Course Planner: Certification programs
What is a certification program?
A certificate may be issued as confirmation of attendance at a course or completion of certain course-related activities. It is also possible to issue a certificate without using a transcript of records.
Certificates for a single course are activated and configured in Course > Administration > Settings > Assessment.
A certificate for attending an implementation or attending several courses, on the other hand, can be issued using the certification program. Such certificates are awarded within the Course Planner (implementation). Persons can be admitted to a certification program, and any required recertifications can be managed there: Course Planner > Certification programs
If a member does not meet the required recertification criteria, their membership will be terminated (automatically).
On the other hand, membership in a certification program is also possible for candidates, meaning it can begin even before the first certification.
| Certificate in course | Certificate in certification program |
|---|---|
| Certificate in a single course | Certificate for an implementation or for multiple courses |
| per course | per implementation |
Course > Administration > Settings > Assessment |
Course Planner > Certification programs |
| Recertification: yes | Recertification: yes |
| --- | Usage of credit points |
Possible areas of application
Safety training
Compliance training
Data protection certificates with credit points >
Training programs with automatic recertification >
Leadership development with flexible learning paths >
Create certification program
To create a new certification program, click
Course Planner > Certification programs > Create Certification program
Set up a certification program
Open a certification program by clicking on its name in the list. Then configure it in the various tabs. Step-by-step instructions for setup can be found here:
How can I create certification programs with the Course Planner? >
Status
A certification program can be set from "Active" to "Inactive" status. This is particularly helpful during creation.
Tab Overview
The overview shows you the number of members sorted by status at a glance:
- Active
- Certified
- Expiring soon
- In recertification
Tab Members
To add more people to the certification program and give them the opportunity to earn a certificate, use the "Add member" button.
Every person in the certification program has a membership status:
- Active member: The person holds a certificate in this certification program and is therefore a certified, active member.
- Candidate: The person participates in an implementation linked to the certification program but does not yet hold a certificate in this program. Membership can thus begin before the first certification.
- Alumni: The person has left the certification program, for example after a certificate expired without recertification.
When adding people via the "Certify new users" wizard, the current membership status of each selected person is shown.
If a training course/measure required for recertification is not completed, a certificate expires and the person concerned is automatically removed from the certification program. This is often a necessary automatic process, for example in the case of safety-related certifications.
Individuals who have left the certification program can be viewed under a separate button. This allows certification program owners to quickly identify and contact them.
The three dots at the end of a list item allow certification program owners to contact the person in question.
The option to revoke certificates can also be found here. This allows, for example, certificates that have been issued automatically in error to be withdrawn manually.
Tab Messages
Notifications and reminders always refer to the current configuration. You can check this again in the upper section.
Notifications
In the Notifications section, you will find pre-prepared notifications for the certification program according to the current configuration. You can enable/disable these notifications as needed and customize the default templates for the messages. (You can find the button for customizing a template under the three dots or when you have opened the detailed view.)
Reminders for recertification
In addition, you can create your own reminders in another section, which will then be sent automatically according to your configuration.
Tab Implementations
The condition for obtaining a certificate is the successful completion of one of the implementations listed here (OR link, one of the implementations listed here is sufficient). It does not matter whether the implementations are of exactly the same product or course. Therefore, the selection must be made carefully to ensure equivalence.
Implementations of type single course can also be linked to the certification program directly in the implementation: in the settings of the implementation, in the sub-tab "Assessment".
More details >
If you have created multiple certification programs, you can display filtered lists:
All - Relevant - Cancelled - Finished
By clicking on the plus sign in front of a list entry, you can display the details of this implementation. (You can close the details by clicking on the minus sign.) You can view a lot of information here. To do so, scroll horizontally through the list.
Clicking on the trophy icon takes you directly to the assessment tool. (You must be a coach or owner to do this.)
Clicking on the light bulb icon takes you to the info page. (You must be a member of the implementation to do this.)
Recommendation
You can also open the implementation in a separate browser tab by clicking on the icon with the three dots at the end of a line. This is often helpful for editing.
Tab Owners
Use this tab to add further owners to the current certification program or to remove them.
