(Place your org logo here)

Welcome to eLearning for Mission Essential Skills & Professional Development

Quick Start Instructions

Logging on to My SkillSource with an enrollment key:

1. From your browser go to http://www.myskillsource.com
2. Click Enrollment Key Log-in
3. Enter the following enrollment key: __________________
4. Fill out the registration form and create a username and password

Logging on to My SkillSource with a Username and Password:

1. Return to the login page (see #1 above)
2. Enter your username and password in the white boxes on the left side of the screen, & click the Login button

You’ll automatically enter the My Courses page. To find courses for Microsoft Office and other end-user subjects, go to the Course Catalog page and click on the Desktop department.

For more detailed instructions and to learn how to navigate My SkillSource, turn to page three of this document.

Key Benefits of eLearning:

Ø      Unlimited access to hundreds of courses and reference materials

Ø      Train anytime, on demand, at your desktop or at home!

Ø      Advance your career by learning a new software application or brush up on rusty skills

Ø      Easily access courses and digitized e-books for easy reference

Welcome to My SkillSource, your online training and reference resource.

(your org) has one of the most progressive and ambitious IT programs of any in the country. As a (your org) employee, you’re encountering new projects, challenges, and technologies all the time.

My SkillSource is designed to help you keep pace with these challenges. With this tool, you’ll be able to choose when to learn and how to learn. There is a broad range of courses to choose from and, because the site is fully hosted, course updates and new features are posted constantly (so check course “Departments” often for new courses).

(your org) IT management has shown substantial interest in supporting your professional and personal development with the adoption of the My SkillSource site. There has been universal agreement amongst management and team leaders that there will be dedicated time in each department for individuals to use the training site each week for courses relevant to job skills.

But My SkillSource is much more than that. You can access My SkillSource anywhere you have access to the Internet: at work, at home, on travel, or at a café. And the reference resources available with My SkillSource are unbeatable, as you will see. Now, in addition to working with peers on the job each day, you can collaborate with a community of learners and subject-matter experts from around the country, and around the world.

As a SkillSource customer, (your org) joins world-class organizations like the US Veteran’s Administration, Entrust Technologies, Toyota, and the NY State Police in benefiting from the flexibility and efficiency of learning via the Internet.

So again, welcome to my SkillSource. Enterprise Training Solutions is proud to bring you this resource, and proud to serve (your org).

                                                                                                (place your org logo here)

Getting Started with Online Learning

Logging on to My SkillSource with an enrollment key:

1. Open your browser to http://www.myskillsource.com
2. Click on Enrollment Key Log-in
3. Enter your enrollment key exactly as it’s been given to you
4. Fill out the registration form and create a username and password

*Once you fill out your registration form, if you get a message stating that your enrollment key is not valid and to contact your system administrator, it is likely because your computer is not set to accept cookies.  To fix this, please follow these directions:

For Internet Explorer:

1.        From the Tools menu, choose Internet Options

2.        Click Security

3.        Click Custom Level

4.        The second category down is Cookies

5.        Make sure both cookies options are enabled

For Netscape:

1.        From the Edit menu, choose Preferences

2.        Click the Advanced category

3.        On the right, the second category down gives cookie options

4.        Choose “accept all cookies"

Logging on to My SkillSource with a username and password:

1. Return to the login page (see #1 above)
2. Enter your username and password and click on the Login button

MY COURSES:

The My Courses page is the default page whenever you enter the site. Here, you’ll be able to check which courses you are currently enrolled in, courses you are scheduled to take in the future, and courses that you have already completed. 

When you first enter My SkillSource, because you’re not yet enrolled in any courses, no courses will appear in this section.

Types of Courses

If you scroll to the bottom of the My Courses page, you will see that there are two types of courses offered, Instructor-Led and Self-Study.

Instructor-Led Courses:

These courses are very much like a college class.  They have an instructor, a systems operator who assists the instructor, a textbook, assignments and interaction with fellow students.  The difference is that all the students don’t have to meet at a specific time each week.  Instead, you’re able to do your assignments and communicate with the class and instructor on your own schedule. 

Self-Study Courses:

These are traditional self-paced courses that are taken individually.  A simulated environment is created to allow users to perform hands-on exercises and learn while doing.    

REGISTERING FOR A COURSE

SEARCH:

The easiest way to register for a course is by using the search feature located in the left-hand margin of your screen.  You can either type the title of a course you want to take, for example, Excel, or type a specific topic within a course like Pivot Tables.  The search will then bring up all relevant courses.  Or browse the Course Catalog, described below.

