Course & Content Management

Acorn PLMS offers a comprehensive approach to content creation that combines native authoring capabilities with industry-standard integrations. This hybrid model ensures you have the right tools for your organisation's needs while maintaining full ownership and portability of your learning content.

Native Authoring Within Acorn

You can create courses and course descriptions directly within Acorn using the platform's integrated authoring tools. The native authoring environment is designed to be intuitive and accessible, allowing you to build diverse learning materials without leaving the system.

Core Authoring Capabilities

Acorn's built-in authoring tool supports:

• Drag-and-drop content creation: Build courses using an intuitive interface that requires no coding knowledge
• Templates: Access pre-designed templates to accelerate course development and maintain consistency across your catalogue
• Media management: Incorporate multiple forms of media including text, videos, and documents directly into your courses
• Quiz and question banks: Create assessments and build reusable question libraries for flexible quiz construction
• Branching activities: Design persona-based branching logic that personalises learner pathways based on responses or user characteristics
• SCORM and xAPI packaging: Export your content in industry-standard formats for portability and reuse
• Collaborative editing: Work with team members simultaneously on course development
• Version control: Track changes and manage multiple versions of your content as it evolves

AI-Assisted Content Creation

Acorn incorporates AI-assisted authoring capabilities to streamline your content development process. This feature helps you generate course descriptions and content more efficiently, reducing the time required to bring learning materials from concept to deployment.

Course Management and Structure

You can organise your learning content using Acorn's flexible course architecture. The system allows you to:

• Create and modify courses at any time
• Cancel courses when they are no longer needed
• Build courses as containers (shells) that hold multiple activities
• Add programs and live learning content to your catalogue alongside self-paced courses
• Set up dependencies and criticalities between activities to guide learner progression

Interactive Content Beyond Courses

Beyond traditional course authoring, you can create other interactive elements within Acorn:

• Feedback forms: Facilitate Q&A sessions and include file drop areas for learners to submit materials or receive handouts
• Signature forms: Create digital signature capabilities for certifying course completions, skills sign-offs, or policy acknowledgments. Learners can either draw or type their signatures
• Resources and handouts: Upload and distribute learning materials that learners can download and reference
• Diverse activity types: Build varied learning experiences using different activity formats to maintain engagement

Integration with Industry-Leading Tools

While Acorn provides comprehensive native authoring, your organisation may also choose to leverage specialised authoring tools for creating SCORM content. Acorn maintains preferred partnerships with Articulate and EasyGenerator, two industry-leading platforms known for their robust feature sets and ease of use.

This integration approach offers significant advantages:

• Full content ownership: Your organisation retains complete ownership of content created in external tools—you are not locked into Acorn or any proprietary format
• Best-of-breed tools: Use fully functional, mature authoring platforms that specialise in content creation rather than learning management
• Seamless integration: SCORM and xAPI content created externally uploads directly into Acorn courses as activities
• Flexibility: Choose the authoring approach that best suits your content type, team expertise, and organisational requirements

Course Management Features

Once you have authored content—whether natively in Acorn or imported from external tools—you can leverage Acorn's Course Management tool to:

• Upload and format content
• Organise activities and resources
• Create logical learning sequences
• Track completion and performance
• Generate detailed reports on course engagement and learner outcomes

Comprehensive guidance and instructional videos are available in the Help Centre covering Course Management, Activities, Resources, Videos, Programs, and Pages.

Reporting and Analytics

Acorn provides over 20 out-of-the-box reports to track the effectiveness of your authored content. You can monitor user progress, certification status, course completions, quiz scores, feedback, and attendance. Reports support custom filters allowing you to analyse data by user group, location, course, or curriculum.

Getting Started with Content Authoring

To begin authoring content in Acorn:

1. Access the Course Management tool from your administrator dashboard
2. Create a new course or select an existing one
3. Add activities using native authoring tools or import SCORM/xAPI files
4. Incorporate media, quizzes, and interactive elements as needed
5. Set up branching logic or dependencies to enhance learner pathways
6. Publish your course to your learning catalogue

If your organisation prefers to use specialised authoring tools like Articulate or EasyGenerator, develop your content in those platforms first, then upload the resulting SCORM or xAPI packages as activities within your Acorn courses.

Best Practices

Regardless of your authoring approach, consider these best practices:

• Plan your structure: Map out your learning objectives and content hierarchy before authoring begins
• Use templates: Leverage Acorn's templates and preferred partner resources to maintain consistency
• Test thoroughly: Validate all interactive elements, branching logic, and media before publishing
• Collaborate early: Use collaborative editing features to gather feedback from subject matter experts and instructional designers
• Version strategically: Track iterations of your content to manage updates and improvements over time
• Monitor performance: Use Acorn's reporting tools to assess content effectiveness and learner engagement

Acorn's flexible authoring approach ensures your organisation has the tools and control you need to create compelling, effective learning experiences.

Content Translation & Multilingual Support Content Translation & Multilingual Support

Acorn PLMS enables your organisation to deliver learning content to a global workforce by providing robust multilingual support and translation capabilities. Whether you're supporting employees across multiple countries or regions, Acorn's translation and language management features help you create an inclusive learning environment where every learner can engage with content in their preferred language.

Overview of Multilingual Capabilities

Acorn PLMS is designed with multilingual content delivery at its core. The platform supports a unified, multilingual dashboard that adapts to your learners' language preferences, ensuring consistency across the user experience regardless of the language selected. This approach means your organisation can maintain a single learning instance while serving learners in different regions—such as U.S. and Mexico-based employees—without requiring separate platform instances.

The multilingual architecture extends beyond interface translation to include course content itself. This means you can create learning materials in one language and make them available to learners in multiple languages, streamlining your content management workflow while maximising reach across your global workforce.

AI-Assisted Translation for Content Creation

One of the key features supporting multilingual content in Acorn PLMS is AI-assisted translation. This capability accelerates the process of preparing course materials for international audiences by automating the initial translation process. Rather than manually translating every piece of content or relying entirely on external translation services, you can leverage AI-assisted tools to generate translations that your team can then review and refine.

This approach offers several advantages:

• Speed: Reduce the time required to translate course materials, enabling faster deployment of content to new regions.
• Consistency: AI-assisted translation maintains terminology consistency across your learning materials, particularly important for technical or industry-specific content.
• Cost Efficiency: Minimise translation expenses by using AI as a first pass, with human review focusing on quality assurance and cultural appropriateness rather than complete translation from scratch.
• Scalability: As your organisation expands into new markets or adds new courses, translation becomes less of a bottleneck.

Configuring Language Settings

Acorn PLMS provides flexible language configuration options that allow you to tailor the platform experience to your learners' needs. You can set custom language preferences at two levels: individual learner level and tenancy level (organisation-wide).

Learner-Level Language Settings

At the learner level, you can assign specific language preferences to individual users or groups of users. This granular control enables scenarios such as:

• Assigning Spanish as the default language for learners in a Mexico-based office.
• Allowing individual learners to override the default language to suit their personal preferences.
• Supporting multilingual teams where some members prefer English while others prefer their native language.

When you configure learner-level language settings, the learner's dashboard, interface elements, and any multilingual content will display in their selected language.

Tenancy-Level Language Settings

At the tenancy level, you can establish organisation-wide language defaults and enable specific language packs for your entire learning environment. Language packs determine which languages are available to learners across your organisation and ensure that all interface elements, system messages, and configurable content display correctly in those languages.

Tenancy-level settings provide a foundation that individual learner preferences can override, giving you both organisational consistency and personal flexibility. For detailed instructions on configuring tenancy language settings, including how to activate and manage language packs, refer to the Tenancy Language Settings documentation.

Multi-Language Content Delivery

Once you have configured your language settings and translated your content, Acorn PLMS handles the delivery of multilingual materials seamlessly. Learners see course materials in their selected language, and the platform intelligently routes them to the appropriate language version of your content.

This capability supports several content delivery scenarios:

• Single Course, Multiple Languages: Create one course and make it available in multiple languages without duplicating the course structure or administration overhead.
• Regional Content Variations: Deliver region-specific variations of content—such as local compliance requirements or cultural references—alongside core multilingual materials.
• Progressive Rollout: Launch courses in one language initially, then add additional language versions as translations are completed, without disrupting learners in the original language.

Translation Editor Access and Workflows

For organisations managing translation internally, Acorn PLMS provides translation editor capabilities that enable designated team members to review, edit, and approve translations before content is published to learners. Translation editors can:

• Review AI-generated translations for accuracy and cultural appropriateness.
• Edit translations to align with your organisation's terminology, tone, and style guidelines.
• Approve translations for publication to learners.
• Track translation status across multiple courses and languages.

This workflow ensures quality control over translated content while maintaining efficiency in the translation process.

Best Practices for Multilingual Content Management

When implementing multilingual support in Acorn PLMS, consider these best practices:

• Plan Your Language Strategy: Determine which languages your organisation needs to support based on your workforce distribution and growth plans.
• Standardise Terminology: Create a glossary of key terms in all supported languages to ensure consistency across courses and improve translation quality.
• Quality Review Process: Establish a review process for translated content, especially for technical or compliance-critical material.
• Test Before Publishing: Verify that language packs display correctly and that multilingual content renders properly before making it available to learners.
• Gather Learner Feedback: Collect feedback from learners in different regions about the multilingual experience to identify areas for improvement.

