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Testing Training

Before training is loaded and made available in the BuckeyeLearn Live environment, it must be tested in the Pilot environment.

Testing Note

Testing must never be done in the Live environment.

Why Training Must be Tested

Robust testing before releasing training in the BuckeyeLearn Live environment is crucial for several reasons:

  • To ensure that the training acts as expected in BuckeyeLearn
  • To identify any problematic areas for a learner
  • To reduce the number of tickets/questions that problems could cause, adding to your workload

Testing your training gets you familiar with potential issues so that if a question or ticket comes your way, it can easily be addressed and you can anticipate these issues by including them in the description in BuckeyeLearn or addressing them in the introduction slides of the training.

Examples

  • If your training works best in a certain browser, at minimum this information should be included in the description, and ideally, should be included at the beginning of the training
  • If your online training module is the first part of a curriculum, consider including information about what steps learners must take to complete the curriculum, both in the description and at the end of the online course

In deciding what to test, consider your audience and how they will be taking the training. This document outlines best practices; however, not all scenarios may apply to your training.

Minimum Training Note

At minimum, you must test that the training interacts with BuckeyeLearn as expected and that the course completes upon completing all completion requirements.

What Training Must Be Tested

All learning objects must be tested, including training purchased or used from a third-party vendor. This includes:

  • Curricula
  • Instructor-led training
  • Materials
  • Online courses
  • Tests
  • Videos

 

Testing in Pilot

Final content must be approved before loading to pilot for testing.

Pilot Note

Pilot is only used for functionality testing. Do not upload content to Pilot until the content of the training is finalized. Pilot should never be used for reviewers to review and approve the content of your training.

After your training has been loaded to pilot, you must take training as if you were a learner. To do this, you must access training from your transcript using one of two methods. Expand each accordion section to review each method.

Search For and Request Training

Searching for and requesting training is the most robust method of testing and is recommended especially for instructor-led training (ILT) and when you are using a type of training you are unfamiliar with. This allows you to test your training from end-to-end, just how a learner will interact with it.

After you load your training into Pilot, add your admin account in the availability. 

After loading, you will need to wait until your course is indexed by the Cornerstone software (usually 15-30 minutes) and then search for it using the search box at the top of any BuckeyeLearn page (or any other method to find training), and request it as a learner.

Once you have requested the training, access it from your transcript.

Assign Training to Your Transcript

If you have permissions to use the learning assignment tool, you can assign the training to your admin account.

While you can test the training this way, you will not be able to see how requesting the training will appear to a learner. This type of testing is recommended only when you are very familiar with the type of training you have loaded or the training will primarily be assigned to users, not requested by them.

 

General Testing for All Types of Training

Is the training available to the correct learners?

Review your availability to be sure you have included all learners who may need to take the training. Ask yourself:

  • Should all employees have access?
  • Should student employees have access?
  • Should non-employees, such as consultants or students, have access?
  • If it will only be assigned, is the availability blank?
Does the training launch from your transcript?

After the training is on your transcript, can you open it?

Can you take the training?

Once the training has launched, can you take it?

Does the training function as expected?

Do any links within the training work?

Are all resources mentioned available?

Is the training marked complete?

When you meet the completion requirements, is the training marked complete? 

If there are any special requirements for completion, are they noted in the description and/or the training? For example, if a training must be viewed for at least 30 minutes, note that in the description or training.

Does the training work on devices your learners commonly use?

While most learners complete their training on computers, use of mobile devices, such as tablets and phones, is becoming much more common. Students and faculty are increasingly using their university-issued iPads to take and complete training. Test your training on multiple devises, including:

  • Windows computers
  • Macs
  • Chromebooks
  • iPads
  • Android tablets
  • Android phones
  • iPhones

In addition, ask yourself:

  • If your training should only be taken on a computer, is that noted in the description and/or training?
  • Is your training required to be mobile-friendly?
  • Can your training be easily viewed and interacted with on mobile devices?
  • Does your training require any apps to be downloaded to view training, such as for PDFs or YouTube videos?
Does the training work in browsers your learners commonly use?

There are many browsers available and your training may be accessed from any of them. Test your training in multiple browsers, and if your training works best in one or doesn’t work at all in another, make that information prominent in the training description. Test your training the both computer and mobile versions of browsers, including

  • Internet Explorer
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Safari

At minimum, you should test in Internet Explorer and Safari.

Does the training work on non-Ohio State wi-fi connections?

While most training will work on any wi-fi connection, some training may be behind firewalls that require a learner to be connected to a specific network. If that is required, provide information in the training description with instructions to access it.

Test your training to be sure it will work on slow or low-bandwidth connections. Does it take a long time to load? If so, you may want to note that learners should only take the training on a high-speed connection in the training description.

 

Accessibility Testing

All training in BuckeyeLearn must be accessible to learners with disabilities. This includes links to external materials and videos.

Accessibility Note

You are required to test and verify that your training is accessible. It is not the responsibility of the BuckeyeLearn Support team.

For more information, review the Accessibility job aid. 

Testing Specific Types of Training

In addition to the general and accessibility testing needed of all types of training, some types of training require additional testing.

Curricula
  • If you are including training that you don’t own in the curriculum, have you contacted the content owner for permission, as required?
  • Is there at least one required learning object?
  • On your transcript, does the structure of the curricula look as you intended?
  • Is the Curriculum Player box checked?
  • Is the Pre-Approved checkbox checked for each learning object?
  • Is the correct recurrence selected?
  • If not all learning objects are required, is that clear to the learner?
  • If learning objects must be completed in order, does that function as expected?
  • If learning objects only are available after a certain time, does that function as expected?
  • Does the curriculum complete when all required learning objects are complete?
Instructor-Led Training
  • If a multi-day or multi-part session, are instructions for registering for all parts or days included in the description?
  • Are attendance requirements included in the description, such as learners must attend the entire session to be marked as attended?
  • For webinars, are instructions on how to join online included in the description?
  • Are any special withdrawal penalties or policies included in the description?
Materials
  • If you are linking to documentation, does the link work when launched from your transcript?
  • Is a login required to open linked documentation? If so, include that information in the description.
  • If you uploaded a document, does it open?
  • If the material will be viewed on mobile devices, do any apps need to be downloaded to view it, such as for PDFs or podcasts?
  • If the material will be viewed on mobile devices, does the material appear correctly?
Online Courses
  • Does all interactivity work as expected?
  • Do all links work?
  • Do all embedded videos work?
  • Do all animations appear as expected?
  • Is all audio synced with the content?
  • Do all toggles and buttons work, such as for audio, video, pause, and closed captioning?
  • If users must view all slides before a course is marked complete, does that work?
  • If users do not have to view any slides before a course is marked complete, does that work?
  • Do both successful and failed knowledge checks and quizzes work as expected?
  • Can learners retake a failed quiz?
  • If a user must fulfill certain conditions to complete the course, such as viewing all of the slides and getting above 80% on a quiz,
    • Does that work?
    • Are those conditions included in the course description and/or at the beginning of the course?
    • And they only complete one condition, is it clear what they must do to complete the course?
  • Does the course play and complete on low-bandwidth connections?
  • Can the course functionality, such as buttons and interactions, be used on smaller mobile screens?
Tests
  • Did you include any special instructions, such as resources learners might need, a minimum score, or a limit on attempts?
  • If learners fail a test and cannot re-take it, did you include instructions about who to contact?
  • Do questions appear as intended, such as in sections or randomized?
  • Is the pass score appropriate?
Videos
  • If you are linking to the video, does the link work when launched from your transcript? ​​​​Does the link open the correct spot in the video?​​​
  • If you uploaded the video, does it open?