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For those who are unfamiliar with use case scenarios, they are simply the scenarios that users of your system would perform. Put another way: This is a way for you to make a case
for the usage scenarios of your potential LMS users. It is pretty difficult to decide on an LMS provider if you haven’t first decided how your employees will be using the LMS. Use cases force the vendor to show how to perform certain tasks within their solution. It is easy to check the ‘yes’ box on a feature requirement, but when they show you how to use the feature, you can decide if it satisfies your need or not. According to Brandon Hall Group, “Good use case statements are specific about how the system will be used, and are not just a list of features, as illustrated in [the] example [below]” [1] .
It can get pretty hectic when you start to think about all the different possible scenarios that are available. For example, let’s say that one of your scenarios is the ability for students to launch eLearning from the solution. Do you want managers to be able to track progress? What types of information do you want the LMS to report on the eLearning? Should the eLearning show up in the course catalog, or as s required training for the user? Is the eLearning allowed for all employees, or do some employees require approval to launch the course? Does the eLearning have a built in assessment, or is the solution responsible for assessing the employee’s knowledge? The list of questions could go on and on with no discernible rhyme or reason.
In order to organize your list of scenarios it helps to ask the question “Who will do What?”, and organize your answers into a table with the same headers.
| Who | What |
It’s up to you which section you start with, but I find it easier when working with clients to start on the Who side. Now, GyrusAim has role based security, so this is the obvious place to start for our LMS. Roles based security simply means that you create your own roles with our existing 250+ permissions, and you can create as many roles as you would like. Therefore, think of the role name as the Who and the permissions as the What. Below, I have added some typical responses for who uses an LMS. I have added one more Who that is often missed in use case scenarios: the solution itself (these are system automated actions). Keep reading to find out more about these use cases.
| Who | What |
| Student Manager Instructor Training Administrator The Solution Itself |
Next, we need to start thinking about some of the things that we will do in an LMS. This is a much longer list, and will be very specific to the needs of your organization. We have provided an extensive list to get you started, but have by no means encompassed everything in an LMS. When you start to get stuck in the What section, remember to ask yourself, “Who will do What?”.
| Who | What |
| Student Manager Instructor Training Administrator The Solution Itself | Enroll In ClassLaunch eLearningTake Assessment Enroll in CertificationTrack Transcripts Print Transcripts Track Training Requirements Expirations and Due DatesView Enrollments Self-Report TrainingApply for Certifications Approve TrainingEnroll Students in Training Send EmailsRun ReportsGive Assessments Schedule Classes Manage Classes Enroll Students in classes Complete Classes Modify ResourcesSchedule WebinarsRun Reports Create Courses Upload eLearning Create Content From a Web Link Create Content by Uploading a Document Create WebinarAdd Students Manage Organization StructureManage Jobs Define CertificationsAssign Training Requirements Develop Learning Plans |
After you have developed your columns, you are ready to start assembling some use cases. These can be assembled in several different ways. Two examples include: by role and by workflow.
| Use Case by Role Examples | |
| #1. Student’s Ability to view and track training. Demonstrate how [The Student]WHO will be able [to view their historical training records and print these records in CSV format from their personal computer]WHAT.Feel free to add in the specifics of what you need. This will also allow you to see how easy the process is for your users. | #2. Administrator’s Content Management Features Demonstrate the administrator’s control over content creation. Show each of the following: Create Instructor Led TrainingUpload an eLearningCreate content from a document upload. Show how an administrator can run reports on available content listing in the system. |
| Use Case by Workflow Example |
| #1 Instructor Led Training – Demonstrate how each of the following actions can be performed by their respective position. 1. The administrator creates a course in the LMS. 2. An instructor schedules a class for next month. The class will be located at our corporate headquarters. 3. Students will enroll in the class from the course catalog. The class will require approval from a manager. 4. Managers will be able to approve enrollments. Managers should be able to review all of their direct report’s enrollments. 5. The solution will send an automated email to the student when they are enrolled. Notice that we have used each of the roles defined in the Who section above to complete one full workflow. This should help you get an idea of the process involved in creating, scheduling, enrolling, and managing a class. |
This week is about the basic components of use case writing. You should be able to take the table for “Who will do What” above and come up with your own extensive collection of cases. For any questions on LMS use case writing feel free to Contact Us and submit a general inquiry.
Next week we will provide a longer list of role and workflow based examples you could potentially use in your own demonstration request.
[1] “The Poor Overlooked LMS Use Case – Brandon Hall Group.” 2013. 26 Jan. 2016