Getting Started

To begin using multilingual support in Acorn PLMS, start by reviewing your tenancy language settings and determining which language packs you need to enable. Then configure language preferences for your learner groups or individual learners as appropriate. As you prepare content for translation, use AI-assisted translation features to accelerate the process, and assign translation editors to review and refine the output before publication.

Course Catalog & Search Course Catalog & Search

The Acorn PLMS course catalog serves as your organisation's central hub for discovering, browsing, and accessing learning content. Designed to support self-directed learning and career development, the catalog enables you to find relevant courses based on your role, interests, and professional goals.

Overview of the Course Catalog

The course catalog interface displays all courses and learning content available to you in a single, organised view. This unified approach simplifies navigation and ensures you have immediate visibility of your learning options. Whether you're looking to meet role-specific requirements or explore career advancement opportunities, the catalog is structured to support both pathways.

The catalog is more than a simple list—it's an intelligent discovery tool that connects you with content aligned to your development needs and organisational objectives.

Searching and Browsing Capabilities

Acorn PLMS offers advanced search and filter functionality to help you quickly locate relevant courses. The catalog has been recently updated with dense filtering ability, giving you multiple ways to narrow down your options and discover exactly what you need.

You can search by keyword to find courses by title, description, or topic. The search function works in conjunction with the catalog's filtering options, allowing you to refine results based on criteria important to your learning journey. Whether you're searching for a specific compliance course or exploring content in a particular subject area, the search capability makes discovery efficient and intuitive.

Metadata Tagging and Course Organisation

Metadata tagging is supported throughout the Acorn PLMS catalog, enabling consistent organisation and discoverability of learning content. Tags are applied at the capability level, ensuring a structured and validated approach to content classification. This means your organisation maintains a consistent taxonomy across all courses, supporting reliable insights and predictable browsing experiences.

For detailed guidance on managing content tags, see the related resources linked at the end of this article.

Advanced Filtering Options

The catalog's filtering capabilities allow you to search and filter courses using various criteria relevant to your needs. Recent updates have enhanced the density of available filters, giving you granular control over your search results.

You can filter by: - Competency and capability alignment—courses linked to specific skills or role-based development areas - Thematic channels—content grouped by subject matter or organisational theme - Availability and format—on-demand courses, scheduled sessions, or instructor-led options - User groups and permissions—ensuring you see only content accessible to your role or department

These filters work together, allowing you to combine multiple criteria for highly targeted course discovery.

Role-Specific and Interest-Based Learning

Your organisation can configure the catalog to support both assigned and interest-based learning paths. Assigned capabilities reflect role-specific requirements—the skills and knowledge your position demands. Interest capabilities represent career advancement opportunities, allowing you to explore development areas aligned with your professional aspirations.

Administrators create Competency Frameworks (called Capabilities in Acorn) to define these role and department-specific Development Plans. The catalog then presents courses mapped to these capabilities, helping you understand which learning activities support your current role and future career goals.

Accessing On-Demand Content

Acorn PLMS provides on-demand access to course libraries, ensuring you can engage with learning content when it suits your schedule. On-demand courses are particularly valuable for general product information, safety training, compliance modules, and other content requiring broad accessibility across your organisation.

In addition to internally created courses, your organisation may have access to integrated third-party content libraries.

Third-Party Course Library Integrations

Acorn PLMS integrates with leading external content providers, expanding your available learning resources beyond internal courses. Integrated partners include:

• Go1—a curated library of professional development content
• LinkedIn Learning—comprehensive business and technical skills courses
• Percipio (Skillsoft)—extensive enterprise learning library
• Mindtools—professional development and soft skills training
• AWS Skills—cloud technology and certification preparation
• OpenSesame—diverse online course offerings
• Additional Acorn Partner material—curated content aligned to your organisation's specific needs

These integrations are managed by your administrators and may be included as part of your Acorn subscription or available for purchase based on your organisation's requirements.

Content Repository and Access Control

All content within Acorn PLMS is maintained in a structured, controlled environment. This ensures consistency, version control, and reliable accessibility across your learning program. The content repository supports effective governance while maintaining a single source of truth for all learning materials.

Access to courses and learning assets is managed through defined user groups. Depending on your role and permissions, you may be able to view courses, contribute content, or manage catalog administration. This role-based access ensures data security while enabling the right users to access the right content at the right time.

Self-Enrollment and Catalog Discovery

The catalog supports employee self-enrollment, enabling you to independently select and register for courses that match your development needs. This self-directed approach is complemented by administrator-led tools—such as Campaign Assessments and Development Plans—that help identify skills gaps and recommend relevant learning content.

