Moodle from my understanding is heavily based around the academic world, and is very strong in that field. This world means you complete a course, get a qualification, and you permanently have that qualification, i.e. it never expires.
In the workplace, or even some vocational training facilities, you have courses which are only valid for a period of time, for example First Aid, or Fire Evacuation drills etc.
My history - I have worked for a Vocation Training provider, which has a combination of one off courses (Certificate in Child Care) as well as expiring courses (First Aid, Anaphalaxis etc). My current role is within a major hospital which manages the training requirements for all staff, which includes some one off courses, but some which must be completed every year.
I know I have struggled with this on and off over the last 2 years, and came up with a few options on how to 'handle' the situation. But it then occurred to me, I can't be alone in this conundrum, and I have seen occasional posts from various people with this same issue.
My present thoughts are:
- Create a new course each year with the same content, and enroll all the staff in each year. Of course we run reports, so have to update these reports each year, and staff can't do it in Jan, then update in September etc.
- I have recently worked on some SQL code which pulls the latest successful completion of a SCORM, and updates the completion table with the correct successful date
So I am not a developer, although I dabble with modifying other peoples code, but it seems to me that it shouldn't be hugely difficult to have a type of course completion which can be 'updated'
For example, we have a First Response Evacuation Instruction package which staff must complete every 2 years. Staff can go back into the SCORM package, and it will complete them again, however the gradebook or the completion date doesn't get updated.
What would thoughts be about getting an additional gradebook option, or course completion option, which means if you do the course again, then you get the gradebook and completion date updated with the later date?
I am aiming this initially as a conversation starter, but I guess if we get enough traction on this, it may be something Moodle looks at to make it a more flexible option?
Kind regards
Peter