First Steps for iLearn Users

Access to iLearn is password-protected. A system administrator grants registered users access rights to selected courses. The courses are composed of a series of modules, which feature a combination of static information, multi-media resources and online questionnaires. Any given module is only activated when the previous module has been completed, thereby obliging the user to follow a structured learning curve.

Performance in interactive modules is logged in the database. At various stages during the course, the trainee may be invited to submit text, images, audio or video files to his/her online tutor. Course work is assessed manually and feedback is delivered to the user’s account interface. When all the modules have been completed, a final score is recorded. An average of 60% across all modules is required to pass any given course and BBC-approved certificates are awarded to successful participants.

iLearn is driven by a sophisticated Content Management System (CMS). This means that authorised iLearn partners can expand the range of available courses at any time. All dialogue between the trainer and trainees is conducted through the CMS which also stores detailed user statistics until they are physically deleted.

The CMS has been designed for users with little or no technical expertise and courses can be written in Microsoft Word and simply pasted into the system. This means that trainers are able to supplement any existing or planned initiatives with online courses which they can then manage autonomously through the CMS.

The CMS also includes a facility for building, publishing and updating websites according to prescribed templates. This feature can be used to create micro-sites for small or short-term projects or to publish HTML newsletters. Newsletters feature a selection of short “teasers” which link to online pages created through the CMS. They can be emailed out to an unlimited number of subscribers in an updateable database.