Certificate types

Certificates can be issued upon course completion or successful reporting to a regulator, using either Certifiable or Training course types. Open-ended Learning course types cannot be completed or issue certificates. Certificates in Acadio can be configured on two levels: 

  1. Course certificate - a default certificate issued upon course completion. To issue a course certificate, you must enable the Certificate app on a course. 
  2. Organization certificate - a certificate that contains specific regulator-required data, some of which may be collected from the student upon completion using a reporting workflow. Examples of data collected from students may include a license number, ID #, or the last 4 of their SSN. Organization certificates override course certificates if enabled.

First, determine which type of certificate you need. Here are some questions to help you pick the correct certificate type: 

  • Will one certificate accommodate all courses? If certificates are only required to include basic information such as the student's name, course title, provider ID, and completion date, then a course certificate will work for you. 
  • Does each course require a different style of certificate? If so, you will want to configure course certificates for each.
  • Will the course be reported to a regulator? If so, you will need to configure an Organization certificate for each regulator.  
  • Does the certificate need to include custom data such as a student's license number or birthdate? If so, you must configure an Organization certificate and custom fields.

Basic data fields include: 

  • Course Title
  • Start Date
  • Completion Date
  • Student Name
  • Certificate ID - a unique ID given to each issued certificate
  • Exam Score - the last exam score in the course, typically an end-of-course assessment 

Configuring a default/course certificate

To configure a default certificate, select Reporting>Certificate from the main menu. 

From here, you can design and configure your new certificate. To get started, click the Add Element tab on the drawer on the right side of the screen. Then, drag the desired elements onto your certificate. For images, drag the element onto the certificate and then double-click the box to insert an image from the Asset Library or upload a new image. 

Other available elements include course values such as course title, start date, and completion date, as well as design elements such as text content, icons, signatures, and shapes. 

After building the certificate, it can be added to a course by navigating to that course, selecting Settings from the course menu, selecting the Apps tab, and enabling the Certificate app. 

Templates

Preconfigured templates can be used as a starting point for your new certificate. To select one of the templates, click Templates from the drawer on the right side of the screen. Then, select one of the templates. Once a template is selected, design elements and course/student values can be added or removed.

Options

Select Options from the drawer on the right side of the screen to access additional settings:

  • Background image - Select an image from your asset library or upload a new image to use as the certificate background
  • Hide border - Removes the default certificate border
  • Paper size - allows you to set a certificate size
  • Orientation - While Landscape is the most popular orientation, certificates can also be displayed in Portrait orientation

Import/ Export

Export: Click the Export button to save this certificate locally as a .json file. Exported certificates can be used as templates and imported into other courses. 

Import: Click Import to upload a .json file previously exported from Acadio. 

Organization Certificates

If your certificates require unique data from either the student or the course, then you will want to create and configure an Organization certificate. 

 

Follow the steps below to configure an organization certificate: 

  1. Select Reporting>Organizations from the main menu
  2. Click on one of the listed Organizations to edit it, or click the Create Organization button to add a new Organization. Once a new Organization has been created, select it from the list to edit it. 
  3. Then, click the Add New Field button to configure a new custom data point for the organization and certificate. 
  4. Enter a label or name for the new field (e.g., License #.)
  5. If this data is collected from students, enter instructions (e.g., Please enter your license number to report your course completion.)
  6. Select a format (text, text area, dropdown, checkbox, date, number.)
  7. Enter a character limit. This is optional, but it can help reduce data entry errors on the part of students. 
  8. If this field is mandatory, enable the Required toggle. 
  9. RegEx validation is available to further reduce data entry errors, but it is recommended only for advanced users. Additionally, an optional validation message can be included (e.g., "Your license # should begin with a letter and be followed by 6 digits.").
  10. Finally, select the Data Source. Select Student if you want to collect this data using a post-course reporting workflow. Select Course if this data will come from the course itself, such as a credit hour value. 
  11. When finished configuring the new field, click the Save button. 
  12. The last step is to add the new field to your Organization certificate. Select the Certificate tab from the drawer on the right side of the screen and click Make Changes. Your new field will now appear under Certificate Elements in the drawer. Drag your new field from the drawer onto the certificate. 
  13. When finished editing the certificate, click the Save button. 

 


Some examples of custom fields you may consider adding to your certificate include: 

  • License #
  • PIN
  • ID #
  • Birth date

Additionally, custom course values can be added to certificates. Some examples of custom course values you may consider adding include: 

  • Instructor name
  • # of Continuing Education hours/credits
  • Topic or field of study 

It is always recommended that you check with the regulator to ensure your certificates are configured correctly and in compliance.