Leaders can use Campaign Assessments to benchmark workforce proficiency, creating a holistic understanding of capability gaps across your organisation. The catalog then becomes a resource for addressing these gaps, with recommended courses surfacing based on assessment results and development planning.

Getting Started

To explore your organisation's course catalog, log in to Acorn PLMS and navigate to the Catalog section. Use the search bar to find courses by keyword, and apply filters to narrow results based on your interests, role, or development goals. Review course details to understand learning objectives, duration, format, and any prerequisite knowledge.

If you have questions about specific courses or need guidance identifying learning aligned to your development needs, contact your learning administrator or manager.

Course Export & Sharing Course Export & Sharing

Acorn PLMS provides comprehensive course export and sharing capabilities, enabling your organisation to distribute learning content across multiple platforms and systems. Whether you're collaborating with external partners, integrating with third-party learning environments, or maintaining content archives, Acorn's flexible export functionality supports your content distribution strategy.

Supported Export Formats

Acorn PLMS supports export in three primary formats, each optimised for different use cases and partner systems:

SCORM

SCORM (Sharable Content Object Reference Model) is the industry-standard format for learning content interoperability. Exporting your courses as SCORM packages ensures compatibility with virtually any learning management system or corporate learning platform. SCORM export is ideal when you need to:

• Share courses with partner organisations using different LMS platforms
• Maintain compliance with enterprise learning standards
• Enable content portability across cloud-based and on-premise systems
• Ensure tracking and reporting integration with external platforms

SCORM packages maintain learner progress data, assessment scores, and completion records, allowing seamless handoff to receiving systems.

MP4 Video

MP4 export is available for video-based course content, providing a universally compatible media format. This format is particularly useful for:

• Sharing recorded lectures and video tutorials
• Distributing content to learners who need offline access
• Integrating videos into other content management systems
• Ensuring compatibility across different devices and browsers

MP4 exports preserve video quality while maintaining manageable file sizes for distribution.

PDF

PDF export converts course materials into a portable, static format suitable for documentation, printing, and archive purposes. Use PDF export when you need to:

• Create downloadable study materials for learners
• Generate compliance documentation
• Share course outlines and reference materials
• Maintain content in a universally accessible format

PDF export is ideal for assessments, handouts, certificates, and other printable course components.

Export Workflow

The export process in Acorn PLMS is straightforward and designed to accommodate various content types:

1. Select Your Content: Navigate to the course or content module you wish to export from your course library.

2. Choose Export Format: Select the appropriate export format based on your intended use case—SCORM for system-to-system sharing, MP4 for video content, or PDF for documentation and reference materials.

3. Configure Export Settings: Depending on the selected format, you may have options to include or exclude specific elements such as learner data, tracking information, or supplementary materials.

4. Initiate Export: Begin the export process. Processing time varies based on content size and complexity.

5. Download and Distribute: Once export is complete, download the package and share it with partner systems or external users according to your distribution requirements.

Cloud Dispatching and Remote Sharing

Acorn's cloud dispatching capabilities extend your sharing flexibility by enabling content distribution without manual file transfers. This feature supports:

• Direct System Integration: Send SCORM packages directly to partner learning platforms or cloud-based systems
• Automated Distribution: Schedule content delivery to multiple recipients simultaneously
• Reduced Manual Handling: Eliminate the need for file transfers, email attachments, or FTP uploads
• Enhanced Security: Maintain control over content access and usage rights throughout the distribution process

Cloud dispatching is particularly valuable when working with:

• Multi-site organisations requiring coordinated content rollouts
• External training providers and partner organisations
• Compliance-regulated industries requiring documented content distribution
• Global operations needing simultaneous content deployment

Compatibility and Integration

Exporting content in these standard formats ensures your courses work seamlessly with external systems:

• Multi-Platform Support: SCORM packages integrate with Moodle, Blackboard, Canvas, SAP SuccessFactors, and other major LMS platforms
• Cloud Integration: Easily move content between Acorn PLMS and cloud-based learning environments
• Compliance Ready: Exported content maintains compliance metadata and tracking requirements
• Version Control: Manage multiple versions of exported content to track updates and revisions

Best Practices for Content Export

When exporting and sharing course content, follow these recommendations:

• Format Selection: Choose export formats that match your receiving system's requirements and capabilities
• Content Review: Verify that exported content renders correctly in target systems before broad distribution
• Metadata Preservation: Ensure all relevant course metadata, descriptions, and learning objectives are included in exports
• Testing: Test SCORM packages with partner systems before full deployment
• Documentation: Maintain records of exported content versions and distribution recipients for audit and compliance purposes
• Access Control: Implement appropriate permissions and access restrictions on exported content, particularly for sensitive training materials

Troubleshooting Export Issues

If you encounter problems during content export:

• Verify that your source content is complete and properly structured within Acorn PLMS
• Confirm that the receiving system supports the export format you've selected
• Check file size limitations in receiving systems—large MP4 or PDF files may require alternative distribution methods
• Ensure adequate system permissions for both export and distribution operations
• Contact Acorn support if export processes fail or produce incomplete packages

By leveraging Acorn PLMS's export and sharing capabilities, your organisation can maximise content reuse, streamline partner collaboration, and maintain flexibility in your learning content distribution strategy.

