Overview

EQUAL is a cloud-based learning platform developed by The Skills Network. EQUAL offers accredited online program management and courses. This article describes the scope of the EQUAL integration and how to use the integration.

The EQUAL integration allows 2-way communication between Aptem and your instance of the EQUAL LMS. The integration provides the following benefits:

• Create a learner in EQUAL LMS
• Enrol a learner on one or more courses
• Provide Single Sign On (SSO) to the EQUAL learning platform from the Aptem learner console
• Retrieve course results for learners upon completion of work

Prerequisites

To get started using Aptem with the EQUAL LMS we need to record some information in Aptem. This is to ensure that the two systems can talk to each other in a secure and trusted manner.

We will need the following information from you:

• Site Domain Name: this is the URL that you typically use to access your instance of EQUAL LMS, e.g. {trainingprovider}.equal-online.com/
• API Token: this is a case-sensitive alphanumeric string, e.g. R55GerP36LEEq2ccE4bq.
  The API token can be obtained by contacting The Skills Network.
• SSO Secret Key: this is a case-sensitive alphanumeric string, e.g. 6c31h8f2z999r6j008d35tete5gesdg6asfd556c832a141a33.
  The SSO Secret Key can be obtained by contacting The Skills Network.

Configuring your integration

You will need to request for support to enable the EQUAL LMS integration on your tenant. To enable this our support team will need the following information sent in the request:

• Your tenant name, e.g. {your-tenant-name}.aptem.co.uk
• Your EQUAL site domain name, e.g. {trainingprovider}.equal-online.com/
• API token, e.g. R55GerP36LEEq2ccE4bq
• SSO secret key, e.g. 6c31h8f2z999r6j008d35tete5gesdg6asfd556c832a141a33

Adding EQUAL courses to your learning plan

Once your tenancy has been successfully configured you will be able to add EQUAL components to a programme. An “EQUAL Course” component in Aptem represents a course in the EQUAL LMS.

Adding courses to Programme Builder

The steps to do this are as follows:

1. Navigate to Programmes
   
   
   
2. Either create a new programme or if editing an existing programme choose “Edit” (the pencil icon) against the programme
   
   
   
3. Navigate to the learning plan
   
   
   
4. Click the “Add new component” button
   
   
   
5. In the component type field choose “EQUAL Course”
   

Complete the component fields, e.g. name, instructions, etc. and enter the Project Id and Course Id for the required course.

Please note that project ids and course ids can be identified by logging into EQUAL with your administrator account.

Adding courses to a learning plan (classic)

In addition to adding EQUAL courses to a programme in Aptem you can add a course for a learner who already on an existing learning plan.

An “EQUAL Course” component in Aptem represents a course in the EQUAL LMS.

The steps to do this are as follows:

1. Navigate to the Users
   
   
   
2. Search for the required learner using the search filters on the users screen
   
   
   
3. Navigate to the learning plan by selecting the “Learning plan” link in the “Learning plan” column of the search results table. Please note if no learning plan link exists the learner does not currently have an active learning plan.
   
   
   
4. Click the “Add new component” button which can be found in the top left-hand corner of the learning plan, below the filters.
   
   
   
5. In the component type field choose “EQUAL Course”
   
   
   
6. Complete the component fields, e.g. name, instructions, etc. and enter the Project Id and Course Id for the required course.
   

Please note that project ids and course ids can be identified by logging into EQUAL with your administrator account.

Learner access to EQUAL courses

Aptem has implemented Single Sign On (SSO) for learner accessing EQUAL courses from the Aptem learner console. This offers a great user experience by avoiding frustration for the learner in to having to login multiple times and the need to remember separate username and passwords.

When a learner signs in to Aptem they will be directed to their learning plan.

In the learning plan any EQUAL courses will appear with the component name entered and with the type of “Online course”.

To access an EQUAL course a learner needs to follow these steps:

1. From their learning plan select the EQUAL component. In the example below this is “Health & Safety in the Workplace (Online course)”.
   
   
   
2. Once selected a sidebar panel will appear on the right-hand side of the screen. At the bottom of this panel there will be a button called “Start Learning”.
   
   
   

When a learner clicks this button a new tab will open that will login them automatically and direct them to their EQUAL landing page. From this screen they will be able to view and access any courses to which they have been enrolled.

Please note, the current EQUAL SSO specification does not provide the ability to direct a learner to a specific course.

EQUAL Course completion

Aptem has implemented a 2-way integration to save time and effort for tutors and to drive efficiencies for a training provider.

In addition to creating learners and course enrolments, Aptem regularly checks EQUAL to identify where learners have achieved courses. This process is completed on a nightly basis and, therefore, the completion of a component in Aptem will not show until the day after a course is marked as achieved.

Aptem identifies an achieved course through checking for an achieved date. Once this is populated automatically by EQUAL, Aptem marks the component in a learning plan as complete.

Aptem also retrieves course information provided by EQUAL and records this as evidence against the component. This evidence is recorded as a simple PDF report containing the details that EQUAL provide via their API. The report will contain the following information and be similar in format: