- 6.410.4.1 Overview
- 6.410.4.2 Learner Interface
- 6.410.4.3 Administrator Interface
- 6.410.4.4 Learning
- 6.410.4.5 Commerce
- 6.410.4.6 Resources
- 6.410.4.7 Notifications
- 6.410.4.8 Reports
- 6.410.4.9 Tools
- 6.410.4.10 Training Evaluation
- 6.410.4.11 Data Integrity and Reporting on Non-Compliance
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The Enterprise Learning Management System (ELMS) is the system of record of employee learning in IRS.
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ELMS is used for managing all aspects of training activity, replacing ACES, the Automated Corporate Education System and the interim content delivery system, learning@IRS.gov.
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ELMS also replaced ACES as the official repository for employee training history.
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Beginning with training delivered in FY 2005, the IRS will use ELMS as the single official system of record for recording and tracking training activity. ELMS will not be integrated with or provide data to any other training system.
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ELMS has two parts or interfaces, one for the learners (both employees and managers), and another for administrators of the system. These interfaces will be discussed in Sections 4.2 and 4.3.
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ELMS is a web-based application and can be accessed at http://elms.web.irs.gov.
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Administrative Interface: The part of ELMS that is used by administrators to manage learning, learners, and budget. ELMS administrators are primarily from the Learning and Education community.
Class: A group of learners that will complete a series of scheduled offerings necessary for training requirements together.
Class File: File of administrative records for a single scheduled offering. This file may include the class roster, applicable notifications, budget documents, Level 1 evaluations, etc.
Catalog: A collection of items and materials available for employee learning. Business units use catalogs to organize their training offerings.
Completion Status: A status assigned to a learning event to indicate whether the learner successfully completed the item. Each type of item has its own set of predefined completion codes.
Completion Date: The date on which a learner finishes an item.
Item: A learning event offered to employees. Examples may include (but are not limited to) a course, On-the-Job Training (OJT), Web-Based Training (WBT), self study, or earning an external certification.
Item Type: The category of an item that reveals something about the delivery method. Examples include course, OJT, Continuing Professional Education (CPE), and briefing.
Contact Hours: Used with items receiving Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credit. Contact hours are the number of actual hours in a learning activity during which learners were receiving instruction. Contact hours do not include breaks, lunch, or travel time.
Context-Sensitive Help: Allows users to view Help topics that are specific to the page being viewed.
CPE: Continuing Professional Education. This is a type of credit for completion of an item that is tracked to maintain professional certifications such as Certified Public Accountant. A CPE might also be conducted to bring employees up to date on changes in technology and tax law.
Credit Hours: Provide a method of accounting for a learner's successful completion of items. The credit hours associated with an item are determined in accordance with the outside organization (e.g. National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), or the American Council on Education (ACE)) certifying the CPE content.
Curriculum: A plan of instruction that details what the learners are to know, how they will learn it, what the instructor’s role is, and the context in which learning and teaching will take place. In ELMS, a curriculum contains one or more items, which allows administrators to more easily assign the items to a learner and to track their completion.
Domain: A defined organizational segment in a hierarchical relationship. Domains can be used to restrict add/edit/view/search capability on the administrative interface of ELMS.
ELMS: Acronym for Enterprise Learning Management System.
Grade: A value used to indicate a learner's score associated with a learning event.
Instructor: A person who delivers training. Although anyone can be designated as an instructor when recording learning events, instructors managed in ELMS can be assigned a list of items that they are authorized to teach, thereby improving the process of selecting and scheduling instructors to deliver a specific item.
Instructor-Led Item: An item that is scheduled. Examples include classroom training and Centra sessions.
Learner: A student, someone who accesses ELMS via the learner interface to take training or to view learning history.
Learner Interface: The part of ELMS that is used by learners and managers to take on-line learning, view/manage learning plans, view/record learning history and search the catalog. The learner’s login is the Social Security Number; password is a default which learners must change at the initial login.
Learning Event: Individual items, both successfully and unsuccessfully completed, in a learner’s learning history. Although most learning events relate to a specific item, non-items such as out-service training or Human Resource Investment Fund (HRIF) courses are also recorded.
Learning History: History is a listing of every item that a learner completed successfully or unsuccessfully. Instructor records (teaching history) are found in the scheduled offering segment tab.
Learning Plan: A list of the items assigned to a learner with the deadlines by which the training must be completed. The learning plan is like a personalized to-do list for training.
Online Item: An item that is used to deliver training via the IRS intranet, internet or a network. Examples include SkillSoft and MicroMash courses.
Non-item: A learning event that is paid for or sponsored by IRS but not part of the IRS curriculum, e.g. Human Resources Investment Fund (HRIF) courses.
