems with the SAP Learning Solution by means of ALE.

Unit Contents Lesson: System Architecture of the SAP Learning Solution 600 .......... 12 Lesson: System Landscape of the SAP Learning Solution ................ 22 Lesson: Integrating Separate SAP HR Systems – ALE .................... 25 Exercise 2: The Relationship Between a Portal User and the Corresponding SAP HR Employee Master Data (User Mapping)..... 27

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Unit 2: Technical Essentials

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Lesson: System Architecture of the SAP Learning Solution 600 Lesson Overview In this lesson, you learn about the system architecture of the SAP Learning Solution and about the components that the solution contains.

Lesson Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: • •

Describe the system architecture of the SAP Learning Solution Explain how and why the individual components of the SAP Learning Solution communicate with one another

Business Example You are a training administrator involved in evaluating a Learning Management System. In this context, you have to understand the system architecture and how it can be integrated with your existing system landscape.

The System Architecture of the SAP Learning Solution

Figure 1: The SAP Learning Solution in mySAP ERP

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Lesson: System Architecture of the SAP Learning Solution 600

The architecture of the SAP Learning Solution is comprised of the following components: • • • • •

SAP Learning Portal SAP ERP 2005 Backend + Web Application Server (WAS) SAP LS Authoring Environment (LSOAE 600) Content Management System (CMS EP) SAP LS Content Player (LSOCP 600)

The releases for LSO 600 are shown in the above diagram. Hint: Please note: In LSO 600 and later, the SAP Learning Solution no longer appears as an add-on for Training Management; instead, it can be activated as an extension set.

Figure 2: Architecture – SAP Learning Solution

The data transfer between these two components plays a decisive role. Specifically, these components are linked by standard connections. Each of these components is introduced below.

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SAP Learning Portal

Figure 3: The Learning Portal in the Overall Scenario

The Learning Portal for the SAP Learning Solution is usually a “view” of an enterprise portal in a company's intranet. Portals (General)

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Figure 4: Portal

Portals make data from multiple sources (databases, systems) available dynamically in user-specific form. Access to the data is usually controlled by one-time authentication of the user. The corporate learning offering is accessible to all employees – and possibly to external course participants as well – through the Learning Portal for the SAP Learning Solution. Note to the instructor: The following display and accessibility options are available: • •

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Embedding in the corporate intranet As a component (iView) of the SAP Enterprise Portal


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The learner's personalized data (Learner Account) is displayed in the Learning Portal. The following self-service applications are available for the SAP Learning Solution: • • • • • • • •

Search the entire course catalog Book courses Cancel course bookings Launch e-learning courses Call training history View personal qualifications profile Run personal profile matchup Use collaboration options such as discussion forums, chat rooms, and virtual team rooms

The Learning Portal transfers the data from the back end and, if necessary, starts the Content Player to play the electronic content

SAP ERP2005 Back End

Figure 5: ERP2005 Back End in the Overall Scenario

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The ERP2005 back end is the workplace of the training administrator or coordinator. It is the physical repository for the data that is displayed in the Learning Portal. It contains: • • • • •

The course catalog and its environment data Course schedule and booking management functions The complete training history of the learner Data from Personnel Development and Personnel Administration (where implemented) Data from the Enterprise and Process Organization (where implemented)

The role of the following components in the ERP2005 back end is important to enable this data to be mapped in the SAP Learning Solution: • • • •

Organizational Management Personnel Administration Personnel Development Training Management

If a company already uses SAP Training and Event Management to manage its classroom training, the data from this system can be transferred to the Learning Solution. You can transfer: • • • • • •

The course catalog containing classroom training courses The training history Resources (e.g. instructors/trainers, rooms and so on) and other data in the environment External persons attending classroom training (persons without personnel numbers in Personnel Administration) External training providers (companies) External instructors

When you use the SAP Learning Solution, it does not make sense to continue using SAP Training and Event Management. You are recommended not to do so.

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SAP LS Authoring Environment

Figure 6: The Authoring Environment in the Overall Scenario

The Authoring Environment is the most important application in the SAP Learning Solution for authors and instructional designers. The Authoring Environment is a locally installed tool on the author's clients that can be used to create structured e-learning content with metadata appended. Content of external providers (such as Digital Think, English Town, NetG or Skillsoft) can be integrated in the Authoring Environment, provided the content is SCORM 1.1 or SCORM 1.2 compliant. Proprietary formats and standards can be implemented manually. Authors can configure the local Authoring Environment to allow them to integrate external content creation tools such as Toolbook or Dreamweaver for use in the Authoring Environment. The Authoring Environment includes an editor for creating online tests. When content has been created, it can be stored centrally in the Content Management System. Other authors have access to content stored in the CMS, which they can use and modify as required. Before content can be released for Training Management, it must be published. Then it is also available in the Publisher Database in the ERP2005 back end, where it can be linked with a course type.

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As soon as content has been linked with a course type, the course (WBT) is available to the learner in the Learning Portal. The course can be started using the Content Player (display medium for e-learning in the SAP Learning Solution).

Content Management System

Figure 7: The Content Management System in the Overall Scenario

A Content Managment System (CMS) is a central repository for finished e-learning course content. The following systems can be used as CMS: • •

Any “state of the art” content management system, such as CM for the SAP Enterprise Portal (standard component) A Web server that is WEBDav Level 2-enabled, for example, an Apache server

The training administrator can link content that is published in the CMS with a course type. Linking is done in the ERP2005 back end in the Publisher Database. This is a database table which displays all learning content published in the CMS.

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SAP LS Content Player

Figure 8: The Content Player in the Overall Scenario

The SAP LS Content Player is a tool for displaying and playing e-learning content that has been transferred to and published in the Content Management System. When a learner launches a Web Based Training in the SAP Learning Portal, the content is displayed in the Content Player. The Content Player provides multiple navigation options for course content. It is responsible for writing the learner's progress to the Learner Account in the back end on completion of the course. In turn, this data is taken directly from the portal, so that users know at all times what percentage of the WBTs they have already completed and how much time they spent doing so. This guarantees that when the Content Player is opened, the course is resumed at the exact point at which the learner left off last time.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Describe the system architecture of the SAP Learning Solution • Explain how and why the individual components of the SAP Learning Solution communicate with one another

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Lesson: System Landscape of the SAP Learning Solution Lesson Overview The participants are given an overview of the system landscape of the SAP Learning Solution.


Identify and describe the system landscape options for the SAP Learning Solution

Business Example You are a training administrator involved in evaluating a Learning Management System. As part of your job, you also want to learn about how a system landscape for a Learning Management System (LMS) could look that makes full use of the existing data in your ERP HR system.

System Landscape The SAP Learning Solution allows customers to set up a system landscape to suit their requirements. Generally speaking, SAP recommends customers to install the Enterprise Portal and/or the Content Management System on a separate machine. For this reason, this system is not included in the following sections dealing with installation options.

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Lesson: System Landscape of the SAP Learning Solution

Figure 9: System Landscape – SAP Learning Solution

•

Option 1: With this option, all components are installed on one specific machine. The advantage of this is that it reduces initial costs. Such a system landscape is particularly suitable for test systems or smaller installations. An important security aspect here is the question of whether sensitive data is being stored or whether the system can be accessed from the Internet.

•

Option 2: A second option is to install the Content Player and the LSO front end component on a separate WebAS (Web Application Server) on a separate machine. The LSO back-end system is installed separately. The advantage of this is that there are two machines to carry the burden, which means improved system performance. This type of installation lets you set up a firewall between the two systems for increased security.

•

Option 3: With option 3, the Content Player, the LSO front-end component and the LSO back end are each installed on separate machines. Security aspects play a role here and, more importantly, performance improves thanks to the further distribution of tasks.

Ultimately, however, each administrator will have to optimize the three major aspects of security, performance, and costs. The final decision will depend mainly on the enterprise's specific requirements.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Identify and describe the system landscape options for the SAP Learning Solution

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Lesson: Integrating Separate SAP HR Systems – ALE

Lesson: Integrating Separate SAP HR Systems – ALE Lesson Overview The participants are given a brief overview of the integration options for older HR Systems with the SAP Learning Solution.


Explain the integration options for older SAP HR Systems with the SAP Learning Solution by means of ALE.

Business Example You are a training administrator involved in evaluating a Learning Management System. For this reason, you want to find out what options there are for integrating SAP HR systems from other releases or secure areas with the SAP Learning Solution.

Differences Between Releases – ALE

Figure 10: Integrating an SAP HR System with ALE

If your enterprise already uses an SAP HR system and you do not plan to upgrade to Release ERP 2005, you can still integrate existing HR data (such as HR master data and organizational data) with the SAP Learning Solution. In this case, the required data is regularly transferred from the HR system to the SAP Learning Solution system using ALE (Application Link Enabling). Data, such as a learner's

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acquired qualifications, can also be written back to the HR system with ALE. For the sake of consistency, it must be absolutely clear which system is the leading one. You should enter the original data, such as HR master data entries, in this system. ALE (Application Link Enabling) is the standard connection for transferring data between SAP systems. It is used at many companies, for example, to exchange data between the FI/CO systems and the HR system, which is often installed separately for security reasons.

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Exercise 2: The Relationship Between a Portal User and the Corresponding SAP HR Employee Master Data (User Mapping) Exercise Objectives After completing this exercise, you will be able to: • Explain from a technical perspective how the Learning Portal manages to dynamically display the correct employee data from the ERP2005 back end when a user logs on to the portal, purely on the basis of the user-specific logon.

Business Example Hint: To carry out this exercise, log on to the portal, the “Learning Solution front end”. Use your browser and the URL provided by the instructor in order to log on. In the exercises, use “##” as your user number, that is, the digits that appear after “HR270-”. Caution: You will learn about the functions available in the Learning Portal in the next unit. To perform the exercises without difficulty, it is important that you perform one action only, namely to click on the link as shown in the graphic. Hint: You carry out this exercise in the ERP2005 back end of the IDES training system, the “Learning Solution back end”. To log on, choose Start/Programs/SAP Logon. In the exercises, use “##” as your user number, that is, the digits that appear after “HR270-”. Make sure that you log on to the back end in the language of your choice. As the project manager for system administration, you are responsible for your portal's user interfaces and directory. You want to understand the consequences of implementing SAP LS. As well as the required workplace equipment, you are particularly interested in the interaction between the portal users and the personnel data. The latter is stored in the familiar SAP HR module at your company.

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Task 1: Which software/interface do the following roles use primarily to access the applications of the SAP Learning Solution? 1.

Web-Based Training authors

2.

Training administrators

3.

Learners

Task 2: Optional: You are trying to understand the interface between the portal user and the employee that is maintained in Personnel Administration (PA) in mySAP HR. 1.

Figure 11: Follow the link to the detailed view of the course

After you have logged on, open the Learning Portal from the “Learner” tab. By clicking on the Product Training activity (you can see your portal user in the top left corner of the screen) as shown in the illustration, you can see a list of the employees (object type Person in PA) who are booked on “your” Product Training course. It is easy to guess which employee is assigned to your portal user.

Continued on next page

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You know from your HR basics course that you can use transaction PA20 to display the persons in Personnel Administration. Check the infotype 105 “Communication” for the corresponding person. Name: First Name: Personnel Number: Caution: You have just identified “yourself” as the employee. It is safe to assume that you will need your personnel number on a number of occasions throughout this course. 2.

You now know that the person in SAP HR who is assigned to your system user is already booked on the above course. Does this mean that if you use the same user to book yourself on a different course in the next lesson, the same person appears in the back end with an additional course participation entry?

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Solution 2: The Relationship Between a Portal User and the Corresponding SAP HR Employee Master Data (User Mapping) Task 1: Which software/interface do the following roles use primarily to access the applications of the SAP Learning Solution? 1.

Web-Based Training authors a)

2.

Training administrators a)

3.

SAP Authoring Environment SAP GUI

Learners a)

Browser

Task 2: Optional: You are trying to understand the interface between the portal user and the employee that is maintained in Personnel Administration (PA) in mySAP HR. 1.


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Figure 12: Follow the link to the detailed view of the course

After you have logged on, open the Learning Portal from the “Learner” tab. By clicking on the Product Training activity (you can see your portal user in the top left corner of the screen) as shown in the illustration, you can see a list of the employees (object type Person in PA) who are booked on “your” Product Training course. It is easy to guess which employee is assigned to your portal user. You know from your HR basics course that you can use transaction PA20 to display the persons in Personnel Administration. Check the infotype 105 “Communication” for the corresponding person. Name: First Name: Personnel Number:


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Caution: You have just identified “yourself” as the employee. It is safe to assume that you will need your personnel number on a number of occasions throughout this course. a)

User Mapping – Personnel Administration Log on to the portal and click on the Product Training link. A “Cancel Participation” button appears next to the name of a participant in the list of participants. You assume that you can only cancel your own participation in a course in the Learning Portal. You immediately recognize that this participant is the one who is assigned to your portal user in the SAP HR back end. Transaction PA20 Click on the F4 search help and enter the name of the participant against which the “Cancel Participation” button appears. Enter “Communication” as the infotype and choose “Display” (icon or press F7). Check whether your system user is actually assigned to this “personnel number”. If so, note the person's master data. If not, try again with a different last name.

2.

You now know that the person in SAP HR who is assigned to your system user is already booked on the above course. Does this mean that if you use the same user to book yourself on a different course in the next lesson, the same person appears in the back end with an additional course participation entry? a)

Yes! In Training Management, employees (the persons) are usually booked for courses. The user mapping is then exact and unique across the chain you just verified: portal user = back end user = person (infotype 105).

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Explain the integration options for older SAP HR Systems with the SAP Learning Solution by means of ALE.

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Unit Summary You should now be able to: • Describe the system architecture of the SAP Learning Solution • Explain how and why the individual components of the SAP Learning Solution communicate with one another • Identify and describe the system landscape options for the SAP Learning Solution • Explain the integration options for older SAP HR Systems with the SAP Learning Solution by means of ALE.

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Unit 3 SAP Learning Portal

Unit Overview Participants receive an overview of the Portal iView of the SAP Learning Solution and its functions.

Unit Objectives After completing this unit, you will be able to: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Explain and execute the business process of the Learning Portal Describe data exchange with back end components Execute a simple search Execute an extended search Navigate through the course catalog overview Find more detailed information and find courses covering a particular subject area Add a subject area to your favorites Add a course to your favorites Find the exact dates scheduled for a course Make a prebooking for a course Book a curriculum Book a course (classroom training, e-learning unit) Cancel a course booking Cancel a curriculum booking Submit a participation request Submit a booking cancellation request Appraise a course Electronically confirm participation (FDA signature) Book courses in the SAP Learning Portal and cancel bookings Describe how booking or canceling a curriculum affects the individual courses


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Unit 3: SAP Learning Portal

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Explain how standard workflows support an approval process for bookings and cancellations Differentiate between workflows on the basis of different course types Name at least two important course follow-up activities for learners Describe how the Learning Portal makes these follow-up activities easier Display and delete learner-specific prebookings Display and delete learner favorites Display learner's qualification profile Run personal profile matchup Save learner-specific settings, for example, for a learning strategy or search options Start a booked Web Based Training (WBT) online Navigate to the Content Player Display a table of contents or defined learning path for a WBT Complete processing of a WBT and check your learning progress in the protal Start a booked online test Define the cycle that the Offline Player enables, and how it makes it possible to download content for offline learning, yet still notify the central LMS of the learning progress.

Unit Contents Lesson: Learning Portal General Information ................................ 37 Lesson: Navigation .............................................................. 46 Lesson: Booking and Cancellation in the Learning Portal.................. 56 Lesson: Complete Training ..................................................... 72 Lesson: Learner Account ....................................................... 77 Lesson: Online Content Player ................................................ 85 Lesson: Offline Content Player................................................. 92 Exercise 3: The SAP Learning Solution for End Users................. 95

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Lesson: Learning Portal General Information

Lesson: Learning Portal General Information Lesson Overview Introduction to the Learning Portal of the SAP Learning Solution


Explain and execute the business process of the Learning Portal Describe data exchange with back end components

Business Example You are a learner who wants to get an initial, basic impression of the new mode of access to Corporate University offerings. You want to find out about the structure of the portal and what functions it offers learners.

Learning Portal General Information The Learning Portal is literally the face of the Learning Solution. It represents that part of the SAP LS with which the learner or employee in a company comes into contact. It offers a wide variety of options for all aspects of training and further education, tailored to the needs and requirements of the respective learner.

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The Learning Portal in the SAP Learning Solution / Data Exchange with the ERP 2005 Back End

Figure 13: The Learning Portal in the Overall Scenario

As explained in the chapter Technical Essentials, companies can use the Learning Portal in the following ways: 1. 2.

The Learning Portal can be integrated in an SAP Enterprise Portal 6.0 or higher. The Learning Portal can operate as a standalone solution, for example, within the respective intranet.

In both cases, the learner must identify him- or herself by means of a user ID and a password at logon. The user is presented with a personalized view of all information relating to training and education. Personalized means that, in addition to general training information, users also have access to information

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about their own training activities and about courses they need to take. When the user logs on, the system retrieves personal information about the learner from the ERP2005 back end. This includes: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Learners' personal data (last name, first name and so on) - SAP Personnel Administration Learners' organizational assignment data (position, job) - SAP Organizational Management Learners' special authorizations (to view course catalog) - SAP Structural Authorizations Training Activities - Learner Account/ SAP Training Management Learner's Prebookings - Learner Account/ SAP Training Management My Favorites - Learner Account/ SAP Training Management Learner's Qualifications Profile - SAP Personnel Development Requirements of Learner's Position or Job - SAP Personnel Development Learner's Personal Settings - Learner Account/ SAP Training Management Learning Progress - Learner Account/ SAP Training Management Courses Prescribed as Mandatory for the Learner – SAP Training Management Essential requirements/qualifications of the learner's position that are missing, expiring, or whose proficiency is inadequate - SAP Personnel Development

All of this information is retrieved from various components of the ERP2005 back end and displayed to the learner in the personalized Learning Portal or included in the Learner Account.

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Self-Services in the Learning Portal Depending upon the defaults and settings made, there are a number of self-service applications available to the learner in the Learning Portal: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Use search functions for the course catalog Identify prescribed courses Book courses (classroom training, WBT, curriculum and so on) Cancel course bookings Make prebookings Create personal favorites Appraise courses Call WBT content Specify learning strategy for playing WBT Play content offline and online View personal qualification profile Run personal profile matchup Identify qualification deficits Store personal settings for learning strategy and search options View current training activities View completed courses (history)

The following chapters deal with these components and data in more detail and explain how to maintain this data.

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Structure of Learning Portal

Figure 14: View of Learning Portal

From a user perspective, the Learning Portal comprises two areas: 1.

2.

The left frame serves as a navigation bar for orientation purposes. Its appearance remains constant. The links it contains call information, which is then displayed in the area to the right. In the center frame, information or applications are displayed when called using the links in the navigation frame.

These two areas interact directly with one another. They are discussed in detail in the next lesson, “Navigation”, using the individual functions available in the navigation bar as a basis. For now, concentrate on what learners see when they start the Learning Portal.

Training Home The Training Homepage is the initial screen of the Learning Portal. To return to this start page from anywhere in the portal, learners simply click the “Training Home” link in the Navigation area of the Learning Portal. The display area contains the most important information for the user: • •

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Messages and notes that are relevant for the learner The learner's current training activities


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Figure 15: Messages and Notes

In the Messages and Notes area, important Personnel Development data is displayed. In the standard system, such data includes courses prescribed for the learner and missing qualifications. In the Mandatory Courses area, learners are shown all courses that are prescribed as mandatory for them. This is purely for information purposes. It is the learner's responsibility to book the course. As soon as a mandatory course has been booked, it is no longer displayed in this area. It then appears under the current training activities. The display of mandatory courses is derived from relationships that are maintained in Training Management and that access the employee's assignment in Organizational Management.

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Figure 16: Missing or Expiring Mandatory Qualifications

In the standard system, the Qualifications area lists all the essential qualifications … • • •

... that are lacking completely ... that are only partially represented ... that will expire in the near future.

Figure 17: Current Training Activities

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In the current training activities area, the learner can find all the relevant information about: •

Booked time-dependent courses (such as classroom training, curricula)

•

– Course name – Start date – Start time – End date – End time – Course location – Whether a course is part of a curriculum Requests for participation in time-dependent courses

•

– Course name – Start date – Start time – End date – End time – Course location – Whether a course is part of a curriculum – Information about the request Booked time-independent courses (such as Web-Based Training, online test)

•

– Course name – License period – Number of allowed accesses – Progress in % – Completion time – If already available, a link to start the course – Whether a course is part of a curriculum Requests for participation in time-independent courses – – – – – – –

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Course name License period Number of allowed accesses Progress in % Completion time Whether a course is part of a curriculum Information about the request


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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Explain and execute the business process of the Learning Portal • Describe data exchange with back end components

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Lesson: Navigation Lesson Overview Participants learn how to navigate the Learning Portal.

Lesson Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Execute a simple search Execute an extended search Navigate through the course catalog overview Find more detailed information and find courses covering a particular subject area Add a subject area to your favorites Add a course to your favorites Find the exact dates scheduled for a course Make a prebooking for a course Book a curriculum Book a course (classroom training, e-learning unit) Cancel a course booking Cancel a curriculum booking Submit a participation request Submit a booking cancellation request Appraise a course Electronically confirm participation (FDA signature)

Business Example You are a learner and have just logged onto your personalized Learning Portal. You are interested in the entire upper left screen area, the navigation area. As a learner, you want to find out what processes are supported in the navigation area and what information it contains. You want to get to know the various search options in the Learning Portal and learn more about the booking and canceling operations.

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Lesson: Navigation

Navigation

Figure 18: Navigation

The Navigation screen area is divided up as follows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Training Home Find Top 3 List (BAdI) Course Catalog Learner-specific Learner Account

These areas are described in detail in the following sections.

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Find

Figure 19: Search Course Catalog

Learners can use the search functions in the Navigation area to search the course catalog for courses using keywords or specific attributes as search criteria. The system returns the hit list based on these search criteria. The learner can branch to the details page of a course directly from the hit list to display further information. The search functions offer: •

A simple search (keyword search): With the simple/keyword search option in the Learning Portal, the learner can enter a keyword to search the course catalog for suitable courses. The keyword can be contained in the course title or description.

•

Extended search The extended search function can be accessed via the link displayed below the simple search. This option offers multiple course attributes that the learner can specify as search criteria.

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Lesson: Navigation

Figure 20: Extended search

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

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The learner can execute a keyword search on both the course title and the title and associated description texts (such as content, objectives, notes and so on). These attributes are maintained and stored in the ERP2005 Training Management at course groups and course types level. Option to display all training measures from a given subject area. Subject areas are also defined in Training Management for the the ERP2005 back end system at course group level. Learners can display all possible courses offered with their preferred delivery method (classroom training, Web-Based Training or Virtual Classroom). Delivery methods are defined in Customizing for Training Management in the ERP2005 back end system. In Training Management for the ERP2005 back end system, qualifications can be defined as prerequisites for participation in a course at course type level. Learners can display a list of all possible or bookable courses that have a given prerequisite qualification. A learner that needs to acquire a given qualification can display a list of all courses that impart the qualification. This relationship is also defined in Training Management (see explanation 4). Learners can display all courses that are intended for a given target audience. This assignment is created in Training Management in the ERP2005 back end system using the optional relationships “planned for job” … …and “is mandatory for job / position / organization”.


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BAdI The third navigation frame usually contains the Top Three list of most frequently booked courses. However, it can easily be filled with other information by means of a standard interface (BAdI).

Course Catalog (General)

Figure 21: Course Catalog Overview

In the Course Catalog area, learners can view all of the courses offered by the Training Department. You maintain and store the course catalog in the Training Management master data catalog in the back end system. Here you also select and flag the subject areas that should be displayed in the Navigation area of the portal. As a rule, this is a very general categorization, for example, Languages, IT, Business, or Personal Skills. If you do not flag any course groups as subject areas, the system automatically displays all the course groups at the uppermost level of the catalog hierarchy.

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Lesson: Navigation

Figure 22: Display of Course Catalog

Course Catalog When you click the Course Catalog link, an overview of the entire catalog appears, in which you can choose the individual subject areas. From the perspective of the back end system, a hierarchy of the various course groups is presented. The learner can access the complete course catalog by clicking the subject area links displayed. Alternatively, the learner can go directly to the top level list, which shows the entire catalog. Subject Areas The subject area link gives the learner access to the corresponding details page. As well as a general description of the subject area, the details page provides information about subject areas assigned at a lower level, and about the courses that are included in this subject area. It also contains information about the delivery methods (e.g. classroom training, Web-Based Training, online test, or curriculum) offered for the course. Learners can add a subject area to their favorites by clicking “Add Subject Area to Favorites” (see Learner Account unit). The learner can navigate through the catalog by clicking on the underlying subject areas and courses.

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Figure 23: Detail Screen of a Subject Area

You can click on a subject area to display detailed information for that area. This information generally includes: • • •

A brief description of the area A list of the subordinate subject areas (with links) A list of courses and their delivery methods (with links)

Courses in the Learning Portal The learner accesses specific course offerings using the search function or by navigating through the subject areas. These are categorized according to delivery method, either time-dependent or time-independent: Time-dependent

Time-independent

Classroom training

Web-Based Training

Curriculum (Blended Learning)

Online test

Virtual Classroom Session

CBT (e.g. via CD ROM)

The detailed data displayed for each course depends on whether it is a time-dependent or a time-independent course. WBTs contain information about the minimum or maximum completion time, while classroom training courses contain location information. The following information is displayed: •

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Time-independent course:


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Lesson: Navigation

–

•

Status messages about current operations (bookings, prebookings, and so on) – Course content – Notes – Course duration – Target group – Prerequisites (qualifications required or prerequisite courses taken) – Attainable qualifications – Follow-up courses – Fees (participation price) – Languages offered (languages in which the course is available) – Training provider – Course owner (The name of the course owner is displayed. If the e-mail address is stored in HR Personnel Administration, the mail application opens when you click the name and you can send the course owner a mail.) – References to further sources of information (e.g. link to a homepage) – Knowledge Links (to documents or information stored in the Knowledge Warehouse component) Time-dependent course: – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Status messages about current operations and course content Notes Course duration Target group Prerequisites Attainable qualifications Follow-up courses Fee Course owner Training provider Course dates Schedule Language Location Participants Trainer Room Course dates


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Links to further information Knowledge Link

Training administrators determine which information – and how much – learners can see on the detail screen of the course when they maintain this data in ERP2005 Training Management.

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Lesson: Navigation

Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Execute a simple search • Execute an extended search • Navigate through the course catalog overview • Find more detailed information and find courses covering a particular subject area • Add a subject area to your favorites • Add a course to your favorites • Find the exact dates scheduled for a course • Make a prebooking for a course • Book a curriculum • Book a course (classroom training, e-learning unit) • Cancel a course booking • Cancel a curriculum booking • Submit a participation request • Submit a booking cancellation request • Appraise a course • Electronically confirm participation (FDA signature)

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Lesson: Booking and Cancellation in the Learning Portal Lesson Overview Of course, a major benefit of the new Learning Portal is that it greatly reduces the administrative effort associated with course bookings and cancellations. This section deals with the respective self-service scenarios in the Learning Portal.

Lesson Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: • • • •

Book courses in the SAP Learning Portal and cancel bookings Describe how booking or canceling a curriculum affects the individual courses Explain how standard workflows support an approval process for bookings and cancellations Differentiate between workflows on the basis of different course types

Business Example Your company wants to reduce the administrative effort required for course booking and cancellation, as well as improve transparency in further education and training. For this reason, employees are to be given the opportunity to book and cancel training courses in the intranet themselves. Workflows will be implemented so that the managers' approval is automatically requested when expensive courses are involved, for example.

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Lesson: Booking and Cancellation in the Learning Portal

Booking Courses

Figure 24: Booking a Course in the Learning Portal

One of the most important functions for the learner in the Learning Portal is the ability to book (and cancel) courses independently. This frees up Training Administration staff but they can still monitor participation bookings and training activities. Using self-service applications in their personalized Learning Portal, learners can independently register or at least submit participation requests for all courses with a variety of delivery methods. Whether to use of approval workflows in this process is an important question. The following section explains how the standard workflows in the SAP Learning Solution support the processes of booking and canceling participation. But first, there is a brief explanation of the independent booking (and cancellation) procedure. The rules and regulations that apply (such as deadlines or staggered fees) are stored in Training Management. These rules can also be applied when you use workflow. The default setting in the standard SAP Learning Solution allows courses to be booked up to the first day of the course: cancellation of a WBT is allowed as long as it has not been launched in the Content Player. Course Registration The detail screen of a time-independent course (e.g. WBT) displays information about the results of the prerequisites check that is performed (authorization, existing qualifications and so on) and about whether the learner is allowed to

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book the course. If the booking is authorized, a link is displayed that leads to the booking screen after a confirmation prompt “Do you want to book this course?”. This usually means that the course can also be started immediately. The details screen of time-dependent courses first displays the dates scheduled. The link “To registration” then takes the user to the details page of a specific scheduled course. From this point on, the booking procedure is the same as for time-independent courses. In addition to a prerequisites check, the system can also check time availability. A special note about curricula when booking time-dependent courses: A curriculum is a group of individual courses that are combined as a package for learners. This represents a Blended Learning offering in the system. Courses with multiple delivery methods can be combined to form a curriculum.

Figure 25: Booking a Curriculum in the Learning Portal – Step 1

When you book a curriculum, you are simultaneously booking multiple courses. The learner can branch to a date selection screen from the details page that contains information about the single course dates and the delivery methods available. The date selection screen lists the possible dates scheduled for the time-dependent courses (curriculum elements).

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Figure 26: Booking a Curriculum in the Learning Portal – Step 2

The learner can select and immediately book the most suitable date in each case. When the curriculum is being created by the administrator, checks are performed automatically to prevent errors in the sequence of the different elements.

Figure 27: Display of Booked Curriculum in the Learning Portal

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When a participant has been booked for a curriculum, the curriculum and its elements (courses) are displayed in the learner's Current Training Activities. The curriculum elements are flagged accordingly. From this area, the learner can use links to access more information, and to launch WBT and online tests directly if they have been released.

Canceling Course Bookings From the personalized Learning Portal, learners can not only book courses, but also cancel their own bookings. Since the date selection dialog is not required in the case of e-learning courses, there is no real need to differentiate between time-dependent and time-independent courses. Of course, there are also course type-specific settings that can be configured in Customizing for Training Management. For example, in the standard system, bookings for classroom courses can be canceled in the portal up until the first day of the course, while a WBT or online test can only be canceled if it has not been started in the Content Player. A course that has been launched once has, to all intents and purposes, been taken. The “Cancel” area is on the details page of the booked course. In the standard system, when the learner clicks the link “Cancel participation in this course”, a brief confirmation prompt appears in an alert window. The system checks whether the cancellation is allowed under the circumstances and notifies the learner of the cancellation fees levied.

Figure 28: Canceling a Curriculum in the Learning Portal – Step 1

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Figure 29: Canceling a Curriculum in the Learning Portal – Step 2

Curricula can be canceled too from the Learning Portal in spite of the fact that they are made up of multiple single courses. The training administrator can make the following specification in the case of curricula: • •

Cancellation only for the curriculum as a whole Cancellation of the individual curriculum elements

In both cases, the cancellation and deadline rules that apply to the individual courses are valid. Before the cancellation is executed, the learner is informed of the total cancellation fees involved. These derive from the sum of the cancellation fees for the individual courses. When the learner clicks on the curriculum to be canceled in the Current Training Activities, he accesses the details page of the curriculum. Here you can see the individual curriculum elements (courses) that make up the curriculum. Click “Participation” to view the booked dates.

Booking and Canceling with Workflows SAP Business Workflow enables you to define business processes quickly and simply. You can define simple procedures such as release or approval processes or more complex ones. Workflows can be most efficiently implemented for recurring work processes such as the “request – approve – book course” process. The standard system contains a number of workflows that map predefined business processes. These standard workflows are easy to implement. The existing transactions and functions of the SAP System are used for this. The organizational structure mapped in the Organizational Management component is used to determine the employee's supervisor.

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Figure 30: Workflows in the SAP Learning Solution

The SAP Learning Solution offers standard workflows for when the learner requests a booking or a cancellation in the Learning Portal. In Customizing on the back end, the training administrator can activate the workflows across the board for each delivery method for the entire catalog, or for individual course types.

Figure 31: Workflow – Booking Course Participation

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Figure 32: Workflow – Canceling Course Participation

We distinguish the following four cases: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Booking participation in a time-dependent course Booking participation in a time-independent course Canceling participation in a time-dependent course Canceling participation in a time-independent course

Figure 33: Learner View – Booking with Workflow Active

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If an approval workflow has been defined for a course booking (e.g. classroom training, curriculum), the link “submit participation request” is displayed under “Book” on the details page of the course instead of the link “book this course”.

Figure 34: Overview: Booking a Time-Dependent Course

Figure 35: Booking a Time-Dependent Course – Step 1

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Case 1 In the case of a time-dependent course, a booking is created provisionally for the course when a request is submitted. The workflow is triggered at the same time. The learner's supervisor receives a workflow item containing the request data, for example, the learner's name, the course requested, the course date, and the participation fee. Information about the supervisor is determined by the workflow

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from ERP2005 Organizational Management. The workflow item is routed to the supervisor's workflow inbox or is sent by mail. The supervisor can decide to approve or reject the request. If the supervisor rejects the request, the provisional booking is canceled. In R/3 Training Management, the training administrator can define a deadline by which the supervisor must process the item. If the deadline elapses without the participation having been approved or rejected, the course is automatically considered approved and the booking is retained.

Figure 38: Booking a Time-Independent Course

The learner is notified of the outcome of the request by mail. In the Learning Portal, the status of the workflow is indicated as follows: • • •

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When participation has been requested: the course is displayed under Current Training Activities with the status “participation requested” When the supervisor has approved participation (or approval deadline has been exceeded): the status “participation requested” is deleted If the supervisor rejects participation: the course is no longer displayed under Current Training Activities


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Figure 39: Booking a Time-Independent Course – Step 1


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Case 2 You can also implement approval workflows when time-independent courses (such as WBT, online test) are booked. In this case, no provisional booking is made in the background. The booking is made when the request is approved. This is because no reservation of (possibly scarce) places is required. What is required in this case is the release of the course, which usually signifies its immediate launch. The learner is notified of the outcome of the workflow by mail and the status of the course is displayed in the Learning Portal.

Figure 42: Canceling a Time-Dependent Course

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Case 3 You can also implement approval workflows when time-dependent courses are canceled. The link “request cancellation” is displayed on the details page under “Cancel” instead of the link “cancel this booking”. When the workflow is triggered, the course remains booked in the back end until the supervisor approves the cancellation. Only then does it disappear from the Current Training Activities area. The status in the Learning Portal is as follows: • • •

When cancellation has been requested: the course is displayed under Current Training Activities with the status “cancellation requested” If the supervisor rejects cancellation: the course is no longer displayed under Current Training Activities If the supervisor rejects cancellation: the status “cancellation requested ”disappears

Figure 43: Canceling a Time-Independent Course

Case 4

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In the standard SAP Learning Solution, the default deadline set for canceling a time-independent course is until it has been launched in the Content Player. The learner is notified by mail about whether the request has been “approved” or “rejected”. This information is also displayed in the Learning Portal as follows: • • •

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When cancellation has been requested: the course is displayed under Current Training Activities with the status “cancellation requested” If the supervisor approves cancellation: the course is no longer displayed under Current Training Activities If the supervisor rejects cancellation: the status “cancellation requested” disappears and the course remains visible under Current Training Activities


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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Book courses in the SAP Learning Portal and cancel bookings • Describe how booking or canceling a curriculum affects the individual courses • Explain how standard workflows support an approval process for bookings and cancellations • Differentiate between workflows on the basis of different course types

Related Information •

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Use a URL or cross-reference tag to point out additional information that the participants may find useful, such as Web sites or white papers. Delete this if not applicable.


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Lesson: Complete Training Lesson Overview In this section, you will learn how to accompany a course in the Portal. During a booked course, you can provide assistance in course-specific collaboration rooms. At the conclusion of a course, learners can evaluate the course and confirm their attendance in the Portal.


Name at least two important course follow-up activities for learners Describe how the Learning Portal makes these follow-up activities easier

Business Example Even after a course is complete, the employees should continue to help training administration by entering various information in the Learning Portal.

Course Appraisal in the Learning Portal Online appraisals greatly facilitate the course evaluation process. Rating values are collected and assigned automatically and the data collected is stored directly for use in reporting. If an appraisal sheet is available online, for example, in the Learning Portal, the sheet was created in the back end component “Management by Objectives”. Here, the Performance Management function provides the training administrator with the following support functions: • •

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Create sample forms for example, for WBTs, trainers, classroom courses and so on. Status management for appraisals (not released, released, archived)


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Lesson: Complete Training

Figure 44: Course Appraisal in the Learning Portal

You can edit appraisal templates and display archived templates in the Learning Portal. This is possible for all appraisals, whether course appraisals or trainer appraisals. Since appraisals are always course-specific, they are displayed on the course details page under “course appraisal”. Depending on the training administrator's specifications, feedback can be given in free-text form or on a scale. Appraisals need not be completed at one sitting, you can store a temporary version, change it as required and complete it when ready. The relevant links are displayed at the top of the online form and, like the form itself, are intuitive and easy to use.

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Participation Confirmation and FDA

Figure 45: Electronic Confirmation of Participation / Signature (FDA)

There are two ways of confirming participation in the Learning Portal: • •

Simple electronic confirmation of participation Electronic signature according to FDA guidelines (Food and Drug Administration)

In the standard SAP Learning Solution, electronic confirmation of participation is not active. The training administrator decides whether and for which courses electronic confirmation of participation is required. First, in Customizing on the back end, the administrator can define generally whether simple electronic confirmation or confirmation according to the FDA requirements is to be used. These settings then apply to the entire course catalog, but can also be made at individual course level. Simple electronic confirmation of participation: If simple electronic confirmation of participation is active, the link “set course to completed/confirm participation” is displayed for time-independent courses (WBTs, online tests) on the course details page. Clicking this link sets the course to completed and triggers automatic follow-up processing for the course. This action also confirms participation. In the case of time-dependent courses (classroom training, curriculum), the link “confirm participation” is displayed in the detailed information. Clicking this link confirms participation in the course. In Training Management, attainable qualifications may then be transferred to the learner and the table entry “confirmed” is created.

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Lesson: Complete Training

This information can be evaluated in the standard reports “Bookings per Participant” and “Bookings per Course” in ERP2005 Training Management. Electronic Signature According to FDA Requirements Compliance with FDA requirements is an important aspect when software is implemented in the USA. The FDA requires that course participation is explicitly confirmed by entering a user ID and a password in the Learning Portal. The procedure from that point is the same as for simple confirmation.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Name at least two important course follow-up activities for learners • Describe how the Learning Portal makes these follow-up activities easier

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Lesson: Learner Account

Lesson: Learner Account Lesson Overview You will learn about the structure and functions of the Learner Account.

Lesson Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: • • • • •

Display and delete learner-specific prebookings Display and delete learner favorites Display learner's qualification profile Run personal profile matchup Save learner-specific settings, for example, for a learning strategy or search options

Business Example You are a learner and have just logged onto your personalized Learning Portal. You are interested in the entire lower left screen area, the Learner Account. As a learner, you want to know what processes are supported by the Learner Account and what information it displays for you. You want to display your qualification profile and then run a profile matchup with the position you currently hold.

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Learner Account

Figure 46: Personalized Learner Account

The learner account contains the following learner-specific data: • • • • • •

Training activities Course prebookings Favorites Qualifications profile Profile matchup My Settings

Training Activities Under the link “Training Activities”, you can find information about your current and completed training courses. Learners can view their complete training history, that is, all of the classroom courses, WBTs, or virtual classroom sessions they have participated in. Prerequisites for moving a course to the “Completed Courses” area: • •

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The learner has set a WBT course to 'completed' on the course details screen on completion. The training administrator has finished follow-up processing of a classroom training course.


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Prebookings Prebookings are used in Training Management to register demand for further courses of a course type. Prebooking data is taken into consideration in the planning phase. Enabling learners to register interest in courses by making prebookings for them in the Portal means that training administrators can plan future courses more effectively and demand-oriented. As a rule, learners make prebookings for courses when they cannot find a suitable course scheduled in the Date Selection dialog. They are offered the option of making a prebooking at the date selection stage. Attributes that the learner can store as preferences include: • • •

Prebooking start and end dates Language Location

Based on these preferences, the training administrator can schedule new courses in the R/3 Back End to satisfy demand and then book learners on the prebooking list for the new courses. Learners can delete their prebookings for course types until the training administrator converts the prebookings into bookings. When a prebooking is converted into a booking, the booked course and not the prebooking is listed under Training Activities. The training administrator usually notifies the learner of this - for example, by e-mail. Hint: The “Add to Favorites” function is also available under Date Selection. Unlike prebookings, which are then registered in the back end, learners use the favorites list to bookmark courses “for their own interest”.

Favorites This function enables learners to compile a list of courses and subject areas that interest them. Since the course catalog can be somewhat large and complex, learners can use the favorites to have quick access to specific courses and topics that particularly interest them. The training administrator cannot see the learner's favorites on the personalized Learning Portal. They are only visible to the learner. In practise, this is a “favorites function” for the course offering in the catalog. Entries added to the favorites can be just as easily deleted.

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Qualifications Profile

Figure 47: Learner Account: Qualifications Profile

Learners can click the relevant link to access their personal qualifications profile, which is stored in the back end. Hint: A complete qualifications catalog containing all qualifications categorized into groups is stored in ERP2005. Each qualification has a scale appended, which defines the various proficiencies possible for the qualification. The learner's profile contains details of his or her qualifications including proficiency. For more information, see the “Personnel Development” unit.

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Figure 48: Attaining Qualifications

If learners identify deficits in the qualifications required for their jobs, they can click the relevant link to check whether there are courses available that would close these gaps, and the book the course immediately, where appropriate. On successful completion of the course, the qualifications profile is adjusted accordingly and this is then visible in the Learning Portal. One major advantage of this transparency is that it enables learners to be “proactive” in ensuring that their personnel development data is kept up-to-date.

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Profile matchup

Figure 49: Profile matchup

The system uses the following user-specific data for a profile matchup: • • •

Which position does the user hold? (Organizational Management) Which qualifications does the person have? (Personnel Development) Which requirements are related with the position/describing job? (Personnel Development)

In the Profile Matchup, the proficiencies of the job requirements are matched against the person's qualification proficiencies and the result is displayed. Required qualifications that the person does not have are flagged with a red warning triangle. By placing the cursor over the icon, the user will find explanations of the information displayed.

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My Settings

Figure 50: Personal Settings (Learning Strategy and Search Options)

Under “My Settings”, the learner can configure settings pertaining to the preferred learning strategy, catalog view, search options in his or her Learning Portal. The learning strategies available are defined in Customizing for Training Management. As explained in detail in the Authoring Environment unit, learning strategies are used by the Content Player to determine the sequence in which WBT content is presented to the individual learner. Catalog views were introduced in the previous lesson, “Navigation”. If the learner specifies preferred search options in this area of the Learning Portal, they are used in the search for courses. For example, if the preferred language is “German”, the hit list contains any courses in German at the top. The same applies to city and time period. Moreover, you can delete the cookie for the Learning Portal in this area of the Learner Account. You do so to shorten response times. so the information does not have to be retrieved from the back end each time. As a result, however, changes may not be visible immediately in the Learning Portal in rare cases. In such cases, you may want to use the features described here.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Display and delete learner-specific prebookings • Display and delete learner favorites • Display learner's qualification profile • Run personal profile matchup • Save learner-specific settings, for example, for a learning strategy or search options

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Lesson: Online Content Player

Lesson: Online Content Player Lesson Overview Participants learn how to use the Content Player, play courses with the player and navigate through courses.


Start a booked Web Based Training (WBT) online Navigate to the Content Player Display a table of contents or defined learning path for a WBT Complete processing of a WBT and check your learning progress in the protal Start a booked online test

Business Example You are a learner. You have logged on to your personalized Learning Portal and booked a WBT from there. You now want to begin processing it.

Launching the Content Player The Content Player is the tool for playing content in the SAP Learning Solution. You launch and work through all time-independent courses, such as WBTs and online tests, from the Learning Portal using this player.

Figure 51: Launching the Online Content Player

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Before you can play the Web-based content for a course, you must make a booking for the course. This booking triggers release of the content and a link is displayed with which you can start the course. You can start the Content Player and the course content from the details page of the course. As a rule, however, you start it on the Training Homepage under Current Training Activities. When you click the link “Start Now”, a window appears in which the Online Content Player and the WBT content is launched. The Content Player opens the WBT at the point at which it was last interrupted, based on the data stored in the LMS.

Navigation / Learning Path / Table of Contents in the Content Player The Content Player has functions that enable the learner to navigate through the content, as well as other functions that serve as orientation aids for the learner.

Figure 52: Content Player - Navigation

As in most WBT offerings, the learner can use the functions “next step” and “previous step” to navigate in linear fashion through the content. To proceed step-by-step through a course, the learner simply chooses “next step” every time.

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Figure 53: Content Player - Table of Contents

The table of contents provides the learner with an orientation guide, pinpointing where he or she currently is in the course. The table of contents lists the course content. The learner can easily see which content has already been completed, how much is still to come, and the current position. In most cases, the learner can click the respective unit to go directly to the corresponding learning object. Hint: This does not invalidate the rules for the processing sequence, however. The Content Player retains the prerequisites and “next object to process” in accordance with the author's definition.

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Figure 54: Content Player - Learning Path

The learning path gives the learner a preview of the content still to be completed in the correct sequence. The learning path is set up on the basis of the learner's learning strategy and the learning objectives achieved to date. Example: If a placement test showed that the learner already had certain learning objectives prior to taking the course, the relevant units are skipped in the course.

Figure 55: Content Player - Help

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The learner can call the Content Player help function, which explains the functions described in the lesson in detail.

Closing the Content Player

Figure 56: Closing the Content Player

When the learner finishes working on content, completes an online test, or interrupts a course to resume it later, it is important that he or she logs off and closes the Content Player properly, and does not just exit the player. The Content Player must be closed down properly for it to save and write all of the necessary data about progress to the Learning Management System. Progress data is displayed in the learner's current training activities. This area displays details about the number of times the content was accessed, the completion time, and the progress (what % of the content was completed). The details page of the course contains more information, such as the date of first access, date of last access and so on. After logoff when content has not been completed 100%, if the learner restarts the Content Player using the link “Start Now”, the Content Player opens the course at the point at which it was interrupted.

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Playing Online Tests

Figure 57: Online Test in the Learning Portal

One feature to note with online tests: The navigation functions are not relevant for test objects. The only function offered by the player for online tests is the log off function. The test-specific functions that are important, such as display introduction, start test, end test, form part of the test object itself. An online test is a stand-alone test created in the SAP Authoring Environment that learners can take online. Once the learner has registered for the test, it can be launched directly and played from the Learning Portal. When the learner has completed the test, he or she is given feedback on the results.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Start a booked Web Based Training (WBT) online • Navigate to the Content Player • Display a table of contents or defined learning path for a WBT • Complete processing of a WBT and check your learning progress in the protal • Start a booked online test

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Lesson: Offline Content Player Lesson Overview In this lesson, you learn how to use the functions of the Offline Content Player.


Define the cycle that the Offline Player enables, and how it makes it possible to download content for offline learning, yet still notify the central LMS of the learning progress.

Business Example You are a field sales employee at a company, and want to process a WBT you have booked during your business trips. At the same time, you want to ensure that the time you spend studying the material is registered by Training Management.

Offline Content Player

Figure 58: Learning Offline

The SAP Learning Solution offers opportunities for playing courses offline to learners that want or need to do so outside of office hours. Learners can download course content and work through it offline if they have the offline version of the Content Player, the Offline Player, installed on their local client.

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Lesson: Offline Content Player

Content can be downloaded from the details page of a course by means of a link. This option to play the course offline is described on this page. The functions and navigation options in the Offline Content Player are the same as in the Online Content Player. However, the Online Player communicates directly with the back end and stores progress data directly. To ensure a smooth transition to online playing, the learner must synchronize the progress made offline with the data in the back end the next time he or she logs on to the Learning Portal. In the Learning Portal, the course is displayed as being played offline until the synchronization has been completed successfully.

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Exercise 3: The SAP Learning Solution for End Users Exercise Objectives After completing this exercise, you will be able to: • Find specific course offerings in the SAP Learning Portal • Book and prebook business events in the SAP Learning Portal • Describe the features of the SAP Content Player

Business Example As an employee in an innovative company, you want to familiarize yourself with the new Learning Portal. You start by maintaining your training activities in the Learning Portal and launching a Web Based Training (WBT). Hint: In this exercise, you will be working in the Learning Portal of the IDES Training System. The design of the portal is usually the Corporate Design, but it can be personalized.

Task 1: Familiarize yourself with the options available in the SAP Learning Portal. 1.

Log on again with your user name to the IDES Learning Portal. Use the personalize function in the top level navigation area and synchronize the language of the Learning Portal with the language set for your browser or select “English”.

2.

Can you book yourself for a WBT to improve your business English? Note: the course need not necessarily be called “Business English”. If no booking is possible, when is the next scheduled date?

3.

“Blended Solutions” are referred to as curricula in the SAP Learning Solution. How many curricula are currently on offer in the Learning Portal?

4.

You have rudimentary knowledge of SAP HR and want to gain an overview of the SAP Learning Solution. Book the English-language WBT “SAP Learning Solution”, which is listed as a “mandatory” course.

5.

Compare your mandatory courses and the catalog list to the left of Maria Jordan with your own (demonstration by your instructor). What differences do you notice and why? Continued on next page

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Start the WBT you have just booked from your Learning Portal. Start the test and answer a few questions before navigating through the first steps. Compare the data displayed in the “Table of Contents” and in the “Path”. What differences are there in the two displays? Log off again and examine your learning progress.

7.

Book the WBT “Outlook Express”.

8.

Book yourself on your mandatory curriculum “Electronics Blended Learning” for whatever dates suit you.

9.

Check your booking under Training Activities. Can you start the WBT immediately? Why (not)?

10. After careful consideration, you have decided to apply for a transfer to Lisbon. Your boss does not return from vacation for another two weeks, however. Add the course “Portuguese for Beginners” to your favorites. Imagine it is 2 weeks later and your boss has convinced you that some project in the back of beyond is far more important. Check whether your favorites are still up to date.

Task 2: To support the continuous feedback process on your company's course offering, you want to give feedback about the Outlook Express WBT and rate it.

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1.

Start the appraisal for the Outlook Express WBT.

2.

Make your entries and save temporarily.

3.

Open the appraisal again, make some more entries, and finish.


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Solution 3: The SAP Learning Solution for End Users Task 1: Familiarize yourself with the options available in the SAP Learning Portal. 1.

Log on again with your user name to the IDES Learning Portal. Use the personalize function in the top level navigation area and synchronize the language of the Learning Portal with the language set for your browser or select “English”. a)

Launching the Learning Portal In the upper right screen, click on Personalize. In the “Detailed Navigation” view, select the “User Profile” menu item and click on “Change”. Now choose English as the language and click on “Save”.

2.

Can you book yourself for a WBT to improve your business English? Note: the course need not necessarily be called “Business English”. If no booking is possible, when is the next scheduled date? a)

Use the search function (upper left) to search for “Bus” or “Engl*” or “English”. You find “Business English”. Click the link to discover that this is only available as a classroom course and the next scheduled course is _______. The alternative solution would have been to search for special WBTs. Opening the language group is a reasonable approach too, however, this does not guarantee you a complete overview of the entire catalog.

3.

“Blended Solutions” are referred to as curricula in the SAP Learning Solution. How many curricula are currently on offer in the Learning Portal? a)

4.

Choose Extended Search. Select the delivery method “Curriculum” and start the search. 20 hits are displayed (in the upper right window).

You have rudimentary knowledge of SAP HR and want to gain an overview of the SAP Learning Solution. Book the English-language WBT “SAP Learning Solution”, which is listed as a “mandatory” course. a)

Enter “Learning Sol”, for example, in the search box after restricting the search to WBT. Click the link to display the detail page for the “SAP Learning Solution”. You are pleased to discover that your knowledge of SAP HR is sufficient to fulfill the prerequisites for attending the course, and book yourself on the course. You confirm your intention to book the course in the additional dialog box. Continued on next page

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Compare your mandatory courses and the catalog list to the left of Maria Jordan with your own (demonstration by your instructor). What differences do you notice and why? a)

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The catalog in the left bar is basically the same for all employees. You function within the company means that you have to attend different mandatory courses (Training Home - top middle) and and require different qualifications than Maria Jordan. The right frame is the same for all employees (default), while the frame in the center is always personalized.

Start the WBT you have just booked from your Learning Portal. Start the test and answer a few questions before navigating through the first steps. Compare the data displayed in the “Table of Contents” and in the “Path”. What differences are there in the two displays? Log off again and examine your learning progress. a)

Click the “Start Course Now” link in the detail view of the WBT “Learning Solution” or from within the training activities. The Content Player launches and begins the course with a test. You can take the test or complete it directly. You then click “Continue” several times, until you reach the links to the index and the path. In the table of contents, you can view a general overview of the course content. In the dialog box Table of Contents, the topics are displayed in the sequence in which the author created them. This display sequence is not affected by the learning strategy you selected. In the Table of Contents, entries that are highlighted in color take you directly to the relevant topic when you click them. The entries displayed in this way depend on the learner's completion status and on the selected learning strategy (see the Authoring Environment unit). The learning path provides you with a means of orientation within a course. The dialog box Learning Path presents an overview of the course depending on the learning strategy selected. In the header, you see the content of the topic currently open. In the lower part, the system displays the other topics in the context of the learning path (as elements on a dark background). As in the upper part, elements that have already been completed or displayed are indicated. The current learning object is indicated by a green checkmark or an open tab. Hint: The existence of certain test sections can mean that you no longer have to process the corresponding content. Click Log Off and close the window. Refresh your training activities. You can now see the completion time of the course. Continued on next page

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7.

Book the WBT “Outlook Express”. a)

8.

Book yourself on your mandatory curriculum “Electronics Blended Learning” for whatever dates suit you. a)

9.

Proceed in the same manner as described in point 4.

Follow the link from your mandatory course to the detailed view and select a curriculum. Change the number of days for the preview, if necessary. Choose “To Date Selection” and choose your dates by selecting the corresponding rows. Once you have selected all the necessary components (lecture, workshop and WBT) you can book your attendance.

Check your booking under Training Activities. Can you start the WBT immediately? Why (not)? a)

Go to your Learner Account - Training Activities. You will see your new courses and your assignment to the curriculum. You cannot start the WBT right now because the curriculum has not started yet.

10. After careful consideration, you have decided to apply for a transfer to Lisbon. Your boss does not return from vacation for another two weeks, however. Add the course “Portuguese for Beginners” to your favorites. Imagine it is 2 weeks later and your boss has convinced you that some project in the back of beyond is far more important. Check whether your favorites are still up to date. a)

Enter “Port”, for example, as a term in the search. Select Portuguese for Beginners and go to the detail view. Choose Add Course to Favorites. You can check this favorites list under Learner Account / Favorites and either delete the entry or save it for another occasion, as you wish.

Task 2: To support the continuous feedback process on your company's course offering, you want to give feedback about the Outlook Express WBT and rate it. 1.

Start the appraisal for the Outlook Express WBT. a)

Appraising a course Under Training Activities, click the course name to access the detail view for the WBT. Click the link “Call course appraisal” (bottom) to appraise the course.


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Make your entries and save temporarily. a)

Answer some of the questions and click Save / Exit. Close the window. Hint: You have now saved the data temporarily. You submit it (irrevocably) for appraisal in the next step.

3.

Open the appraisal again, make some more entries, and finish. a)

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As in step 1, open the appraisal again, make some more entries and choose Complete.


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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Define the cycle that the Offline Player enables, and how it makes it possible to download content for offline learning, yet still notify the central LMS of the learning progress.

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Unit Summary

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Unit Summary You should now be able to: • Explain and execute the business process of the Learning Portal • Describe data exchange with back end components • Execute a simple search • Execute an extended search • Navigate through the course catalog overview • Find more detailed information and find courses covering a particular subject area • Add a subject area to your favorites • Add a course to your favorites • Find the exact dates scheduled for a course • Make a prebooking for a course • Book a curriculum • Book a course (classroom training, e-learning unit) • Cancel a course booking • Cancel a curriculum booking • Submit a participation request • Submit a booking cancellation request • Appraise a course • Electronically confirm participation (FDA signature) • Book courses in the SAP Learning Portal and cancel bookings • Describe how booking or canceling a curriculum affects the individual courses • Explain how standard workflows support an approval process for bookings and cancellations • Differentiate between workflows on the basis of different course types • Name at least two important course follow-up activities for learners • Describe how the Learning Portal makes these follow-up activities easier • Display and delete learner-specific prebookings • Display and delete learner favorites • Display learner's qualification profile • Run personal profile matchup • Save learner-specific settings, for example, for a learning strategy or search options • Start a booked Web Based Training (WBT) online • Navigate to the Content Player • Display a table of contents or defined learning path for a WBT

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Unit Summary

• • •

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Complete processing of a WBT and check your learning progress in the protal Start a booked online test Define the cycle that the Offline Player enables, and how it makes it possible to download content for offline learning, yet still notify the central LMS of the learning progress.


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Unit 4 Organizational Management Unit Overview This unit briefly outlines the purpose of SAP Organizational Management, its intersection points with the SAP Learning Solution, and the data you have to maintain in OM to be able to use all the functions in the SAP Learning Solution.

Unit Objectives After completing this unit, you will be able to: • • • • • • • • • •

Name the business activities involved in Organizational Management List intersections with other SAP modules Explain the Organizational Management data model Create organizational units Create jobs Create positions for the individual organizational units Specify the chief position Store positions with jobs Staff positions with persons Configure and implement standard workflows

Unit Contents Lesson: Organizational Management General Information ...............106 Lesson: Enterprise Structure in Organizational Management ............ 114 Lesson: Organizational Management and Workflow ...................... 118 Exercise 4: Jobs, Positions, Persons, Relationships ..................121

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Lesson: Organizational Management General Information Lesson Overview Participants receive an overview of Organizational Management with particular reference to the SAP Learning Solution.

Lesson Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: • • •

Name the business activities involved in Organizational Management List intersections with other SAP modules Explain the Organizational Management data model

Business Example You are responsible for your enterprise's organizational plan and you want to find out what options are offered by SAP Organizational Management to enable you to map this structure.

Background

Figure 59: Organizational Structure

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Lesson: Organizational Management General Information

Enterprises need to be able to map their organizational plans, that is, the task-specific functional structure of the company, to assist the various business and human resource processes. An often important aspect is the representation of a hierarchy, or the assignment of organizational units to superior units.

Data Model

Figure 60: Data Model (1)

SAP HR Organizational Management is founded on object-oriented design. This means that Organizational Management is based on the concept that each element in an organization is represented as an independent object with its own attributes and properties. These objects are created and maintained individually with the corresponding records (called “infotypes”). They are then related with one another by means of relationships (see graphic) to form a flexible network that can be used for personnel planning, forecasts and reporting.

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Objects

Figure 61: Objects

You can create an organizational plan using multiple different object types. The following five object types typically form the basis of the organizational plan: Organizational units

O

Jobs

C

Positions

S

Cost centers

K

Persons

P

Persons are the holders of positions. Positions are defined by jobs and are assigned to organizational units and cost centers.

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Organizational Unit

Figure 62: Organizational Unit

Organizational units represent the functional units of the enterprise. Depending on how tasks are structured within the enterprise, an organizational unit could be a department, a group, or a project team, for example. An example of an organizational unit might be the Controlling Department, which incorporates employees directly along with other organizational structures, such as the Accounts Department. You create an organizational structure by assigning organizational units to one another. The uppermost organizational unit in the organizational structure is the root organizational unit. Caution: The organizational units do not always correspond to other enterprise units such as personnel areas, company codes, or business areas. These are used to map structures such as Personnel Administration or Accounting in the relevant components.

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Positions

Figure 63: Positions

A position represents a vacancy that is to be occupied by a person (employee). Positions are used to map the existing or required headcount in an organizational unit. Positions are created in an organizational unit depending on its existing headcount and future personnel demand. These form the basis of the staff assignment plan. When you have created positions, you can complete your staff assignments plan by assigning persons to them.

