Totara has recently introduced version 10 of the Totara Learn LMS. In March, Totara also built upon the foundations of version 10 to provide Totara Learn 11. Although very similar, version 11 has a few extra features to support GDPR compliance. So what exactly has changed in the latest versions of the Totara learning management system? Learning Nexus gives you the run down with the top 10 new functions.
1. Featured Links Blocks
The new ‘featured links block’ allows admins to upload any image to create tile-based navigation. This allows you to control the look and feel of your LMS. The tiles could be a gallery of rotating images or you could link to specific courses or learning content within your LMS or to external sites – the opportunities are endless!
2. User tours
A fantastic new feature is the ability to create tours for users of your LMS. You can create as many tours as you like in different areas of the LMS to help learners find their way. The user tours use automated walkthroughs. The tour can navigate back and forth and be reset or replayed as many times as required. You could set up a tour to help new LMS users navigate the interface and find their available courses, for example.
3. 360° Feedback
With self-evaluation set to be a big trend in 2018, one of our favourite functions is the 360° Feedback tool. The tool has now been enhanced to allow optional or mandatory self-evaluation. This allows employees the opportunity to review their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the option to ask their work peers for feedback to help fuel their development.
4. Self-completion
Self-directed learning (allowing the workforce to choose, set goals and evaluate their own learning) is becoming a big trend. Totara Learn’s self-completion update helps to support this method of learning. You can now mark completion from within a module such as ticking a “complete” box inside a forum, marking that section as complete and adding it to your evidence of learning. This helps to make the learning evidence process much more efficient.
5. Self-registration
Whilst previous versions already had self-registration as a feature, Totara Learn now has a plug-in for self-registration with approval. This means that users can be allowed to register themselves. However, it will require a site administrator or another user with the necessary rights to approve the registration request before the user is added to the site.
6. Forum features
With social learning becoming a focus for many organisations, Totara has enhanced forum functionality. Administrators can now ‘lock’ a discussion after a set period of inactivity, helping to ensure that discussions are relevant and kept up-to-date. You can also now ‘pin’ a post to the top of a forum. Pinned post ideas could include a welcome message to user, an explanation to the discussion’s purpose or any points of consideration.
7. Tag collections
Totara Learn 10 and 11 allow administrators to set tags to different areas of the LMS. How might this be useful? You could tag certain courses with different topics, such as tagging courses of interest during ‘Health and Safety at Work Week’, for example. This allows users to easily click on the tag they are interested in and view all the relevant courses, learning content, blogs etc.
8. Report management
Version 10 and 11 have more advanced report management function. There are now two separate pages which allows you to manage user-generated reports and embedded reports individually. This allows you to effectively manage and customise your own reports whilst still accessing the default reports that come with the system.
9. Recycle bin
Have you ever accidentally deleted a course or activity on your LMS? This is no longer a problem if you have Totara Learn 10 or 11. The new recycle bin feature holds deleted courses and other activities/resources for a set period of time before they are permanently removed from the site. If needed, you can restore the items directly from the recycle bin if you decide you need them back.
10. Messages bar
The user interface has been refreshed so that you can see your message and notifications more easily. You can quickly view your notifications and message with a few icons and set your alerts and task preferences with ease.
If the functionality of Totara sounds like it could be of use for you, contact us for a free demo. We can provide you with a demonstration to allow you to envisage how Totara could help your organisation.
Contact us by emailing hello@learningnexus.co.uk or filling in our simple contact form.