Setting up course equivalencies is a powerful way to recognize learning achievements and streamline your training requirements. When creating a one-way equivalency, understanding the setting "Automatically assign and complete" is crucial to achieving the exact behavior you need.
What's the Situation?
You are setting up a one-way course equivalency where completing Course A grants the learner credit for Course B. You need to know if you must check the box for "Automatically assign and complete" to make this equivalency work.
The Recommended Solution and Guidance
To establish a basic one-way equivalency (Course A grants credit for Course B), you do not need to select the "Automatically assign and complete" option.
The key difference lies in whether you want the equivalent course (Course B) to be completed for the user regardless of its assignment status or only if it has been assigned.
Option 1: Basic One-Way Equivalency (Recommended for Credit)
- Action: Do not select the "Automatically assign and complete" option.
- Result: Course B will only be marked as completed if and when Course B is assigned to the user. This ensures the user receives credit only if they were required to take the course.
Option 2: Automatic Assignment and Completion
- Action: Select the "Automatically assign and complete" option.
- Result: This setting immediately assigns Course B to the user AND marks it as complete, regardless of whether they were previously assigned the course or not. Use this option only if you want the user to have a record of assignment and completion for Course B the moment they complete Course A.
For most scenarios where you simply want the completion of one course (A) to satisfy the requirement of another course (B), the basic one-way equivalency (Option 1) is the recommended path.