Course Versioning & Updates Course Versioning & Updates

Acorn PLMS provides robust course versioning capabilities that allow you to update and refresh your content without disrupting learner access or losing historical data. This article explains how to manage course versions, maintain active and retired statuses, and ensure continuity across your learning environment.

Understanding Course Versioning

Course versioning in Acorn PLMS enables you to update web-based content and learning materials while maintaining the integrity of your course structure. When you release new content, the platform automatically overlays the new material on top of existing course data, effectively creating a new version without requiring you to delete or recreate the course from scratch.

This approach ensures that: - Existing learner progress and completion records remain intact - Course links and references continue to function properly - Your organisation maintains a complete audit trail of all course iterations

Updating Course Content

When you need to refresh or update web-based content within an existing course, Acorn PLMS handles the transition seamlessly. The old content becomes obsoleted automatically, and your new content takes its place within the course structure. This means learners accessing the course after the update will see the latest version without interruption.

You can update various types of content within your courses, including: - Web-based learning materials - Course resources and attachments - Learning objectives and assessments - Live learning session details

The versioning system ensures that content updates don't require learners to re-enrol or restart their progress. Instead, they continue their learning journey with access to the most current materials.

Managing Course Status: Active and Retired

Acorn PLMS supports multiple course statuses to help you control which courses are currently available to learners and which have been phased out. Course status management is cohort-controlled, meaning your organisation can define and enforce status rules based on your learning structure and requirements.

Active Courses

Active courses are currently available for learner enrolment and participation. Courses in active status appear in course catalogues and are available for assignment to learners. You can maintain multiple active versions of a course simultaneously if your organisation requires different content for different cohorts or learner groups.

Retired Courses

When a course has reached the end of its lifecycle, you can retire it rather than delete it entirely. Retiring a course removes it from active availability, preventing new enrolments while preserving all historical data. This status is useful when: - A course has been superseded by an updated version - Seasonal or time-limited training is no longer relevant - Content requires significant revision before being offered again

Retired courses remain accessible for reference and reporting purposes, allowing your organisation to maintain records of past learning initiatives.

Preserving Links During Updates

One of the key advantages of Acorn PLMS versioning is that course links and live learning links maintain their context throughout updates. When you update course content, the underlying links to your course remain valid and functional. Learners who have bookmarked or saved course links will continue to access the correct course even after content updates.

This stability applies to: - Direct course access links - Live learning session links - Cross-course references and prerequisites - Embedded course resources

Because links are preserved during versioning, you avoid the common problem of broken references that can frustrate learners and complicate course administration.

Data Retention and Archiving

Acorn PLMS maintains a permanent record of all learning activity, regardless of course status. When you complete a course or transition it to archived or inactive status, all associated data remains in the system indefinitely. This includes: - Learner completion records - Assessment scores and results - Course participation history - Progress tracking data - Engagement metrics

You can archive courses directly within the platform when you want to formally retire them from active use. Archiving a course removes it from standard course listings and active management views while preserving all its data for historical reference, compliance, and reporting.

Best Practices for Course Versioning

To maximise the effectiveness of course versioning in your organisation:

Plan your updates strategically. Consider timing updates to minimise disruption for learners currently enrolled. If possible, communicate changes to your learning community in advance.

Use course status intentionally. Keep courses in active status only when they are currently relevant to your organisation. Regularly review and retire outdated content to keep your course catalogue manageable.

Maintain version documentation. Track what changed between course versions, when changes occurred, and why they were necessary. This documentation helps with compliance, training audits, and future course improvements.

Leverage data retention. Use historical data from previous course versions to identify trends, measure learning effectiveness over time, and make data-informed decisions about future updates.

Test before publishing. When updating web-based content, test the updated course thoroughly to ensure all links function correctly and content displays as intended across different devices and browsers.

Summary

Acorn PLMS provides a comprehensive approach to course versioning that protects your data, maintains learner access, and supports continuous improvement of your learning content. By understanding how to update content, manage course statuses, and preserve links, your organisation can confidently evolve its course offerings without disrupting the learning experience.

Curricula, Programs & Sequencing Curricula, Programs & Sequencing

Overview

Acorn PLMS enables you to build structured curricula and programs that guide learners through sequential content with built-in prerequisite enforcement. Whether you're organizing content from multiple business units or creating blended learning pathways, Acorn's sophisticated course builder and sequencing capabilities help you design efficient, purposeful training programs that maximize learner preparation and trainer effectiveness.

Organizing Modularized Content Across Your Organisation

Your organisation may have content created by different business units, departments, or external providers. Acorn accommodates a wide array of content types—including SCORM files and other modularized content—within a unified system, ensuring all materials are effectively organized, easily accessible, and consistently maintained.

The platform's intuitive course builder guides you through the creation process, making it straightforward to structure content under different operational umbrellas without losing visibility or control. This centralized approach eliminates silos and ensures learners can access relevant content regardless of its origin.

Building Curricula with Multiple Content Types

Curricula in Acorn are flexible and composition-rich. Within a single course, you can combine various content types to create engaging, comprehensive learning experiences:

• Videos for visual demonstrations and explanations
• Articles and PDFs for detailed reference materials and documentation
• Multimedia pages for interactive and rich-media content
• SCORM packages for standardized, reusable learning objects
• Live learning sessions for synchronous instruction and interaction

This diversity allows you to match content delivery methods to learning objectives and learner preferences, creating more effective and engaging training programs.

Configurable Course Structures

Acorn PLMS supports fully configurable course structures with different activities tailored to your training goals. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, you can design courses with:

• Sequential activities that must be completed in a specific order
• Conditional content that appears based on learner progress or performance
• Mixed activity types that blend self-paced learning with live sessions
• Flexible pacing that allows learners to progress at their own speed within defined parameters

This configurability ensures your courses adapt to your organisation's unique training needs and learner populations.

Enforcing Prerequisites and Sequential Progression

One of Acorn's core strengths is its prerequisite enforcement capability. You can define required and recommended prerequisites at both the course and activity levels, ensuring learners follow the intended learning pathway.

How Prerequisites Work

Required prerequisites must be completed before a learner can access the next course or activity. This ensures foundational knowledge is established before advancing to more complex material.

Recommended prerequisites are suggested to the learner but do not block access, allowing flexibility while still guiding learners toward optimal learning sequences.

By enforcing prerequisites, you can: - Prevent learners from attempting advanced content without foundational knowledge - Reduce training inefficiency by ensuring proper sequencing - Maintain consistent training standards across your organisation - Track prerequisite completion for compliance and reporting purposes

Tiered Learning Pathways

Acorn enables you to create tiered learning pathways that optimize training efficiency and reduce repetition. A common application is blended learning for factory visits or in-person training events.

Pre-Work and Self-Paced Foundations

You can assign foundational content—such as safety guidelines, terminology, or conceptual overviews—as self-paced pre-work before in-person sessions. This approach:

• Reduces classroom repetition by ensuring learners arrive with baseline knowledge
• Maximizes trainer effectiveness by allowing in-person time to focus on hands-on activities, advanced concepts, and interactive problem-solving
• Improves learner readiness by giving participants time to absorb foundational material at their own pace
• Gives time back to trainers who can now concentrate on higher-value activities rather than basic instruction

For example, before a factory visit, learners complete self-paced modules on equipment safety and operational procedures. During the visit, trainers focus on practical demonstrations, troubleshooting, and complex scenarios—activities that require expert guidance and hands-on engagement.

Designing Effective Sequences

When structuring your curricula and programs in Acorn, consider:

1. Prerequisite hierarchy — Map out which courses or activities must precede others, and whether they are required or recommended
2. Content types — Select activity types that best support each learning objective
3. Pacing — Determine whether learners should progress self-paced or at fixed intervals
4. Blended approaches — Identify opportunities to combine self-paced pre-work with live sessions or in-person training
5. Learner groups — Consider whether different cohorts may need different prerequisites or sequences

Getting Started

To begin building curricula with prerequisites and sequencing in Acorn:

1. Plan your course structure and identify prerequisites
2. Use the course builder to add activities and content
3. Set prerequisite requirements and recommendations
4. Configure sequential progression rules
5. Assign courses to learners and monitor progress

For detailed guidance on configuring courses and managing live learning within your programs, consult the related resources below.

Summary

Acorn PLMS transforms how you organize and deliver training by supporting complex curricula with multiple content types, enforced prerequisites, and tiered learning pathways. Whether you're managing content from multiple business units or optimizing in-person training with strategic pre-work, Acorn's sequencing and prerequisite capabilities help you create efficient, effective, and engaging learning programs.