Jobs

Figure 64: Jobs

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Jobs are used as a tool for creating positions. Positions are the individual, specific posts in the enterprise held by persons (such as Secretary of Purchasing Department), while jobs are general classifications of the functions that have to be performed in the enterprise (such as secretary). Jobs are defined in detail by attributes. By assigning attributes to jobs you create job descriptions that can be valid for multiple positions with comparable tasks and characteristics. The jobs you create together form the job index, that is, the list of jobs performed in the enterprise. When you create a new position (such as Secretary of the Sales Department), you can relate it with an existing job (Secretary). The position automatically inherits the tasks and attributes associated with the job. If no such job already exists, it is created automatically and the tasks and attributes are assigned to it. This job is then available for other new positions. The possibility to relate similar or identical positions to jobs greatly facilitates personnel work since it means that you do not have to assign the same tasks and attributes to each individual position. In addition, where necessary you have the possibility of assigning specific tasks and attributes directly to a position.

Cost Center

Figure 65: Cost Center

The costs incurred by an organizational unit are generally posted to the cost center (master cost center) that is assigned directly to the organizational unit itself or indirectly inherited from a higher-level unit. Cost distribution is passed on to lower-level positions and organizational units if they have been assigned no specific cost distribution or master cost center themselves.

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Person

Figure 66: Person

Object type Person corresponds to a natural person who is managed as an employee in Personnel Administration. The assignment of a person (employee) to a position maps the following information: • •

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Where the employee is (functionally) assigned in the enterprise What tasks the employee has


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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Name the business activities involved in Organizational Management • List intersections with other SAP modules • Explain the Organizational Management data model

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Lesson: Enterprise Structure in Organizational Management Lesson Overview Participants learn how to define an organizational structure and map it in the system. Participants learn about the basic object types in Organizational Management.

Lesson Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: • • • • • •

Create organizational units Create jobs Create positions for the individual organizational units Specify the chief position Store positions with jobs Staff positions with persons

Business Example In your HR department, the demands for evaluations that reflect the hierarchical structure of the company are increasing. Likewise, IT requires the capability to determine the relevant manager so that workflows can be mapped for each employee. You should map the organizational structure of your company in your HR system accordingly. To do this, you must set up a hierarchy of departments and areas and assign positions to them.

User Interface in Organizational Management Organizational Management contains multiple interfaces where you can create and edit your organizational plans. • • • • • •

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Organization and Staffing General Structures Matrix View Infotype Maintenance Simple Maintenance Structural Graphics


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Lesson: Enterprise Structure in Organizational Management

The following section only deals with the Organization and Staffing view. This provides a user interface for creating and editing organizational plans. On this interface, you can set up the organizational structure in easy steps. The understanding needed for this course is developed mainly in the exercise for this lesson. An overview of SAP HR Organizational Management is available in the separate SAP course of the same name.

Organization and Staffing The user interface of the Organization and Staffing view is used for creating, displaying, and editing organizational plans. Transaction PPOME is composed of a number of screen frames, each incorporating specific functions:

Figure 67: Organization and Staffing

You can use the search functions in the left screen Search Area to search for specific organizational objects. The search results are displayed in the selection area. These organizational objects can be transferred from here to the center screen area, the overview area. There they are displayed in their organizational context. In the lower screen area, the detail area, information is displayed about the different objects (tab pages usually correspond to the relevant infotypes). The information can be edited here.

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Validity Concept Organizational plans in companies are subject to frequent change. For this reason, Organizational Management enables keydate- and time period-specific editing of the organizational structure, the staff assignments plan and the various objects. This is why you specify a validity period when you create or assign objects and their attributes. You steer the display of objects by specifying a keydate and a preview period. Data changes are represented by means of time periods.

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Lesson: Enterprise Structure in Organizational Management

Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Create organizational units • Create jobs • Create positions for the individual organizational units • Specify the chief position • Store positions with jobs • Staff positions with persons

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Lesson: Organizational Management and Workflow Lesson Overview Participants receive an overview of the standard workflows in the SAP Learning Solution


Configure and implement standard workflows

Business Example In your company, you need the approval of your manager and the training department before you can attend a course. You want to represent the corresponding process in the system across the whole of the company.

Integration Organizational Management forms the basis for using other HR components and functions, for Authorization Management, and for SAP Business Workflow. The SAP Learning Solution requires the Organizational Management component to map the following: • • • • •

Position staffing – integration between Personnel Administration and Organizational Management Assignment of supervisors (for example, for Workflow) Identification of requirements profiles (in connection with the profile matchup function of Personnel Development) Responsibilities within Training Management Access authorizations for training administrators, coordinators, learners, their mentors and supervisors

Organizational Management is also the basis for SAP Business Workflow. The current organizational plan stored in the system serves as the basis of the routing structure along which SAP Business Workflow routes tasks to the relevant persons.

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Lesson: Organizational Management and Workflow

The Relevance of Organizational Management for Workflows in the SAP Learning Solution

Figure 68: The Relevance of Organizational Management for the Workflow

The integration of Organizational Management in SAP Business Workflow enables you to link tasks with agents within the organization. This relationship enables the system to determine the “right” supervisor. The Workflow Management System enables active release of an employee's booking. The release process and the persons involved in it are made as transparent as possible. Changes in the organizational structure (new supervisor) can be taken into account in the workflow thanks to the Organizational Management design. SAP Business Workflow separates the organizational aspects of the control logic from the application logic.

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Exercise 4: Jobs, Positions, Persons, Relationships Exercise Objectives After completing this exercise, you will be able to: • Check the connections (relationships) between the different objects in SAP HR using a standard transaction • Check the position held by an employee within the company hierarchy

Business Example As a personnel planning specialist, you are interested in exactly how much information you can find out from the employee data in Personnel Administration with regard to their actual activities, or how to determine their superiors.

Task 1: Once again, you use the Easy Access menu on the back end. You want to find out your own position and job as an example. To do this, you first use a standard transaction from SAP HR PA (Personnel Administration). 1.

You should know your user name from exercise 2. Using transaction PA20, you can find out the organizational assignment of your position, job, and organizational unit. Position Job Organizational unit

Task 2: You now want to display your position in the organizational structure hierarchy of your company. You remember transaction PPOME from previous HR basics courses.

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Find your Person in the overall structure.

2.

Check the data you have found out. Do you hold the same postion?

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Who will most likely approve your workflow requests for course participation submitted in the Learning Portal?


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Solution 4: Jobs, Positions, Persons, Relationships Task 1: Once again, you use the Easy Access menu on the back end. You want to find out your own position and job as an example. To do this, you first use a standard transaction from SAP HR PA (Personnel Administration). 1.

You should know your user name from exercise 2. Using transaction PA20, you can find out the organizational assignment of your position, job, and organizational unit. Position Job Organizational unit a)

Organizational Assignment 0001 Transaction PA 20 Enter your personnel number from exercise 2 “Technical Essentials” and confirm by pressing Enter. Choose the infotype Organizational Assignment and then Display, or select the overview directly.

Task 2: You now want to display your position in the organizational structure hierarchy of your company. You remember transaction PPOME from previous HR basics courses. 1.

Find your Person in the overall structure. a)

Organizational structure Transaction PPOME Choose Person (top left), enter your Person in the search field, confirm and then double-click the Person that then appears (bottom left). The system takes you back to the right of the organizational structure. If necessary, click the Goto icon in the upper left corner of the main frame to get to the Organizational Assignment view.


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2.

Check the data you have found out. Do you hold the same postion? a)

In fact, the data matches the data from exercise 1 “Organizational Management”. Hint: This is a result of the active integration between SAP HR Personnel Administration and SAP HR Organizational Management.

3.

Who will most likely approve your workflow requests for course participation submitted in the Learning Portal? a)

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Double-click on your organizational unit, Network and Telecommunications - Int, and set Staff Assignments Plan (Structure) as the view. You can recognize your department head, Mr. William Christiansen, because he is “wearing the hat”, or because the “Head of own organizational unit” indicator is set in the infotype for his position.


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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Configure and implement standard workflows

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Unit Summary

Unit Summary You should now be able to: • Name the business activities involved in Organizational Management • List intersections with other SAP modules • Explain the Organizational Management data model • Create organizational units • Create jobs • Create positions for the individual organizational units • Specify the chief position • Store positions with jobs • Staff positions with persons • Configure and implement standard workflows

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Unit 5 Personnel Development Unit Overview You will learn about the basic features of the SAP HR Personnel Development component and its relevance for the SAP Learning Solution.

Unit Objectives After completing this unit, you will be able to: • • • • • • • • • •

Define the business process of Personnel Development Describe the integration with other SAP modules through the corresponding interfaces Explain the Personnel Development data model based on object type "Qualifications" Create scales with corresponding proficiencies Create qualification groups Create qualifications Maintain additional data for qualifications Display the qualifications profile (requirements profile) for persons (jobs) Create qualifications (requirements) for persons (jobs) Assign proficiencies to qualifications (requirements)

Unit Contents Lesson: SAP Personnel Development .......................................128 Lesson: Creating Scales/Qualifications Catalog............................132 Lesson: Assigning Qualifications to a Person...............................136 Exercise 5: SAP Personnel Development: Interaction with the Learning Portal .........................................................................139

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Lesson: SAP Personnel Development Lesson Overview This section will provide you with an overview of SAP Personnel Development, particularly with regard to its use within the SAP Learning Solution.


Define the business process of Personnel Development Describe the integration with other SAP modules through the corresponding interfaces Explain the Personnel Development data model based on object type "Qualifications"

Business Example You work in the Personnel Development department at your company and want to focus your further education and training measures on your company's future requirements. Accordingly, you plan to collect and maintain the corresponding data regarding employee qualification profiles at your company.

SAP HR Personnel Development

Figure 69: Components of Personnel Development

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Lesson: SAP Personnel Development

The Personnel Development component enables you to identify, promote, and make the best use of your employees' potential. The application also has functions to support the planning of specific development measures. The components of Personnel Development are: • • • •

Skills Management (qualifications profiles and competency profiles, employee profiles and requirements profiles) Individual Development (drawing up and using development plans) Career and Succession Planning (finding profiles and qualifications) Appraisal Systems or Management by Objectives (MbO)

They are called qualifications when they are assigned to employees or applicants. As such they define the skills, know-how, knowledge and abilities of persons. They are called requirements when they are assigned to jobs and positions. Aptitude or suitability for a job is determined by comparing qualifications with requirements. Accordingly, it is essential to the SAP data model that it be possible to link the same objects (such as Q = Business Spanish) to both people as qualifications and to jobs as requirements.

Figure 70: Profile Matchup Data Model

Among other things, this enables the simple, direct comparison of qualifications profiles and requirements profiles. This can help screen suitable candidates for staffing a new job, or ensure that qualification deficits lead to direct prebooking of the corresponding courses.

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SAP Personnel Development in the SAP Learning Solution

Figure 71: Personnel Development Functions in the SAP Learning Solution

The Skills Management functions are particularly relevant for the SAP Learning Solution in the context of Personnel Development. This involves the relationship between employee/requirements profile on the one hand and the course offerings on the other: The “course imparts qualification” relationship lets you preselect courses that an employee needs (urgently) from the course catalog directly in the SAP Learning Portal. In addition, successful participation an (e-learning) course automatically adds the corresponding qualifications to the employee's qualifications profile in SAP HR Personnel Development.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Define the business process of Personnel Development • Describe the integration with other SAP modules through the corresponding interfaces • Explain the Personnel Development data model based on object type "Qualifications"

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Lesson: Creating Scales/Qualifications Catalog Lesson Overview Participants learn how to create and structure a qualifications catalog.


Create scales with corresponding proficiencies Create qualification groups Create qualifications Maintain additional data for qualifications

Business Example You work in the Personnel Development department of your company and you want to set up a comprehensive skills catalog that can be used by employees globally. You must familiarize yourself with the terminology used by SAP in the context of personnel development. You must define globally-applicable rating scales and assign them to the hierarchy of qualification groups and qualifications you have set up.

Structure of the Qualifications Catalog The application SAP ERP HR Personnel Development is also based on object-oriented design. The most important aspect of Personnel Development is the qualifications catalog. The objects used in this context are qualification groups [object type QK] and qualifications [object type Q]. These are used to structure and manage the catalog. As described, qualifications are used when you define qualifications profiles and requirements profiles. They can also be used when you define prerequisites for course participation and objectives.

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Lesson: Creating Scales/Qualifications Catalog

Figure 72: Structure of the Qualifications Catalog

All of the skills, knowledge, and abilities that are of interest to a company can be stored and managed as qualifications and requirements in the qualifications catalog. Skills and qualifications that logically belong together are combined to form qualification groups. Qualification groups lend structure to the catalog. Qualification groups can contain other subordinated qualification groups as well as qualifications. Qualifications, in turn, can incorporate other qualifications. The qualifications stored in the catalog are assigned to persons, jobs, positions, courses, and development plans. Hint: Qualification groups cannot be assigned to persons.

Defining Proficiency Scales In many cases, it is not only relevant whether a job has “English” as a requirement, for example, but also how good the applicant's English skills have to be in order to meet the requirements for that job. Proficiencies define qualifications in more detail. They are represented by scales in SAP Personnel Development. Before you can create qualifications and qualification groups, you must define at least one proficiency scale. Sometimes it makes sense to have different scales for different qualifications.

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Figure 73: Editing Scales

When you maintain a qualification catalog, an appropriate scale is assigned to each qualification, and you can adjust the descriptions of the proficiency levels as needed. Hint: • •

•

•

The proficiency 0 is not supported for rating qualifications and requirements. Quality scales are assigned to qualification groups, not to qualifications. You must assign a proficiency scale to each qualification group, which is then inherited initially by the qualifications in the group. In hierarchically nested qualification groups, if there are different scales defined, the scale that applies to the single qualifications is the one defined for the qualification group on the next higher level. Scales are not inherited from one qualification group to another.

You can assign a validity period to qualifications. Validity periods allow you to specify that certain qualifications, such as licences, can expire and must be renewed at regular intervals. For more detailed information goes beyond the scope of this overview, as well as other features of SAP Personnel Development, we recommend attending the course “SAP Personnel Development”.

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Lesson: Creating Scales/Qualifications Catalog

Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Create scales with corresponding proficiencies • Create qualification groups • Create qualifications • Maintain additional data for qualifications

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Lesson: Assigning Qualifications to a Person Lesson Overview Participants receive an overview of employee profiles from the Personnel Development component.


Display the qualifications profile (requirements profile) for persons (jobs) Create qualifications (requirements) for persons (jobs) Assign proficiencies to qualifications (requirements)

Business Example You are an employee in the Personnel Development department and you want to store qualifications with proficiencies in the employee profiles of the employees in your company. You need to know where to do this in the system and what points to be aware of. You also have to know how this impacts the person's Learning Portal.

Maintaining Qualifications for a Person

Figure 74: Assigning Qualifications to a Person

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Lesson: Assigning Qualifications to a Person

Based on the qualifications catalog and the organizational structure, you can create profiles to manage, compare, and report on specific characteristics and data of personnel planning objects (persons, positions, courses and so on).

Figure 75: Qualifications Subprofile

You can create profiles for employees containing data such as name, personnel number, position, potentials, interests, appraisals received and created, and development plans. The Qualifications subprofile is of particular relevance for the SAP Learning Solution.

Structure You can assign qualifications from the qualifications catalog to the subprofile Qualifications. For each qualification, you can specify the degree of proficiency of the person. Some qualifications are not rated. Each qualification you assign has a validity period appended. Qualifications with limited validity are stored in the subprofile for the duration of their validity. Validity is calculated for each qualification individually, depending on the relationship period. Hint: There are also various ways of taking limited quality losses for qualifications (such as “forgotten due to non-participation”) into account. You can also enter a note for each qualification you assign.

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Maintaining Requirements for Jobs/Positions

Figure 76: Defining Position/Job Requirements

Qualifications stored in the Qualifications Catalog can be assigned equally to jobs or positions. Requirements can be mapped in this way.

Figure 77: Requirements Subprofile

You can create a profile for jobs and positions, just as you do for employees. In the case of jobs or positions, it is called a requirements profile. In the SAP Learning Solution, the requirements profile is used to derive training proposals for a learner as a result of a profile matchup between the learner's position and current qualifications.

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Exercise 5: SAP Personnel Development: Interaction with the Learning Portal Exercise Objectives After completing this exercise, you will be able to: • Check the impact of data from SAP HR Personnel Development on the personalized display in the Learning Portal of the SAP Learning Solution.

Business Example As a personnel development specialist you want to investigate how to make requirements, qualifications, and corresponding training measures transparent in the Learning Portal. You do this by comparing views in the portal before and after you make settings in the ERP2005 back end system. Hint: Make sure that you always use the current plan version 01, language English, and a planning period of at least January 1 of this year to the end of next year. These should already be the default settings.

Task 1: In the Learning Portal, certain courses are listed as mandatory for you. You suspect this has something to do with the Personnel Development (PE) component in mySAP HR. Select curriculum type “Electronics Blended Learning” and check how it is linked to your person. 1.

Use transaction PP01 to search for relationships of curriculum type “Electronics Blended Learning”. Is this blended learning prescribed as mandatory for you based on your person or your job…?

Task 2: You want to identify the connection between the back-end settings and the profile matchup in the Learning Portal.

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Run a profile matchup in the Learning Portal. Which qualification do you fail to meet sufficiently?

2.

What course imparts this qualification?

3.

Do the relationships stored for this qualification, Diode Skills help you to see how the components interplay (requirement of your job, course type that imparts it, your current assignment)? (Transaction PP01)


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Solution 5: SAP Personnel Development: Interaction with the Learning Portal Task 1: In the Learning Portal, certain courses are listed as mandatory for you. You suspect this has something to do with the Personnel Development (PE) component in mySAP HR. Select curriculum type “Electronics Blended Learning” and check how it is linked to your person. 1.

Use transaction PP01 to search for relationships of curriculum type “Electronics Blended Learning”. Is this blended learning prescribed as mandatory for you based on your person or your job…? a)

Relationship Person-Mandatory courses Start transaction PP01. Select the object type “Curriculum Type” and use F4 to find the ID of the course prescribed for you in the Learning Portal. You can search for all course types that have “Elec” in their name, for example. Confirm your choice by pressing Enter and select the “Relationships” infotype and display the overview (by pressing shift and F8, for example). Alternatively, you can click on the “Next Record” icon in the single item view. This takes you to the “is mandatory for” relationships. You see that Electronics Blended Learning is not mandatory for you as a person, but it is for your organizational unit “Network and Telecommunication - Int”.


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Task 2: You want to identify the connection between the back-end settings and the profile matchup in the Learning Portal. 1.

Run a profile matchup in the Learning Portal. Which qualification do you fail to meet sufficiently? a)

Qualifications link persons, jobs, and courses. Click on Profile Matchup in the lower left. According to the explanation of the red exclamation mark icon, the “Diode Skills” qualification is mandatory for you and is assessed as of low importance. Hint: The Personnel Development data should not be considered to be “absolute”; it is merely for assistance. You may already know everything there is to know about diodes, but you have not informed Personnel Development of this fact, nor have you proven it with the corresponding courses. Accordingly, this transparency in the Learning Portal will urge employees to update their PD data.

2.

What course imparts this qualification? a)

Click on qualification Diode Skills. The courses that impart these skills will appear. make a note of them. • •

3.

Diode course (English) Electronics Blended Learning

Do the relationships stored for this qualification, Diode Skills help you to see how the components interplay (requirement of your job, course type that imparts it, your current assignment)? (Transaction PP01) a)

As in exercise 1, call transaction PP01 and open the relationships of the qualification you have been investigating, Diode Skills. Scroll to the is imparted by relationships. You will see exactly the same courses you noted above. Now scroll to is met by – you will see that there is no relation to your person (yet). Ultimately, the is required by relation shows the link to your job Technical Engineer I. As you see, the personalized displays ultimately depend on the corresponding relations in the back end system.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Display the qualifications profile (requirements profile) for persons (jobs) • Create qualifications (requirements) for persons (jobs) • Assign proficiencies to qualifications (requirements)

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Unit Summary

Unit Summary You should now be able to: • Define the business process of Personnel Development • Describe the integration with other SAP modules through the corresponding interfaces • Explain the Personnel Development data model based on object type "Qualifications" • Create scales with corresponding proficiencies • Create qualification groups • Create qualifications • Maintain additional data for qualifications • Display the qualifications profile (requirements profile) for persons (jobs) • Create qualifications (requirements) for persons (jobs) • Assign proficiencies to qualifications (requirements)

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Unit 6 Training Management Unit Overview You will be given an overview of the functions and options offered by the Training Management System. You will learn how to navigate and work in the dynamic menus, create a course catalog, update the course offering, and perform booking activities.

Unit Objectives After completing this unit, you will be able to: • • • • • • • • •

Describe the business processes in SAP Training Management Define the interfaces to other SAP modules Explain and maintain the various objects used in Training Management Design and set up a course catalog Implement “Blended Learning” in SAP Training Management Create courses with different delivery methods Group various courses together to form a curriculum (Blended Learning) Book, prebook, replace, rebook, and cancel participation in Training Management Follow up on courses and describe the options for creating correspondence in SAP Training Management

Unit Contents Lesson: Training Management General Information .......................146 Lesson: Creating a Course Catalog ..........................................156 Lesson: Creating Courses and Curricula ....................................170 Lesson: Day-To-Day Activities and Other Activities ........................175 Exercise 6: SAP Training Management: New Options in the SAP Learning Solution ...........................................................181

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Lesson: Training Management General Information Lesson Overview This lesson provides you with an overview of Training Management and its functions.


Describe the business processes in SAP Training Management Define the interfaces to other SAP modules

Business Example You are a training manager and want to plan your courses in future to optimize the necessary logistical activities and scheduling, as well as keep informed of current courses and the training history of your employees at all times, through appropriate data management. This also means defining the basics for ongoing operations, such as schedules and resources.

Training Management Overview The Training Management component in the SAP Learning Solution serves as the administrative area, on the one hand, where the organizational data for the course offering is managed, and the administration and work area for central booking operations and all associated functions, on the other. Training Management in the SAP Learning Solution is comprised of two main processes, each of which contains two sub-processes.

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Lesson: Training Management General Information

Figure 78: Processes in Training Management

Course Offering Creating the course offering involves the course preparation phase (data in the training environment) and the course offering itself, the so-called course catalog. Training Administration Once the course offering has been set up and made available to learners in the Learning Portal, booking activities and courses can be administered and updated in Training Management on the back end. To facilitate these processes, Training Management provides the technical working environment in dynamic menus. There are seven dynamic menus:

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Dynamic Course Menu This contains all of the functions required for creating and editing courses.

•

Dynamic Participation Menu This contains all of the functions that are associated with bookings (book, prebook, cancel, and so on), as well as functions for the manual output of correspondence, and reports for correspondence histories and participant appraisals.

•

Dynamic Information Menu Here you can conduct analyses for participation, resources and courses, as well as generate the corresponding reports.

•

Dynamic Planning Menu Lets you determine training requirements and schedule/create the corresponding course dates.

•

Dynamic Tool Menu Here you can create and edit the core objects used in Training Management: course groups, course types, courses, and participants by means of the individual infotypes.

•

Dynamic resource menu Here you can manage the resources and resource types used in Training Management.

•

Master Data Catalog Here you can create and maintain the type and content of courses used in Training Management working from the course hierarchy structure.

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Figure 79: Working in Dynamic Menus

The advantage of working in these menus is that the structural display provides you with a means of orientation and transparency while you are editing. Most of the functions can be called from the context menu. To do so, you simply right-click the object you want to edit (resource, course, booking) in the structure to display the context menu with the functions that are active for the object. Training coordinators and administrators have the additional option of personalizing the menu views to suit their requirements.

Data in the Training Management Environment General Training Management master data for the SAP Learning Solution includes all organizational data that is required for creating a course offering. Before you can create a course offering, you must collect and catalog the data upon which it is based. This data is accessed when you set up the catalog. You maintain the master data under Current Settings as a preparation for setting up the course offering. Hint: You generally set up the initial master data in Customizing for Training Management. Master data creation is not a one-off activity only performed during the catalog preparation phase. For this reason, you have the possibility of updating master data at any time from the application itself under the menu option “Current Settings”. Master Data / Data in the Training Management Environment

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Figure 80: Examples of Environment Data

Integration with other components allows access to resources through data that has been maintained there. Instructors may already be maintained in Personnel Administration, for example. Time schedules, on the other hand, can only be created in Training Management. Environment data includes: • •

Cost elements Day segments

• • • • • •

Course locations and their addresses Building addresses Training providers Rooms Instructors Reusable resources, such as room equipment, and so on

Cost elements The costs of a course are calculated and modeled as cost items in Training Management. You need cost items if you want to use the functions for cost transfer posting, internal activity allocation, and price proposal determination. You use cost items to store costs for resources, resource types, courses, and course types.

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Time Schedules The time schedule defines the complete time plan for a course. A time schedule can span several days and each day can contain up to three time blocks or time segments.

Figure 81: Course Schedules

You must define the start and finish times and give them a unique name before you can assign time schedules to courses. The following procedure applies when creating a time schedule: • • • •

As a rule, every course time block that exists in the company is entered in the system, for example, some course days start at 9:00 a.m. and end at 5:00 p.m. A time schedule is then defined as a combination, such as a 3-day workshop. A time block is assigned to the schedule for each course day. The time schedule is then assigned to a course.

Course Locations It is not mandatory to create locations. If you only use one location for all your courses, you can deactivate the location switch altogether. If you use locations, you must specify a location when you plan or create courses that are location-dependent. In this case, a check is performed when you reserve location-specific resources, such as rooms, for a course. The system only proposes resources that are related with the location concerned.

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For this reason, location-dependent resources must be related with locations when the location switch is active.

Figure 82: Locations and Resources

Creating Building Addresses Building addresses specify where rooms are located. They can also be used in connection with course locations. Building addresses are required, for example, when there are training rooms in multiple buildings on a campus. In this case, when a room is created, the room address is recorded with reference to a building address.

Training providers Training providers can be external companies or internal departments/divisions. Accordingly, they may already be defined in the systems as companies, suppliers, or organizational units. The information associated with these objects may be important for the correspondence with course participants (addresses and the like) or for the organizational assignment of participants and instructors.

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Figure 83: Resource Types

Specific resources – such as rooms, instructors, or projectors – are classified into categories to facilitate and simplify their administration. These categories are referred to as resource types. The resource types available are Room, Instructor, Material, and Other Resource. Resource type is the abstract designation for the physical resource. Resource types are allocated to course types. An important step when you create resource types is maintaining the availability indicators for it. Availability indicators define the attributes of resource types and their resources. When you create a course, the system automatically proposes resources of a given type, which you can then reserve for it depending on availability. The data you store for a resource type can be overridden by any you store for the individual resources.

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Resources You can create resources in the following categories, corresponding to the resource types: •

Rooms: Rooms can contain other resources as equipment, such as PCs. You also store capacity information for rooms using the Capacity infotype if this information is not already inherited from the resource type. The system compares the capacity of the room with that specified for the course to be held in the room, and thus calculates the allowed number of bookings. If you use rooms, you must create a relationship between a location and a room.

•

Instructors: You can create the relationship belongs to company for external instructors. Otherwise, you store an address specifically for the instructor. Internal instructors (Persons) are defined in the personnel master data (that is, they are already configured as employees).

•

Material If you use Material type resources, in other words, you use Materials Management (integration), then you use the materials defined as material masters.

•

Other resources Other resources include any resources that do not fall into the categories Instructor, Room, or Material from the material master.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Describe the business processes in SAP Training Management • Define the interfaces to other SAP modules

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Lesson: Creating a Course Catalog Lesson Overview You will receive an overview of the concepts behind setting up training catalogs and learn what objects are required for setting up the catalog. You will learn which objects and training methods you can use in Training Management, where to maintain attributes and information, and how to display and use this information and these attributes in the SAP Learning Portal.


Explain and maintain the various objects used in Training Management Design and set up a course catalog Implement “Blended Learning” in SAP Training Management

Business Example As a training administrator, you have - together with Personnel Development and their instructors - developed a new training concept and new course offerings that include e-learning as a component. It is your responsibility with setting up an appropriate course catalog.

Creating a Course Catalog Before the training administrator can create and make bookings for actual courses, a course catalog must be set up. This involves defining and assigning the different courses. This results of this task are reflected in the SAP Training Management master data catalog. A course hierarchy can be set up in the relevant dynamic menu. This hierarchy is used throughout Training Management. Course types are created in the dynamic menu. They represent a “blueprint” for the actual courses that are held.

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Lesson: Creating a Course Catalog

Figure 84: Master Data Catalog (Hierarchy)

The hierarchical structure of the master data catalog (and of all dynamic menus) displays course groups at the highest level of the structure. Other course groups and the corresponding course types can be added below these. As illustrated in the graphic, course groups represent subjects, topics, or subject areas (see Learning Portal).

Training Management Data Model The data model of Training Management helps you to understand the enhancements offered by the SAP Learning Solution.

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Figure 85: Training Management Data Model

The existing data model of Training and Event Management has basically been retained for Training Management of the SAP Learning Solution. In other words, the definition: “a course is a specialization of a course type, which in turn belongs to a course group” still describes the exact chain of objects and their relationships. The SAP Learning Solution has additional objects, infotypes and relationships. These additional objects are required to map the major changes to processes resulting from the shift from conventional training to e-learning. Hint: The SAP HR PD data model, together with its objects and relations, was already presented in the “Organizational Management” unit.

New Objects in Training Management: E-Learning The e-learning (ET) object type exists in the Extension Set HR LSO 600 of the SAP Learning Solution for courses that are not time-dependent.. The purpose of these “virtual courses” is to enable bookings for e-learning courses.

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Figure 86: Data model “Classroom Training”

In the previous version of Training and Event Management, persons were prebooked for course types and then booked on the actual courses.

Figure 87: Data model “Web-Based Training (WBT)”

This concept does not really have much relevance anymore given that you do not have to assign a time and location to a course. In principle, “participation” in a WBT takes place at the time the learner calls the WBT in the portal. In Training Management, this is reflected by the fact that the portal user registers for a course

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type, for example, WBT or Online Test. This triggers automatic generation of an object type E-Learning (ET), which in turn enables participant assignment in Training Management. Hint: This ensures that these delivery methods are also displayed dynamically in the catalog hierarchy in the participation and information menus in Training Management.

