The Electronic Signature (E-Signature) Learning Object lets you require Learners to acknowledge, or "sign off," that they have met the requirements of a Course. This functionality helps you catalog and report proof that a Learner has read and accepted your agreement, giving your organization confidence that Learners are appropriately identified.

Key Considerations

Review the following details before you add an E-Signature Learning Object to a Course:

• Online Courses only: You can add E-Signature Learning Objects only to Online Courses.
• One per Course: Each Course supports one E-Signature Learning Object. Once a Course contains one, the E-Signature option no longer appears in the Add Learning Object modal.
• Single Sign-On (SSO) environments: If your Users authenticate through SSO, you must use the PIN method, which has Learners sign with their username and a personal identification number (PIN). The Authenticate method requires an LMS password, which SSO Users don't have. All clients can choose the PIN method, whether or not they use SSO.
• One language per Course: The E-Signature fields don't offer translation options. If your environment supports multiple languages, create a separate Course and E-Signature Learning Object for each language. For more information, see Setting Up Language-Specific Courses.

• Placement in the Syllabus: You can place the E-Signature Learning Object anywhere in the Course Syllabus, subject to the Course's Must Complete setting:

  • All lessons, in any order
  • All lessons, in order by chapter
  • Exams only

  For details on each option, see Overview of Online Course Settings.

• Retroactive changes: Changes to the Electronic Signature Agreement or Method apply retroactively to all Users. For more information, see Retroactive Changes in Absorb LMS.
• Mobile App: E-Signature Learning Objects are available online only and can't be downloaded for offline use in the Absorb Learning Mobile App. For more information, see How Do Learners Download and Sync Offline Progress Using the Absorb Learning Mobile App?

Add an E-Signature Learning Object

You add E-Signature Learning Objects from the Syllabus section when adding or editing an Online Course. For the full Course build process, see How to Create an Online Course.

To add an E-Signature Learning Object:

1. Add or edit an Online Course.
2. In the Outline of the Syllabus section, locate the Chapter where you want to add the E-Signature.
3. Click Add Learning Object. The Add Learning Object modal opens.
4. Click the E-Signature Learning Object type.
   
    
5. Click Next. The Add Electronic Signature Lesson modal opens.
6. Complete the fields described in the E-Signature Lesson Settings section below.
7. Click Save to save the Learning Object, close the modal, and return to the Course settings.
8. Click Publish to save the Course.

Note: You can add the E-Signature to a new or existing Chapter. You can rename the Chapter or keep the default name, Chapter "#".

E-Signature Lesson Settings

The Add Electronic Signature Lesson modal contains the following settings. The same settings appear in the Edit Electronic Signature Lesson modal when you edit an existing E-Signature.

Authenticate is the default Method. To change it, click the radio button for one of the following options:

Configure PIN Creation for Electronic Signatures

The Require PIN Creation For Electronic Signatures setting on a Department Template prompts Learners to create a PIN that they use to sign E-Signature Learning Objects. The PIN method requires this setting, which is off by default.

• Learners in the Department are prompted to create a PIN at their next login after you turn on the setting.
• Child Departments without their own Template settings inherit the setting from the nearest parent Department that has them.
• Admins can reset a Learner's PIN from the Edit User page.

To turn on PIN creation for a Department Template:

1. Click Setup in the Admin Menu.
2. Click Templates. The Templates Report opens.
3. Select the checkbox for the Department Template you want to update.
4. Click Edit in the Actions menu.
5. Click the Settings tab.
6. Scroll to the Electronic Signatures section.
7. Click the Require PIN Creation For Electronic Signatures toggle. The toggle turns blue and displays a checkmark when on.
   
    
8. Click Save.
9. Click Return to Admin Template to go back to the Templates Report.

If the Department doesn't have its own Template, see Department Templates to create one. For other settings on this tab, see Department Templates: Settings Tab.

Reset a Learner's PIN

If a Learner forgets their PIN, an Admin with the required permissions can reset it. The Learner must create a new PIN at their next login.

1. Open the Edit User page for the Learner.
2. Click Reset E-Signature PIN.
3. Confirm the reset in the prompt that appears.

The message "Learner's PIN was successfully reset." appears when the reset is complete.

The Learner Experience

Learners interact with E-Signatures in two places: the Create a PIN screen, if their Department Template requires a PIN, and the E-Signature Learning Object inside the Course.

Create a PIN

When PIN creation applies to a Learner, they see the Create a PIN screen at their next login, and again after an Admin resets their PIN. The PIN must be 4 to 10 digits, using numbers only.

Sign an E-Signature

When a Learner opens the E-Signature Learning Object, they see the following:

• The Learning Object's Name
• The Electronic Signature Agreement in a scrollable panel
• A Username field
• A PIN or Password field, depending on the configured Method
• A Submit button

The Learner must enter their own username, because the LMS accepts signatures only from the logged-in Learner's account. Learners can sign only while the lesson is Not Started or In Progress. A successful signature marks the lesson Complete, which counts toward the Course's completion requirements.

Failed Attempts and Lockout

If the username, PIN, or password is incorrect, an error message appears and the Learner can try again:

• PIN method: "You have entered an invalid username and/or PIN. Please try again."
• Authenticate method: "You have entered an invalid username and/or password. Please try again."

After too many failed attempts, the LMS locks the Learner's account and displays the Electronic Signature Lockout message. The Learner must wait 15 minutes before logging in and trying again. Learners who forget their PIN must contact their Admin to reset it. For more information about account locks, see Too Many Failed Logins Account Lock.

Reporting on Electronic Signatures

When a Learner signs, the LMS records the date and time of the signature on their Course Enrollment. Use the following report columns to track E-Signatures: