Pro Tip: Automating Pre-Requisite Checks and Course Eligibility with SQL LRS Reactions

Did you know that you can use Reactions in SQL LRS to automate pre-requisite checks and course eligibility?

SQL LRS Reactions can be programmed to automatically check if a learner has met the pre-requisite requirements for a course based on previous learning activity or certifications.

Here’s how it works…

Once a Reaction is programmed in SQL LRS, the system can listen for incoming xAPI data statements that, when combined, represent the totality of an activity. So, in our example, when xAPI statements for a specific activity sequence or a course completion is captured (e.g., a learner completes one or more modules within a course), a Reactions-triggered xAPI statement would be generated to signal that the learner is now eligible to proceed to the next module or course. That eligibility could be pulled by a report or could be passed on directly to another system, such as an LXP, that requires the assertion of completion in order to make the next level available.

The benefit?

This approach reduces manual intervention in tracking eligibility and ensures learners only take courses when they meet the necessary qualifications. And, because xAPI data is immutable, the eligibility is entirely auditable.

Oh, and an added benefit… let’s say that your sequence was more complicated than just getting a completion statement from one system. Let’s say that in order to meet the pre-requisite, the learner had to watch a series of videos and complete a quiz in an LMS, successfully pass a micro-course hosted on an LXP, fill out a mobile survey, and do a VR-headset walkthrough of an orientation to the next course. You could send xAPI statements from all four platforms — representing all of the requirements per platform — and then Reactions could trigger a “pre-req met” statement in SQL LRS when it had seen that all of the qualifications from all of the different platforms were met.