New Objects in SAP Training Management: Curriculum and Curriculum Type

Figure 88: Blended Learning with the SAP Learning Solution

A curriculum type represents a structured training program that is designed to impart a coherent set of skills and knowledge. The elements of a curriculum build upon one another. This could be a trainee program, for example, or an instructor-led course for SAP HR Essentials that has the prerequisite WBT course ERP2005 Navigation including an online test. The special characteristic of this course type is that it contains other course types as elements (curriculum type elements). The elements can have different delivery methods. They complement or build upon one another. Caution: No nesting is possible, in other words, curriculum types cannot contain other curriculum types as elements.

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Technically speaking: a curriculum type (DC) consists of elements with the object type Course Type (D), either •

with a predefined sequence (one element follows another)

or •

with no specific sequence (an element can occur anywhere in the curriculum).

The curriculum type specifies the structure and sequence of its courses. Other features include: •

•

A consistency check: when you create a curriculum type, the system checks the logic of the relationships between its elements. For example, it is illogical if the third element in the curriculum imparts a qualification that is a prerequisite for the first element. Definition of alternatives for curriculum type elements, so that one course type can be replaced by another (equivalent) type.

Figure 89: Data Model for New Object Types

Similar to the course type-course concept, a curriculum type is the “blueprint” for a curriculum (which has time specifications appended). The delivery method is naturally taken into account here. A curriculum is therefore made up of bookable elements, that is, either courses (E) or, as in the case of WBTs, course types (D). A special feature is the fact that when the curriculum type specifies classroom training, you can select several course dates for the curriculum. In the Learning Portal, selection options can be offered for date selection.

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Setting Up a Course Catalog Hierarchy The course catalog is comprised of course groups, course types (or curriculum types), and courses (or curricula). Course groups together with course types, courses, and the relationships that exist between them form a hierarchical structure. You generally maintain these relationships when you create a new object. The hierarchy itself is formed by the course groups alone, which can have other subsidiary course groups: Languages-English-Business English could represent one branch of course groups with “Business English for Managers” as the course type at the end. You set up this hierarchy by restructuring the groups in the master data catalog. To do this, you right-click the highest-level course group and create the relevant assignment for it. Hint: In the Learning Portal of the SAP Learning Solution, the learner can select these course groups as “subject areas”when searching for courses. You can specify whether a course group appears as a subject area in the portal's navigation frame or not.

Creating Course Types

Figure 90: Creating a New Course Type - Delivery Methods

A course type is the grouping of courses that have the same objective, content, and form. You can store all time-independent attributes of a course for the course type.

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Using course types facilitates your work: all of the data stored for a course type is proposed as default data when courses are planned or created. This data is also displayed on the detail screen of the course in the SAP LS Portal and can be displayed by learners interested in finding out more information. One of the most significant enhancements appears at precisely this point in the SAP Learning Solution back end. We have referred several times to the different delivery methods that are possible. You must enter this information when you create a course type. The standard system contains the following delivery methods: • • • • • •

Classroom training Virtual classroom Web-Based Training Online test Static Web-Based Training External Web-Based Training

The delivery method determines what kind of information and which relationships may be stored for a course type (D): location and time for classroom training, assigned learning net from the repository for a WBT.

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Depending on whether the delivery method is time-dependent or -independent, the following infotypes may be proposed when you create a course type: •

•

•

•

•

•

•

•

Description: The Description infotype enables you to store descriptive texts for a course type that can be included in the course brochure or in the Learning Portal of the SAP Learning Solution on the course detail screen. The infotype consists of the subtypes Extended Course Type, Course Contents and Notes. Main schedule pattern (schedule model): You can define a time schedule here that can be transferred (copied) automatically when course dates are created or planned. Capacity: In the Capacity infotype, you specify the minimum, optimum, and a maximum capacity for a course type. The capacity value you store for the course type is used as the default value for the number of participants for the actual course. Prices: In the Prices infotype, you can store an internal and an external price for the course type. The internal price is used for internal activity allocation purposes, while the external price is used for billing purposes. Course Type Info: In the Course Type Info infotype, you can determine whether the course type will be added to the Course Brochure or not. When you start the report to generate the course brochure, you can select the option Selected course types only. The selection referred to is the one you make when you set this indicator for the course type. Relationships: You can use the Relationships infotype to store links to a number of other objects, such as course groups or organizational units, for the course type. Validity Period: Here you could, for example, specify in days and months the period of time during which participation in a course event is valid as a prerequisite for participating in a follow-up event. Additional Information On this tab page, you can maintain the following additional infotypes: – – – – – –

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Caution: The SAP Learning Solution does not support convention functions. If you do not want courses of this course type displayed in the Learning Portal of the SAP Learning Solution, select the No Intranet indicator. Hint: Most of the above data is optional. It is only mandatory to specify the validity period, and the long and short name of a course. However, the more information you store for the course type when you create it, the less work you have with each of the individual courses based on it.

Figure 91: No Web-Based Training Without Content

You should pay special attention to the Completion Specifications that can be made for a WBT with reference to learning nets: • • •

Duration specifications (minimum, optimum, maximum) License period: how many days or months is the WBT accessible to learners? Date of last availability Hint: Compare the options here with the information displayed on the detail screen of the course in the Learning Portal.

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Creating a Curriculum Type

Figure 92: Creating a Curriculum Type

Course types can be assigned to a curriculum type as curriculum type elements with or without sequence rules. Elements with sequence rules must be completed in a specified order in the curriculum, from the bottom position up. Elements without sequence rules can be taken at any time during completion of the curriculum. When you create a curriculum, you must first specify courses for the elements with sequence rules. Then you select courses for the elements without sequence rules. You can position elements without sequence rules between two elements with sequence rules if you want. You create a curriculum type with curriculum type elements in two steps: 1. 2.

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When you create a curriculum type, you maintain the required infotypes and relationships, which are for the most part similar to those of the course types. This also includes: •

•

Curriculum Type Info: Here you can specify guidelines for follow-up processing and for system reactions to booking cancellations. Note: Remember that in contrast to the similarities that otherwise exist, the function of the Curriculum Type Info infotype is very different to that of the Course Type Info infotype. Further Information: On this tab page, you can maintain the following information: –

– – –

Procedure: In the Procedure infotype, you instruct the system how to react during checks for double bookings, double prebookings, participation prerequisites, and qualifications. After all, a curriculum element may already have been booked as an individual course. In addition, you also specify what follow-up actions are to be executed during follow-up processing. Web Link Delivery Method Workflow Settings

Figure 93: Arranging Elements in Curriculum Types

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In a second step, you select the curriculum type elements (also with a right-click in the master data catalog). Course types that must be completed in a specific sequence are displayed in the upper field. The position specifies the sequence. If elements have the same position, the learner can decide the order in which to complete them. Elements with no specified sequence are displayed in the lower field. These elements can be taken at any time in any order.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Explain and maintain the various objects used in Training Management • Design and set up a course catalog • Implement “Blended Learning” in SAP Training Management

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Lesson: Creating Courses and Curricula Lesson Overview You will learn how to maintain and offer course dates (classroom training), as well as how to compose “Blended Learning” offerings.


Create courses with different delivery methods Group various courses together to form a curriculum (Blended Learning)

Business Example Now that you have implemented the new training concept in a course catalog, you will now begin the detailed planning of the individual courses. In particular, this means defining the dates.

Course

Figure 94: Creating a Course

As explained previously, a course is a specific “instance” of a course type with a start date and an end date. This attribute itself indicates that the object Course is used exclusively for time-dependent courses. Courses are created in such a way that the sum of their individual capacities can satisfy the number of prebookings made for the course type. The training administrator must consider a number of other important aspects as well: the time frame in which the courses are offered, the technical requirements at the course location and so on.

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Lesson: Creating Courses and Curricula

For example, you can create classroom training courses with or without resources. It is always possible to reserve resources for courses at a later date. You usually work in the dynamic course menu when you want to create specific courses (transaction LSO_PSV2). In the course hierarchy, you create courses for course types by right-clicking the course type concerned. On the data screen that then appears, you can enter data such as start and end date, time schedule, location, capacity, and (internal and external) prices. You do not specify location data for courses with the delivery method virtual classroom training (you select the course type in the SAP Learning Solution). Once a course has been created, bookings can be made for it both by learners in the Learning Portal and by the training administrator. Hint: Remember that the training administrator cannot create courses with the delivery method WBT. E-Learning courses are generated when these courses are booked in the Learning Portal. If any of the other information fields are not self-explanatory, you can display the online help for them or visit the specific Training and Event Management course by SAP Education.

Curriculum Features • • • • •

You create curricula by arranging courses in a specific sequence. The sequence is specified by the curriculum type. Possible course dates are automatically proposed to the training administrator. You can propose multiple alternative courses for course types. These can be integrated in a curriculum and offered for selection later. You book a curriculum in one step!

The curriculum type represents the basis for the blended learning concept. When you create a curriculum, the important thing is to design a suitable training package. This may involve specifying dates for classroom training courses. However, you might create two curricula parallel for the same time period to enable “ classroom instruction” for a given course.

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Figure 95: Creating a Curriculum

A curriculum is created on the basis of its curriculum type. The planned time frame and language of the courses are important attributes that are often overlooked. These attributes determine what courses are proposed for the course types in the curriculum. Hint: We recommend that you first create the courses for the time-dependent course types. These can then be selected when a curriculum is being created. Once you have set up the general conditions surrounding the curriculum, the actual curriculum can be created. You start with the course type paying attention to the sequence (compare Creating a Curriculum Type). The course types appear one after another in sequence at the top left. The corresponding courses for the selected period are displayed for selection on the right. Hint: Only courses that are scheduled after the last date of the previous course are offered, for example. This excludes the possibility of inconsistencies with the sequence rules. You select the required courses (press STRG/CTRL when selecting) and transfer them to the curriculum. This is the trigger for the next course type to appear in the top left.

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Lesson: Creating Courses and Curricula

When you have edited all course types with and without sequence rules, you can save the curriculum. You can only save the curriculum as active after all courses have been entered in the curriculum for all course types in the curriculum type. When you select several courses for a course type, multiple dates are offered as alternatives and integrated in the curriculum. This is where the possible courses for selection in the SAP Learning Portal are derived.

Figure 96: Book a Participant for a Curriculum (Back End)

The training administrator can book participants on a curriculum as for other time-dependent course too in the dynamic participation menu in the back end. The advantage of doing so is that when you book a curriculum, the individual courses are booked at the same time. The administrator can select specific courses as alternatives for individual participants.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Create courses with different delivery methods • Group various courses together to form a curriculum (Blended Learning)

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Lesson: Day-To-Day Activities and Other Activities

Lesson: Day-To-Day Activities and Other Activities Lesson Overview You will learn about the various booking activities and possible follow-up activities in Training Management. You will also receive a brief overview of correspondence in SAP Training Management.


Book, prebook, replace, rebook, and cancel participation in Training Management Follow up on courses and describe the options for creating correspondence in SAP Training Management

Business Example We will now examine a normal day in the business life of a training administrator: the courses are planned and you now only have to organize the participants.

Day-To-Day Activities The day-to-day activities in Training Management include all booking activities performed in the back-end system of the SAP Learning Solution and follow-up activities for completed courses. • • • • •

Prebooking participants for classroom training and curricula Booking participants for classroom training and curricula Rebooking participation in classroom training and curricula Canceling participation in classroom training and curricula Replacing participation in classroom training and curricula

Prebooking Participation Prebookings are made when there are no suitable dates scheduled for a course a participant wants to take. You can specify a preferred language, location, and time period for the required course. Prebooking data can be used to support short-term planning of courses and also for yearly or half-yearly demand analyses if this is included in the company's business processes.

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Booking Participation Learners make bookings for time- and location-dependent courses directly in the Learning Portal. Classroom training and curricula bookings can be made both in the Learning Portal of the SAP Learning Solution and in Training Management. • • • • • • • • •

Persons Contact persons Applicants External persons Users Organizational units Companies Customers Interested parties

The various participant types can be booked for courses individually or from a list in a group booking. You can set up Training Management to recognize and report whether prebookings already exist when bookings are made. You can generally check when booking participation whether there is a prebooking list for the course type. These prebookings can be converted into bookings. When you book participation, you can specify a booking priority for the participant. The priority indicates how urgent participation is. Booking Priorities 0-9

Essential booking

Default value is 9

10-89

Normal booking

Default value is 50

90-99

Waiting-list booking

Default value is 90

You can change the priorities during editing. In the standard system, bookings made in the Learning Portal are assigned priority of 51. The training administrator/coordinator can usually see immediately from the priority value which bookings were made in the SAP Learning Portal and which ones came from the back end.

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Rebookings You can change the date of a booking, when requested. The participant can be rebooked for the same course type on a different date or for a completely different course. A prebooking check is performed here too. Caution: Of course, you cannot rebook participants from the user-specific Learning Portal.

Cancellations You can cancel a booking if the participant requires it. You can also specify a cancellation reason. Caution: You cannot cancel participation from the Learning Portal.

Replacing Participants If a participant is unable to attend a course on a given date, a replacement participant can be found and booked instead. The cancellation of the original participant and the new booking of the replacement is performed in one step. A prebooking check is performed here too. You cannot replace participants from the Learning Portal.

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Correspondence in SAP Training Management The various activities in Training Management can trigger output of accompanying correspondence. Hint: With the LSO 600 you have the option of using completely new technology for the correspondence. This will be explained at the end of the course. •

Numerous templates for notifications

• • • • •

– Participation confirmation – Provisional confirmation of place – Course cancellations – etc. Standard letter function Download into Microsoft® Word (RTF Format) Output via all standard media (fax, Internet mail, etc.) Workflow for errors in automatic correspondence Correspondence history

Whenever an activity in Training Management requires a notification, the corresponding correspondence can be output automatically or manually. Different forms of output media are possible: printer, Internet mail, telefax, onscreen, etc. With manual output, you also have the option of using Microsoft® Word standard letter function and of downloading the notification into Microsoft® Word. Automatic correspondence is triggered by activities in the SAP Learning Solution that you define as correspondence-relevant, such as booking participation. An error workflow for automatic correspondence informs administrators of any errors that might occur in output. Notification output is documented in the Correspondence History function. This enables you, for example, to report on what documents were output to a participant in a given time period or whether a participant has already received a booking confirmation or not. As mentioned above, templates are available for the various types of training-related correspondence. These can be customized as required.

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Recurring Activities

Figure 97: Recurring Activities - Overview

Recurring activities are all activities that can be carried out periodically. These include firmly booking, canceling and following up courses, and creating appraisals for courses and participants. Firmly book courses You firmly book a course when you have decided that it should definitely take place and you want to record all of the data stored for it. When you firmly book a course, its status changes from planned to active. The system proposes a definitive participant list. Depending on the number of bookings, participants on the waiting list are moved up until the optimum/maximum course capacity is reached. You then have the option of swapping participants on the waiting list with participants on the participant list. You can either create rebooking proposals for waiting list candidates or leave them on the waiting list; (referred to as the rebooking list). The rebooking list can be handled like a prebooking list. You do not need to firmly book e-learning courses. They are created with firmly booked status from the start. Caution: Firmly booking a course is irrevocable, it cannot be undone.

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Course cancellations When a course is canceled, resources reserved for it are released. Participants booked for the course can be rebooked for other courses. The system displays suitable alternatives where available. A delete flag is appended to the course. Caution: Canceling a course is irrevocable, it cannot be undone. Hint: You cannot cancel e-learning courses. Following Up Courses When a course has been held, you can flag it accordingly. During follow-up processing, the qualification it imparts can be awarded to the participants. You can also issue participation certificates within Correspondence. You can also record the course data historically, which ultimately means changing its status. You can set view options in the dynamic menus to hide courses that have historical record flags and courses that have been completed.

Appraising Courses Appraisals in the SAP Learning Solution • • • • • • • •

Appraisals of participants and courses Anonymous appraisals Generating a 'to do' list (appraisal preparation) Multiple appraisal models per form of appraisal (course or participant appraisal) Qualifications as appraisal criteria Transfer of qualifications as a result of appraisals (on completion of the appraisal) Access to appraisals during follow-up processing Search for objects not yet appraised

The SAP Learning Solution uses the Management by Objectives component (MbO) to enable appraisal functions.

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Exercise 6: SAP Training Management: New Options in the SAP Learning Solution Exercise Objectives After completing this exercise, you will be able to: • List the functions of SAP Training Management • Create course types with various delivery methods • Create a blended learning concept • Set up a curriculum

Business Example As training administrator for your enterprise, you want to use the enhanced options offered by SAP Training Management to integrate WBT courses in Training and Event Management and offer employees a blended learning solution. Hint: Make sure that you have configured the current plan version 01, language English (or all languages), and a planning period of at least January 1 of this year to the end of next year.

Task 1: You want to use courses with various delivery methods when putting together a new curriculum in your Training Management system. 1.

In the SAP Learning Solution master data catalog, create a course group “SAPLS##” (long and short name) under the course group “HR270 core group”. Enter as the general description “New Employee Orientation ##”. The course group should not appear as a subject area in its own right in the portal.

2.

Create a course type “WS ##”(long text “Workshop ##”) under this course group. Use the delivery method Classroom Training. Description: This is an “introductory seminar” (Extended Course Text), enter as a note “Use public transport to get here!”. As main schedule pattern “without pattern”, enter a duration of a 5-hour day. Optimum capacity is 15 participants, with a tolerance of ±5. The price is 1000 euros, or 2000 euros for external participants.

3.

Create another course type “WBT ##” (long and short text) under this course group. Use the delivery method WBT. Enter “Getting Started with the SAP System” (or another learning net specified by your instructor) as the content of the learning net. Continued on next page

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Description: enter an intuitive descriptive text for your WBT. Under Completion Specifications, specify completion time of 10 ± 5 minutes and a license period of 20 days. 4.

In the dynamic course menu, create 2 course dates for the introductory seminar “Workshop ##” (right-click/“without resources”) for December of this year. Create them in firmly booked status. You specify the dates with the start of the planning period, which you select as today. Select Berlin and Zurich as course locations. Note that the dates should not occur after the 3rd of Advent.

Task 2: Your company wants to be offer a blended learning solution for new employees in the new Learning Portal. You are asked to make the administrative preparations. 1.

Create a curriculum type called “BL_Intro_##” under course group “HR270” in the master data catalog. As description/content, enter “Blended Learning Solution for New Hire Orientation”. When you save, take the opportunity of creating the curriculum elements at the same time. Your blended learning solution is made up of the two course types you created. You will add to this the course “Get_Together”, which already exists. The workshop should of course take place before this final event. The WBT can be completed by participants any time during the curriculum.

2.

In the Course Menu, create a curriculum of the type “Blended_Int##” that is valid from today until December 31 of this year.

Task 3: Check your settings from the user's perspective in the Learning Portal and in the Participation Menu.

182

1.

Find the curriculum you created in the Learning Portal under “HR270”.

2.

Make a booking for this curriculum for dates of your choice.

3.

Check the training activities.

4.

Start your WBT and browse through a few pages.

5.

Check your participation data and your “learning progress” in the WBT in the relevant menus in the back end.


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Solution 6: SAP Training Management: New Options in the SAP Learning Solution Task 1: You want to use courses with various delivery methods when putting together a new curriculum in your Training Management system. 1.

In the SAP Learning Solution master data catalog, create a course group “SAPLS##” (long and short name) under the course group “HR270 core group”. Enter as the general description “New Employee Orientation ##”. The course group should not appear as a subject area in its own right in the portal. a)

Working in the Master Data Catalog of the SAP Learning Solution SAP Easy Access: Human Resources → SAP Learning Solution → Settings → Current Settings → Master Data Catalog Note the settings under “Current Plan” at the top. Use the corresponding icon to find course group HR270 or open the path SAP Courses HR - HR270 core group. Right-click the course group HR270 core group, choose Create Level Lower, Course Group. Before you save, enter a short text (such as “Courses for New Employees” in tab page Description. Hint: Deactivate the “subject area” option under Info Course Group to prevent its display in the portal's navigation frame.

2.

Create a course type “WS ##”(long text “Workshop ##”) under this course group. Use the delivery method Classroom Training. Description: This is an “introductory seminar” (Extended Course Text), enter as a note “Use public transport to get here!”. As main schedule pattern “without pattern”, enter a duration of a 5-hour day. Optimum capacity is 15 participants, with a tolerance of ±5. The price is 1000 euros, or 2000 euros for external participants. a)

Right-click your course group, choose Create Level Lower. Double-click incorporates course group and then Classroom Training. Choose the different tab pages to make the required entries for the course type. On the Main Schedule Model tab page, ensure to choose the “Schedule without pattern” tab page.


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Create another course type “WBT ##” (long and short text) under this course group. Use the delivery method WBT. Enter “Getting Started with the SAP System” (or another learning net specified by your instructor) as the content of the learning net. Description: enter an intuitive descriptive text for your WBT. Under Completion Specifications, specify completion time of 10 ± 5 minutes and a license period of 20 days. a)

Proceed as for 6-1-2 and select Web-Based Training as the delivery method. When you specify the name and code and press “Enter”, you automatically branch to the required entry field for the content type (learning net). You can select one using F4 possible entries help. If you do not enter a price, the WBT remains free of charge.

4.

In the dynamic course menu, create 2 course dates for the introductory seminar “Workshop ##” (right-click/“without resources”) for December of this year. Create them in firmly booked status. You specify the dates with the start of the planning period, which you select as today. Select Berlin and Zurich as course locations. Note that the dates should not occur after the 3rd of Advent. a)

SAP Easy Access: Human Resources → SAP Learning Solution → Courses → Course Menu Open your course group (double-click on SAPLS## and right-click your workshop ##, then click “Create Without Resources”. Select a start date in December of this year and enter “Berlin” under Location. You are offered a list of possible locations in Berlin for selection. Save. Repeat the process for another date, with Zurich as the location.

Task 2: Your company wants to be offer a blended learning solution for new employees in the new Learning Portal. You are asked to make the administrative preparations. 1.

Create a curriculum type called “BL_Intro_##” under course group “HR270” in the master data catalog. As description/content, enter “Blended Learning Solution for New Hire Orientation”. When you save, take the opportunity of creating the curriculum elements at the same time. Your blended learning solution is made up of the two course types you created. You will add to this the course


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“Get_Together”, which already exists. The workshop should of course take place before this final event. The WBT can be completed by participants any time during the curriculum. a)

Create a curriculum type SAP Easy Access: Human Resources → SAP Learning Solution → Settings → Current Settings → Master Data Catalog Right-click “HR270”, choose Create Level Lower, double-click Curriculum Type and make the required entries. Choose Save. Choose Create New in the dialog box that appears to query whether you want to create curriculum elements. Click on the plus icon at the right of “include sequence rules” frame. This takes you to the search menu where you can first add the workshop and then the get-together seminar. In the lower frame, add your WBT in the same way. Choose Save.

2.

In the Course Menu, create a curriculum of the type “Blended_Int##” that is valid from today until December 31 of this year. a)

SAP Easy Access: Human Resources → SAP Learning Solution → Courses → Course Menu Right-click your curriculum type and choose “Create Curriculum”. Select “today” as the start date and “English” as the language. In the upper right frame, select the top workshop date, hold down the shift key and select the last workshop so that both are highlighted. Choose “Next” to assign both course dates to your curriculum. Do the same with the next two courses as well. Choose Save.

Task 3: Check your settings from the user's perspective in the Learning Portal and in the Participation Menu. 1.

Find the curriculum you created in the Learning Portal under “HR270”. a)

Connection between Portal, Participation Menu and Information Menu (first steps as in exercises “Learning Portals” - see solutions) Search for your curriculum in the Portal by clicking on “HR270” in the navigation frame. Of course, you can also search for all curricula in the extended search function, and so on.

2.

Make a booking for this curriculum for dates of your choice. a)

3.

Book it via Date Selection, for example, the course scheduled for Berlin.

Check the training activities. a)

In the Portal, choose Training Activities. Continued on next page

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Start your WBT and browse through a few pages. a)

Start the WBT for your curriculum (assignment is visible in the portal). You can skip the test with Complete. Click “Continue” several times before you click “Complete”.

5.

Check your participation data and your “learning progress” in the WBT in the relevant menus in the back end. a)

SAP Easy Access: Human Resources → SAP Learning Solution → Participation → Participation Menu Refresh your training activities in the Learning Portal before you record your progress. Open your curriculum and your courses in sequence in the participation menu under Human Resources → SAP Learning Solution → Participation. You will see your participation (your user from exercise 2 “Technical Essentials” appears as booked). Choose “Goto” in the Information Menu, right-click your WBT, choose Participation and execute the report “Participant List”. As administrator, you can see in the back end how many minutes you spent on exercise step 4. This figure should agree with the learning progress displayed in the Learning Portal.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Book, prebook, replace, rebook, and cancel participation in Training Management • Follow up on courses and describe the options for creating correspondence in SAP Training Management

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Unit Summary

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Unit Summary You should now be able to: • Describe the business processes in SAP Training Management • Define the interfaces to other SAP modules • Explain and maintain the various objects used in Training Management • Design and set up a course catalog • Implement “Blended Learning” in SAP Training Management • Create courses with different delivery methods • Group various courses together to form a curriculum (Blended Learning) • Book, prebook, replace, rebook, and cancel participation in Training Management • Follow up on courses and describe the options for creating correspondence in SAP Training Management

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Unit 7 Collaboration Unit Overview You will learn the basics of collaboration with SAP NetWeaver and its relevance for the SAP Learning Solution – and particularly the SAP Learning Portal.

Unit Objectives After completing this unit, you will be able to: • • • •

•

Explain how the collaboration rooms in the SAP Enterprise Portal can be and are important for the SAP Learning Solution List the collaboration options that SAP Netweaver could provide for the SAP Learning Portal too. Explain how collaboration in the SAP Enterprise Portal is linked directly with the SAP Learning Portal List the steps in SAP LS Training Management that can or need to be used in order to link collaboration rooms directly with the courses offered in the SAP Learning Portal. Set up a new collaboration room automatically when you configure a course, making all the course participants members of the room

Unit Contents Lesson: Collaboration in the SAP Learning Portal .........................190 Lesson: Collaboration in SAP LS Training Management ..................195 Exercise 7: Collaboration in the SAP Learning Solution ..............203

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Lesson: Collaboration in the SAP Learning Portal Lesson Overview This lesson will teach you about the interesting benefits that arise from using the modern collaboration features in the SAP Learning Portal.


Explain how the collaboration rooms in the SAP Enterprise Portal can be and are important for the SAP Learning Solution List the collaboration options that SAP Netweaver could provide for the SAP Learning Portal too. Explain how collaboration in the SAP Enterprise Portal is linked directly with the SAP Learning Portal

Business Example You are a teletutor who wants to find out about the collaboration options in your enterprise portal and how they can be used in the Learning Portal framework.

Motivation

Figure 98: The KM Platform as the Integration Basis for Collaboration

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Lesson: Collaboration in the SAP Learning Portal

An important tool for overcoming a learner's isolation in e-learning scenarios is the use of modern collaboration technology, such as e-mail and chat rooms, to create something like a "virtual classroom". In the SAP LS, we recommend using the collaboration tools of the SAP Enterprise Portal for this purpose, and integrate it directly in training management in the SAP Learning Solution. In the following, the collaboration concept in SAP NetWeaver is introduced in general, before going on to its specific implementation in the SAP Learning Solution.

Collaboration with SAP NetWeaver

Figure 99: Collaboration with SAP NetWeaver

As you can see in the above diagram, SAP NetWeaver collaboration consists of several components. In addition to the usual discussion groups and file sharing options, external products such as WebEx can also be used for synchronized collaboration. The HR overview course "Introduction to the SAP Portal" provides you with an initial impression.

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Figure 100: Structure of Collaboration Rooms

The (collaboration) portal administrator decides whether and how the different options – news board, membership lists, to-do lists with progress displays, and so on – are available in these virtual collaboration rooms. The first step is usually the creation of appropriate templates. The users are then assigned to the specific collaboration room itself, given roles, and granted authorizations. The most important roles are usually "room owner" and "room member".

Collaboration in the SAP Learning Portal As mentioned above, collaboration rooms are particularly useful as virtual classrooms for modern Blended Learning courses. The teletutor performs the role of the room owner in this case, and supports the learning process by asking specific follow-up questions and moderating the discussion groups.

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Lesson: Collaboration in the SAP Learning Portal

Figure 101: Collaboration Rooms in the Training Activities Overview

To make sure learners can still keep track of their training activities, the SAP Learning Portal makes it possible to navigate directly from the training activities to the corresponding collaboration rooms. The links appear directly below the respective courses.

Figure 102: A Collaboration Room in the Learning Portal

By clicking on this link you will see a selection of suitable collaboration rooms. This supports the creation of a kind of "classroom" for exchanging useful information between the participants.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Explain how the collaboration rooms in the SAP Enterprise Portal can be and are important for the SAP Learning Solution • List the collaboration options that SAP Netweaver could provide for the SAP Learning Portal too. • Explain how collaboration in the SAP Enterprise Portal is linked directly with the SAP Learning Portal

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Lesson: Collaboration in SAP LS Training Management

Lesson: Collaboration in SAP LS Training Management Lesson Overview In this lesson, you will learn about the steps required to use collaboration in Training Management within the SAP Learning Solution.


•

List the steps in SAP LS Training Management that can or need to be used in order to link collaboration rooms directly with the courses offered in the SAP Learning Portal. Set up a new collaboration room automatically when you configure a course, making all the course participants members of the room

Business Example You are the training administrator in your company and want to include modern collaboration tools in your Blended Learning and integrate them in the Learning Portal.

Concept and Functions

Figure 103: Learner and Collaboration Rooms in Training Administration

A training administrator has two basic options for linking a course to a collaboration room. If the collaboration room already exists, you simply link it to the course in question. Frequently, however, collaboration rooms need to be created for specific courses. In this case, you can configure the settings to trigger a

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new collaboration room automatically whenever a course is set up. To do so, a template for the SAP Enterprise Portal has to be defined in Customizing for the SAP Learning Solution.

Figure 104: Assigning Collaboration

In general, all object types in the SAP Learning Solution's master data catalog can be equipped with collaboration options. In accordance with the structure of SAP HR, you do this using relationships too. You can maintain these relationships directly in PP01, for example. The object types in the master data catalog are then linked to the corresponding collaboration infotype, and are divided into 5045 Collaboration Room and 5046 Template for Collaboration Room. The respective uses for each type should be obvious: The first is used to link with specific collaboration rooms that already exist. The latter is used to define which type of collaboration room will be used for a specific course.

