Creating a Channel

What is a Channel?

• Channels are subscriptions that contain content that has been compiled together into at least one learning path and is relevant for a specific topic or group of learners. Franchise Admins can subscribe a channel to their clients.
• Learners may also be given access to bonus content (e.g., additional online courses, supplemental videos, job aids, etc.) through a Channel subscription. 

Each Channel can have a core learning path which contains the main (mandatory) content the learner must complete. Other content can be offered too but does not have to be mandatory. 

Each franchise has a Channels folder which can be found within the CUSTOMER AUDIENCE folder structure.

Creating a Channel

Please follow the steps below to create a channel:

1. From the Learning Navigator, select your Channels folder.

2. Click on the action list of the folder, and select the Create Channel option.

3. Fill out the fields on the Create tab. Here are the typical settings for a channel.

Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory fields:

• Name*: Enter the name of the channel (e.g., Example Channel XYZ).
• Modality*: Select Subscription (SN)
• Subscription Period*: Set to 365 days. This is the default amount of time at Sandler that someone has access to a channel after purchasing and enrolling in it.         
• Subscription Renewal Window*: The amount of days before the subscription end date that someone can renew a user's subscription in the channel.
• Language*: Select the delivery language(s) of the training offered in the channel.
• Channel Type: Channels and Learning Centers function similarly but serve different purposes, they can be used to highlight different approaches to content organization.
  • Default: Select this option as channels are typically used for ongoing, flexible content management and collaboration.
  • Learning Center: Used for more structured learning pathways. Reach out to [e-mail] if you want to learn more.
• Show Subscribers Tab: Set to No to hide list of subscribers/enrolled learners.
• Subscriber Can Add Content: Set to No since users should not be adding content to the LMS.
• Enable Forum: Set to No unless someone in your org will be monitoring this forum on the channel.
• Allow Unsubscribe: Set to No unless you want to allow learners to unenroll from the channel.
• Maximum Enrollment: Leave blank if not needed.
• Short Description*: The short description appears in various places in the UI        
• Inherit Folder Enrollment Conditions - Self Enrollment: Please set to “Yes”
• Workflow: Do not select a workflow.
• Description: The description appears on the channel homepage.
• Audience: Description of the target audience of the channel.
• Upload Banner: Ability to upload a banner image, size of the image: 1170px x 195px

There are various options when creating a channel.

Channels have the following tabs:

• Targeting: Targeting should be inherited from the folder.
• Widgets: By default the Learning Paths, Featured and Reference Materials widgets will appear on the homepage. From the Widgets tab you can change the order of appearance and add/remove widgets.
• Base Price: This is where you set the default and renewal base price of the course
• Pricing: this is where you can see the calculated default and renewal price for ewch region (country).
• Channel Manager: Channel Managers can be assigned to a channel – Not needed for MVP
• Enrollments: Shows what learners are enrolled into the channel
• Categories: Categories are used in the catalog. Please assign the right category or categories to a channel to improve searchability in the catalog.
• Email: Email Audit of notifications related to the channel
• Recommendations: These are the courses that will appear in the Featured widget
• Data Source: A way of adding content to the channel in bulk by selecting a category.
• Reference Materials: Reference Materials can be uploaded or referenced here. The content will appear in the Reference Materials widget on the homepage and below the Reference Materials tab

Adding a Core Learning Path to a Channel

Assumption: The learning path you like to set up as the core learning path for the channel has been created already.

NOTE: For learners to be auto-enrolled in learning paths and mandatory content within the learning path, the learning path must have at least one mandatory section, and the learning path must be added to a channel with the Core Learning Path setting set to Yes. 

Please follow these steps to add the learning path to the channel and make it the core learning path:

1. From the Admin tab, select the Learning Navigator option.
2. Locate and select the Learning Path you like to add to the channel. In this example, we’re setting the Example Learning Path learning path as the core learning path for the Example Channel XYZ channel.
3. Click the Actions menu of the learning path, and select the Add to Channel option from the menu displayed.

4. On the window displayed, select your channel (e.g., in this example, select the Example Channel XYZ channel).

5. Set the Core Learning Path setting set to Yes.

6. Click “Submit”

A couple of things to note on the Learning Path View page:

1. Triggers: When someone enrolls into a channel with a core learning path the enrolled learner is automatically also enrolled in the core learning path. Learners enrolled in the channel prior to adding the core learning path will be enrolled in the learning path.
2. Channels widget: This shows all the channels that contain that specific learning path
3. The text “Core Learning Path” appears under channels where the LP was added as a core learning pathway.
4. The learning path can be removed from channels using the “Remove” button in this Channels widget.

Triggers: When someone enrolls into a channel with a core learning path, the enrolled learner is automatically also enrolled in the core learning path. Learners enrolled in the channel prior to adding the core learning path will be enrolled in the learning path.

IMPORTANT: To convert a non-core channel LP to core, or vice-versa, you would need to ‘Remove’ the LP and then re-add it to the channel with the appropriate setting.