Deploying courses in multiple languages


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Hey all,

Launching this post to gather people’s best ideas / best practices for deploying courses in multiple languages.

We have several customers who have taken different approaches to this, each with their own benefits and pitfalls. 

I’m interested to hear how others arrange their courses (e.g. into language subfolders? or with separate courses and equivalencies?) and what your preferences are.

Many thanks in advance!

Evan, Skillslive Edu


9 replies

Userlevel 7
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Hey Evan,

Depending on the course, we do it in three ways:

1. All languages in one training material (SCORM module created using Articulate Storyline)

2. Course with multiple training materials in different languages - the final training material in every language marked as "end object marker" to make sure users have completed the course regardless of the language they choose

3. For videos, we do them in English and add subtitles in multiple language for users to choose from (you have to activate the languages you want in the Localization tool and then add subtitles to videos on the platform) 

Userlevel 7
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We have used the multiple course method (1 for each language) and aligned them to language specific catalogues that are assigned based on the user’s language preferences. This allows the users to browse the site in the their preferred language and only see those courses readily available in their language. 

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Thank you both! 

@lrnlab - In using this method, are you assigning the catalogues based on branch or using a User Additional Field (like a replica of the standard “language” field, named something like “content language”) in conjunction with automated Group rules?

Userlevel 7
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Hi @Evan_Skillslive, YES...to use the profile attribute option, you would first create an automatic group and then use that group to assign the catalogue(s). Tyr it out...it’s pretty slick.

Userlevel 2
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That’s great! Actually, yes, we’ve done something similar with one of our clients in Japan (whose content is in Japanese, English and Simplified Chinese) - Your comment has given me a really important validation, so thanks again! :thumbsup:

Userlevel 3
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We are currently in the process of creating content that is required in multiple languages.  To date it has been a mixture and we are settling on a course in each language with videos with subtitles and translated supporting documents.   We have yet to deploy course catalogs and channels with language localization but it is in the works.   

The challenge I am experiencing is we are creating a full course in English with all video assets with multiple subtitles for the languages we need.  Once this course is complete I would like to be able to copy the course and make training material description changes into the correct language.  I am currently unable to do so because once something is uploaded from the central repository (CLOR) I am only make a change at the repository level and not at the course level.   The material is the same only the description in the correct language.  Currently, this is causing me to duplicate the materials three more times and making a mess of the CR.   If anyone has ideas to better manage or a better way I am open to new ideas.  

Userlevel 7
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HI @Feenix73 unfortunately that’s the way the CLOR works...it’s essentially the same object shared across a bunch of courses...keep in mind as that a user who completed something that was added to a course from CLOR is forever marked as completed on this object wherever it appears in other courses (not always the desired effect). You might be better off just creating separate courses for each language with their own content.

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I understand but hate filling the CLOR with duplicate objects just because I need to change the title of that object in a different course.  In this case it is exactly the same just in the correct language.  It also raises the challenge of maintaining and versioning content.  It will require instead of changing the one object I will have to make sure I change the object four or five times.    - guess it is time to submit a feature request.  

Userlevel 7
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You might be better off just creating separate courses for each language with their own content.

This is what we did and it is working fine for us. 

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