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Figure 105: Inheritance of Collaboration

The crux of relationships with specific object types is that they are inherited to all other object types that appear in lower levels of the hierarchy. If you create a relationship between a collaboration room and the Business English course group, all the participants on the assigned courses “Business English for Beginners”, “Business English Advanced Level” and “Business English for Distant Learners (WBT)” would be assigned to this collaboration room by default, for example. This could be a practical way of reaching the “critical mass” of participants to keep the room exciting and up to date.

Figure 106: Involved Training Administration Processes

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For the training administrator, the direct link to courses (and course types) also link similar activities for participant management of collaboration rooms, as it would do for classroom training. The list of activities in the above diagram is therefore identical to the processes introduced in the “Training Management” unit.

Figure 107: Infotype 5045 User Interface

For infotype 5045 specifically, this means the following functions are listed: • • • • •

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Assign an existing room Create a new room Create a where-used list for the room Manage the attributes of the room (such as viewing options) Specify procedure instructions for typical Training Management processes (bookings, cancellations)


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Figure 108: Infotype 5046: Collaboration Room Template

A collaboration room template includes all the information that is required to create a collaboration room. The purpose of this infotype is to enable collaboration for ETs that have not yet been created. When the ET is created, the system creates an infotype 5045 for this ID with its own ID.

Maintaining the Collaboration Room Infotype

Figure 109: Assignment of a Collaboration Room

When a course is assigned to a specific room, the familiar F4 help is available. Although this is not readily apparent to the training administrator, this involves accessing the connected SAP Portal to retrieve the current list.

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Figure 110: Creating a Collaboration Room

When a new collaboration room is created, the template is selected first from Customizing. The necessary attributes are then maintained before the actual room is created in the portal (system).

Figure 111: Procedure Instructions

As you can see in the above diagram, the settings for the procedure instructions are largely intuitive: Display

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You can control the display of the collaboration room assigned to a course in the Learning Portal. The following display options apply: Display in portal: If there are no participants booked for a course, you specify in Customizing (IMG activity: Maintain Default Values) whether the collaboration room assigned should be displayed in the Learning Portal or not. If there are participants booked for a course, all the collaboration rooms assigned to it are always displayed in the Learning Portal. Use exclusively: The collaboration room may only be used by this course in the Learning Portal. This enables you to protect a collaboration room from being used by other courses. If you flag a collaboration room for exclusive use, it is not offered for selection in the room search. You cannot use the exclusive room ID to create a new room. Sorting priority: With the sorting priority you specify the position of the collaboration room in the list of available collaboration rooms. Post Book participation: You specify whether a learner is automatically registered as participant of the collaboration room when he or she is booked for a course. If learners are automatically included as collaboration room members on booking, the learner is registered as a member from the booking date. You must also assign a role profile and specify which roles the participant should be given in the collaboration room. The participant is registered in the collaboration room with the roles entered in the role profile. You can specify if a participant should be informed by e-mail when he or she is registered as a new member of a collaboration room. Do not book participation: You specify that when a learner is booked for a course, he or she is not automatically registered as a member of the collaboration room. You can change the collaboration room participation later for a participant from the dynamic participation menu or using the Participant List report (RHTEILNO_LSO). Cancel Participation/Course You specify the system reactions when a course or course participation is canceled. You can choose from the following options: Leave participation unchanged: You can leave collaboration room participation unchanged when a booking or a course is canceled. No change should be made, in other words, the collaboration room is retained and the participant retains the role assigned in the collaboration room. Delete participation in a collaboration room: When a participant cancels a course, you can delete the associated collaboration room membership and/or the collaboration room itself. This means that participation in a collaboration room is

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deleted when a course booking is canceled. When the course itself is canceled, the associated collaboration room is deleted if it is not being used by other objects. All room memberships are also deleted. Change role: You can retain collaboration room participation when a booking or a course is canceled but delete the role assignments and the role profile. Follow Up Participation/Course You specify system reactions when a course or a participation record is followed up. The options here are largely the same as for canceling a course.

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Exercise 7: Collaboration in the SAP Learning Solution Exercise Objectives After completing this exercise, you will be able to: • Use the operations for collaboration in the SAP Portal • Create a link between a course in the SAP back end and a collaboration in the SAP (Learning) Portal

Business Example You are a potential teletutor at your company and want to find out about the options for collaboration available within the SAP Learning Solution.

Task 1: Use the collaboration tools in the portal. Go to the “Collaboration” tab in your Learning Portal. Use the synchronous and asynchronous communication options there. 1.

Open the appropriate collaboration room.

2.

Check the tasks. Is there a task that has already been completed? Have tasks been assigned specifically to you? If so, what are these tasks?

3.

Read a FAQ. Make a new FAQ available to the other participants. To do this, use an Internet link, such as one to the homepage of your company.

4.

Post a message in the discussion forum for HR270.

5.

In the HR270 folder, open a Success Story for the Learning Solution that has been stored here.

Task 2: You want to add a collaboration room to the blended learning course you just created. 1.

Create a collaboration room called Training in the back end system for the curriculum you just created. Choose the SAP standard template and set your portal user to “room administrator”. Keep the other settings and enter the name “Virtual Classroom” for the room.


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Task 3: You are a teletutor who uses several different communication tools.

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1.

Log on to the portal again and open “your” room

2.

Invite another course participant (your number + 1, for example) to become a member of your room.

3.

Create a subfolder “HR270”.

4.

Copy a file of your choice from your desktop (simply create a Word or PowerPoint document and save it there) to the folder and add a personal remark.


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Solution 7: Collaboration in the SAP Learning Solution Task 1: Use the collaboration tools in the portal. Go to the “Collaboration” tab in your Learning Portal. Use the synchronous and asynchronous communication options there. 1.

Open the appropriate collaboration room. a)

2.

Click the “Collaboration” tab next to your “Learner” tab and then click the link “HR270-EN”. The collaboration room is opened. Use the navigation bar to the left to navigate your way through the various components.

Check the tasks. Is there a task that has already been completed? Have tasks been assigned specifically to you? If so, what are these tasks? a)

Use the “next page” icon under the task overview to find a teletutor task that has been 100% completed. Click on the “Assigned Tasks” tab page. There you can see a task that has been assigned to you personally. Click on the link for details. It will come as no surprise that this task is linked to the task you have to solve in HR270 at the moment.

3.

Read a FAQ. Make a new FAQ available to the other participants. To do this, use an Internet link, such as one to the homepage of your company. a)

4.

Post a message in the discussion forum for HR270. a)

5.

Under “Room News”, click on one of the messages and then click on “New Frequently Asked Questions” at the top. Use the fields provided in the new window and then click on the “Save” button at the bottom left when you have finished. Check the result under Room News. Click “Discussion” in the left navigation frame. Then click on the topic HR270 Target Group and further in the discussion, if necessary. “New Post”. Edit your post and click Save to submit it.

In the HR270 folder, open a Success Story for the Learning Solution that has been stored here. a)

Click on “Documents” in the left navigation frame. Click on the folder “HR270” and then on one of the two documents.


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Task 2: You want to add a collaboration room to the blended learning course you just created. 1.

Create a collaboration room called Training in the back end system for the curriculum you just created. Choose the SAP standard template and set your portal user to “room administrator”. Keep the other settings and enter the name “Virtual Classroom” for the room. a)

Open the course menu under your folder, SAPLS##. Choose the training workshop## on which you have booked yourself. Right mouse click on this course (not the coursetype, even though this would be possible) and then Display. In the dialog box that appears, choose curriculum instead of elements. Click on the pencil icon to switch to change mode. Under Overview, select the “Collaboration Room” infotype (scroll to the bottom of the list) and click Create. In the next screen, click on “Create Room”. With F4, choose “00000002” as the template profile and enter owner HR270-## with role Administrator. Enter “Virtual Classroom” as the description and confirm. Leave the other settings the way they are. Save your entries.

Task 3: You are a teletutor who uses several different communication tools. 1.

Log on to the portal again and open “your” room a)

2.

You can click the collaboration tab of the SAP Portal directly and open your room in the Overview.

Invite another course participant (your number + 1, for example) to become a member of your room. a)

Click Member Administration. Enter HR270 in the search field and click “Find”. Select a user of your choice (HR270-(##+1)) and click the “>” icon. Choose “OK” to confirm.

b)

Assign role “Member” to the new room member by setting the field in the appropriate column. Save your entries.


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3.

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Create a subfolder “HR270”. a)

Click Documents and Links in the left navigation frame.

b)

Click the “context menu” next to “Documents ” → New → Folder.

c)

Enter HR270 as the name and a description of your choice. Then “save” your entries.

Copy a file of your choice from your desktop (simply create a Word or PowerPoint document and save it there) to the folder and add a personal remark. a)

Click the link to your folder HR270 (created above).

b)

Click the “context menu” next to “HR270 ” → New → Upload.

c)

Click “Browse” to select your file.

d)

Enter a name and a comment, then click “Upload” to confirm.


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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • List the steps in SAP LS Training Management that can or need to be used in order to link collaboration rooms directly with the courses offered in the SAP Learning Portal. • Set up a new collaboration room automatically when you configure a course, making all the course participants members of the room

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Unit Summary

Unit Summary You should now be able to: • Explain how the collaboration rooms in the SAP Enterprise Portal can be and are important for the SAP Learning Solution • List the collaboration options that SAP Netweaver could provide for the SAP Learning Portal too. • Explain how collaboration in the SAP Enterprise Portal is linked directly with the SAP Learning Portal • List the steps in SAP LS Training Management that can or need to be used in order to link collaboration rooms directly with the courses offered in the SAP Learning Portal. • Set up a new collaboration room automatically when you configure a course, making all the course participants members of the room

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Unit Summary

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Unit 8 SAP LS Authoring Environment – Basics Unit Overview You will receive an overview of the basics of content creation, as well as the components of the Authoring Environment in the SAP Learning Solution. You will learn about the various options available for configuring the SAP LS Authoring Environment.

Unit Objectives After completing this unit, you will be able to: • • • • • • • • •

Name the benefits and most important properties of SCORM Explain how the SAP-specific attributes relate to the various learning strategies Describe the main components of the Authoring Environment in the SAP Learning Solution Describe the structure of the user interface for the SAP Authoring Environment Sketch the basic layout of the learning structure Edit learning nets in the user interface for the SAP Authoring Environment by drag&drop and other methods Name the tasks of the most important fields of the dialog area Carry out the general, online, and relationship configuration Configure the repository and Content Player settings

Unit Contents Lesson: Creating Content with the SAP Authoring Environment – Basics.............................................................................213 Lesson: Structure of the Authoring Environment ...........................223 Lesson: User Interface for the SAP Authoring Environment ..............228 Lesson: Configuration ..........................................................235 Procedure: Specify Associations for Editing ............................241 Procedure: Specify Associations for Displaying Data .................244

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Exercise 8: First Steps in the SAP Authoring Environment ...........249

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Lesson: Creating Content with the SAP Authoring Environment – Basics

Lesson: Creating Content with the SAP Authoring Environment – Basics Lesson Overview In this section, you will learn the theoretical foundations of structuring Web Based Training. You need to understand the theory in order to work with the SAP Authoring Environment. This involves SCORM as the general, recognized standard for learning software, as well as the specific foundations for the application of learning strategies.


Name the benefits and most important properties of SCORM Explain how the SAP-specific attributes relate to the various learning strategies

Business Example You are a content author. Before you begin implementing the actual objects, you want to find out which standards you need to follow and how you can cater to the varied, individual learning strategies of your target audience.

SCORM and the SAP Learning Solution

Figure 112: Requirements of Content

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Modern electronic learning material has to meet several specific requirements independently of the SAP Learning Solution. The motivation is clear: If this content is to be deployable in different Learning Management Systems, or if certain contents and modules are to be implemented in other networks, then content providers and LMS vendors have to agree on a common standard. Several past initiatives have contributed to the current situation; we will only discuss them briefly here: •

•

AICC - www.aicc.org: Although the CBT committee was originally founded by the aviation sector to standardize training material for airplane builders and customers, its standard framework can be used by a wide range of industries. IMS - www.imsproject.org: IMS Global Learning Consortium, Inc. (IMS) supports and develops open specifications, for example, for metadata or guidelines for tests. These specifications are intended to support typical learning activities such as localization and use of learning content, tracking and reporting learning progress, and data exchange between different administrative systems. IMS has two key goals: 1. 2.

Defining the technical specifications for interoperability of applications and services in a distributed learning framework Establishing IMS specifications in products and services around the world

IMS strives to promote widespread acceptance of its specifications and permit collaboration between a number of authors, even in distributed learning environments with different content. IMS is a global association that counts educational institutions, commercial entities, and public organizations amongst its members. IMS metadata was recently integrated in the IEEE and ISO standardization processes. •

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SCORM - www.adlnet.org: The Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) builds on the work of AICC, IMS, and others to create a standardized "content model". These specifications enable the reuse of WBT content, even when multiple learning environments and products are involved. SCORM currently consists of three main sections: eXtensible Markup Language (XML)-based specifications to represent the course structures (enabling courses to be moved from one server to another), a set of specifications for the runtime environment – including an API and a content-LMS data model – and a specification for recording metadata for courses, content, and pure media elements.


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Figure 113: SCORM Course Structure Model

The SAP Learning Solution is SCORM compliant. How does SCORM subdivide learning content to make it "universally" usable and recognizable? The starting point is media data in its raw form – for example, an HTML page with two images and a link to a Shockwave animation. This data – called "assets" – is grouped together to form self-contained learning units that cannot contain any links to other assets outside the specific Sharable Content Object (SCO). SCOs form the smallest exchangable unit of the electronic learning objects. They can be grouped together to form blocks for better structuring, These blocks could then be used as units of a complete WBT (content).

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Figure 114: Comparison of Structures – SAP LS and SCORM

The subdivisions in the above diagram exist in similar form in the Authoring Environment of the SAP Learning Solution. You may have noticed that the SAP Learning Solution makes it possible to insert an additional level between assets and SCOs. In addition to improved structuring for the content authors, this option makes it possible to offer learning content that adapts to the users' learning strategies.

Learning Strategies Learners do not all learn the same way – or at least, not in the way that would be the most effective for them. Some learners work better with exercises, for example, while others can relate better to examples. Compared to conventional learning methods, e-learning has the advantage of adaptivity, so that content can be presented in a way that suits a learner's individual preferences.

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Figure 115: Learning Strategies

The SAP Learning Solution has a special feature here, the result of the L3 research project. (The L³ project “Lifelong Learning as a Basic Requirement” ran from 01.01.1999 to 12.31.2002 under the leadership of the Campus-Based Engineering Center (CEC) Karlsruhe, SAP AG's European research center. (A total of approximately EUR 20.5 million was invested in the L³ project.) Learning elements can be defined or linked with specific metadata in the SAP LS Authoring Environment. The SAP LS Content Player then selects the available learning units based on this metadata, and presents them to learners in a selection and sequence that corresponds in the best possible way with their individual learning strategies. Generally, learners work through the individual learning objects of a WBT in a specific sequence, by clicking the “Continue” button.

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Figure 116: Static Learning Path

Of course, content authors in the SAP Learning Solution can also specify relationships ("appears in") to determine specific sequences, so that these correspond to the typically linear learning path.

Figure 117: Dynamic Learning Paths

Content authors can also provide (the Content Player) a certain amount of leeway with other relationships and attributes, so that the presentation can be adapted to the individual learner's needs.

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This feature – composing learning paths dynamically according to the attributes of the instructional elements – sets the SAP Learning Solution apart from the competition. This future-oriented option will play an increasingly important role when an increasing amount of potentially alternative learning content becomes available. Although this goes largely unnoticed by the learner, a learning strategy actually consists of two strategies: micro strategy and macro strategy. Accordingly, the structures of the learning contents are differentiated by micro structures and macro structures.

Figure 118: Macro Strategy

The macro structure of a learning net is described by the relationships between the individual learning objects that comprise it. These relationships are defined by the content author in the SAP LS Authoring Environment. Most of them are listed in the diagram above. The two major macro strategies: • •

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Deductive (top down) Inductive (bottom up)


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Figure 119: Micro Strategy

While the macro strategy determines the selection and sequence of the learning objects, the micro strategy decides which instructional elements are presented to the learner, as well as their sequence within the individual learning objects.

Figure 120: Preferences Do Not Imply Excluding Other Types...

If a learner prefers an "example-oriented" learning strategy, for example, this does not mean that the learner only sees examples. Instead, the selection and sequence of the instructional elements within the learning objects focus on example-oriented objects. The Content Player makes these decisions based on the knowledge types that the author has assigned to the individual instructional elements.

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Figure 121: Dynamic Learning Path Determination

The crux is therefore the Content Player algorithm, which adapts the content presentation to the learner's selected learning strategy based on the relationships between the learning objects and knowledge types in the instructional elements.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Name the benefits and most important properties of SCORM • Explain how the SAP-specific attributes relate to the various learning strategies

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Lesson: Structure of the Authoring Environment

Lesson: Structure of the Authoring Environment Lesson Overview You will receive an initial overview of the Authoring Environment in the SAP Learning Solution – in particular, of its different components and features.


Describe the main components of the Authoring Environment in the SAP Learning Solution

Business Example You are in charge of a pilot project in your training department and want to find out about software for converting your content into a WBT that can be played in a SCORM-compliant Learning Management System. In the process, you also want to take a look at the big picture and examine other options for didactic design.

The Authoring Environment

Figure 122: The Authoring Environment in the Architecture of the SAP LS

The Authoring Environment combines several powerful tools that authors can use to structure, edit, and test course content.

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The following components support authors with the structuring of XML-based content: • • • •

Structure Editor to structure course content and tests Test Editor to edit tests and support the issuing of certificates Integrated, locally installed Content Player to test the contents Repository Explorer to communicate between the individual authors' local repositories and the “master repository”, which contains the objects that all authors can use for their learning objects

In addition, external authoring tools for editing the content of the electronic training material can be integrated seamlessly.

Features of the SAP Authoring Environment The Authoring Environment component of the SAP Learning Solution supports you in the following processes: • • •

• •

• •

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You can format and structure new learning content. You can integrate learning content from external providers. When you develop learning materials, you are given methodical support in the form of appropriate templates (knowledge categories) and default relationships to help structure the learning content. You can create learning objects compliant with the internationally recognized SCORM standard Web-based learning content model. You can reuse learning objects independently of one another, that is, switch between xml-based authoring tools and edit them, since learning objects are self-contained units according to SCORM. You can provide learners with learning content for which learning paths are dynamically generated (Content Player). You can import SCORM-compliant courses. These courses are executable and can be edited, for example, by specifying relationships and attributes for using learning strategies.


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Technical Essentials of the Authoring Environment

Figure 123: The Architecture of the Authoring Environment

The Authoring Environment is a Java application. It can be used locally on a PC offline or online with direct data exchange with the Publisher Database in SAP R/3 and the central content repository [Content Management or Web DAV Server]. In the authoring process of creating courses, the author first creates content and stores it in files in a local repository. The local repository of the Authoring Environment must be configured accordingly. The learning nets, learning objects, and instructional elements contain a metadata file containing such details as status, author, GUID, and creation date. Courses can be changed locally until they are checked into the master repository. Check-in requires an online connection to the Content Management System or WebDAV Server [HTTP]. When content is released for reuse, an entry is made in the Publisher Database in SAP R/3 by means of an RFC. The user interface for the master repository is provided by the Repository Explorer. A WebDAV-compliant CMS, such as the Content Management System in the SAP Portal, is required to store and manage content. Content Management also stores data on the multiple attributes of the content files, which can be used to search for content [TREX].

Learning objectives catalog Learning objects can be linked with learning objectives, so the learning objective can be considered achieved when the learner has processed the corresponding objects. From a technical perspective, this means a learner does not have to achieve the same, redundant learning objectives in different learning nets when the objects are assigned to the same learning objective in a centralized catalog.

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To create and maintain these relationships, the Authoring Environment regularly synchronizes the learning objectives catalog with the central learning objectives catalog. In the opposite direction, new, locally defined learning objectives are added to the central catalog, where they are available to other authors.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Describe the main components of the Authoring Environment in the SAP Learning Solution

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Lesson: User Interface for the SAP Authoring Environment Lesson Overview You will be given an introduction to the user interface for the SAP Authoring Environment.


Describe the structure of the user interface for the SAP Authoring Environment Sketch the basic layout of the learning structure Edit learning nets in the user interface for the SAP Authoring Environment by drag&drop and other methods Name the tasks of the most important fields of the dialog area

Business Example You are a course author/instructional designer responsible for creating e-learning units that can be put together to form courses. To do this, you are now acquainting yourself with the necessary software.

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Lesson: User Interface for the SAP Authoring Environment

User Interface: Structure

Figure 124: The Authoring Environment Interface

The screen layout of the Authoring Environment is composed of the following areas: • • • • • •

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Learning Net Overview Workspace Dialog Area Message Display Learning Strategy Preview Status Line


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Learning Net Overview

Figure 125: Learning Net Overview

In the learning net overview, you can create learning nets, learning objects, and instructional elements. These units are displayed in the sequence in which they were created. A reference file is automatically created for each learning net and learning object. Units of the same kind are displayed on the same level. The connections between learning objects and instructional elements are represented by relationships. Caution: No hierarchies are displayed. The tree structure in the learning net overview does not reflect the course structure. Learning net references, learning object references, and instructional elements are color coded.

Figure 126: Color Coding in the Learning Net Overview

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The buttons on the right side of the learning net overview enable you to move the references around within a learning net and the instructional elements within a learning object. Hint: This is not a copy function. You are simply changing the sequence of references and instructional elements. This sequence is displayed in the Content Player as well if you do not create any other relationships between the units. If you do create relationships, the instructional elements in Content Player are displayed according to the relationships and the sequence in the learning net overview is ignored. You can also move references and instructional elements using the Drag&Drop function.

Workspace

Figure 127: Workspace

The workspace (or work area) offers an alternative way of creating and editing learning nets, learning objects, and instructional elements and their interrelationships in a graphical layout. Above the workspace, there is a type of tab page system. Color-coded tab pages are generated for each learning net and learning object. The indicators correspond to those in the learning net overview (see graphic above).

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Dialog Area

Figure 128: Dialog Area

In the dialog area, you edit learning nets, learning references, learning objects, learning object references, and instructional elements, and store all of the relevant data for them. Labelling renders the majority of fields self-explanatory.

Figure 129: Specifying LOM File for Learning Net

In addition, you can specify LOM files with metadata for learning nets, learning references, learning objects, learning object references, and instructional elements on the “Extended” tab page. A typical example is the anticipated learning time for a learning object. You can calculate the anticipated overall processing time for learning nets from the total for the subordinate elements.

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Message Display and Status Bar

Figure 130: Message Display and Status Bar

The “Message Display” area contains information messages, warnings, and errors, as well as messages from the Repository Explorer about learning nets, learning objects, their references, and instructional elements. For each message, the display includes the message content (“short description”) and the learning unit (“resource”) to which the message refers [for example, learning net, learning object, or instructional element]. Hint: If you double-click the message, you can access the object to which it refers in the learning net overview and edit it directly. The status bar tells you the current status of the most important components of the SAP Authoring Environment at a glance. The status bar is divided into three parts. It displays the following status messages: •

Content Player The system indicates whether the Content Player is running or has stopped.

•

Learning Objectives Catalog The system indicates whether the learning objectives catalog has been synchronized or not [for example, if a learning objective was created offline].

•

Online/Offline The system indicates whether you are working online or offline.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Describe the structure of the user interface for the SAP Authoring Environment • Sketch the basic layout of the learning structure • Edit learning nets in the user interface for the SAP Authoring Environment by drag&drop and other methods • Name the tasks of the most important fields of the dialog area

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Lesson: Configuration

Lesson: Configuration Lesson Overview You will learn how to configure the Authoring Environment from the configuration menu.


Carry out the general, online, and relationship configuration Configure the repository and Content Player settings

Business Example You are a course author/instructional designer responsible for creating e-learning units that can be put together to form courses. Since authors use different tools when creating content, they must be able to configure the Authoring Environment to suit their individual needs. You need to know how to configure your locally installed Authoring Environment to best suit your working requirements.

Configuration of Working Environment

Figure 131: Configuration of the Authoring Environment

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You generally configure the Authoring Environment the first time you start it. You can make system settings under the following headings: • • • • •

General Online Relationships Repository Content Player

In the Authoring Environment, choose Tools → Configuration.

General Graphical Display The options available for the “graphical display in the workspace” are:“grid”, “directed” and “compact”.

Figure 132: Graphical Display

Hint: Where possible, you should use the display option “directed” since this layout algorithm attempts to retain the arrow directions of the relationships. Bear in mind that this display option requires more space than the “compact” option. You must restart the learning net for the changed display options to take effect.

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Look and Feel The options available for the look and feel of the interface are: “CDE / Motif”, “Frog”, “Metal”, and “Windows”. This decision depends entirely on the author's personal preferences. There are no functional differences between the different skins.

Figure 133: Interface Layout 1

Figure 134: Interface Layout 2

You also have to restart the learning net for your changes to take effect.

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The following indicators are set by default: •

Show Relationship Names The relationship names are displayed beside the arrows in the graphical workspace.

•

Activate Graphics on Opening The system branches directly to a referenced learning net on opening.

•

Use Wizard for Creating New Instructional Elements Deselect this indicator only if you do not want to use the wizard when creating instructional elements without templates.

Message Types Displayed Under “Message Types Displayed”, you can display “information” and “warning messages”. Deselect the indicator to hide some message types. In the message display, you must then choose “Refresh” to delete the messages from the display. Only error messages are displayed from then on. To display all message types, select the relevant indicator.

Refresh Graphic Automatically if... Under “Refresh Graphic Automatically if...” there are several options for displaying objects in the graphical workspace.

Figure 135: “Refresh Graphic Automatically if:” in Configuration

The more automatic refresh options you select, the more up-to-date the graphic will be. The fewer actions you select, the more coherent the display.

Show Hidden Dialogs You can suppress various messages by selecting the indicator “Do not display this message again” in the Message dialog box. No further messages are displayed about this object. To reactivate the display, select the indicator Show Hidden Dialogs.

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Accordingly, this indicator enables you to reactivate the display of messages that have been hidden. Example: Save the learning net MS Outlook. The message output is: The following learning net/object was saved: MS Outlook.

Online

Figure 136: “Online” in the Authoring Environment

Start Online If you select the indicator “Start Online”, when the Authoring Environment is launched, a connection is automatically set up to the SAP back end system and the master repository. Automatically Synchronize Objectives Catalog If you select the “Automatically Synchronize Objectives Catalog” indicator, the learning objectives catalog is synchronized automatically when the connection to the SAP back end system is set up using File → Offline or in the Repository Explorer using “Connect”. Caution: Bear in mind that this process may take some time to complete.

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Associations

Figure 137: Associations

Here you specify associations to be used for editing and displaying content files and source files. To keep the familiar system associations as default value, set the “Use System Associations for Non-Associated Extensions” indicator. If this indicator is selected, the system associations that are stored by the system as file extensions for programs are applied.

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Specify Associations for Editing 1.

Use You use this function to specify what system associations you want to use for editing media objects. 1. Choose Tools → Configuration → Associations. The Configuration dialog box appears. In the top half of the dialog box, you make settings relating to associations used for editing files. 2. Choose “New”. The “Create New Association” dialog box appears.


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Figure 138: Create New Association for Editing Data

• •

Enter a name of your choice. Select one of the options: –

Use system associations at startup / start using system associations Select this option if you want to use the application registered in the Windows Explorer for this file extension.

–

Application Select this option if you want to specify an application yourself.

• • • • •

Choose Find Application to invoke a search for the root file of the application. Then choose Select. Enter the file extension in the Extension field and choose Add. Set the This editor can be used to create tests indicator if the application is suitable for creating tests. The indicator This editor can be used to create instructional elements is set by default. If necessary, deselect it. This editor has a different source and read-only format Select this indicator if the application offers different formats for editing and displaying files. If you select MS Word as the application, the source format .doc and the display format .html are available.

•

Select one of the options: –

Create empty file if no file exists Select this indicator if you want a new empty file automatically created at editor startup if no file already exists.

–

Copy of file Select this option if you want to use a specific template for the files [via Find File].

•

Choose OK.

3. You return to the Configuration dialog box. 4. Choose OK. 5. Repeat this procedure until you have specified all the system associations you require. Result Continued on next page

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You have specified the system associations for editing tests and media objects.

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Specify Associations for Displaying Data 1.

Use You use this function to specify what system associations you want to use for displaying media objects. 2. Choose Tools → Configuration → Associations. The Configuration dialog box appears. In the top half of the dialog box, you make settings relating to associations used for displaying files. 2. Choose New. The Create New Association dialog box appears.


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Figure 139: Create New Association for Displaying Data

• •

Enter a name of your choice. Select one of the options: –

Use system associations at startup Select this option if you want to use the application registered in the Windows Explorer for this file extension.

–

Application Select this option if you want to specify an application yourself.

• • • •

Choose Find Application to invoke a search for the root file of the application. Then choose Select. Enter the file extension in the Extension field and choose Add. Select the option Access Files via Content Player if you want content to be loaded from the Content Player rather than from the file system. Choose OK.

3. The Configuration dialog box appears. 4. Choose OK. 5. Repeat this procedure until you have specified all the system associations you require. Result You have specified the system associations for displaying media objects.

Repository On the tab page “Repository”, you can configure the local repository, the master repository, and the search engine.

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Figure 140: Repositories

•

Local Repository The local repository is the directory structure on your local hard drive or on a server where all locally created objects (learning nets, learning objects and instructional elements) are stored. If necessary, you can select a different “root folder” for the local repository. Note that no objects may be open in the Authoring Environment at this point.

•

Master Repository The master repository is the central storage location for all of the learning nets, learning objects and media objects accessible to authors. The Server URL of the master repository is displayed. This parameter is set in Customizing for the SAP Learning Solution HR Extension Set.

•

Search Engine Use of a search engine is optional. Using a search engine enables you to search for objects you have created and stored in the master repository. (SAP Search Engine: TREX – Text Retrieval and Information Extraction). The following parameters are required for installation of the search engine: – – –

Server URL of the HTTP Server where the search engine is located Name of the search index that is exclusively available to the SAP Learning Solution URL prefix for communication between the Content Management System and the master repository These parameter are also set in Customizing for the SAP Learning Solution HR Extension Set.

