Quick Start for Instructors - Events

You can use InstructorSite to manage learning content, create, schedule and manage training events, create learning plans and run reports. This Quick Start Guide focuses on scheduling and managing training events.

Events

Events are instructor-led Courses that have been scheduled for a specific time in a specific location, multiple locations or online. Events scheduled in a specific location are seen only by those in that location whereas, online events are seen by everyone, no matter their location.  Events can also be published to specific user groups within a given location by assigning one or more Audiences to the Event.

Scheduling Events

You can create Events for existing courses by choosing  Event from the + button on the navigation bar. If the course isn’t in your Catalog, you need to create it using Course  from the same + button on the navigation bar. If you want to schedule events but aren’t sure which courses offer, use the Scheduler to review suggestions based on the requests of your learners and their learning plan needs.

When creating a new Event you will be required to choose a course, date, time, location, and instructor.

Best Practice: Do not change the title or description of the course. When necessary, you may append special instructions to these fields.

Best Practice: For online events, enter your meeting information and the desired capacity.  Note: These fields are sticky.

Notifications

When you create an Event, a meeting request is automatically composed for the primary contact, and any instructors, facilitators, speakers, and assistants. 

Best Practice: While editing an Event, you may be prompted to send meeting requests to Event contacts, review the list of recipients and then click Send.

When you create an Event, a notification is automatically composed to learners who have requested the course or have it in one of their plans.

Best Practice: While editing an Event, you may be prompted to send notifications to learners.  Review the list of recipients and consider the possibility of sending too many notifications before clicking Send.

Announcing Upcoming Events 

You can generate an email that lists the upcoming Events and send it to the people in a location or audience or to the people you specify directly.

1. Click the Email button on the Live Events page
2. Search or use the tag filter to focus on specific events rather than all events
3. Choose or accept the default date range and click Next
4. Choose your recipients via the To: button for advanced searching or type names in the field provided
5. Review your subject and message and revise if desired
6. Select to group the email by course or by date range as desired and click Next
7. Click Send

Rosters

People who register to attend an Event appear on the Roster.  Each Event has its own Roster.  You can add people to the roster, remove people from the roster, and if the Roster is full you can even swap people on the roster to and from the wait list.

Best Practice: Encourage people to self-register for Events instead of doing it for them.

Best Practice: Prior to an Event, print the Roster and use it as a sign in sheet (click Record Attendance, then click Sign In Sheet.)

Recording Attendance

After holding an Event, record attendance so that the attendees’ learning history and plans are accurate and up to date.  If you are listed as the Primary Contact for an Event, an open roster appears on your To Do List as soon as that Event has ended.  This is a reminder for you to record attendance and finalize the roster.

Best Practice: Record attendance immediately after each Event.  Do not allow open rosters to queue up on your To Do List.  It is important attendees records are updated in a timely fashion.

Rescheduling Events

When so many people register for an Event that the venue reaches its capacity, the Event’s Primary Contact receives a notification suggesting a change of venue to accommodate more attendees.  As people continue to register, they are automatically added to the Standby list. 

You can make changes to an Event at any time.  If you change the location or time of an Event, a new meeting request is created to update Outlook’s calendar.

Best Practice: When rescheduling an Event or changing its location, you are prompted to send meeting requests to Event contacts and Registrants, review the list of recipients and then click Send.

Canceling Events

You can cancel an Event by deleting it.  A meeting request cancellation is automatically composed for people who have the Event on their Outlook calendars.

Best Practice: When deleting an Event, you are prompted to send meeting request cancellations, it is important that you click Send when prompted.

Best Practice: Do not delete Events from the past, even if there were no registrants or attendees.  Deleting events deletes attendance records and the reports showing the number of times a course was offered will not be accurate.