LMS FAQs

Q. Can I deliver MindLeaders courses via my Learning Management System (LMS)?
A. Yes. If your LMS is conformant with SCORM 1.2 or with the AICC's HACP protocol, MindLeaders content can be launched and tracked seamlessly within your LMS. If your LMS is not conformant with one of these standards, there may still be options available for you to launch the content from within the LMS, and you should talk to your Sales or Support representative about possible alternatives.

Q. What are AICC and SCORM, and what is the difference between the two?
A. Both are industry standards that establish protocols for exchanging information about the learner and the learner’s experience in a piece of content. Both protocols enable the passing of the same type of data, including Score, Status, Bookmark and Time spent in the lesson. The difference is in how this information is exchanged between a piece of Content and an LMS.

The difference:
When AICC HACP is used, a student will click on a link, which will direct his browser to where the content is located (mindleaders.com). As soon as he gets to the content site, the MindLeaders server will make an HTTP connection to the LMS server at an address that the LMS specifies in the link that the student has clicked. This HTTP connection is made in order for the content to receive student information from the LMS (name, ID, etc.) that it will use to create the student’s learning session. When that session has been completed, the MindLeaders server once again makes an HTTP connection to the LMS, and this time it tells the LMS what the student did in the course (Score, Status, Bookmark, etc.)

When SCORM is used, a student will click on a link, which will direct his browser to a MindLeaders SCORM API that sits in a folder on the LMS server. This API and the LMS’s API Adaptor are both loaded into the student’s browser. As soon as they are loaded, the MindLeaders API does two things. First, it communicates (via JavaScript) with the LMS’s API Adaptor in order for the content to receive student information. Second, the API communicates this information by making an HTTP connection to the content server at mindleaders.com. The course is then launched in the student’s browser. When his session ends, the MindLeaders API communicates the session data (Score, Status, Bookmark, etc.) to the LMS’s API Adaptor.

Q. Do I need to do anything to the content (edit pages, strip out questions, etc.) to make it run properly for the LMS users? Will the content actually be hosted with the LMS?
A. No. MindLeaders courses are entirely self-contained and ready for deployment in an LMS environment. The courses will run from the mindleaders.com website, and the LMS will be loaded with launch strings that point to that content. No courseware maintenance is necessary.

Q. Where do I get these launch strings, and how do I load them into my LMS?
A. When using AICC, MindLeaders will provide standard AICC files (.au, .crs, .des, .cst) for import into your LMS. These are files defined by the AICC, and they come in a standard format that is recognized by AICC-conformant softwares. The files contain launch URLs, Titles, and other descriptive information about the courses that the LMS will use to create your launch strings.

When using SCORM, MindLeaders will provide SCORM manifests and metadata for import into your LMS. There are files defined by the SCORM, and they also come in a format recognized by SCORM-conformant systems. A SCORM LMS will use the information contained within these files to create launch strings for the courses.

Q. Do I need to set up student accounts on the MindLeaders side, as well as within my LMS?
A. No. The LMS launch process automatically creates student accounts. If a student has been given access to a MindLeaders course in the LMS, then as soon as he or she attempts to launch the first course, a student record will be automatically created in the MindLeaders database.

Q. Will students need to log in again, enter a password, or go through any additional authentication when trying to launch courses?
A. No. The LMS launch process does the entire student authentication, and the student experience is seamless.

Q. If my students begin using an LMS to launch MindLeaders courses, can they still access the courses by logging in directly at mindleaders.com, like they used to? Can I still access my Admin account, and can I still run the same reports I’m used to?
A. Yes, and yes. Although both of these functions are within the LMS’s control, the same features and functions are still available at the mindleaders.com website. While students may normally launch the courses from the LMS, you may decide to allow them to also access the courses by going to mindleaders.com and logging in with an id and password. Likewise, while student activity data will be reported and available from the LMS interface, you may still access MindLeaders Web Admin and run the same reports that are available to non-LMS users.

Q. Do I lose any features or functionality when switching to an LMS environment?
A. There are some minor differences in the courseware appearance and in the way users navigate to certain features. Overall, it is the same courseware experience for the LMS user as for the non-LMS user.

Q. Will I have to start over with new student records? If my students have taken courses directly at mindleaders.com, will I lose all of that historical data when I move to an LMS environment?
A. No. MindLeaders can export your student data into a format that can be imported into your LMS database, so that both systems have identical records before your students begin launching courses from the LMS. Then, moving forward, both systems will stay synchronized through the LMS launch and update processes.

Q. Can I test MindLeaders in my LMS?
A. Yes! Please ask your Sales representative to arrange LMS testing, and you can test the launching and tracking of MindLeaders courses in your LMS.