•

Use Proxy for HTTP Connections Here you specify the Server URL for the proxy server you use to access the master repository if this is located before a firewall.

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Content Player

Figure 141: Content Player

The Content Player in the SAP Learning Solution is the tool used for playing time-independent courses, such as Web-based Training [WBT]. Auto Start Content Player at Editor Startup The indicator “Auto Start Content Player at Editor Startup” is set by default. As a result, the Content Player is automatically started when the Authoring Environment is started. Strategy Selection: Macro Strategy and Micro Strategy The “macro strategy” and “micro strategy” you set here are applied when the Content Player plays a learning net or learning object. The micro strategies offered for selection depend on the macro strategy you select. Your selection here basically corresponds to the setting made by the user for his or her learning account in the Learning Portal. Show Strategy Selection at Browser Start The indicator “Display Strategy Selection at Browser Start” is set by default. When you launch the Content Player, the predefined learning strategy selection is displayed in a dialog box. You can change it here if necessary. Use Knowledge Type for Instructional Element Display You select the indicator “Use Knowledge Type for Instructional Element Display” if you want the Content Player to show the knowledge type of an instructional element instead of its name in the table of contents.

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Exercise 8: First Steps in the SAP Authoring Environment Exercise Objectives After completing this exercise, you will be able to: • Unpack a learning net in the local repository and trace the learning strategies based on knowledge types

Business Example You are a content author and want to take your first steps in the SAP Authoring Environment, using a sample course.

Task 1: This exercise covers the first steps for working with the SAP Authoring Environment. Work through the following steps sequentially. Hint: You carry out this exercise in your locally installed SAP Authoring Environment (Start → Programs → SAP Learning Solution → Authoring Tool) in the ERP2005 back end of the IDES Training System, “Learning Solution Back End” and in the IDES Learning Portal. “##” stands for your user number in the exercises. The logon data for the Learning Portal and the SAP ERP2005 back end are the same as in the previous exercises. Caution: Be sure to initialize the system before you launch the actual Authoring Environment under Windows. The initialization path is practically the same as the one for the Authoring Environment. Follow the instructions there. This initialization is only required for SAP course HR270. 1.

Start the Authoring Environment and enter the path to the local repository named during initialization. Hint: It may take a few minutes for it to start up.

2.

Unpack package HR270_1 as a group of learning nets into a new folder, “Teams”.

3.

Open the learning net (the course) that you just unpacked (introduction).


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4.

Compare the data displayed in the learning net overview with the data in your work area. What differences are there?

5.

Open both learning objects

6.

Change the subjects of the learning objects in the dialog area as desired (to correspond to the names of the references).

7.

Save all learning objects.

8.

Open learning object “Teams”.

9.

Compare the different instructional elements with one another from the point of view of the knowledge types assigned.

10. Define instructional element “Welcome” as the “Start Node for Layout of Graphical Display or Top Item ...” (“Extended” tab in the dialog area for the element). 11. Choose “Refresh Graphic” and check the result.

Task 2: Relationships and knowledge types. The use of relationships and knowledge types influences the sequence in which instructional elements and learning objects in a learning net are played in the Content Player. 1.

Play the learning net in the Content Player. Select the strategy for playing the learning net. Macro strategy: Inductive Micro strategy: Example-oriented

2.

Navigate through the course using “Continue” and “Back”. Pay attention to how you navigate through the course.

3.

Exit the learning net and the Content Player by choosing “Log Off”

4.

Start the Content Player again. This time, select the strategy: Macro strategy: Inductive Micro strategy: Task-oriented

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5.

What difference do you notice from the micro strategy example you selected previously?

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Close all the open objects.


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Solution 8: First Steps in the SAP Authoring Environment Task 1: This exercise covers the first steps for working with the SAP Authoring Environment. Work through the following steps sequentially. Hint: You carry out this exercise in your locally installed SAP Authoring Environment (Start → Programs → SAP Learning Solution → Authoring Tool) in the ERP2005 back end of the IDES Training System, “Learning Solution Back End” and in the IDES Learning Portal. “##” stands for your user number in the exercises. The logon data for the Learning Portal and the SAP ERP2005 back end are the same as in the previous exercises. Caution: Be sure to initialize the system before you launch the actual Authoring Environment under Windows. The initialization path is practically the same as the one for the Authoring Environment. Follow the instructions there. This initialization is only required for SAP course HR270. 1.

Start the Authoring Environment and enter the path to the local repository named during initialization. Hint: It may take a few minutes for it to start up. a)

2.

Start → Programs → SAP Learning Solution → Authoring Environment

Unpack package HR270_1 as a group of learning nets into a new folder, “Teams”. a)

Tools → Packaging → Unpack

b)

Find HR270_1.lnp on the L drive and click Select to confirm.

c)

Unpack Package. Under “Select a Folder”, enter your own folder, Teams##, and select it.

d)

Select the fourth option, “Groups of Learning Nets ...”, and click OK to confirm.

e)

The process is now complete. Click Close.


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Open the learning net (the course) that you just unpacked (introduction). a)

File → Open → Learning Net. Double-click on Teams## and open the learning net.

4.

Compare the data displayed in the learning net overview with the data in your work area. What differences are there? a)

5.

Open both learning objects a)

6.

File → Save All. We recommend that you deactivate the permanent display of confirmation messages by setting the relevant indicator.

Open learning object “Teams”. a)

9.

Change the entry under “Subject”.

Save all learning objects. a)

8.

Double-click the objects “Teams” and “Distributed Environment” one after another. Each object appears in the dialog area (bottom left).

Change the subjects of the learning objects in the dialog area as desired (to correspond to the names of the references). a)

7.

The learning net overview (top left) lists the instructional elements and learning object references; the work area (top right) displays detailed information such as knowledge types and it displays relationships graphically.

Double-click on learning object “Teams” in the learning nets overview.

Compare the different instructional elements with one another from the point of view of the knowledge types assigned. a)

The knowledge types of the instructional elements are indicated by the first term in parenthesis, as you will see by comparing with the data in the dialog area.

10. Define instructional element “Welcome” as the “Start Node for Layout of Graphical Display or Top Item ...” (“Extended” tab in the dialog area for the element). a)

Click the learning object and in the dialog area (bottom left) choose the tab page “Extended”. Activate field “Root node ...”.

11. Choose “Refresh Graphic” and check the result. a)

Icon or View → Graphic → Refresh.


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Task 2: Relationships and knowledge types. The use of relationships and knowledge types influences the sequence in which instructional elements and learning objects in a learning net are played in the Content Player. 1.

Play the learning net in the Content Player. Select the strategy for playing the learning net. Macro strategy: Inductive Micro strategy: Example-oriented a)

Tools → Play Learning Net/Object You are prompted to select a strategy. You select the listed attributes and either keep or omit “Free Strategy Selection” under TM Strategy. Confirm your selection by choosing "Confirm".

2.

Navigate through the course using “Continue” and “Back”. Pay attention to how you navigate through the course. a)

3.

Exit the learning net and the Content Player by choosing “Log Off” a)

4.

As in the exercises for the Learning Portal. From the user's perspective, there is no difference between the local Content Player and the Content Player that you start from the Learning Portal. Click “Table of Contents” and regularly check your position in the course, based on the processed (green checkmark) and current (yellow flag) steps. “Log off” bottom left in the Content Player browser.

Start the Content Player again. This time, select the strategy: Macro strategy: Inductive Micro strategy: Task-oriented a)

As above: Tools → Play Learning Net/Object with “Task-oriented” as the micro strategy.

b)

Confirm your selection by choosing “Confirm”.


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What difference do you notice from the micro strategy example you selected previously? a)

The sequence of the instructional elements has changed, particularly the instructional element taken from the teams. Hint: The objective of the exercise is to illustrate the potential consequences of the attributes and relationships. The author, who has direct control of the path in the AU interface, can always dictate a certain sequence – for example, with “Before”. Also select the various attributes, to show the differences between the different display forms.

6.

Close all the open objects. a)

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File → Close All.


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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Carry out the general, online, and relationship configuration • Configure the repository and Content Player settings

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Unit Summary

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Unit Summary You should now be able to: • Name the benefits and most important properties of SCORM • Explain how the SAP-specific attributes relate to the various learning strategies • Describe the main components of the Authoring Environment in the SAP Learning Solution • Describe the structure of the user interface for the SAP Authoring Environment • Sketch the basic layout of the learning structure • Edit learning nets in the user interface for the SAP Authoring Environment by drag&drop and other methods • Name the tasks of the most important fields of the dialog area • Carry out the general, online, and relationship configuration • Configure the repository and Content Player settings

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Unit 9 SAP LS Authoring Environment – Content Editing Unit Overview You will acquire an overview of the functions and options contained in the Authoring Environment of the SAP Learning Solution. You will learn how to structure courses and create the various content types.

Unit Objectives After completing this unit, you will be able to: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Create a learning net Maintain the attributes of a learning net Create a learning object Maintain the attributes of a learning object Create an instructional element Maintain the attributes of an instructional element Import existing content to the local repository Link existing content with an instructional element Create new content in the Authoring Environment Outline the advantages of using the Templates Manager Create a template for a learning net Create a template for a learning object Create a template for an instructional element Create a template for a test Explain how the Learning Objectives Manager manages learning objectives and synchronizes them with a centralized catalog Work with learning objectives (create, import, relate) within the SAP Authoring Environment Distinguish between the different types of tests in the SAP Learning Solution Create different types of tests (multiple choice, gap test/fill-in, and so on) Prepare tests for learners: Provide with feedback, generate, play


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Unit Contents Lesson: Designing a Learning Net ...........................................259 Procedure: Creating a Learning Net .....................................262 Procedure: Editing Learning Nets ........................................263 Procedure: Creating Learning Objects ..................................267 Procedure: Maintaining Metadata ........................................269 Procedure: Editing Learning Objects ....................................271 Procedure: Creating Instructional Elements ............................275 Procedure: Editing Instructional Elements ..............................276 Procedure: Creating Tests ................................................280 Procedure: Editing Tests ..................................................281 Lesson: Integrating Your Own Content ......................................285 Procedure: Importing Content to Local Repository ....................287 Procedure: Linking Content with an Instructional Element............289 Procedure: Creating New Content in the Authoring Environment ...290 Lesson: Templates Manager .................................................292 Procedure: Learning Net Template ......................................294 Procedure: Learning Object Template ...................................295 Procedure: Instructional Element Template ............................296 Procedure: Creating an Instructional Element Template Using the Templates Manager ........................................................297 Procedure: Test Template .................................................301 Procedure: Creating a Test Template Using the Templates Manager .....................................................................302 Lesson: Learning Objectives Manager.......................................305 Procedure: Automatic Synchronization..................................307 Procedure: Creating Learning Objectives ...............................308 Procedure: Learning Objectives at the Level of Learning Nets ......310 Procedure: Learning Objectives in Placement Tests ..................312 Lesson: Test Editor .............................................................314 Procedure: Creating a Placement Test or Final Test ..................317 Procedure: Creating an Online Test .....................................319 Procedure: Creating the Test Structure..................................320 Procedure: Creating Sections ............................................321 Procedure: Importing Learning Objectives from the Learning Net to the Test ...........................................................................322 Procedure: Creating Item Groups ........................................323 Procedure: Creating Items ................................................324 Procedure: Inserting an Existing Item into a Test ......................326 Procedure: Editing Items ..................................................327 Procedure: Generating Tests .............................................328 Exercise 9: Creating Web Based Courses with the SAP Authoring Environment .................................................................331

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Lesson: Designing a Learning Net

Lesson: Designing a Learning Net Lesson Overview You will learn how to create a learning net in the Authoring Environment. You will learn about the objects in a learning net and the possible attributes you can maintain, with the associated dependencies in setting up learning paths.

Lesson Objectives After completing this lesson, you will be able to: • • • • • •

Create a learning net Maintain the attributes of a learning net Create a learning object Maintain the attributes of a learning object Create an instructional element Maintain the attributes of an instructional element

Business Example You are a course author or instructional designer responsible for creating web-based learning content, which can then be assigned to courses. You want to develop new course content and have to create the appropriate structures to do so.

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Setting Up a Learning Net Structure

Figure 142: Structure of a Learning Net

In the Authoring Environment, you structure knowledge in a learning net using the “top-down” method. This involves the following steps: • • • •

You create learning nets and learning objects You create instructional elements You interlink instructional elements You interlink learning objects

You can create learning nets, learning objects, and instructional elements in the learning net overview using either the context menus or the menu functions. Hint: The graphical workspace of the context menus offers you a very comfortable way of creating learning nets and learning objects. The advantage of working in the workspace is that you can create relationships between learning objects using easy Drag & Drop functions. You create instructional elements in the learning net overview. You can use the context menu for this too. Caution: You should be aware that you as the author have a limited influence on how learning content is presented to the learner.

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Based on the micro and macro strategies selected by the learner, the Content Player uses algorithms to determine the sequence of learning objects offered in the browser. This ensures that the learner can navigate through the course according to his or her personal learning style.

Creating a Learning Net Definition A learning net is a set of learning objects that can be used as course content. Learning objects deal with a broad, self-contained topic. Learning objects are linked with one another by means of relationships of a functional or didactic nature [such as “hierarchical”, “before”, or “belongs to”].

Structure A typical learning net consists of learning objects, instructional elements, and tests. Learning nets should not only contain instructional elements. Rather, learning nets are intended to be “containers ”for learning objects. Complex learning nets can contain a number of learning subnets in addition to learning objects. A learning object, in turn, can contain multiple instructional elements. It treats a smaller, self-contained subject or knowledge chunk. Instructional elements are not subdivided any further. They represent “atoms” of a learning net. The “Create Learning Net” function lets you create both elementary and complex learning nets. You create a reference for a learning net that forms part of another learning net. The purpose of a reference is to integrate the learning net in the “higher-level” learning net.

Templates To create a learning net using a template, you must first create the learning net template. To create a template, open the learning net you want to use as a template and choose File → Save As Template. The name of the learning net is used initially for the learning net template.

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Creating a Learning Net 1.

Procedure To create a new learning net from scratch in the learning net overview: A dialog box appears where you can select the folder in which you want to store the learning net. You can use folders to store learning nets according to specific structural criteria. 1. 2.

Choose New Learning Net. Select a folder. The Create New Learning Net dialog box appears.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Under Name, enter a short name for the learning net. This is the technical name of the learning net from the authoring perspective. Select a content language for the learning net. If necessary, you can click the relevant icon to switch storage folders. Select a template for the learning net if you want to use one. Choose OK. Save your entries.

Result • • •

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You have created a new learning net. The higher-level learning net is inserted into the learning net overview. In the case of learning subnets, a reference is also inserted.


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Editing Learning Nets 1.

Use When you create a learning net, the dialog box “Edit Learning Net” opens in the dialog area. Here you can store all of the relevant information for the learning net on tab pages. Prerequisite You must create a learning net before you can edit it. Procedure To edit a learning net:

2.

Tab page “General” 1. 2. 3. 4.

5.

Under Name, the name you assigned to the learning net is displayed. If necessary, you can change this name. Under Subject, you enter a long text for the learning net. As source file, enter the editable content of an overview page. You can edit this if required. Under Overview, you can use the function Find Overview File to store a different start page for your course, for example, one you created yourself. If there is an overview file available, you can display or edit this using the relevant icons. If you do not use an overview, the default folder is automatically generated for the course. The root folder is the directory that contains all of the objects of a learning net. You cannot edit this field since you may not change the root folder. Caution: When you want to transfer a file to the root folder, you may only use the function Tools → Import Resources → To Learning Net / Object to do so. Do not do this from the Explorer. This is the only way to ensure that you can use the files in the learning net.

3.

Tab page “Extended”


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Figure 143: Tab page “Extended”

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

4.

You cannot edit the learning time field. The time is determined automatically for each learning object based on the learning time defined for the media objects used. The metadata (LOM) file contains the learning object metadata. The file you reference should comply with the IEEE P1484.12 Standard. The Authoring Environment does not check this, nor is it a prerequisite. This step is optional. Choose Find Placement Test to enter a placement test for the learning net. You can edit this if required with the Edit Placement Test function. This function opens the SAP Test Author of the Authoring Environment. Choose Find Final Test to enter a final test for the learning net. You can edit this if required with the Edit Final Test function. This function opens the SAP Test Author of the Authoring Environment. You can display a preview of media objects in various file formats (such as *.gif, *.jpg, or *.jpeg) by selecting the option Display Thumbnail Image for Objects. This thumbnail image is displayed in the work area instead of the name of the instructional element.

Tab Page “Learning Objectives”


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Figure 144: Tab Page “Learning Objectives”

1. 2. 3.

5.

You can adopt existing learning objectives if a learning objectives catalog is already available. You can create new learning objectives. [Lesson; Learning Objectives Manager]. Checkbox: Attainable If a learning objective is flagged as attainable, on completion of a learning net, it is awarded in the form of a qualification to the learner account. Learning objectives not flagged as attainable are only used for filtering and searching for learning objects. Changed learning objectives are flagged with an asterisk by the system.

Tab page “Annotations”

Figure 145: Tab page “Annotations”

You can store a long text of your choice. The purpose of this free-text field is to provide collaborating authors with additional information about the learning object. 6.

Tab page “Keywords”

Figure 146: Tab page “Keywords”


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You can store keywords for the object search in the repository. Hint: Use keywords taken from a commonly agreed controlled vocabulary to ensure consistent use of terminology.

Result You have stored all of the relevant information for the learning net in the system.

Creating Learning Objects Definition A learning object is the self-contained treatment of a subject aimed at imparting and possibly testing [test] knowledge and skills. A learning object is self-contained, independent, and reusable.

Structure A learning object consists of one or more instructional elements dealing with the same subject. Thus, a learning object forms a kind of container for thematically related instructional elements. Learning objects and their interrelationships form a learning object net, generally known as a learning net. The structure and arrangement of learning objects form the macro structure of the learning environment. Hint: To make best use of the strategy concept, a learning object should ideally contain several instructional elements with different knowledge types. Typical knowledge types are: • • •

Orientation Explanation Practical instruction/action

Instructional elements may be available in various forms, that is, in different media representations [media types]. If a learning object is linked to a learning objective that is flagged as attainable, it should, as a rule, also contain the instructional element Final Test.

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Creating Learning Objects

Figure 147: Structure of a Learning Object

1.

To create a learning object: Select the learning net and choose New Learning Object. The Create New Learning Object dialog box appears.

Figure 148: Dialog box “Create New Learning Object”

2.

Under Name, enter a short name for the learning object. This is the technical name of the learning object from the authoring perspective. Continued on next page

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3.

Select a content language for the learning object.

4.

Use the search icon to search for the storage folder in which the object should be stored. You can use folders to store learning objects according to specific structural criteria.

5.

Select a template for the learning object if you want to use one. [See also lesson: Template Manager]

6.

Choose OK.

7.

Save your entries.

Result You have created a new learning object. In the learning net overview, the learning object is inserted as an object and as a reference. When you have created a learning object, the dialog box Edit Learning Object opens in the dialog area. Here you can store all of the relevant information for the learning object.

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Maintaining Metadata Use You can assign "metadata" to each learning net. This metadata describes the learning net more accurately and, above all, can be evaluated when searching in the master repository. With the full text search, authors can search through all the learning nets and learning objects in the master repository for this metadata. This is particularly helpful when it comes to using the content again at a later stage.

Prerequisites You have to define the necessary metadata in Customizing.

Procedure

Figure 149: Edit metadata.

1.

If a learning net has been selected, you can call the metadata editor by clicking on Edit Metadata. Here you can enter the values for the mandatory values defined in Customizing for LSO 600.

Figure 150: Mandatory Fields

Metadata that has been flagged as mandatory in Customizing for the SAP Learning Solution has to be added by the author in the Authoring Environment. Either this, or it is metadata that is automatically determined by the system as it had already been maintained or generated elsewhere. This includes "language", "last changed on/by", "learning time", and "author", for example. Of all this metadata, only the "author" can be changed at a later stage. The author's user ID, which is proposed automatically, can also be changed to a name. Continued on next page

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Data that is not automatically assigned by the system must be maintained, providing it has been flagged as "mandatory" in Customizing and therefore appears in the "Mandatory Fields" tab page. If it is not maintained, an error message appears in the "Message" area of the Authoring Environment.

Figure 151: "Optional Fields"

2.

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You do not have to maintain the optional fields, however, they do improve the quality of the description of the learning nets and learning objects, so that you can identify and assign them more accurately using the full text search at a later stage.


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Editing Learning Objects 1.

Tab page “General”

Figure 152: Tab page “General”

1.

Under Name, the name you assigned to the learning object is displayed. If necessary, you can change this name. The Content Player displays the name in the table of contents of the course.

2. 3.

Under Subject, you enter a long text for the learning object. The root folder is the directory that contains all of the objects of a learning net. You cannot edit this field since you may not change the root folder. Caution: When you want to transfer a file to the root folder, you may only use the function Tools → Import Resources → To Learning Net / Object to do so. Do not do this from the Explorer. This is the only way to ensure that you can use the files in the learning net.

Result You have stored all of the relevant information for the learning object in the system.

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Creating Instructional Elements

Figure 153: Creating an Instructional Element

Definition Within the Authoring Environment, you can flag a specific type of instructional elements, to distinguish between instructional elements and test (elements) subsequently.

Flagging Instructional Element and Test Instructional element An instructional element is the smallest didactical unit in a learning net that serves to impart the content of a learning object. It can be of varying didactic character (knowledge type) such as overview, procedure, definition and so on and have different media types such as text, image, or simulation. Test (elements) A test [element] is a special type of instructional element. Tests are used only to check knowledge and skills. You cannot store results or assign learning objectives, however.

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Test elements can be created for learning objects and learning nets. Depending on the test type [placement test, final test, self-test, or exercise], tests are offered at different times in the course [learning strategy].

Instructional Element – Structure Instructional elements have the attributes knowledge type and media type. The following knowledge types and their instances are available: The following knowledge types and their instances are available: Orientation

Practical instruction/action

Explanation

History

Rule

Why Explanation

Business Scenario

Procedure

What Explanation

Facts

Checklist

Definition

Summary

Principle

Example

Overview

Strategy

Reference material

The following media types and their instances are available: Media Types and Their Occurrences Presentation

Interactive

Text

Simulation

Graphic

Compound/Form

Image Animation Audio Film/Video An instructional element that is available in electronic form consists of read-only content and editable content, if the format of the read-only content differs from the format of the editable content. The source file contains the content in editable format such as .ppt. The media object contains the content in read-only format, such as .html.

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Test – Structure There are various test types, which can influence the course process flow, depending on the results: •

Placement tests Checking existing knowledge: A placement test is always offered prior to taking a learning net or learning object. As soon as a placement test has been taken, it is considered to have been completed. If the participant passes a placement test, the learning net or object that contains the test is skipped. Failing a placement test has no effect on the course completion process.

•

Self-assessment tests Checking one’s own existing knowledge: As soon as a self-assessment test has been taken, it is considered to have been completed regardless of the test result. Passing or failing such tests has no effect on the course process.

•

Exercises Checking the learning content to be imparted: Exercises are considered to have been completed only when they have been passed. In other words, the participant cannot navigate further until he or she has successfully passed the exercise.

•

Final tests Testing knowledge acquired on completion of a course: A final test is always offered at the end of a learning net or learning object. If the participant does not pass the final test, the learning net or learning object is reset to the status of not completed. In this case, the participant must complete the learning net or learning object again. If the participant passes the test, the whole learning net or learning object is considered to have been completed.

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Creating Instructional Elements 1.

Use There are two ways to create an instructional element: with or without a template. Prerequisite To create an instructional element using a template, you must first create the instructional element template. To do this, open the instructional element you want to use as a template and choose File → Save As Template. Procedure

2.

Right click the required learning object or learning net. Choose New Element → Instructional Element. The Create New Instructional Element dialog box appears.

Figure 154: Creating Instructional Elements

3.

Enter a name for the learning objective in the subject field.

4.

Select an instructional element template where necessary.

5.

Transfer your entries by choosing OK.

6.

Save your entries.

Result You have created a new instructional element (possibly using an instructional element template) and inserted it in the learning net overview or in the graphic in the relevant position.

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Editing Instructional Elements 1.

Use When you have created an instructional element, the dialog box Edit Instructional Element opens in the dialog area: Here you can store all of the relevant information for the instructional element.

2.


Figure 155: Edit Instructional Element - Tab page “General”

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

The knowledge type specifies the type of content you want to store. The media type specifies how the content of the instructional element is presented. Under Name, the system displays the name under which the instructional element was created. Under Source, you enter the content of the instructional element in editable format. Under Content, you enter the reference to the content in read-only format. This could be any content that can be displayed in the browser such as an HTML page, a text, a graphic, or an audio/video file. Hint: For example, if the instructional element represents an image, you can display a preview of it using the function Display media object.

3.



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Figure 156: Edit Instructional Element - Tab page “Extended”

1. 2.

3.

Under Learning Time, you enter the expected completion time for the media object used. The metadata (LOM) file contains the learning object metadata (optional entry). The file you reference should comply with the IEEE P1484.12 Standard. The Authoring Environment does not check this, nor is it a prerequisite. Under Thumbnail, you specify the thumbnail image for an instructional element. Caution: This thumbnail image is displayed in the work area if you selected Display Thumbnail Image for Objects for the object in question.

4.

To specify an object as root node for the graphical display, select the indicator Start Node for Layout of Graphical Display or Top Item .... Hint: Note that this option only applies to the graphical overview of the learning net in the work area of the Authoring Environment.

5.

The same notes and keywords apply as in the previous procedures.

Result Here you can store all of the relevant information for the instructional element.

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Testing in the SAP Authoring Environment

Figure 157: Testing in the Authoring Environment

“Testing” is, of course, a major part of many blended learning scenarios. Moreover, online testing can reduce administrative significantly compared to conventional “paper & pencil” tests of existing knowledge. Unfortunately, the current SCO standard and test SCOs still allow for many liberties. While they cannot be discussed fully at this juncture, the practical result is that practically, an LMS can primarily grade SCOs as tests for which he or she has defined the corresponding (optional) parameters him/herself. Accordingly, the SAP LS Authoring Environment has its own Test Editor.

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Figure 158: Test Types

The Test Author of the SAP Learning Solution is a tool you use to create tests and online tests. Authors, instructional designers, trainers and course owners can design and create tests with the help of the functions in the test environment. The differentiated results storage option allows tracking of learning progress. Evaluations and appraisals enable authors to modify tests to suit the needs of the test participants and to measure course success.

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Creating Tests 1.

Use There are two ways to create a test: with or without a template. Prerequisite To create a test using a template, you should have already created a test template. To do this, select the test and choose File → Save As Template → Test. [See also lesson: Template Manager]

2.

Procedure Right click the required learning object or learning net. Choose New Element → Test. The Create New Test dialog box appears.

Figure 159: Creating a New Test

3.

Enter a name for the test in the subject field.

4.

Select a test template where necessary.

5.

Transfer your entries by choosing OK.

6.

Save your entries.

Result A new test has been created, if necessary by using a test template, and is inserted in the learning net overview or in the graphic in the relevant position.

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Editing Tests 1.

Use When you have created a test, the dialog box Edit Test opens in the dialog area. Here you can store all of the relevant information for the test.

2.


Figure 160: Edit Test - Tab page “General”

1. 2. 3. 4. 3.

Under Test Type, you can choose between placement test, exercise, self-assessment test, and final test to indicate the purpose of the test. Under Name, the name you assigned to the test is displayed. Under Source, you enter the content of the test in editable format. Under Content, you enter the reference to the content in read-only format.



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Figure 161: Edit Test - Tab page “Extended”

1. 2.

3.

4.

Under Learning Time, you enter the expected completion time for the media object used. The metadata (LOM) file contains the learning object metadata (optional entry). The file you reference should comply with the IEEE P1484.12 Standard. The Authoring Environment does not check this, nor is it a prerequisite. Under Thumbnail you specify the thumbnail image for a test. This thumbnail image is displayed in the work area if you selected Display Thumbnail Image for Objects for the object in question. To specify an object as root node for the graphical display, select the indicator Start Node for Layout of Graphical Display or Top Item .... Hint: Note that this option only applies to the graphical overview of the learning net in the workspace of the Authoring Environment.

4.

Tab page “Annotations”

Figure 162: Edit Test - "Annotations" Tab Page


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You can store a long text of your choice. The purpose of this free-text field is to provide collaborating authors with additional information about the learning object. 5.

Tab page “Keywords”

Figure 163: Edit Test - Tab page “Keywords”

You can store keywords for the search for instructional elements in the repository. Hint: Use keywords taken from a commonly agreed controlled vocabulary to ensure consistent use of terminology.

Result Here you can store all of the relevant information for the test.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Create a learning net • Maintain the attributes of a learning net • Create a learning object • Maintain the attributes of a learning object • Create an instructional element • Maintain the attributes of an instructional element

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Lesson: Integrating Your Own Content

Lesson: Integrating Your Own Content Lesson Overview You will learn how to assign (instructional) content to instructional elements. In particular, you will find out about the content conversion options that enable you to make external content available in the SAP Authoring Environment.


Import existing content to the local repository Link existing content with an instructional element Create new content in the Authoring Environment

Business Example You are a course author or instructional designer responsible for creating content, which can then be assigned to courses. Mainly, this involves linking the actual content of your course, which may be available in widespread file formats (such as Word, for example), with the learning objects in the structure of your course. Of course, you want to be able to optimize the individual files in future, as necessary, and maybe even use these changes to update the course automatically.

Content The files containing the actual content – texts, images, tables, animations, and so on – are referred to as “media objects” in the SAP Authoring Environment. The handling of these media objects is described in the procedures below.

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Figure 164: Importing Content to Local Repository

To link local content with your learning nets and learning objects, it has to be published in the SAP Authoring Environment. Of course, it also has to be physically present in the local repository to become part of the learning nets.

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Importing Content to Local Repository 1.

There are two ways of importing existing content into the local repository: 1.

You can copy a non-reusable file (such as a *.jpg file) that you want to have available in a learning net or object to the local repository and automatically to the root directory of this object. Hint: Files in the root directory of a learning net can only be used in this specific learning net or object.

2.

You can copy files as reusable media objects to the local repository.