Notifications: E-mail messages that are sent to learners, managers, instructors, and/or training contacts to notify them of registration, cancellation of a scheduled offering, placement on a waitlist, or upcoming deadlines in the learning plan.
Program Manager: Individual responsible for learning and administration activities associated with education programs.
Required Date: The date by which an item needs to be completed or all items related to the selected curriculum must be completed.
Retraining Interval: The number of days before a learner is required to take an item again. Retraining interval is used for courses that are updated periodically or repeated on a periodic basis, such as the mandatory briefings or Contracting Officer’s Technical Representative (COTR) recertification.
Scheduled Offering: A specific scheduled learning event, such as the "Revenue Officer Phase 1 class scheduled to start October 15 in Room 4 of the Federal Building." Scheduled offerings do not exist for online items because they are not scheduled in the same way that a classroom and an instructor must be scheduled.
Segment: A unit of time within a scheduled offering that is used primarily to manage resources. A scheduled offering can be made up of multiple segments. Instructors are resources and are scheduled in the segment.
SKU: Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) is used in catalogs to search for items.
Sub-curriculum: A curriculum that is made part of another curriculum. For example, a new employee orientation containing SETR and TRAS training could also contain the curriculum for mandatory briefings.
Subject Area: The area of concentration of the selected item or material. Examples of the subject areas may include Safety, Accounting, and Tax Law.
Teaching History: A list of each item that a person instructed. Learner training is found in the learning history.
Waitlist: A list of learners awaiting slots in a scheduled offering.
Workflow: A set of permissions that allow an administrator to perform specific actions such as search, add, copy, or view.
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Every employee and manager in the IRS has access to ELMS on the learner interface.
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Access to the learner interface is only from an IRS office inside the Service firewall or via secure connection to the IRS intranet.
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Some online learning is available to employees via the internet, but that training is taken outside of the ELMS learner interface.
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Learners will be required to change their password at the initial login and every 90 days thereafter. Learners can change their passwords more often if they so choose, but not more often than once a day.
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Passwords must be at least 8 characters, but no more than 12, and must adhere to all of the following:
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Contain English uppercase and lowercase letters
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Contain Arabic numerals
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Contain non-alphanumeric special characters (!, @, #, -, &, *)
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Cannot contain learner ID or full name
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Single characters cannot be repeated more than twice in a row
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Cannot be one of the previous six passwords
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Cannot contain the same string of four characters in a row if that character string was part of the last password
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The learner interface gives learners and managers all of the functionality listed in sections 4.2.2.1 through 4.2.2.7 below. The information that applies specifically to managers is contained in section 4.2.3.
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This is the location where learners see all the items they have been assigned by their manager or training administrator or that they have selected for themselves through the catalog.
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When learners select items from the catalog, they are able to remove those items from their learning plan. Learners cannot remove items assigned by a manager or administrator.
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Learners may view all of the contents of the learning plan or can view those on-line, in progress, or in which they are registered. If the learner is using the registration view but is not registered or waitlisted in a scheduled offering, nothing will show up in the learning plan.
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This option shows the items a learner has requested to take.
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Request Schedule is done through the catalog or learning plan by clicking the "Request Schedule" button.
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This option shows what curricula have been assigned to the learner and the status of each item in the curriculum.
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By clicking this link, learners will be able to view the items in their learning history.
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If learners find that items are missing from their learning history, such as a SkillSoft or MicroMash course taken through the internet instead of ELMS, they can submit a Form 12201 to their functional training coordinator or ELMS administrator with proof of completion and that item can be added to their learning history. Proof of completion could be a training certificate, SF-182, reporting instructions, or a memo signed by the supervisor.
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In ELMS, a catalog is a listing of available items and is viewable on the learner interface.
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There is an IRS-wide catalog that contains items, such as SkillSoft, available to all employees.
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In addition, each business unit has a catalog of items for its employees. All items available to a learner are viewed as one catalog, there is no differentiation between the catalogs.
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When searching the catalog, learners will be able to view any items available to them. These items may be online or instructor-led. Learners can also browse the catalog by subject areas.
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Online courses will provide learners with an opportunity to launch a course from the catalog or add it to their learning plan, provided that they have completed any necessary prerequisites.
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For items in the catalog that are instructor led, there is a button labeled Request Schedule. When the learner clicks that button, ELMS will show available scheduled offerings for that item and allow the learner to request to take the item.
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This option allows learners to record their own learning events and managers to record learning events for their employees.
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The ELMS system-wide setting allows learners and managers to record learning events, but the program manager determines whether this setting should be enabled for an item. Learners and managers can record learning events only for items which have been properly designated by the program manager.
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Only a few items use this functionality. Employees cannot record history for any non-item events.
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Managers must first "View Others" and select one or more learners to record a learning event.
