VISION User Guide

The following terms are used throughout this manual. In VISION, these terms apply specifically to the instructional design process.

Database

A database is the entire collection of training information stored on the VISION server at your organization. The typical VISION user site has only one database. It may contain training information oriented around job positions, work processes, systems, or some other perspective.

Projects

Projects are divisions within a database. Typically, a project represents all of the training information for a department, type of job position, a system, or some other logical division.

Project information that is contained in a database can be shared with other projects in the same database. In VISION Developer, you can create separate security profiles for users by project. Security is an important factor in considering how to separate your database into projects.

Work Areas

Work areas are subdivisions within a project. For example, a Maintenance Staff project might be divided into a work area for Electricians, another for Mechanics, etc. Further, there are three sections of every project database: Analysis, Objectives and Programs. Each of these sections can be a single work area, or separated into multiple work areas.

Each work area is represented as a treelike structure that shows the hierarchical relationship among the objects in the work area, much as your computer’s C:\ drive is depicted as a hierarchy of files and folders in Windows Explorer.

Nodes

The individual components in a work area’s hierarchy are called nodes of the hierarchy. Nodes are related to one another in parent, child and sibling relationships.

Parent

The training information is arranged in each section (Analysis, Objectives or Programs) in a hierarchy format. The term parent refers to any hierarchy component that is immediately above related subordinate components. Here’s an example:

A) Disassemble a bicycle for transport

1. Remove the wheels

2. Remove the pedals from the crank arms

3. Remove the handlebar stem

"A)" is the parent of steps 1, 2 and 3

Child

A child is any hierarchy component that is subordinate to the one above it. We’ll use the same example:

A) Disassemble a bicycle for transport

1. Remove the wheels

2. Remove the pedals from the crank arms

3. Remove the handlebar stem

Steps 1, 2 and 3 are children of. "A) Disassemble a bicycle for transport."

Sibling

A sibling is a component that is on the same level as the subject component. We’ll use the same example again:

A) Disassemble a bicycle for transport

1. Remove the wheels

2. Remove the pedals from the crank arms

3. Remove the handlebar stem

Steps 1, 2 and 3 are siblings.

Step 1 is a sibling above step 2.

Step 3 is a sibling below step 2.

Test Questions

The term test questions refers to the entire test question bank. Test questions are connected to the Learning Objects in the Objectives work area and do not constitute a separate work area.

Approved

In VISION, the term "Approved" generally means that an item has been completed and is ready for learners (students) to use. Many operations in VISION Developer and the VISION Learning Station rely on items being approved before they can be added to courses, qualifications, or even printed without a "not approved" watermark. Frequently, in order to approve a parent node, a child node must first be approved.

The following nodes have an "approved" status: