Instructions

Where can I use SkillSoft?

SkillSoft courses can be taken via the Internet from any computer, from any location with Internet access, at any time of the day or night. Space is also available in the Knott Hall 106 computer lab for all students, faculty, staff and administrators during normal working hours. This lab is a "quiet study" lab where anyone may go to use a computer without major disruption. The lab may be used for work with SkillSoft, Element K, or MELL online courses. For directions and additional information, please visit: http://www.loyola.edu/training.

How do I use SkillSoft?

Logging into SkillSoft: Contact Doris Trainor on extension 1367 in Human Resources to obtain a password. Access the SkillSoft website by going to http://www.loyola.edu/skillsoft and click on the "Login to SkillSoft" link on the right. Enter your user information and password that were provided to you.

Courses Available: The SkillSoft library is vast and provides business-focused solution areas that include: Management & Leadership, Project Effectiveness, Sales & Customer-facing Skills, Finance, HR & Administration, Business Strategy & Operations, Safety & Health, Financial Services Industry, and Professional Effectiveness. View the full course listing or login to SkillSoft and click on the "Catalog" link at the top of the page for additional information. Many courses are also available in Spanish.

Finding Courses in SkillSoft: You first need to login and enter your user information and password. Once the SkillSoft site opens, enter key words, course title, or the course number in the "Search for" field at the top of the screen. You can further limit or expand your search by changing the "Category" field also located at the top of the screen. Once you submit the search, the matching selections will appear below. Click on any link to view more detail for your selection.

My Plan: Once you've identified a course that you are interested in taking, you can choose to "Play this Course" or "Add this Course to My Plan." Choosing the second option will create a shortcut to this program by saving the course in "My Plan" found on the homepage. This allows you to customize your specific professional development plan and will also make it easier to find the course at a later date. You also have the option to "Modify My Plan" which allows you to enter and/or change personal goals and deadlines. Within this option, you can also choose to remove courses by clicking on "Remove from My Plan."

Taking a SkillSoft Course: Once you've identified and selected the course that you are interested in taking, either choose "Add this Course to My Plan" or choose to "Play this Course." If you add the course to your plan, you can choose to play the course after that process is complete. After choosing to play the course, you have a few options. Option #1: Click on "Begin Course" (located on the lower right hand side of the screen) and work your way through the course. Option #2: Review just the topics you need by clicking on the specific topic links. Option #3: Take the "Course Pre-test" (located on the upper right hand side of the screen) to see how much of the topic you already know and then proceed to review the topics individually. When you take the pre-test you will see the test topics listed. To start the test, click the "Begin Test" button (located on the lower right hand side of the screen). Within the test, clicking the "Evaluate" button will let you now if your answer was correct or not. Click the "Next" button (located on the lower right hand side of the screen) to proceed to the next question. After taking the pre-test, you will be taken to a screen that summarizes your scores. To continue with specific topics in the course or to take a test for a specific topic, click on "Course Menu" (located on the lower right hand side of the screen).

To End a SkillSoft Course: To exit a SkillSoft course, click on the "Exit" button (located on the upper right hand side of the screen). SkillSoft saves your progress as you go, so it will remember where you were when you return to the course.

To Access a SkillSoft Course Previously Started: SkillSoft saves your progress as you go, so it will remember where you were when you return to the course. When you return to the course, the course menu will appear. An arrow will appear to the left of the topic you were last working on. Also, the circles to the right of the topic will fill in with green as you progress through and/or complete a topic. You can also use these to track your progress.

My Report: "My Report" can be accessed from the homepage within SkillSoft or by clicking on the "My Report" link on the shortcut menu on the left. This feature tracks the courses that you've accessed, how far you've progressed through a course, and also any test results. You can print this out if you need documentation of your training. Certificates of completion will also be sent to you for each course you successfully complete.

Logging Out of SkillSoft: When you have finished using SkillSoft, remember to log out. To do this, click on the "Logout" button (located on the upper right hand side of the screen). After successfully logging out, a screen will appear that says, "Session Ended."