COURSE CATALOG:

This section groups courses into major subject topics (Desktop, Database, etc.)

1. Click the subject you are interested in
2. A list of courses for this subject group will appear in alphabetical order
3. Both  Self-Study and Instructor-Led courses will appear
4. Select the course you would like to take

Note: There is an important link at each “Department” of courses (Desktop, Database, etc.) It’s located on the right side and is titled Show Course Shortcuts. When you click on this, you’ll get a view that gives you the dates of all instructor-led classes in that respective department, enabling you to plan a schedule for the instructor-led classes that you’d like to take.

Instructions for Self-Study Courses

1. Once the desired course is selected, the course overview and the table of contents for that course will appear 
2. Under Course Activities, you will see either Take an Assessment and Start Course, or just Start Course
3. If Take Assessment appears, click this link to determine how much of the course content you are already familiar with.  Based on this assessment, you will be directed into areas of the course where you require additional instruction
4. To begin the course, click any of the blue highlighted fields
5. If Take Assessment does not appear, simply click Start Course

When the Self-Study course begins, you will see an Options button in the blue box. If you click on it, and then on Help, the following screen will appear:

These symbols will help you navigate within a Self-Study course.

Instructions for Instructor-Led Courses

1. Once the desired course is selected, a course overview will appear, along with objectives and the course curricula.
2. Under Scheduled Course Offerings on the right side of your screen, check to see if the course is in progress or if it is scheduled to begin in the coming weeks. (If the course is not currently available, you can click the notify message and you will receive an email when registration for the course is open.)

These online courses run from 4 to 10 weeks, and cover 1 lesson per week.

3. If the course recently started, is starting soon, or is in progress, you can register immediately.
4. Choose whether you would like to be a full student or if you would like to audit the class. (Note that auditing allows you to view all of the course materials and interactions but you will not be able to message and receive communications with the instructor and other class participants) Click register. When you receive a confirmation of registration…
5. Return to the My Courses page and you’ll see that the courses you registered for appear under Current Courses
6. Click Enter Classroom to begin your course

LEARNING ADVISOR:

The Learning Advisor section of the site is like visiting a Guidance Counselor.   If you want to obtain a particular skill or train for a specific certification, the Learning Advisor will tell you what courses to take, and in what order to obtain your goal. 

If you are a computer professional we highly recommend a visit to the Certification Subjects section of the Learning Advisor.

STORE:

If are fully enrolled in an instructor-led class, the Store is the area on the site where you purchase textbooks. 

(insert your org specific book ordering instructions here)

If you are only auditing an Instructor-led class, you are not required to purchase a book. 

STUDENT UNION:

The student union is where students can come together to meet one another, share ideas and seek advice.  In this section, you can also learn more about the Professionals that manage the site, including the class instructors and Community Forum moderators.

Speaking of Community Forums, be sure to visit this area. Student Union Forums are a terrific place to post questions, share information, meet fellow students, continue discussions from the classroom and collaborate on solutions. Each discussion forum has an experienced moderator and subject-matter expert to respond to student questions and help facilitate discussions.

Currently, My SkillSource offers Community Forums for: Webmaster, Business Community, Database, Design, Desktop Computer, Programming, and Networking.

RESOURCE CENTER:
The Resource Center is a key part of the site! Don’t miss it. Here, you have access to hundreds of digitized books, web articles and journals. 

Can you imagine hundreds of books from major publishers like McGraw-Hill, Ziff- Davis, Sybex, Que, John Wiley, and MIT Press available at your fingertips, 24x7! The Resource Center provides a library of hundreds of full-length, up-to-date reference books on Information Technology and Business topics. The entire contents of each book and all of their illustrations and graphics are viewable and printable right at your computer! You can add favorite books to your own bookshelf, too. These books are the same ones you buy in your favorite bookstore that routinely cost $40.00 dollars and more!

Also, at the bottom of the Resource Center page, sign up for email journals on in-demand subjects. These journals deliver instantly useful techniques and software tips directly to you. You can receive free weekly alerts covering an extensive list of Internet, developer, and desktop applications.

STUDENT SERVICES:

In this section, you’re able to view your transcript, print out certificates of completion for courses completed, change your password and personal information, or change option settings.

We encourage you to explore fully the variety of resources available to you in My SkillSource. Your exploration will be rewarded with new discoveries and a variety of learning opportunities!