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Managers have the ability to:
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Manage the learning plans of each of their employees. This means that managers can add items and check on the progress of their employees
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View employee learning plans and learning history
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Run reports on themselves, and on one or more subordinate employees/managers.
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Approve item and registration requests
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Managers who have subordinate managers as employees will be able to click the arrow by the subordinate manager’s name to view that manager’s subordinate employees.
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This is the part of ELMS used by administrators, functional training coordinators, course developers, the Learning and Education community, and others to manage learners, items, and scheduled offerings.
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Administrators must receive appropriate training and request access to ELMS through the Online 5081 application at https://ol5081.enterprise.irs.gov:8443.
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Remarks on the 5081 must include the time zone, business unit domain, role, and the date ELMS functionality training was completed.
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Each business unit will identify one or more administrators (BUADMIN) to coordinate ELMS information and:
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Attend monthly status calls
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Participate in the review and testing of new ELMS functionality
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Assign new passwords or unlock them for users
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Assist in help desk activities by acting as the first source of assistance for those experiencing problems
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Perform additional duties to support the use of ELMS.
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The following table shows various roles assigned in the ELMS administrator interface:
ID Who Role ALL ELMS Configuration Staff All system privileges BUADMIN Lead business unit administrators Assists others with problems including creation of items and curricula. BUADMIN can view most ELMS objects and has the workflows "Add Learner" and "Edit Learner" , which allows the editing of everything on a learner record ELMS Staff ELMS Staff (not configuration) All privileges except system configuration FTC Functional Training Coordinators (FTC) are not embedded in Learning and Education (L&E) Processes out-service training requests, enrolls learners, assigns curricula/items to learning plans and runs reports. HD-ELMS ELMS Help Desk (HD) staff Unlocks passwords, views and searches entire system HD-ERC Employee Resource Center Help Desk staff not on the ELMS staff Processes learner requests for copies of learning history INST Instructor Instructs, updates registration, enters test results and records learning events LDR-ENROLL Embedded L&E training staff responsible for Leadership Training Enrolls managers in Leadership sponsored scheduled offerings LETS Embedded L&E Training Staff (LETS) Adds scheduled events to LMS, enrolls learners, records learning events. Additionally, this role has the workflows "Edit Learner" and "Edit Learner Custom Column" . This allows the editing of only the fields in the Custom Column Tab. LIB IRS employee/contractor working with the content server as content librarian Loads e-learning content into the content repository OL-DEV Subject Matter Expert (SME) or member of LETS who develops online training Develops content objects, modules, lessons. Prepares instructional aides, writes test questions, adds items. RM-SCD Undefined – not used at this time Workflows to be determined once final decision on how room scheduling will be accomplished using ELMS (post-Release 3 timeframe). TPM Training Program Manager, usually the curriculum owner. Manages item and curriculum records, manages curricula, schedules and enrolls learners. Also has the workflow "Edit Learner" , this allows the editing of everything on a learner record VIP (View Only) Person with View Only access to the system, often a manager or executive. Searches for information relevant to employee training
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Domains restrict the add/copy/delete/edit/search/view of data on the administrative side of ELMS. This includes items, learners, curricula and scheduled offerings.
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Learner domains are based on the organizational segmentation codes.
Learner Domain Parent ID Parent Learner Domain ID Description 11 National Headquarters 15 Agency-Wide Shared Services 20 Taxpayer Advocate Service 22 Communications & Liaison 23 Criminal Investigation 30 Tax Exempt/Government Entities 35 Modernization and Information Technology Services 40 Wage & Investment 41 Wage & Investment — Campus 50 Small Business/Self Employed 51 Small Business/Self Employed — Campus 60 Large & Midsize Business 88 Counsel 89 Appeals -
This domain structure is hierarchical and allows for learner records to be assigned domains based on their functional area, or organizational segment code (ORGSEG). The ORGSEG is passed to ELMS from the personnel database HR Connect, thus providing a seven level hierarchical tree structure. This hierarchy is illustrated below:
ORGSEG Segment ORGSEG Business Unit 11 Office 1122 Division/Operation 11223333 Branch/Area/Department 1122333344 Territory/Team 112233334455 Group/Team 11223333445566 Unit 1122333344556677 -
The curriculum domains, used for ownership of content in ELMS, are as follows:
Curriculum Domain ID Curriculum Domain ID Description CURR-APP Appeals CURR-AWSS Agency Wide Shared Services CURR-C&L Communications & Liaison CURR-CI Criminal Investigation CURR-CMLC Career Management Learning Centers CURR-CSL Counsel CURR-LDR Leadership CURR-LMSB Large & Midsize Business CURR-MITS Modernization & Information Technology Services CURR-MM MicroMash CURR-NHQ National Headquarters CURR-SB/SE Small Business/Elf Employed CURR-TAS Taxpayer Advocate Service CURR-TE/GE Tax Exempt & Government Entities CURR-W&I Wage & Investment -
Each administrator is assigned specific workflows within his/her domain. Workflows specify what action an administrator can take such as adding, editing, copying, searching, and viewing various types of records.
