Courses: add an eSignature to a course

Use electronic signatures for compliance training, or to confirm terms and conditions

Use eSignatures to let learners sign their names electronically, to confirm learners have completed required courses, or have read and agreed to terms and conditions.

Availability: all customers

eSignatures overview: how it works

Organizations with firm requirements for compliance training can include eSignature modules as part of their courses.

This feature meets the requirements for:

• eIDAS Simple Electronic Signature for EU
• UETA, aka Uniform Electronic Transactions Act, for most US states
• E-Sign Act, aka Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, for US

When added, the eSignature module is a required module. Learners cannot complete the course until they enter their names in the module.

The required text that learners sign is up to your organization. You can:

• enter the statement directly in the CK editor
• upload a file with your organization’s approved wording

LearnUpon records the learner’s name and adds the date that the learner signed the module.

The following screenshot shows a sample eSignature statement, created in CK Editor, with the learner’s name entered.

The following screenshot shows how LearnUpon renders the eSignature onscreen for learners, and adds the date to the record.

Tip: for courses where you want all the modules finished before marking the course Completed, add an eSignature module as the last module. The course stays In progress until the learner completes all the modules, including the eSignature.

For admins using Log in as learner feature to view learner accounts: you cannot complete the eSignature module on behalf of a learner.

See Portal setup: let admins log in as learners

Add a one-time passcode for additional security

To demonstrate that only enrolled learners completed a course, you can add a one-time passcode (OTP) to the eSignature module. 

When the learner enters their name to the eSignature, LearnUpon sends an email to their email address containing an OTP. The learner must enter the code in the eSignature module to progress, and complete the module.

The date and time the learner confirmed the OTP is recorded in the CSV file download, alongside the date and time the learner signed the module.

Note: The one-time passcode option requires an email address. For organizations that have usernames as unique identifiers, make sure that all recipients have a valid email address in their profile.

For username-based portals that allow learners to edit their profiles, learners can update their profile immediately, then continue the eSignature process. 

For username-based portals that do not allow learners to edit their profiles, learners see a message directing them to contact their learning team for help. 

The following screenshot shows the one-time passcode option in the eSignature Settings.

This option is turned off by default. For new courses, you need to turn it on when you add the eSignature module. For published courses, you need to re-version the course to add or remove the OTP option.

eSignature modules work in copied courses, and licensed courses

You can copy courses that contain eSignature modules within a realm: typically, you copy courses from top-level portal to sub-portal.

Copying a course does not copy the eSignature records for the course. Each portal holds a separate set of eSignature records for the course.

You can license courses that contain eSignature modules, from top-level portal to sub-portal. For licensed courses, the records of courses with eSignatures remain within each portal, and are not shared between portals.

You need to download eSignature records for each course, within each portal.

See:

• Courses: copy a course
• Sub-portals: license a course

eSignatures work with content sequencing

When you add an eSignature module to a course, it becomes a required part of the course. Learners cannot complete the course without entering their name.

For courses with sequenced modules, you can bypass sequencing for the eSignature module, the same way you can bypass assignments and checklists. Learners must enter their names in the module eventually, but they can complete other modules first, if required.

See Courses: sequence your modules.

The following screenshot shows 3 modules with Sequence your content and Bypass sequencing for eSignatures turned on.

Add eSignatures to your training records

LearnUpon tracks eSignatures at the course level. You can export a CSV file of eSignatures from each course page for your records.

eSignatures are linked to course versions

When you create a new version of a course, LearnUpon retains the eSignature associated with the version that the learner signed.

If your organization deletes the course, LearnUpon retains the records of the eSignatures (learner name, date, and eSignature), in case you need to refer to these records in future.

Retain signature records for future reference

If your organization leaves LearnUpon, you need to download the eSignature records before closing your account.

Access permissions

• all Admins: can set up all courses, and can export eSignature records
• instructors with permissions to create and edit courses: can set up courses and export eSignature records for learners they instruct
• managers with instructor permissions: can set up courses and export eSignature records for learners in their groups

See:

• Portal setup: create admin accounts
• Users: create an instructor, and assign them to a course
• Managers: set permissions to manage groups

Add an eSignature module to a course

1. From main navigation go to Courses > my course name.
2. Select Content to view the current modules.
3. From Add New Content select Add eSignature.
4. In eSignature module info enter a Title and any Tags for the module, and Save.
5. From Add New Segments To This Module select 1 or both of the following:
   • Add Text & Images: insert text for learners to review and sign using CK Editor
   • Add Documents: upload the document for learners to review and sign
6. Optional: for courses with content sequencing, select Bypass sequencing for e signatures, if required.
7. Optional: select Add a one-time passcode to the eSignature module as required.
8. Save to finish.

Tip: LearnUpon recommends you preview the course and see how the eSignature module works as part of the course, before publishing.

Export eSignature records for a course as a CSV file

LearnUpon stores eSignature records with each course. You need to download the records from each course page.

1. From main navigation go to Courses > my course name.
2. From Actions, select Export eSignatures.
3. From the dialog that appears, select the link to download the CSV file.

The following screenshot shows Actions, with Export eSignatures highlighted.

External references

LearnUpon is not responsible for content outside this website.

• EU’s eIDAS (electronic Identification, Authentication and Trust Services)
• US-state level UATA (Uniform Electronic Transactions Act)
• US federal E-Sign Act (Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act)