Supplementary Materials & Documents Supplementary Materials & Documents

Supplementary materials and documents form an essential part of a comprehensive learning strategy in Acorn PLMS. Whether you need to provide learners with handbooks, codes of ethics, fillable forms, or other non-learning resources, the system enables you to attach, organize, and automatically distribute these materials based on assessment outcomes and learner needs.

Overview of Supplementary Materials

Supplementary materials are non-learning resources that support your learners' development and compliance requirements. These materials remain separate from your core course content but are critical for providing context, reference information, and formal documentation. In Acorn PLMS, you can manage:

• Handbooks and guides – Organizational policies, procedures, and best practices documentation
• Codes of ethics – Professional standards and conduct requirements
• Fillable forms – Applications, declarations, consent forms, and other interactive documents
• Reference materials – Lookup tables, glossaries, and supporting documents
• Compliance documents – Regulatory requirements, acknowledgment statements, and legal documentation

Attaching Supplementary Materials to Courses

Supplementary materials can be attached at the course level, making them available to all learners enrolled in that course. When you attach a document, learners can access it throughout their learning journey without it affecting their progress through assessments or learning modules.

To attach supplementary materials:

1. Navigate to your course settings within the Course & Content Management section
2. Locate the Supplementary Materials or Documents section
3. Select the option to add or attach materials
4. Upload your document or select from your organization's document library
5. Provide a clear title and description so learners understand the document's purpose
6. Set visibility and access permissions as needed
7. Save your changes

Your organization can maintain a centralized repository of commonly used documents, reducing duplication and ensuring version control across all courses.

Remediation Logic and Supplementary Materials

One of the most powerful features in Acorn PLMS is the ability to connect supplementary materials to remediation logic. When learners do not meet assessment expectations, you can automatically trigger follow-up actions that include assigning supplementary materials.

Understanding Remediation Triggers

Acorn PLMS supports remediation logic based on multiple criteria:

• Assessment score – Trigger remediation when a learner scores below a defined threshold
• Pass/fail status – Automatically activate support when a learner fails an assessment
• Number of attempts – Configure different remediation paths based on how many times a learner has attempted an assessment
• Custom conditions – Combine multiple criteria to create sophisticated remediation workflows

Configuring Remediation Actions

When you establish remediation logic, you can configure several types of follow-up actions:

Content Review – Direct learners back to specific course modules or learning activities to reinforce foundational concepts before reassessment.

Assessment Retakes – Allow learners to attempt an assessment again after engaging with remedial content or supplementary materials. You can set rules about timing, number of permitted retakes, and score requirements.

Supplementary Material Assignment – Automatically assign targeted handbooks, guides, or reference materials that address the specific knowledge gaps revealed by the assessment.

Practical Remediation Scenarios

Consider these examples of how remediation logic works with supplementary materials:

Scenario 1: Compliance Training A learner fails a mandatory compliance assessment on the first attempt. Your remediation logic automatically assigns the organizational code of ethics handbook and schedules a retake for one week later. This targeted approach ensures the learner reviews essential compliance information before attempting the assessment again.

Scenario 2: Skills Development After scoring below 75% on a technical skills assessment, the system assigns a detailed reference handbook and practice guide. The learner must review these supplementary materials before they can attempt the assessment again, ensuring they have access to the information needed to succeed.

Scenario 3: Multi-Attempt Support On a learner's first failed attempt, supplementary materials are assigned. If they fail a second attempt, additional remediation occurs—perhaps including a fillable reflection form or more detailed handbook sections. By the third attempt, your organization might require manager involvement or formal mentoring.

Document Library Management

Acorn PLMS provides document library functionality to help your organization maintain, version, and distribute materials efficiently.

Organizing Your Library - Create folders or categories to organize documents by course, compliance area, or document type - Tag documents with metadata to make them easily searchable and filterable - Maintain clear naming conventions so administrators and learners can quickly identify materials

Version Control - Store previous versions of documents for audit and compliance purposes - Mark documents as "current" or "archived" to prevent distribution of outdated materials - Track document update history and effective dates

Access Permissions - Control which courses or learner groups can access specific documents - Set materials as required reading or optional reference - Configure download permissions and printing restrictions where compliance requires document protection

Best Practices for Supplementary Materials

Keep Materials Current – Regularly review and update your document library, especially compliance-related materials. Learners need access to the most recent versions of policies and procedures.

Make Purposes Clear – When attaching materials, provide context about why each document matters. This helps learners understand relevance and increases engagement.

Use Targeted Assignment – Leverage remediation logic to assign materials only when needed, rather than overwhelming learners with every available document.

Ensure Accessibility – Format documents to be accessible to all learners, including those using assistive technology. Use clear language and logical structure.