Prerequisite You must first open the learning net into whose root directory you want to copy the file. 2.

Importing a Resource to a Learning Net/Learning Object 1. 2. 3. 4.

Open the learning net into whose root directory you want to copy files. Choose Tools → Import Resources → To Learning Net / Object. The dialog box Import Resources into Learning Net / Object appears. Select the files you want to transfer. Choose Import.

Result The files are now stored in the root directory of the learning net and can be used in this learning net.


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Importing Resource as Reusable Media Object 1. 2. 3. 4.

Choose Tools → Import Resources → As Reusable Media Object. The dialog box Copy Media Object to Repository appears. Select the files you want to transfer. Choose Import. The Create New Reusable Object dialog box appears.

5.

Select an object type [learning net or learning object, single or compound media object (reusable), group of learning nets and learning objects]. •

•

•

•

When you select the object type learning net/object, all of the files you select are stored in exactly one new learning net/object. The anchor file must point to the learning net/object file. When you select the object type single media object, exactly one of the selected files is imported. It is created as a reusable media object. When you select the object type compound media object, all of the selected files are imported. They are created as a reusable media object. The anchor file must point to the access file of the compound resource. When you select the object type group of learning nets/objects, a search is made of the selected files for (reusable) learning nets or learning objects and media objects. Each of the objects found is imported as a separate object. Select this option, for example, if you want to import a package containing learning nets and learning objects.

6. 7.

Enter the relevant data depending on the object type. Choose OK.

Result The files are copied to the local repository or created as reusable objects. They can be referenced from any learning net or learning object.

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Linking Content with an Instructional Element 1.

You can link existing content with an instructional element. Prerequisite To assign content to an instructional element, you must first create a learning net, or create and insert an instructional element in a learning net structure. In addition, the existing content must be transferred to the repository.

2.

Procedure 1. 2.

Select the required instructional element in the Authoring Environment. In the dialog area of the instructional element on the “General” tab page, choose “Source” Find Source File. The Select Source File dialog box appears.

3. 4.

5.

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Select the content you require and choose Select. The file appears in the Source field. If the file is already in HTML format, select the corresponding HTML file in the Content field. If it is not available in HTML format, you must save the content first as a HTML page. Save your entries.


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Creating New Content in the Authoring Environment 1.

You can create new content for instructional elements in the Authoring Environment. You can use the same system assignments that you use to edit content resources. For example, you can create a corresponding source file directly with Microsoft Word that could then be displayed in the Content Player and in HTML. Prerequisites To create new content in the Authoring Environment, you should have already created a learning net or created and inserted an instructional element in a learning net structure. You should already have created the system assignments you want to use for editing media objects under Tools → Configuration.

2.

Procedure 1. 2.

Select the required instructional element in the Authoring Environment. In the dialog area of the instructional element on the General tab page, choose Edit Media Object . The Create New Content dialog box appears. Select the application you want to use to create content.

3.

4. 5. 6. 7.

8.

The name proposed for the media object is the name of the instructional element from the Authoring Environment. You can accept or change this. Instructional elements are stored in a subdirectory. If you do not want to create a subdirectory, deselect the indicator. Transfer your entries by choosing OK. The application you selected opens. Create the content and save it as a Web page. The content is automatically saved to the right directory. The HTML file appears in the Content field on the General tab page. Save your entries.

Result You have created content for an instructional element from the Authoring Environment and saved it as a HTML file. The instructional element can now be played in the Content Player.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Import existing content to the local repository • Link existing content with an instructional element • Create new content in the Authoring Environment

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Lesson: Templates Manager Lesson Overview You will receive an overview of the options available for implementing and managing templates within the SAP Authoring Environment.


Outline the advantages of using the Templates Manager Create a template for a learning net Create a template for a learning object Create a template for an instructional element Create a template for a test

Business Example You are the member of a team of course authors. To ensure the uniform appearance of your WBTs, you want to develop them based on templates that provide the framework for the structure of the courses and learning objects. You need to learn about the creation process and how templates are managed in the Templates Manager of the SAP Authoring Environment.

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Lesson: Templates Manager

Templates Manager

Figure 165: Templates Manager

Use This function enables to you to save, edit, and delete learning nets, learning objects, instructional elements, and tests as templates. You can assign a specific name to each template. You can only use files that are in the same learning object or learning net as templates. Hint: Templates are not used for reusable media objects within the SAP Authoring Environment. When you create an instructional element or test template, you can edit these directly and enter information about any other objects that are available for the instructional elements and tests themselves. Hint: Bear in mind that any additional files you enter for instructional element templates and test templates must be stored in the repository. To edit learning net templates and learning object templates, or to delete templates, choose Tools → Templates Manager.

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Learning Net Template 1.

This function lets you create a learning net template: Prerequisite The learning net you want to use as a template must be open in the editor.

2.

Procedure Select the required learning net.

3.

Choose File → Save As Template → Learning Net. Hint: If you are navigating in an instructional element or test element when you call the function Save As Template, you can save the learning object or learning net to which the current instructional element or test element belongs as a template.

Result You have created a learning net template, which you can use and further edit in the Templates Manager.

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Learning Object Template 1.

This function lets you create a learning object template. Prerequisite The learning object you want to use as a template must be open in the editor.

2.

Procedure Select the required learning object.

3.

Choose File → Save As Template → Learning Object. Hint: If you are navigating in an instructional element or test element when you call the function Save As Template, you can save the learning object or learning net to which the current instructional element or test element belongs as a template.

Result You have created a learning object template, which you can use and further edit in the Templates Manager.

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Instructional Element Template 1.

This function lets you create an instructional element template. Prerequisite The instructional element you want to use as a template must be open in the editor.

2.

Procedure Select the required instructional element.

3.

Choose File → Save As Template → Instructional Element. Hint: If you are navigating in an instructional element or test element when you call the function Save As Template, you can save the learning object or learning net to which the current instructional element or test element belongs as a template.

Result You have created an instructional element template, which you can use and further edit in the Templates Manager.

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Creating an Instructional Element Template Using the Templates Manager 1.

Procedure Choose Tools → Templates Manager. The Templates Manager dialog box appears.

2.

Choose Instructional Element Templates.

Figure 166: Instructional Element Template

3.

To create a new template, choose New. The Edit Instructional Element Template dialog box appears.

Figure 167: Edit Instructional Element Template - “Annotations”


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Enter the following data on the General tab page: • • • •

Select the knowledge type you require. Select the media type you require. Enter a name for the template. Select a source file where necessary. Hint: All of the files for templates must be stored outside the local repository; they are copied to the local repository when you create an instance of the template.

• 5.

Select a media object where necessary.

Choose the Extended tab page.

Figure 168: Edit Instructional Element Template - Extended

• • •

6.

You can specify the learning time for the instructional element template. You can specify a metadata (LOM) file. The file you reference should comply with the IEEE P1484.12 Standard. This entry is optional. You can specify a thumbnail image for the instructional element template that will be displayed in the work area of the editor instead of a graphical image.

Choose the Annotations (Remarks) tab page.


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Figure 169: Edit Instructional Element Template - Annotations

You can enter free text notes for the template. 7.

Choose the Keywords tab page.

Figure 170: Edit Instructional Element Template - Keywords

Enter keywords for the template if required. 8.

Choose Additional Files if there are other files integrated in the content file (such as a *.gif file that is contained on a HTML page).


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Figure 171: Edit Instructional Element Template - Additional Files

• •

Choose Add. The Select Additional Files dialog box appears.

Figure 172: Selecting Additional Files

• • • •

Select the file you require. The selected file is transferred to the Edit Template for Instructional Element dialog box. Confirm your entries with OK. The Templates Manager dialog box appears. Choose OK.

Result The instructional element template has been created with the relevant files and information.

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Test Template 1.

This function lets you create a test template. Prerequisite The test you want to use as a template must be open in the editor.

2.

Procedure 1. 2.

Select the test you require. Choose File → Save As Template → Test. Hint: If you are navigating in an instructional element or test element when you call the function Save As Template, you can save the learning object or learning net to which the current instructional element or test element belongs as a template.

Result You have created a test template, which you can use and further edit in the Templates Manager.

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Creating a Test Template Using the Templates Manager 1.

Procedure 1. Choose Tools → Templates Manager. The Templates Manager dialog box appears.

2.

Choose Test Templates.

Figure 173: Templates Manager - Test Templates

3.

To create a new template, choose New. The Edit Test Template dialog box appears.

Figure 174: Edit Test Template - General


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4.

Enter the following data under the option General: • • •

Select the test type to determine how the test can be used [for example, as a placement test]. Enter a name for the template. Select a source file where necessary. Hint: All template files must be located outside of the local repository. They are copied to the local repository when a new instance of the template is generated.

• 5.

Select a media object where necessary.

Choose the Extended tab page. • •

You can specify the learning time for the instructional element template. You can specify a LOM file (optional). The file you reference should comply with the IEEE P1484.12 Standard.

•

You can specify the thumbnail image for the instructional element template. This thumbnail image is displayed in the work area instead of the graphic display of the learning object.

6.

Choose the Annotations (Remarks) tab page. You can enter free text notes for the template.

7.

Choose the Keywords tab page. Enter keywords for the template if required.

8.

Choose Additional Files if there are other files integrated in the content file (such as a *.gif file that is contained on a HTML page). •

Choose Add. The Select Additional Files dialog box appears.

• • •

Select the file you require. The selected file is transferred to the Edit Test Template dialog box. Confirm your entries with OK. The Templates Manager dialog box appears.

•

Choose OK.

Result The test template has been created with the relevant files and information.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Outline the advantages of using the Templates Manager • Create a template for a learning net • Create a template for a learning object • Create a template for an instructional element • Create a template for a test

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Lesson: Learning Objectives Manager

Lesson: Learning Objectives Manager Lesson Overview You will now learn about how to use learning objectives within the SAP Authoring Environment. In particular, this involves learning how to use the Learning Objectives Manager.


Explain how the Learning Objectives Manager manages learning objectives and synchronizes them with a centralized catalog Work with learning objectives (create, import, relate) within the SAP Authoring Environment

Business Example You are a content author/instructional designer and want to use learning objectives to create the content for the learners, together with the other authors. Accordingly, you not only need to access other authors' content in the master repository, but also want to set up and maintain a shared learning objectives catalog. Of course, you also want to assign your learning objects to the learning objectives in this catalog.

Learning Objectives Manager

Figure 175: Learning Objectives Manager

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General The Learning Objectives Manager provides support when you use existing learning objectives from the learning objectives catalog or when you create new learning objectives for learning objects and learning nets, and export them to the central learning objectives catalog.

Definition Learning objectives characterize skills and knowledge that a learner can attain by successfully working through course content. Learning objectives are used in the SAP Authoring Environment to learners' skills or learning progress, by linking the successful processing of a learning object with the achievement of a learning objective. Learning objectives can be created for both learning networks and learning objects. When the learner runs a course, the Content Player uses the individually entered learning objectives to adapt the course to the already recorded learning objectives, and thus to the learner's level of knowledge. If a learning net or learning object has learning objectives assigned, you can check whether the learner already has the associated learning objective (acquired in another course, for example). The Content Player reacts accordingly: • •

If the learner already has all of the learning objectives, the learning net or object is considered completed and is skipped. If the learner does not have all of the learning objectives, the learning net or object must be completed as normal.

When the learning net or learning object has been completed, the learner's Learner Account is credited with all of the learning objectives that are flagged as attainable.

Learning Objectives Catalog From the content author's perspective, the learning objectives are saved in two learning objectives catalogs. The master learning objectives catalog is located in the R/3 back-end system. There is also a local learning objectives catalog located in the Authoring Environment. If new learning objectives are created offline, these are stored in the local learning objectives catalog in the Authoring Environment. The locally stored objectives must be written to the R/3 System. There are two ways of doing this: • •

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With the automatic refresh function, the learning objectives catalog is automatically synchronized when the Authoring Environment is started. Alternatively, you can trigger catalog synchronisation manually.


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Automatic Synchronization 1.

Procedure Choose Tools → Configuration. On the Offline tab page, you will find the option Automatically Synchronize Learning Objectives Catalog. Select this indicator. Hint: This process may take some time since the whole local repository must be searched during synchronization.

2.

In the Learning Objectives Manager, choose Synchronize Learning Objectives Catalog.

Using Learning Objectives in the SAP Authoring Environment To implement the learning concept optimally, you have to create well-defined learning objectives in the SAP Authoring Environment. In addition, the learning objects that impart these learning objectives should be linked directly wherever possible. The technical procedures are described below.

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Creating Learning Objectives 1.

Use You create new learning objectives that you want to be able to assign to learning nets and learning objects.

Figure 176: Creating a new learning objective

2.

Procedure 1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7.

To call the Learning Objectives Manager, choose Tools → Choose Learning Objectives Manager. Choose New. Enter a name for the learning objective in the learning objectives workspace. Since the language of the editor determines the language in which you edit the descriptive text for the learning objective, you cannot change the default language. In the Performance Description field, you can enter a descriptive text for the learning objective. In the Condition field, you can specify how the acquired knowledge should be later demonstrated or applied. Choose OK.


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Result You have created a new learning objective. Hint: If you create a new objective when working online, it is written directly to the catalog in the R/3 back-end system as well. If you create an objective when working offline, it is only stored in the local learning objectives catalog in the Authoring Environment.

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Learning Objectives at the Level of Learning Nets Use You can assign existing learning objectives to learning nets. You can create new learning objectives and assign them immediately to learning nets.

Procedure 1. 2. 3.

4.

Select the learning net to which you want to assign a learning objective. In the Edit Learning Net dialog area, choose the Add Learning Objectives tab page. The Select More Learning Objectives dialog box appears. In the catalog, select the learning objective you want to assign to the learning net, or create a new one. The objective is transferred to the Edit Learning Net dialog box. The Attainable indicator is set by default. Hint: This means that the learner will be credited with the learning objective when he or she has completed the learning net in the Content Player. Caution: If a learning objective is not attainable, the Content Player only checks whether the learner already has the learning objective so that it can skip the learning net. Objectives that are not flagged as attainable cannot be attained by working through the learning net to which they are assigned.

5.

Save your entries.

Result You have assigned a learning objective in the learning objective catalog to the corresponding learning net.

Learning Objectives and the Different Objects in the SAP Authoring Environment The previous section described how to create and assign learning objectives, based on learning nets. The procedure for assigning learning objectives to learning objects is similar.

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As you will see in the next lesson, learning objectives are particularly important for tests – after all, the tests are intended to verify that the learning objectives have been achieved. Of course, a placement test can also be aligned to the learning objectives of the learning net which references the test. Hint: You cannot assign leaarning objectives to tests in learning nets / objects.

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Learning Objectives in Placement Tests Prerequisites You have defined learning objectives and assigned them to a learning net.

Procedure 1. 2. 3. 4.

Select a section in the test structure. Choose Extras → Import Objectives. A message is displayed that item groups have been created with learning objectives assigned. All learning objectives have been imported from the learning net. Group the item groups together under the relevant sections per Drag&Drop.

Result You have created item groups with learning objectives assigned and grouped them into sections where relevant.

Learning Objectives in Final Tests / Online Tests Final tests and online tests can be aligned to the learning objectives of the learning net which references the tests. The procedure is the same as for placement tests.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Explain how the Learning Objectives Manager manages learning objectives and synchronizes them with a centralized catalog • Work with learning objectives (create, import, relate) within the SAP Authoring Environment

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Lesson: Test Editor Lesson Overview You gain an overview of the functions and options offered by the Test Editor in the Authoring Environment.


Distinguish between the different types of tests in the SAP Learning Solution Create different types of tests (multiple choice, gap test/fill-in, and so on) Prepare tests for learners: Provide with feedback, generate, play

Business Example You are an instructional designer/author and want to add tests to your courses or create so-called online tests as standalone learning units.

Tests in the SAP Learning Solution Integrated criterion-referenced testing accompanies the learning process. Tests are one of the best ways of swiftly identifying knowledge gaps. They help pinpoint effective learning measures that can close knowledge gaps through achievement of defined learning objectives. The test environment of the SAP Learning Solution enables you to develop, manage, and implement Web-based test strategies. The test environment provides a variety of test types and formats. It includes a test editor, the “Test Author” for creating test items and tests.

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Figure 177: Test Editor in the SAP Learning Solution

With the help of the Test Editor tool, trainers, course authors, instructional designers, and test administrators can plan, design, create and manage tests and feedback measures efficiently. By determining the learner’s skills and knowledge, the test environment allows individual adaptation of the learning process, monitoring of learning progress, and evaluation of the training process and its effectiveness. You can use the Test Author to: • • •

Create and edit tests Create and edit test items Create and edit test pools and item pools

The Test Author includes the following functions: • • • • •

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Templates for creating test items Configurable scoring models for items and answers Configuration of test conditions, such as the test duration Configuration of differentiated scoring methods at the level of learning objectives and sections Configuration of tests and differentiated feedback


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Tests as Instructional Elements – Placement Tests and Final Tests Placement tests, the results of which are stored, are taken prior to a course. They are criterion-referenced tests whose purpose is to adapt the course to the individual needs of the learner. Results at the level of the learning objectives are stored in the Learner Account in the SAP Learning Solution. The test results are also saved at test item level in the results database, to enable empirical analyses. Final tests, the results of which are stored, are taken on conclusion of a course. They are criterion-referenced tests used to evaluate progress. Results at the level of the learning objectives are stored in the Learner Account in the SAP Learning Solution. If the results storage feature has been activated for the test, the learner’s results are stored in the results database for reporting purposes here too. The final test is generally helpful for learners to assess their own knowledge – in addition to its motivational effects as self-confirmation.

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Creating a Placement Test or Final Test Prerequisites You have already created a learning net in the structure editor of the Authoring Environment. You call the structure editor from the learning net structure of the SAP Learning Solution.

Procedure 1.

Procedure 1. 2.

3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

In the Authoring Environment, in the learning net dialog area, choose Extended. Choose Edit Placement Test Edit Final Testto create content for the placement test in the Test Author. The Create New Test dialog box appears. If you want to save the placement or final test as a reusable object, set the relevant indicator. The name of the learning net from the Authoring Environment is proposed as the title of the test file. You can either change or accept this name. If you want to save the placement or final test as a reusable object, set the relevant indicator. Select a folder in which to store the test file. Confirm your entries with OK. The Test Author editor appears. The title of the placement or final test is inserted beside the test icon. Save your entries.

Result You have created a placement test or final test in the Test Author. You can now edit the test attributes.

Online Tests An online test is a standalone test that is independent of a learning net. It can be used for various purposes and taken at different times. Unlike placement tests or final tests, which are placed directly before or after a course, an online test is standalone and can be taken independently of a course.

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Figure 178: Online Test

You create online tests in the Authoring Environment of the SAP Learning Solution and create content for them in the Test Author.

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Creating an Online Test Prerequisites You have created an online test in the structure editor of the Authoring Environment.

Procedure 1.

In the Authoring Environment, in the online test dialog area, choose Edit Test. The Create New Test dialog box appears.

2.

The name of the online test from the Authoring Environment is proposed as the title of the test file. You can either change or accept this name.

3.

If you want to save the online test as a reusable object, set the relevant indicator.

4.

Select a folder in which to store the test file.

5.

Confirm your entries with OK.

6.

The Test Author editor appears. The title of the online test is inserted beside the test icon.

7.

Save your entries.

Result You have created an online test in the Test Author. You can now edit the test attributes.

Structuring Tests The procedure for creating and editing tests is the same, regardless of the test type. In the Test Author, you can create tests as you see fit for a variety of instructional and testing purposes. To do so, you create the entire test “top-down”. The corresponding procedures follow in the same order: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

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Creating the Test Structure Creating Sections Import objectives from the learning net (if possible) Creating Item Groups Create items


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Creating the Test Structure Prerequisites You have created a test in the SAP Authoring Environment and opened it in the Test Author.

Procedure 1.

You enter the required test attributes.

2.

You create the sections you require (see next procedure).

3.

You enter the section attributes.

4.

You import the objectives of the learning net (see procedure after next). You create item groups with corresponding learning objectives. You combine item groups that belong together into a section.

5.

If necessary, you create more item groups (see next to last procedure in this section). Item groups let you structure items thematically.

6.

You enter the item group attributes.

7.

You create the items (see last procedure in this section).

Result You have created a test. You have created a test that you can display for checking purposes in the Content Player.

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Creating Sections Use Sections are located one level below the test node in the test structure. They combine item groups. The following functions are available for sections: • •

Test results can be determined at section level. You can provide feedback per section for the test participant regarding how the items were answered.

Procedure 1.

Select the test node and choose New Section. A dialog box appears.

2.

Enter the title of the section and choose Transfer.

3.

Repeat these steps until you have created all the sections you require.

4.

Specify the section attributes.

5.

Save your entries.

Result You have created a section whose title is displayed beside the relevant icon. You can further structure the test content into item groups and create test items.

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Importing Learning Objectives from the Learning Net to the Test Use When you define learning objectives, you consider the correlation between instruction and tests. This enables you to determine knowledge acquisition swiftly and flexibly. Progress is determined and recorded by means of tests and quizzes. You can align a test to the learning objectives of the learning net on which the test is based. In the test structure, a learning objective is always assigned to an item group.

Prerequisites This function is not available for tests in learning nets or learning objects because there is no possibility to assign learning objectives at that point. You have defined learning objectives and assigned them to learning nets.

Procedure 1.

Select a section in the test structure.

2.

To start the import, choose Extras → Import Learning Objectives. A message is displayed that item groups have been created with learning objectives assigned. Hint: You can only import all learning objectives together out of a learning net.

3.

Group the item groups together under the relevant sections per Drag&Drop. The item groups you move are then displayed under the sections.

Result You have created item groups with learning objectives assigned and grouped them into sections where relevant.

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Creating Item Groups Use Item groups are located one level below sections in the test structure. They group test items thematically. The following functions are available for item groups: • •

Test results can be determined at item group level. You can provide feedback per item group for the test participant regarding how the items were answered.

Prerequisites You have created a section in the test structure.

Procedure 1.

Select the relevant section and choose New Item Group. A dialog box appears.

2.

Enter the title of the item group and choose Transfer.

3.

Repeat these steps until you have created all the item groups you require.

4.

Specify the item attributes.

5.

Save your entries.

Result You have created a new item group. Its title is displayed beside the corresponding icon. You can now create items for the item group.

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Creating Items Use Items represent the actual test content for the test participant. Test items enable you to test the skills and knowledge imparted by a course. You can select from different item types. The Test Author provides a special item format template for each item type.

Prerequisites You have created an item group in the Test Author.

Procedure 1.

Procedure In your test structure, select the item group under which the item should be created.

2.

Choose New Item. The Create Item dialog box appears.

3.

Select the item type you require and choose Continue. The SAP Item Editor appears. The item format template belonging to the item type is opened.

4.

Edit the required texts, scale values, and weighting.

5.

Specify the item attributes.

6.

Repeat this procedure until you have created as many items as you require.

7.

Save your entries.

Result You have created items and assigned them to the corresponding item groups. You can now generate the test and view the test preview.

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Editing and Generating Tests Regardless of the test design, it is important that you now specify the following test attributes: • •

•

The minimum pass score is the percentage score that must be reached to pass a test. If you do not require this criterion, enter 0 (zero). A test value range contains a value range from the maximum achievable value to the minimum achievable value. You can store a text for each of the test value ranges. If you select the corresponding option, the feedback text is displayed along with the test value achieved by the participant. Feedback can be given for each test, section, item group, item or answer .Feedback for items is recorded as an attribute in the item editor. If you want to give participants a chance to compare their answers with the right answers, you must select the attribute Answer. You create feedback at test level using the attributes Feedback for Test Passed, Feedback for Test Failed and Web Link (URL) in Feedback. Feedback details are displayed to the participant on completion of the test in HTML.

Now that you have structured the test, there are numerous features available for formatting it attractively and using varied types of questions. The various item types are explained briefly in the next section. You can then do the following at test level: • • •

insert existing items into the test edit items before you then generate and display the test.

The corresponding procedures are explained later.

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Inserting an Existing Item into a Test Use Test items are the individual elements that make up a test. You can create new items or insert existing items in a test.

Prerequisites You have created an item using the Test Author in the local repository or copied an item from the master repository of the Authoring Environment to the local repository.

Procedure 1.

In your test structure, select the item group under which the item should be inserted.

2.

Right-click the item group and in the context menu choose Insert Item. The Open File dialog box appears.

3.

In the file selection dialog, navigate to the item file you want to insert in the test. Select the required item file and choose Select.

4.

The selected item and its attributes are inserted under the selected test node.

5.

Save your entries.

Result You have inserted the item in the required position in the test structure. You can now edit the item where necessary.

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Editing Items Use Of course, you can also edit an item or a reference item after you have created it in the test.

Prerequisites You have created an item in the local repository using the Test Author or copied an item from the master repository of the Authoring Environment to the local repository.

Procedure 1.

Choose File → Open Item. The Open File dialog box appears.

2.

Select the required item file and choose Select. The selected item is opened in the SAP Item Editor.

3.

Edit the required texts, values, and attributes.

4.

Save your entries.

5.

Editing an Item Referenced in a Test 1. 2.

Select the item to be edited in the test structure. Right-click the item and in the context menu choose Edit Item. The selected item is opened in the SAP Item Editor.

3. 4.

Edit the required texts, values, and attributes. Save your entries.

Result You have changed or edited the texts and values for the item.

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Generating Tests Use You can generate a test created in the Test Author and display the generated test content in the Internet browser. Hint: Checks are performed when you generate the test content. A message informs you if errors occurred during the generation.

Prerequisites • • •

You have saved the test and the test structure is valid. A referenced introduction file and all referenced items, including referenced media objects are available in the local repository. You have installed Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.x or 6.x for the display.

Procedure 1.

To start generation of the test content, choose Extras → Generate Test.

2.

A progress display appears that informs you about the progress of the test content generation.

3.

To display the test content, choose Extras → Test Preview.

4.

The test is displayed in the Internet Explorer. If you included an introduction, this is also displayed.

5.

Choose Start Test to start the test. Choose Finish Test to end the test.

Result • •

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Playable test content compliant with SCORM1.1 has been created. You can display, check, and print out the current test.


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Item Types The Test Editor allows you create the following conventional item types with ease: •

•

•

MC items are multiple choice questions that have one right answer. There may be any number of possible answers, from which the participant must select one right answer. The MC item can be weighted variably in the test. You can integrate a graphic in the question. Die MR items require the test participant to select all of the right answers from a set of possible answers > 1. The MR item can be analyzed according to different models. You can integrate a graphic in the question. Free text questions (also called gap tests or fill-in items) require the participants to type in the right answer themselves. The participant's answer is matched against the right answer and multiple synonyms. If a match is found, the item is answered correctly.

You can normally integrate graphics in these questions and weight them variably. This type of item is typically used in instructional tests and performance tests; fill-in items are typically used to test the participant's ability to reproduce facts. Scaling questions or evaluations are not test items. They are used in surveys. The survey participant must rate a given object (course, trainer and so on) on a scale. The verbal anchors of the answer scale are freely definable and can be assigned values of your choice. You can integrate a graphic in the question.

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When you create items, you must enter the following information: •

Title You enter a descriptive text for the item content.

•

Question You formulate the text of the actual question or statement.

•

Note Enter an instruction for the test participant regarding how to edit the item. In an MC item, you can specify whether the participant must select one or more answers.

•

Alternative answers Formulate the alternative answers. In MC items, you flag only one answer as correct. In MR items, you flag at least two answers as correct.

•

Answer weighting You can assign a number of points for each alternative answer. At least one of the answers must be assigned a score of > 0. You assign right answers a score of 1 and wrong answers a score of 0. In this case, the test participant can achieve the maximum number of points for the item by selecting all possible answers. The participant is awarded all of the points for the right answers. In contrast to this, you can assign a score of 1 for both right and wrong answers. In this case, a positive score is attained if the participant selects the right answers and does not select the wrong answers.

•

Solution You enter possible solutions for a fill-in item, which the participant must complete. You can enter synonyms that are also accepted as right. For example, you specify that both the text four and the digit 4 are allowed.

•

Scale texts In evaluations or ratings, you specify a value scale with individual texts for each value.

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Exercise 9: Creating Web Based Courses with the SAP Authoring Environment Exercise Objectives After completing this exercise, you will be able to: • List the functions of the SAP Authoring Environment • Create new learning nets, learning objects, and instructional elements • Create HTML content for your instructional element

Business Example As the training administrator in your enterprise, you want to create a WBT or convert a course purchased from an external training provider and make it available to employees in the Learning Portal.

Task 1: Start by creating a Web Based Training that introduces the SAP Learning Solution. 1.

First create an empty learning net, SAP_LS_##, in a new folder, “SAPLS##”.

2.

Create the following references according to the structure described here. First, create three higher-level learning objects. Once you create the instructional elements, save the structure you have created so far.

Figure 179: Creating Your Own Learning Net


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Create content files for the individual instructional elements that you can edit with standard Microsoft products. Hint: Because you have not configured any other settings, you have simply used the Windows settings so far to display and edit the content files. Each file is automatically associated with the corresponding edit program through its three-character “extension”. For these simple cases, we will neither assume that the objects will be reused nor use a separate folder.

4.

Before you close the learning objects, create relationships between them as described below.

Figure 180: Learning objects

Task 2: Configuration of the Authoring Environment Before you assign content to the instructional elements or create content yourself, you must make a few basic settings in the Authoring Environment for professional content authors. Initially, however, you can associate content editors and the browser (HTML viewer) with different types of files for display and editing. 1.

Start the Authoring Environment again and save your Word source files in HTML format in the same folder. Select this file for display in the appropriate instructional element. Caution: However, keep the Word file as your basis for later edits. Continued on next page

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2.

Another situation is when the course author wants to use different tools for display and editing, but the same source file. Assume, for example, that you want to use Word files exclusively, but you want to use the user's display software – that is, the browser – to display the files. Accordingly, you want to use the Microsoft “Internet Explorer” to display files with extension “.doc”.

Task 3: Using Learning Objectives 1.

Start the Learning Objectives Manager

2.

Add a new learning objective to the catalog: Objective_01_## (## is your group number).

3.

Synchronize the learning objectives catalog.

4.

Assign your learning objective to the second learning objectives as an “attainable” learning objective. Assign this learning objective to the first and third learning objects as well, but not as “attainable”.

5.