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A domain is the part of the hierarchical structure of the IRS to which the administrator has access.
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This area of the system allows a variety of additions or updates, as well as searching and viewing learner data such as learner records and learning plans.
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Learner records, as well as the supervisor/subordinate relationships, are created from the personnel database. The script is run weekly on Saturday. Learner records with incomplete or erroneous data in ELMS must be corrected in the personnel database.
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New learner records may be entered manually only by administrators with the BUADMIN role.
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E-mail addresses are added weekly from the Discovery Directory. Employees who do not have an e-mail address are given the e-mail address of their manager assigned in the personnel system.
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Learners who are designated as instructors must have their ELMS system-generated instructor identification number added on the Custom Fields tab in the learner record. This is essential for reporting the learner’s instructor history.
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The Learning Event Editor is used to view, edit, or delete items from a learner’s learning history.
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This option is used to record items, non-items, or scheduled offerings in a learner’s learning history. In ELMS, the Learning Event Recorder must be used in order for the learner to get credit in training history.
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BUADMIN, TPM & LETS roles allow adding learning history to employees in their domain using any item. LETS & FTC roles that are domain restricted can only record learning events for items and employees in their domain.
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The Learning Event Recorder is a wizard with multiple steps to complete before the learning event is added to learning history.
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A name added in the Instructor field in step 3 of the wizard will appear on the completion certificate; it will not give the named instructor credit for instructing the scheduled instance.
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A default completion field is required. The default completion selected will apply to all the learners in a scheduled offering. However, if one or more of the learners did not complete, their completion status can be changed at step 5 of the wizard.
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Comments are not to be added at step 5, except for the vendor/institution for an HRIF course. Grades should be added when they are required by the IRS, for example when the IRS is paying for a learner to attend a course, such as through the HRIF. Grades may also be added when they are for the benefit of the employee. An example of this is a CPE required for certification through NASBA.
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Learner training costs are entered at step 6 of the wizard. Click the edit link, then add the information in the Account Code field or search for the correct code. Add the cost for the learner in the cost field.
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The allowed completion codes in ELMS are:
For credit Complete Learner successfully completed the course/item Collateral Credit Learner receives credit for an IRS course based on completion of another, e.g., Basic Instructor Training Course (BITC, ACES course 9928) is now Classroom Instructor Training Course (CITC), ELMS item 15382 (formerly ACES course 9716). Waived Learner given credit for completion based on prior experience or demonstrated competence Not for credit Incomplete Learner did not complete all requirements for the item Dropped Learner left or quit item Failed Learner did not pass required examinations No Show Learner did not show up for training
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Outservice training in ELMS will be entered as follows:
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Learning Event Recorder "Item" — the IRS approved employee organizations such as FEW, HIRE, AIM, etc. will have an ELMS item ID. Additionally, any outservice course that is part of an occupation’s curriculum will have an ELMS item ID. All costs for tuition, books and travel must be entered.
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Learning Event Recorder "Non-Item" — Human Resources Investment Fund (HRIF) outservice will not have an ELMS item ID. When recording the event, the title must start with HRIF and the track number of the approved HRIF program, as well as the actual title of the class taken, for example; "HRIF3 Accounting 101" . All costs for tuition, books and travel must be entered.
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Learning Event Recorder "Non-Item" — all other outservice not included in the above. The title should be the course title provided on the SF-182, and end with "Outservice" . All costs for tuition, books and travel must be entered.
Note:
In ELMS, there is no alternate title feature when using an item ID. HRIF and non curriculum outservice training must be entered as "Non-Item" , so that the actual title from the SF-182 can be entered.
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Scheduling is used to add a scheduled offering, edit the segments of the instance, and enroll learners.
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Instructors are added to the segment tab of a scheduled offering.
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All training events must be scheduled on ELMS at least six weeks before the start date, with the exception of out-service training and self instruction.
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The Learning and Education staff will determine whether default class hours are accurate.
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All training events must be scheduled at training facilities that are fully accessible to all participants.
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A scheduled offering is a time-based item or activity that has been placed on the training calendar and made available for learner registration.
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Mandatory fields for scheduled offerings are:
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Item Type
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Item ID
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Segment Start Date
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Segment Start Time
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Time Zone
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Domain
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Contact
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E-mail
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Phone
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The global setting to allow self-registration in scheduled offerings will be turned ON in ELMS.
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Each business unit will determine if a scheduled offering will allow self-registration and what form of managerial notification is needed. To permit self-registration in the scheduled offering, the adm