Monitor Engagement – Track which supplementary materials are downloaded or reviewed, particularly those assigned through remediation logic. Use this data to assess whether your materials are effectively supporting learning outcomes.

Conclusion

Supplementary materials and documents in Acorn PLMS extend your learning program beyond formal courses and assessments. By integrating these materials with intelligent remediation logic, you create a support system that automatically responds to learner needs, addresses knowledge gaps, and maintains organizational compliance standards—ultimately improving learning outcomes across your organization.

Supported Content Formats Supported Content Formats

Acorn PLMS is designed to accommodate a wide range of content formats, enabling your organization to deliver diverse learning experiences tailored to your audience's needs. Whether you're deploying traditional documents, interactive media, or standardized e-learning packages, Acorn supports multiple file types and content delivery methods.

Document and Presentation Formats

You can upload and deploy several standard document formats within Acorn:

• PowerPoint presentations – Present slide-based content directly in the platform
• PDF documents – Including signable PDFs for compliance and training acknowledgment
• Word documents – Integrate text-based content seamlessly
• Excel spreadsheets – Embed data and reference materials
• HTML5 content – Deploy web-based interactive experiences

These formats integrate smoothly with Acorn's drag-and-drop course builder, allowing you to construct courses without requiring advanced technical skills. Your content is organized and searchable within the Consumer Grade Catalogue, ensuring learners can easily locate relevant training materials.

Video and Audio Content

Multimedia delivery is central to modern learning experiences. Acorn supports:

• Video content – You can embed videos with integrated quizzes to assess comprehension and reinforce key concepts
• Audio files – Deploy audio-based learning content for diverse accessibility needs and learning preferences

Both video and audio formats work within Acorn's mobile-first approach, making compliance training and skill development accessible anytime and anywhere your learners need it.

SCORM and Standards-Based Packages

If your organization uses externally developed SCORM content or standardized e-learning packages, Acorn fully supports SCORM file import and deployment. This is particularly valuable for:

• Leveraging existing SCORM-compliant content libraries
• Maintaining tracking and completion data within Acorn
• Sharing SCORM content with partner organizations through Acorn's cloud dispatching feature

When sharing SCORM content with external partners, ensure the partner's learning management system is SCORM compliant, which is standard across most modern LMS platforms. Completion data is retained in Acorn, and additional learner interaction data (such as quiz performance details) depends on the SCORM package configuration and what data the partner system returns.

Additional Import Formats

Beyond native content creation, you can import content from multiple sources:

• xAPI files – Standardized learner experience data format
• LinkedIn Learning integration – Native integration for curated professional development content
• Mindtools integration – Access skill-building resources
• Percipio integration – Integrate Skillsoft's learning content
• Go1 integration – Connect to Go1's content marketplace

These integrations reduce content creation overhead and allow you to leverage existing enterprise learning libraries.

Interactive and Custom Content

Acorn's inbuilt course builder supports diverse interactive media types and custom content configurations. You can:

• Create computer-based training with inherent tracking and progress reporting
• Add previously created content such as videos and PDFs
• Configure course equivalencies and prerequisites to streamline learner pathways
• Deploy instructor-led training sessions alongside computer-based content
• Facilitate both virtual and in-person instructor-led courses with integrated tracking

Content Management and Deployment

Your content is delivered through Acorn's modern architecture, which emphasizes:

Searchability and Organization – The Consumer Grade Catalogue provides a clear, concise overview of all educational content, enabling learners to find relevant training quickly.

Mobile-First Accessibility – All supported formats are optimized for mobile delivery, ensuring compliance training and skill development are accessible across devices.

Personalized Learning Paths – Acorn supports personalized active course lists and Employee Development Plans, allowing your organization to tailor capability development strategies to individual learner needs. The Capabilities component provides targeted training for specific role proficiencies.

Template and Builder Support – AI-assisted tools and drag-and-drop builders streamline course creation and deployment of supported content types.

Content Translation and Localization

While Acorn does not provide built-in content translation services, you can prepare multilingual content externally and upload translated versions to the platform. Your organization handles content translation prior to upload. If translation support is required, Acorn can provide introductions to preferred translation partners to streamline the localization process.

Data Ownership and Content Rights

Acorn respects your organization's data and content ownership. Any content input or created within the platform remains your organization's property—Acorn does not assert ownership over your organizational data, training materials, or any AI assets derived from content consumption.

Getting Started

To begin deploying supported content formats in Acorn, ensure your files meet the specifications for your chosen format. For detailed guidance on specific activity types, content builders, and configuration options, refer to Acorn's complete activity types documentation.

Your organization can leverage Acorn's modern architecture to white-label and customize the platform's appearance, ensuring a seamless professional experience that reflects your corporate identity and brand recognition across all deployed content formats.