Start the Content Player and open the table of contents to enable you to track navigation in the course. Navigate through the course. What happens in the table of contents when you close/complete a learning object?

Task 4: Test Author 1.

Create a new instructional element of the type “Test” in the learning object “Authoring Environment”.

2.

Use the Test Author to create the following multiple choice item for the test you just created.

Figure 181: Test Author

3.

Create feedback of your choice for the item group and check the results of your work. Continued on next page

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Task 5: (Optional) Level of detail in the learning objects 1.

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Enter any information you feel is sensible in the dialog boxes.


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Solution 9: Creating Web Based Courses with the SAP Authoring Environment Task 1: Start by creating a Web Based Training that introduces the SAP Learning Solution. 1.

2.

First create an empty learning net, SAP_LS_##, in a new folder, “SAPLS##”. a)

Choose File → New → Learning Net to start the appropriate wizard. Name your learning net SAP_LS_## and click Continue. Now click the folder icon and create a new folder under “Select Folder” by clicking the icon on the upper right. Enter “SAPLS##” as the name and in the next dialog box, choose “Select”.

b)

When you click “Accept Current List”, you go directly to the “Finish.”

Create the following references according to the structure described here. First, create three higher-level learning objects. Once you create the instructional elements, save the structure you have created so far.


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Figure 182: Creating Your Own Learning Net

a)

Right-click on your learning net in the learning net overview and choose “New Learning Object”. Another wizard starts. Enter the first default name, “Learning Portal”. Click “Create no Template” and “Empty (no template)” and then “Finish”. Hint: Of course, in a genuine environment, you would have templates with the appropriate enterprise guidelines here. Repeat the process for the learning objects for the “Authoring Environment” and “Training Management”.

b)

Right-click on learning object “Learning Portal” in the learning net overview and choose “New - Instructional Element” to create a new instructional element. Enter “Functions available” (the later name of the element) as the name. Then choose “Continue” twice and then “Finish” to reach the selection of the corresponding knowledge type. Select “Orientation-Overview”, for example, as the “Knowledge Type”.

c)

Repeat the process for the additional instructional elements for at least the first learning net object, and one each for the others.

d)

File → Save All.


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3.

Create content files for the individual instructional elements that you can edit with standard Microsoft products. Hint: Because you have not configured any other settings, you have simply used the Windows settings so far to display and edit the content files. Each file is automatically associated with the corresponding edit program through its three-character “extension”. For these simple cases, we will neither assume that the objects will be reused nor use a separate folder. a)

In the learning net overview, click on instructional element “Functions available”.

b)

You can now click the icon to edit the media object in the frame below. You can enter “doc”, for example, under “Extension”. Aside from this, leave all the fields as they are and deactivate the two options for reusability and separate folder before you click “OK” to confirm.

4.

c)

Because you defined extension "doc", Word is launched automatically to generate the corresponding file. You can now enter the actual texts and images that the learner will see later in the browser.

d)

Exit the application (Word), save the file, and confirm any prompts regarding text formats with “Yes”. Then return to the Authoring Environment and click "Cancel" to close the warning from the external application.

e)

You can repeat this process for other instructional elements. Of course, you can also use other extensions that you know about. If you are familiar with HTML, for example, you can use “htm” to create the source text.

Before you close the learning objects, create relationships between them as described below.


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Figure 183: Learning objects

a)

Double-click the learning net so that your three objects are displayed in the workspace. Select the relationship “Before”. Click the object “Learning Portal” and drag and drop the relationship to Training Management or the Authoring Environment.

b)

File → Save All.

c)

File → Close All.

Task 2: Configuration of the Authoring Environment Before you assign content to the instructional elements or create content yourself, you must make a few basic settings in the Authoring Environment for professional content authors. Initially, however, you can associate content editors and the browser (HTML viewer) with different types of files for display and editing. 1.

Start the Authoring Environment again and save your Word source files in HTML format in the same folder. Select this file for display in the appropriate instructional element.


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Caution: However, keep the Word file as your basis for later edits.

2.

a)

Start → Programs → SAP Learning Solution → Authoring Environment

b)

Open your learning net, SAP_LS_##, open the objects in the learning net overview, and select instructional element “Functions available”.

c)

Again, click the “Edit Media Object” icon to launch Word. Now save this file in HTML format in Word (File → Save As → Save as type) and close Word.

d)

In the Authoring Environment, close the warning from the external applications with “Cancel” before you enter the source file for display and the source file for editing.

e)

Now choose the saved HTML file as the source file for display by choosing the appropriate folder icon.

f)

Clicking the different icons will now launch different applications to display and edit the instructional element.

Another situation is when the course author wants to use different tools for display and editing, but the same source file. Assume, for example, that you want to use Word files exclusively, but you want to use the user's display software – that is, the browser – to display the files. Accordingly, you want to use the Microsoft “Internet Explorer” to display files with extension “.doc”. a)

Tools → Configuration → Associations Click “New” under “For Displaying Content”. A wizard starts.

b)

Displaying Content → Select Application Manually → c:\Programme\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe -Name (such as) Browse, and then enter “doc” as the extension with “Add” in step 5 of the wizard. You can deactivate the content player for this display before you click “Finish” to close the wizard and “OK” to exit the configuration.

c)

Now open one of your instructional elements with one Word source file and click “Display Media Object”. The Internet Explorer is launched without the content player and calls the Word document.

Task 3: Using Learning Objectives 1.

Start the Learning Objectives Manager a)

2.

Tools → Learning Objectives Manager

Add a new learning objective to the catalog: Continued on next page

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Objective_01_## (## is your group number). a)

3.

4.

Synchronize the learning objectives catalog. a)

File → Work Online (your instructor will help you)

b)

Open the Learning Objectives Manager again and click “Online Catalog - Synchronize ...”. Your learning object now appears in the online catalog.

c)

Click the Offline tab to make sure that your local learning objective catalog has been supplemented.

Assign your learning objective to the second learning objectives as an “attainable” learning objective. Assign this learning objective to the first and third learning objects as well, but not as “attainable”. a)

5.

Choose “New”, make the entries you require (instructional designers use common learning objective classifications), choose “Apply” and “OK”.

In the learning net overview, select the relevant object and, in the dialog area, choose the “Learning Objectives” tab page. Choose “Add”, Select, “Add” to assign the new learning objective to the respective learning object. For the first and third learning objects, deactivate the “attainable” field in the top right dialog area.

Start the Content Player and open the table of contents to enable you to track navigation in the course. Navigate through the course. What happens in the table of contents when you close/complete a learning object? a)

Choose File → Save All and Tools → Play Learning Net. Open the table of contents. When you work through the first learning object completely, you have not yet achieved the learning objective associated with it. When you work through the second learning object completely, however, the last object is also flagged as “Processed” (“Content Known” would be better) – and skipped.

Task 4: Test Author 1.

Create a new instructional element of the type “Test” in the learning object “Authoring Environment”. a)

Right-click on “Authoring Environment” and choose New Element → Test. Enter “Test_##” as the name in the wizard. The familiar closing window appears, where you can leave “Self-Assessment Test” as the test type.


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2.

Use the Test Author to create the following multiple choice item for the test you just created.

Figure 184: Test Author

a)

Select the test you just created in the learning net overview. Go to “Edit Media Object” in the dialog area, confirm the Test Author, and click OK.

b)

Right-click the item group under Test__## / Section and choose “New Item”. Choose am MC item.

c)

Enter a title (such as “Editor”), question, and the first possible answer “SAP Tutor” in the appropriate fields. You see a message in the message box indicating that the correct answer is still missing.

d)

Click the “Add a New Answer” icon next to the first answer to create additional answers. Choose “Test Editor” as the correct answer by clicking the field next to it. A green checkmark appears.

e)

Item → Save Item → Exit

3.

Create feedback of your choice for the item group and check the results of your work. a)

Select the item group and create feedback of your choice. To do so, click the icons in the appropriate fields, enter texts, and click OK to confirm. Remember that you can also submit feedback at the “Test” and “Item” levels.

b)

Choose Extras → Test Preview and check whether you are satisfied with the result.

c)

File → Save File → Exit Continued on next page

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Task 5: (Optional) Level of detail in the learning objects 1.

342

Enter any information you feel is sensible in the dialog boxes. a)

Select an instructional element in the learning net overview.

b)

Enter the planned completion time under tab “Extended”. Enter remarks and keywords in the corresponding tabs.

c)

Repeat the above steps for all the instructional elements.

d)

Check the planned completion time of the learning objects and enter topic descriptions for them under “Subject”.


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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Distinguish between the different types of tests in the SAP Learning Solution • Create different types of tests (multiple choice, gap test/fill-in, and so on) • Prepare tests for learners: Provide with feedback, generate, play

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Unit Summary

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Unit Summary You should now be able to: • Create a learning net • Maintain the attributes of a learning net • Create a learning object • Maintain the attributes of a learning object • Create an instructional element • Maintain the attributes of an instructional element • Import existing content to the local repository • Link existing content with an instructional element • Create new content in the Authoring Environment • Outline the advantages of using the Templates Manager • Create a template for a learning net • Create a template for a learning object • Create a template for an instructional element • Create a template for a test • Explain how the Learning Objectives Manager manages learning objectives and synchronizes them with a centralized catalog • Work with learning objectives (create, import, relate) within the SAP Authoring Environment • Distinguish between the different types of tests in the SAP Learning Solution • Create different types of tests (multiple choice, gap test/fill-in, and so on) • Prepare tests for learners: Provide with feedback, generate, play

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Unit 10 SAP LS Authoring Environment – Repository Explorer Unit Overview You will acquire an overview of the functions and options contained in the Repository Explorer of the SAP Learning Solution. You will learn how to check courses in, release them, and assign them attributes for Training Management.

Unit Objectives After completing this unit, you will be able to: • • • • •

Explain the process-related difference between online and offline working Distinguish between the procedure for working online and offline Define the purpose of a local repository Create a local repository List the tasks of the master repository

Unit Contents Lesson: Playing Online/Offline ................................................346 Lesson: Repository Explorer ..................................................349 Procedure: Check In .......................................................354 Procedure: Copying ........................................................358 Procedure: Managing Content............................................359 Procedure: Content Search ...............................................361 Procedure: Content Versioning ...........................................363 Exercise 10: Publishing with the Repository Explorer .................365

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Lesson: Playing Online/Offline Lesson Overview You will learn the differences between working online and offline in the SAP Authoring Environment.


Explain the process-related difference between online and offline working Distinguish between the procedure for working online and offline

Business Example You are a subject matter expert/instructional designer responsible for creating e-learning units that can be put together to form courses. You do not always have the opportunity to work online in your Authoring Environment. Accordingly, you want to find out which activities require you to have a connection between your PC and your company network, and how you can configure the corresponding settings. As a content author, you need to know which functions are available when you work online and which ones are available when you work offline.

Offline Playing When you work offline, you only have access to learning nets that are stored on your local hard disk or in the local repository. You cannot read an objective from the catalog and you cannot access learning nets and objects in the master repository. Choose File → Work Offline.

Online Playing

Figure 185: Working Online

When you work online, you are simultaneously logged on to the ERP2005 system and the master repository.

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Lesson: Playing Online/Offline

You can do the following: •

• • • • • • •

Use the learning objectives catalog and synchronize learning objectives that you created offline (locally) to make them available in all learning nets. To do so, you save the learning objectives to the ERP2005 system using the Synchronize function. Transfer data between local and master repository Check objects in and out Copy objects [new version of objects, administration of master repository] Release objects Publish learning nets Preview objects Search for objects

Choose File → Work Offline. Hint: You will find other online editing settings in the menu under Tools → Configuration. In the dialog box that appears, choose Online.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Explain the process-related difference between online and offline working • Distinguish between the procedure for working online and offline

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Lesson: Repository Explorer

Lesson: Repository Explorer Lesson Overview You will receive an overview of how learning objects are exchanged between the course authors' local repositories and the master repository in the SAP Learning Solution.


Define the purpose of a local repository Create a local repository List the tasks of the master repository

Business Example You are a course author/instructional designer responsible for creating e-learning units that can be put together to form courses, or that can be reused by other authors.

Introduction

Figure 186: Terminology

The purpose of the Repository Explorer is to administer course content. The main function of the Repository Explorer is the exchange of data between the local and master repositories.

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Content can be displayed and edited in the local repository. During installation, you have to set up the path to the directory in which the local repository is to be created (for example: “C:/Programme/SAP/Local Rep/default”). The master repository is the central content repository that can be accessed by all authors. It is located in the Content Management System of the Portal server, for example. The functions available in the Explorer are for learning nets, learning objects, and reusable media objects.

Figure 187: The Training Content Cycle

Training contents run through the following statuses during the authoring process: 1. 2.

Objects can be edited locally by creating them locally or importing them. The “check-in” process transports the objects to the master repository, where they are visible to other course authors. Caution: No Change Function in Master Repository Objects that are checked into the master repository cannot be changed. If you want to change the content, you must edit it in order to create a new version. Consequently, when other content authors reuse external objects, they can be sure that these objects will not change.

3. 4.

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If the objects are “released”, other authors can reuse them or reference them in their learning nets. If the objects are “published”, this information is incorporated into the course catalog. They are now available in Training Administration (for WBT creation, for example), where booked learners can play them. Obsolete publications can be overwritten in the process.


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In general, this cycle starts over from the beginning when an object is copied from the master repository to a local repository – for example, to improve it or modify it for new courses.

Figure 188: Data Transfer of Repositories

Note that every change to an object that has been checked into the master repository creates a new version of that object there. Once an object version has been checked in, it cannot be changed. The versioning concept ensures that a learner who interrupts a course is always provided with the same version of the course on reentry, even if a new version of the course has appeared in the meantime. Versioning is also important in the context of reusability. You can decide what version of an object should be referenced in a given context (learning net) and you can be sure that the version referenced cannot be changed by the author. Version management is largely automated by means of corresponding appendices to the object names. Only one version of an object can exist locally, even without active involvement on the part of the author. Caution: Dual Name Range The namespaces in both the local and master repositories are arranged in the same hierarchy. This means that an object stored in the local repository will be transferred to the same namespace in the master repository and vice versa. Consequently, you must pay particular attention to the storage location of an object when you create it since you cannot change this afterwards.

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Working with the SAP Repository Explorer

Figure 189: Starting the Repository Explorer

You can either start the Repository Explorer from within the Authoring Environment or call it directly as an independent program. The left frame contains the local repository and the right frame the master repository (assuming you are online). You may find it useful to Display New Versions. You use this function in the master repository to find new versions of objects selected locally. You may do this, for example, if you want to know if the author has updated an object you are using locally. New versions are highlighted in bold font in the master repository. New versions that have been released can be reused. You can display a preview of the new version in the browser. Possible version conflicts can be resolved You can return to the normal view via the master repository view.

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Figure 190: Icon Functions

As a course author or administrator who knows how to use the Repository Explorer, you recognize all the important information for repository objects at a glance. There is a separate icon for practically all the objects in the Learning Solution.

Figure 191: Icon Functions

In turn, their status is indicated by various small flags (see diagram).

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Check In Use Check-in allows data transfer from the local repository to the master repository. Data is stored in the master repository and can be displayed by other authors when it is released. When you execute the function, a check-in wizard guides you through the process. The check-in wizard lets you automatically add all dependent objects to the check-in list. Before checking the objects in, you should ensure that all object dependencies have been maintained correctly. All files belonging to an object are checked in, even unchanged files. The check-in wizard provides a consistency check on cross-references between objects and their dependencies. At check-in, you also have the option of creating a copy of the check-in object in the local repository.

Prerequisites To be able to check in an object, you must be working online and have set up a connection to the master repository. To do this, choose Connect in the master repository.


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Procedure 1. 2.

In the local repository, select one or more objects for check-in. Choose Check in. The dialog box Check-In Wizard appears.

3. 4.

If you want cross-references checked for consistency, set the appropriate indicator. Choose Continue. Caution: In rare cases, the system may identify a version conflict during the check-in. Such a conflict occurs when the objects you want to check in indirectly reference different versions of an object. When this is the case, you must choose the version that you want to use for the objects you want to check in.

5.

6.

A dialog box may appear indicating structure errors in the objects to be checked in. You can ignore these errors and proceed with the check-in. However, you may not be able to release the objects later on if you do so. Alternatively, you can cancel the check-in and correct the errors. In the dialog box that appears, you have the following options: •

7.

Check the list of objects for transport. Check, in particular, whether all dependent objects are included in the list. If this is not the case, leave the check-in wizard and edit the dependencies in the local repository by choosing Edit Attributes → Dependencies. • If you want to keep a copy in the local repository of the objects to be checked in, select the relevant indicator. Choose Start.

Result The selected objects are checked into the master repository with their dependent objects. The objects are flagged with the relevant icons.

System Feedback During Check-In There are a number of messages that can be displayed on check-in.

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The following message types are possible: • • • • • • • •

Learning objective error Empty learning net Learning object Instructional elements Obsolete content Dependency error Missing anchor file Cross-reference error

Learning objective error The learning net / learning object contains invalid learning objectives or an invalid system ID. You cannot continue the check-in when this error message appears. To correct the error, you must open the object in the Authoring Environment.

Empty learning net/object The learning net/learning object contains no subordinate learning nets, learning objects or instructional elements.

Obsolete content The content generated for the object (for example, for a test) is obsolete. To correct the error, you must open the object in the Authoring Environment and generate the content again.

Dependency error The object uses media objects that have not been registered explicitly. To correct the error, add the dependencies to the object. To do so, select the object in the local repository and choose Edit Attributes → Dependencies.

Missing anchor file No anchor file exists for an object. This means that the object cannot be referenced by other objects. This error usually only occurs when you have deleted the anchor file manually, that is, outside of the Authoring Environment. To correct the error, you must either delete the object completely and create it again, or create the anchor file again manually.

Cross-reference error The object contains references to unknown or invalid objects.

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To correct the error, edit the object and adjust the cross-reference accordingly. Caution: Cross references are only checked for SAP LS AE proprietary file types. Thus, an error-free check-in is no guarantee that all of the cross-references in the objects are correct.

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Copying Use Copying enables the transfer of data from the master repository to the local repository. An exact copy of each object is generated. This can be read locally but not changed or checked in to the master repository. When you execute the function, a copy wizard guides you through the process. Like the check-in wizard, the copy wizard lets you automatically add all dependent objects to the copy list.

Prerequisites To be able to copy an object, you must be working online or have set up a connection to the master repository. To do this, choose Connect in the master repository.

Procedure 1. 2.

In the master repository, select one or more objects for copying. Choose Copy. The dialog box Copy Wizard appears.

3. 4. 5. 6.

If you want dependent objects automatically added to the copy list, select the relevant indicator. Choose Continue. Check, and where relevant, modify the list of objects for transport in the dialog box that appears. Choose Start. Caution: During the copying process, the system may detect a version conflict. Such a conflict occurs when you copy an object for which there is another version stored locally. In this case, you must select the version that you want to use in the course you are editing locally.

Result The objects to be transported have been copied in read-only format to the local repository.

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Managing Content Prerequisites Checked in, usually older versions of learning nets should be excluded from reuse, so that the learners who start courses affected in this way do not access the obsolete courses.

Procedure

Figure 192: Preventing Objects from Being Reused

1.

By flagging the outdated course as "obsolete" in the master repository, you prevent it from being re-booked in the future: Select the learning net –> right click –>"Mark as obsolete (XX)" .

Figure 193: Renewing the Validity of Excluded Objects

2.

Objects that have previously been excluded from reuse can be allowed for reuse at a later stage by clicking on Mark as valid (see graphic above).


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Result Marking an object as “obsolete” has a number of consequences, particularly technical ones. •

• •

The courses are not "deleted", they are simply not offered as content for a course. From a technical point of view, they remain as versions in the Content Management System, but are not displayed as possible learning nets for assignment to course types. Courses that have already been booked in the Learning Portal still link to this learning net. This content is no longer available when you create new course types or change existing ones.

If you permit objects to be used again, users on the Learning Portal can access them again.

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Content Search Prerequisites The full text index search must be installed. You can then search in the master repository not only in texts but also using metadata for the respective learning nets.

Figure 194: Full Text Search in the Master Repository Using the Repository Explorer

You have to define the type for this metadata (author, keywords, validity, and so on) and their classification asmandatory fields and optional fields beforehand in SAP ERP2005 HR Customizing for the Authoring Environment, so that authors can use it when creating content.

Procedure

Figure 195: Full Text Search in the Repository Explorer - Metadata

1.

The author maintains the metadata when creating learning nets. Mandatory fields must always be filled. If they have not been maintained, this leads to error messages when checking in.

2.

In the second tab page of the search you can also find all the learning nets and objects that contain a particular keyword (where-used-list). On the third tab page you can search for learning objectives.


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Result You can further restrict the results of the search for learning nets and objects. For example, you can base your search on a particular language, for objects that have already been published, or for the object type (learning nets, reusable content sources). You can branch from the hitlist directly to the objects found in the Repository Explorer.

Figure 196: Metadata Search Results

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Content Versioning Use If an administrator changes a learning net in the Authoring Environment, the administrator can indicate whether the changes are minor changes (layout, spelling) or important changes (content, tests) after checking in the net.

Procedure

Figure 197: Type of Change to the Learning Net

1.

You can view or change the attributes of the learning objects in the local or master repository from within the repository explorer. You can store the change information under Publishing data.

Result This information plays a central role if you want to provide the learner with an updated version of a web-based training course in the Learning Portal. Depending on the Customizing settings in the SAP system and the learning net, the changes made can have different effects and require different responses, for example: •

•

•

The learner is automatically provided with the latest version. The previous version and the learner's learning progress is deleted! In this case, learners receive a message in the Learning Portal telling them about the change. Learners can decide for themselves whether they want to continue with the older version and exit the web-based training course they have started. This option is useful if only minor changes to the content have been made by the administrator. Furthermore, the learner can decide whether the changes represent value for money. This means that in the event of a course update, for example, an increased charge is also due for the latest version.

Figure 198: SAP Customizing – Possible System Responses to Changed Content Versions

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Exercise 10: Publishing with the Repository Explorer Exercise Objectives After completing this exercise, you will be able to: • Differentiate between your local repository and the master repository and between “releasing” and “publishing” a WBT.

Business Example You are a course author and want to ensure that your content appears in the Learning Portal, and is also available to other content authors.

Task: You now want to make the learning net you created available as a WBT in the learning portal. To do so, you have to publish your learning net in the master repository.

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Start the Repository Explorer and log on to the main repository with your ERP2005 logon data.

2.

Check your learning net into the master repository. Enter your own name as the author. Note the calculated learning time.

3.

Release the learning net. Note the change to the icon for your learning net in the master repository.

4.

Open the master data catalog on the back end system and start creating a new WBT. Can you already create a relationship to your new learning net? Do not close the transaction; instead, go back directly to the Repository Explorer.

5.

Publish your learning net and create a WBT in the back end system with your learning net as content. Be creative when you enter the descriptions and other values.

6.

Find and book your WBT in the Learning Portal. Start it in the Content Player.


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Solution 10: Publishing with the Repository Explorer Task: You now want to make the learning net you created available as a WBT in the learning portal. To do so, you have to publish your learning net in the master repository. 1.

Start the Repository Explorer and log on to the main repository with your ERP2005 logon data. a)

Start the Repository Explorer either with Windows → Programs → SAP Learning Solution or directly from the Authoring Environment → Tools → Start. Click “Connect” in the right-hand frame. You are prompted to enter the data to log on to the back end system. After you have logged on successfully, the learning objects from the master repository appear in the right-hand frame.

2.

Check your learning net into the master repository. Enter your own name as the author. Note the calculated learning time. a)

3.

Release the learning net. Note the change to the icon for your learning net in the master repository. a)

4.

Select the anchor file for your learning net (extension .crs) in the left-hand frame of the Explorer and click the Check In button. A prompt appears asking whether you want to define additional attributes for the learning net. The learning time is calculated automatically based on the metadata maintained for the objects.

Right-click the anchor file you just checked in (it is located under the same path is in the local repository). Choose “Release”.

Open the master data catalog on the back end system and start creating a new WBT. Can you already create a relationship to your new learning net? Do not close the transaction; instead, go back directly to the Repository Explorer. a)

No. A release merely enables the other authors to access the checked-in objects.


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5.

6.

Publish your learning net and create a WBT in the back end system with your learning net as content. Be creative when you enter the descriptions and other values. a)

The publication process is similar to the release process – you can see the corresponding indicators in the icon for the learning net.

b)

You can now create the desired relationship in the transaction you started for creating a WBT. Make the usual entries, like you learned in unit 6, and save your entries.

Find and book your WBT in the Learning Portal. Start it in the Content Player. a)

You hopefully remember what you called your new WBT and can find it in the HR270 folder. Continue as usual. Caution: Congratulations! You have now created a learning net as a content author published the content internally, and created a new WBT for this content as a training administrator. You then booked it as a learner in your new Learning Portal and processed it.

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Define the purpose of a local repository • Create a local repository • List the tasks of the master repository

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Unit Summary

Unit Summary You should now be able to: • Explain the process-related difference between online and offline working • Distinguish between the procedure for working online and offline • Define the purpose of a local repository • Create a local repository • List the tasks of the master repository

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Unit Summary

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Unit 11 Additional Information Unit Overview You will receive a general overview of the topics covered in the course.

Unit Objectives After completing this unit, you will be able to: • • •

Explain the fundamental principle on which the SAP Business Information Warehouse (BIW) works Describe the visual representation of reporting in the SAP BIW Name the features of the new correspondence concept.

Unit Contents Lesson: Reporting with Business Intelligence ..............................372 Lesson: Correspondence in the SAP Learning Solution...................381

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Lesson: Reporting with Business Intelligence Lesson Overview This lesson provides a brief overview of the options and modes of representation for the SAP Learning Solution using the Business Information Warehouse in the standard system.


Explain the fundamental principle on which the SAP Business Information Warehouse (BIW) works Describe the visual representation of reporting in the SAP BIW

Business Example As a training administrator you are already experienced in dealing with the standard reporting tools in your Learning Management system. It is your task to take a closer look at a solution that also allows occasional users, in particular managers, to compare existing training data and derive correlations from it that could provide the basis for strategic decisions. A visually appealing representation of the evaluation in the standard browser is particularly important here.

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Lesson: Reporting with Business Intelligence

Structure of the Application

Figure 199: Structure of a BI Application in the LSO

In the Business Information Warehouse, data exists in the form of InfoCubes. The InfoCubes themselves are structured in such a way that they hold information ready for specific queries that can be started from the browser. One particular aspect of these InfoCubes is that they enable you to derive relationships between various sets of data.

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Figure 200: Holding Data in InfoCubes

Each InfoCube holds key figures in such a way that they can be read in aggregated form in accordance with particular characteristics. Each part of the InfoCube stands for a key figure-characteristic combination. The queries are processed by the Business Warehouse Server and the results are converted to HTML format, for example, so that they can be viewed in the browser.

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Possible Data Output

Figure 201: Queries as a Form of Data Request

The data the user can call depends on which queries were previously defined and published. 18 queries are included in the standard SAP Learning Solution. You can use the Business Explorer to create additional queries, if required.

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Figure 202: Queries in the SAP Learning Solution

Within the SAP Learning Solution you can acquire detailed information about learning behavior, success rates and more using the interface to the Business Information Warehouse (see graphic above).

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Figure 203: Attendance Statistics

A few examples are illustrated in the following section. An entire course could be devoted to the topic of reporting using the BIW, just for HCM alone.

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Figure 204:

Figure 205:

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Figure 206:

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Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Explain the fundamental principle on which the SAP Business Information Warehouse (BIW) works • Describe the visual representation of reporting in the SAP BIW

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Lesson: Correspondence in the SAP Learning Solution

Lesson: Correspondence in the SAP Learning Solution Lesson Overview Prospects - new correspondence options with the LSO 600.


Name the features of the new correspondence concept.

Business Example As a training administrator you know how to send standard letters with MS Word, for example, in order to send invitations to participants. Until now, you have chosen to do using standard e-mail, also because you could control the layout better. As part of the process of implementing a new LMS, you are considering whether technical advances might offer you other options.

The New Correspondence Concept Correspondence covers a very large area in Training Administration and is dealt with in the relevant course. Attendance bookings and confirmations, course cancellations, rebookings, date changes for bookings and so on normally go hand in hand with a specific form of notification. LSO 600 offers a new correspondence concept that can be implemented as an alternative to the normal correspondence concept. As part of the new “request based correspondence”, special settings allow users the option of correcting and supplementing the content of correspondence before it is created.

Figure 207:

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Correspondence can either be triggered manually by a training administrator, or a learner triggers automatic correspondence by way of a self service action. In both cases, you can define in Customizing whether additional information is to be added and the data checked, or whether the document should be created without additional, external assistance. If the correspondence is to be edited by another employee, the correspondence data is arranged in a worklist that the employee in question can then process. After checking the date, the employee then triggers the creation of the message. Various output media options are available: • • • • •

E-mail Fax SAP Mail Text message Printed document Hint: As well as “Queuing and Editing”, the obvious advantage of the new correspondence options is the standard use of e-mails with pdf attachments.

Delimitation of SAPscript Note that request-based correspondence in the SAP Learning Solution is a new function based on a different data model and a different data store to that of the SAPscript.based correspondence from the previous versions of Training and Event Management. Request-based correspondence and SAPscript-based correspondence are two independent applications in the SAP Learning Solution. This means: • • •

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They have no shared Customizing They have no shared forms They have no shared output logs, logs of correspondence to be output, or error logs.


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Lesson: Correspondence in the SAP Learning Solution

Lesson Summary You should now be able to: • Name the features of the new correspondence concept.

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Unit Summary

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Unit Summary You should now be able to: • Explain the fundamental principle on which the SAP Business Information Warehouse (BIW) works • Describe the visual representation of reporting in the SAP BIW • Name the features of the new correspondence concept.

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Course Summary

Course Summary You should now be able to: • •

Describe the business processes of (Blended) Training Management, the Learning Portal and the Authoring Environment Define the structure of the SAP Learning Solution and the interplay between the various components

Related Information •

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Use a URL or cross-reference tag to point out additional information that the participants may find useful, such as Web sites or white papers. Delete this if not applicable.


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Course Summary

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Feedback SAP AG has made every effort in the preparation of this course to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the materials. If you have any corrections or suggestions for improvement, please record them in the appropriate place in the course evaluation.

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HR270 en SAP Learning Solution Overview Participant Handbook 2006

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