We recently transformed our content loader. The new loader incorporates all the functionality of the previous version, but with added improvements. We have enhanced it to automatically detect the type of upload you are carrying out.

The new loader

Firmwater LMS will automatically detect if the file you load already exists for your organization. If the loader finds a match with existing content, it will tell you the activities and number of clients using it. Once you confirm the update, Firmwater will update the newly loaded activity in all of these places. You can still upload content as new or update the resources of existing content, as in the old loader. The only difference is you don’t have to indicate your desired operation – instead the loader detects the operation based on the file you upload.

We’ve also made a few other tweaks to help you out when things go wrong:

  • We now load SCORM packages that were zipped up with an extra top folder (a common issue).
  • We detect when you accidentally load your authoring tool project file and alert you.
  • We provide better error feedback if something is wrong with your file.

How it works

When you access the Load Content feature through the Content tab, you will launch the Load Content dialog box. Just drag and drop your SCORM package or PDF file directly into the dialog box. You can also click on the box to navigate to a file location on your computer. Pro tip: drag your file directly onto the activities list page and the dialog will open automatically! Watch it upload and add your activity title and type.

Conclusion

We have made the following improvements to our loader:

  • Descriptive feedback is given in the event a bad file is loaded.
  • The loader can detect if the file you load already exists for your site, so you don’t have to input whether you are updating or loading content as new.
  • If the loader detects a matching file on the site, it will report this you. You will be shown the activities and the number of clients currently using this file.
  • This provides you with a better scope of the update you are carrying out. You can now rest easy knowing how many activities and clients are impacted by your update.