FAQs for Learners

Updated December 11, 2023 20:46

Overview

The Setup icon provides Admins with a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) tool. With it, Admins can provide their users with an additional resource that can help them optimize their use of Absorb in order to get the most out of their training.

Admins can add the FAQs to the Learner Dashboard so that the Users can easily locate and consult them when they have a system question. By assigning them a prominent location on the Learner Interface, Admins can use the FAQs to educate the Users, or to even call attention to important LMS information that Users need to be made aware of. While this latter function is already served by Billboards, News Articles, etc., having an additional means of communicating information is always beneficial.

Important FYI

Admins have the option to compose any questions and answers they choose. Since FAQs, like Courses, have availability rules, FAQs can be customized for different users based on their roles, departments, etc.
System Admins can add the FAQs tile to User Dashboards.

FAQs Report

The Absorb FAQs tool will launch using the standard Report layout as its starting point. From there, an Admin can do the following:

Create a new FAQ
Work on an existing FAQ
Run a custom FAQ Report

To access the FAQs Report, select the Setup icon() and then select FAQs.

The basic FAQ Report can be customized to provide data on any of the following parameters:

Element	Description
Answer	This is the full version of the response to the question, written by the Admin using the built-in text editor, that will be shown to Learners.
Author *	This is the name of the Admin that initially created the FAQ.
Date Added*	This column displays the date the FAQ was first created and saved to the LMS.
Date Edited*	This column displays the date the FAQ was last updated and re-saved to the LMS.
ID	This column displays the FAQ identifier automatically assigned by the LMS and can be used in creating deep links in Absorb.
Is Published*	This column displays the binary answer of whether or not the Admin has switched the Publication toggle in the General Tab to On, making the FAQ available to Learners on the LMS.
Order	This number sets the displayed sequence of FAQs presented to the Learner on their Dashboard.
Question*	This is what the FAQ will be named as it appears in both the FAQ Report in the Admin Interface and also in all views of the item in the Learner Interface (mandatory).
Read Count*	This column displays the number of times that Learners have opened the FAQ to view it.
Short Answer	This is the full version of the response to the question, written by the Admin using the built-in text editor, that will be shown to Learners.

Note: (* - Columns shown automatically as part of the default report view.)

Example:

Actions

General Tab - Actions

When creating a new FAQ the Actions available for use by the Admin are:

Action	Description
Add FAQ	This button will launch the FAQ workspace where the new FAQ can be created.
Save	This button will save the new FAQ and return back to the FAQ Report page where the newly created FAQ will now appear in Date Added order in the Report.
Cancel	This button will cancel the newly created FAQ without saving it in the LMS (which the Admin will be prompted to confirm) and return the Admin back to the FAQ Report page.

When working with a previously saved FAQ the Actions available for use by the Admin are:

Action	Description
Edit FAQ	This button will relaunch the FAQ workspace where any selected FAQ from the Report can be updated and re-saved.
Delete FAQ(S)	This button will erase any FAQ(s) selected from the FAQ Report (which the Admin will be prompted to confirm). Any FAQ(s) deleted here is permanently removed from the LMS and cannot be recovered.
Deselect	This button will clear any FAQ selection(s) made by the Admin in the FAQ Report.
Quick Save*	This button will save the existing FAQ without returning back to the FAQ Report page so that the Admin can continue working on the FAQ they are currently editing.
View History*	This button will open a new dialog box containing a detailed breakdown of any and all of the change(s) made to the FAQ since it was created - including the date and the party responsible for the update(s), listed in order of most to least recent. This feature can be useful for any FAQ that multiple Admins may have worked on and/or to review any previous changes made to the FAQ's content or information.
Save*	This button will save any changes made to the existing FAQ and return the Admin back to the FAQ Report page.
Cancel*	This button will cancel any changes made to the existing FAQ, revert back to the last saved version (which the Admin will be prompted to confirm), and then return the Admin back to the FAQ Report page.

Note: * - Action options available after the FAQ has been re-opened for editing.

After the existing FAQ is re-saved the Admin can decide to run a filtered report based on the group of FAQs residing in the LMS.

Adding Questions and Answers

The following instructions begin from the Setup icon, under FAQ.

1. Once you're on the FAQ Report, click the FAQ + button on the right-hand menu bar.

2. You will be brought to the FAQ build. Under the General Tab, enter the required information elements to create an FAQ:

Element	Description
Question	This is what the FAQ will be named as it appears in both the FAQ Report in the Admin Interface and also in all views of the item in the Learner Interface (mandatory).
Answer	This is the full version of the response to the question, written by the Admin using the built-in text editor, that will be shown to Learners once they have selected either the question link (or the arrow next to it) in the Preview of the FAQ.
Author	This is the name of the Admin that initially created the FAQ. It is automatically populated by Absorb but can be changed to any other Admin name that is contained in the LMS.
Order	This number sets the displayed sequence of FAQs presented to the Learner on their Dashboard. This number is also responsible for a master ordering of all FAQs present in LMS, regardless of which Learner audiences they are intended for - or which Admin created them. For the Learner they will only be presented with those FAQs that they have been granted access to as per Absorbs Availability Rules. For them their particular FAQs will always follow the master sequence order and skip over displaying any FAQs in the LMS that they are not permitted to see.
Publication	This switch determines whether or not the FAQ will become active on the LMS. As soon as the Admin publishes the FAQ (by setting the Publication option to 'On' and saving the change) it will be uploaded to the FAQ tile on the Dashboard of every Learner that is a part of the resource's intended audience.

Example:

3. After you have added the required information, navigate to the right and click on the Availability Tab.

Note: The Availability Tab is optional.

4. If required, Add Rule.

The Add Rule feature can be used to deliver or filter a specific FAQ to groups of Users.
If no filters have been added to this FAQ, all Users will be able to view this question and answer through the FAQs tile on their dashboard.
The Add Rule button will display the space for the 3 components of each rule. You can add many rules by clicking on Add Rule multiple times.
The Refine Rule button adds AND to further refine the previously defined rule it is grouped with.

5. Once you are finished entering all required information and availability rules (if needed), click Save.

Watch: Example

Viewing FAQs

FAQs are accessible to Users on the Learner Dashboard.

When selecting FAQs on the dashboard, learners will be taken to the list of FAQs which displays all questions. Learners must scroll to locate their question, and then click on the arrow to reveal the answer for their question.