Tab Settings
In the settings you can define the following:
- What is the title of the certification program
- Who has administrative access to this certification program
- How long the certificate is valid
- Whether and how recertification takes place
- Whether and how many credit points are awarded
- Which PDF certificate is awarded
Button "Metadata"
Button "Configuration"
Button "Certificate"
Under the "Certificate" button, you define which certificate template is used in the certification program. In addition, the following options are available:
Serial number
With the "With serial number" option, each issued certificate is automatically assigned a sequential, human-readable serial number . You define the format using variables: ${counter} or ${counter:N} (counter, optionally with leading zeros for N digits) as well as optional ${year}, ${month}, and ${day}, e.g. REF-${year}-${counter:5}. The counter start value determines the number at which counting begins; the "Next serial number" field shows a preview. The serial number is assigned anew on each issuance (including a recertification), appears on the certificate and in the PDF file name. In the certificate overview, the "Serial number" column can be shown (hidden by default).
Print version for pre-printed paper
With the "With print version" option, you activate an additional print template for pre-printed paper . Authorised persons can thus export a print certificate alongside the standard certificate (individually, as a bulk action, or via the actions menu). Participants continue to receive only the standard certificate.
Tab Activity Log
In this tab, you can trace all activities in the current certification program. Use the filters to search for specific activities.
Certification program and credit points
Credit points as requirement
As explained above, you can make recertification conditional on the prior acquisition of a certain number of credit points. The number of credit points required to obtain the certificate is set under
Course Planner > Certification programs > "Program title" > Tab Settings > Button "Configuration"
Credit points as a means of payment
If the certification program issues a certificate, a determinable number of credit points may also be deducted from the credit balance.
Overview of issued certificates
Who received which certificate and when? This question is asked by owners of a certification program as well as by coaches and the participants themselves. Depending on your role, there are different ways to get an overview.
Overview for certification program owners
In Course Planner > Certification programs > "Program title" > Tab Members, you will find a list of all participants in the certification program. Click on the plus sign in front of a list entry to open the detail view.
There you will see all certificates of the selected person, including expired and archived certificates.
The buttons above the list help you with presorted lists.
Overview for coaches
As a coach, you still keep track of the certificates of your participants most easily
- for single courses in the assessment tool
- for multiple courses in the coaching tool
Overview for education managers
Education managers see all certificates of individual participants from different certification programs and courses under
Coaching > Education manager > "Person" > Tab Certificates
Overview for participants
Participants can find their certificates listed in their personal menu. It does not matter whether a certificate comes from a certification program or an individual course.
Recertification with the certification program
Requirements
The first requirement for recertification with a certification program is that participants must be members of the certification program.
Course Planner > Certification programs > "Program title" > Tab Members
The second requirement is an existing certificate with an expiration date.
Course Planner > Certification programs > "Program title" > Tab Settings > Button Configuration
Thirdly, it may be that a certain number of credit points must be available before recertification is possible.
Renewal by owners of the certification program
Owners of the certification program can renew a certificate that is still valid at any time and thus extend it under
Course Planner > Certification programs > "Program title" > Tab Members > Select member > 3 dots
Recertification period
It makes sense for the owners of the certification program to give participants the opportunity to recertify before the certificate expires. In this context, relevant information and reminders can also be sent out automatically.
Course Planner > Certification programs > "Program title" > Tab Settings > Button Configuration > Section Recertification
Manually issue or revoke certificates
The right to manually issue or revoke certificates lies primarily with the owners of the respective certification program.
In addition, users with the roles "Administrator" and "Course planner" also have administrative access.
- Click the "Members" tab to open the list of participants.
- Click the three dots at the end of the row for the participant in question.
- There, you will see the options for renewing or revoking the certificate.
Important
If credit points must be paid to obtain a certificate, credit points are also deducted when certificates are issued manually.
Storage and download of certificates
Expired certificates are not simply deleted in OpenOlat, but stored in the database. They remain available to authorized persons.
Access by participants
Participants can still find all certificates they have acquired in their personal menu.
Access by coaches
Coaches can view expired certificates of the persons they coach in the assessment tool or in the coaching tool.
Access by owners
Owners of a certification program can still find all expired certificates of a certification program under
Course Planner > Certification programs > "Program title" > Tab Members > Button Alumni in the details of the individual members (click on the plus symbol in front of a line).
The PDF certificates (including expired ones) can be viewed and downloaded individually there.
Access by user managers
If a participant is selected in user management, there is a Certificates tab where all of that person's certificates are listed.
Further information
How can I create certification programs with the Course Planner? (Step-by-step instructions) >
Certificates in single courses >
Certificates in the personal menu >
Course Planner: Implementations >
Credit points in the personal menu >
Credit points (Administration) >