Lesson Content Types

Each Course Lesson can combine multiple delivery formats: markdown Body, embedded YouTube video, Quiz ID assessment, file-upload Assignment, plus optional Trainer Notes and AI summary fields. The portal lesson player renders components in a fixed order so authors can predict learner experience.

Help URL: smoothhiring.com/help/lms/courses/lesson-content-types

Table of Contents

1. Render order in the player
2. Markdown body lessons
3. YouTube video lessons
4. Quiz lessons
5. Assignment lessons
6. Preview lessons
7. Trainer-only content
8. Programming exercises (optional)
9. Desk paths
10. Step-by-step examples
11. Tips
12. Troubleshooting
13. Related guides
14. HRMS integration

Render order in the player

Typical layout:

1. YouTube embed (if URL set) — top
2. Body markdown content
3. Quiz widget (if Quiz ID set) — bottom
4. Assignment upload (if Question set) — bottom

SCORM lessons bypass markdown stack—see SCORM guide. Empty lessons should be avoided; combine text + check for engagement.

Markdown body lessons

Body uses Markdown Editor—supports headings, lists, images, code blocks, embedded links.

Best practices:

• Break long policies into subheadings with anchors.
• Host large images as File attachments referenced in markdown.
• Link to HR policies hosted on intranet when content changes frequently.
• Keep line length readable on mobile.

Markdown-only lessons suit policy acknowledgments and reference material without graded checks.

YouTube video lessons

YouTube Video URL field accepts standard watch/share URLs. Player appears above markdown so you can add reflection questions below the video.

Configure LMS Settings Prevent Skipping Videos to require minimum watch percentage before completion registers (via watch duration tracking).

For non-YouTube video, embed HTML via markdown iframes where security policy allows, or use SCORM/video file in SCORM package.

Quiz lessons

Link LMS Quiz by name in Quiz ID field (Data field—enter exact record name).

Quiz creation on desk (/app/lms-quiz):

• Add LMS Question rows (choices, open ended, etc.).
• Set passing score and attempt limits.
• Enable/disable show answers per compliance rules.

Quiz appears at lesson bottom; failure may block progress depending on quiz settings and portal logic.

Print completed attempts: LMS Quiz Submission with Quiz Submission Report format—ideal for audit packets.

Assignment lessons

Set Question (Small Text) prompt. Choose File Type:

• Image
• Document
• PDF

Learners upload evidence; trainers grade via LMS Assignment Submission (status includes corporate label Not Scored after terminology patch).

Use assignments for:

• Photo proof of workstation ergonomics
• Signed worksheet scans
• Manager attestation uploads

Preview lessons

Include In Preview exposes lesson to non-enrolled visitors when course allows preview marketing—useful for paid/external catalogs. Internal HR sites usually keep previews off.

Trainer-only content

Trainer Notes (markdown) and Trainer Content (text JSON) store facilitator guidance—not shown to standard learners. Cohort instructors reference these during live sessions.

Programming exercises (optional)

Sites enabling Programming Exercises sidebar expose LMS Programming Exercise lessons—code runner integration depends on LiveCode URL in LMS Settings. Disable sidebar item if unused to reduce author confusion.

Desk paths

Step-by-step examples

Policy + acknowledgement quiz

1. Body: full harassment policy text.
2. Quiz ID: 5-question acknowledgement quiz with 100% pass.
3. Publish; assign as mandatory.

Video + reflection assignment

1. YouTube: safety demonstration.
2. Body: bullet reflection prompts.
3. Question: "Upload photo of your PPE setup" with Image file type.

Desk-only quiz repair

1. Open /app/lms-quiz/{quiz}.
2. Fix answer key.
3. Re-test lesson without republishing course.

Tips

• Do not set both quiz and assignment on same lesson unless workflow requires dual evidence.
• Keep videos under 15 minutes for completion rates.
• Use consistent quiz naming: COURSE-KEY-QUIZ-01.
• Test lesson on mobile Safari/Chrome before company-wide assign.

Troubleshooting

Related guides

• Chapters and lessons
• SCORM packages
• Create a course

HRMS integration

Quiz and assignment artifacts may be attached to Employee Compliance records for audits. Onboarding tasks in Employee Onboarding should name the lesson type employees must complete (video vs quiz). Ensure Employee records users can upload files if assignments require evidence.

Accessibility and inclusion

Provide markdown transcripts for video lessons where possible. Avoid color-only emphasis in diagrams. Quiz questions should use plain language at required reading level. Assignment uploads must accept common phone photo formats when field staff compliance is required.

Combine types thoughtfully: video + short quiz increases retention vs video alone per L&D research—document your standard in author training.

Governance, auditing, and data retention

Training data in Smooth LMS is standard Frappe JSON in MariaDB plus files in public/files and public/scorm. HR audits typically require evidence of who completed what by when. Export desk lists (LMS Enrollment, LMS Quiz Submission, LMS Training Assignment, LMS Certificate) to CSV for sampling. Quiz submission print formats provide question-level detail suitable for safety investigations or harassment prevention audits.

Retention policy should align with HR document retention: keep LMS submissions at least as long as related Employee Compliance records. When employees depart, disable User accounts but retain enrollment history unless legal counsel approves purging. Version course content via amended records or annual duplicated courses so historical completions still reference the correct curriculum year.

System Managers should restrict Moderator role membership and enable login activity review on sensitive cohorts (executive leadership programs). Pair LMS reports with HR onboarding status from Employee Onboarding overview to prove training preceded start date when required.

Frequently asked questions

Do employees need desk access? No. LMS Student is portal-only by default; send {site}/lms/courses links.

Can one user be both Course Creator and Moderator? Yes on small teams; larger orgs should separate author vs publish duties.

How do we handle contractors? Create User + optional HR employee record; assign training like employees via Employee records linkage or direct enrollment.

What breaks if HRMS is down? LMS continues serving published content; new hire auto-enrollment pauses until Employee/Onboarding APIs succeed.

Are certificates legally equivalent to HR compliance rows? Not automatically—store PDFs on compliance or document types when statute requires.

Performance and scale notes

Large enrollments (5,000+ users) should batch assign overnight via assign_mandatory_training rather than manual enrollment rows. Rebuild website cache after bulk publish. Monitor background workers if email notifications queue heavily. SCORM packages should be optimized zip exports to reduce disk usage during large uploads.

Additional troubleshooting

Operations calendar (recommended)

Integration smoke tests with HRMS

1. Create test Employee with user — confirm LMS Student role.
2. Submit test Employee Onboarding — confirm enrollments when courses mandatory.
3. Complete course — attach quiz PDF to test Employee Compliance row.
4. Archive evidence in document compliance SOP.

Support runbook (L1)

Collect: user email, course/cohort name, screenshot of error, timestamp. Check enrollment exists, course published, role present. Escalate to System Manager if SCORM extract failed or permission hooks deny batch access. Reference Employee records to fix missing user_id before reassigning training.

Document history and change control

When updating this process, record the Smooth LMS app version, platform update date, and whether HRMS onboarding templates changed. Authors should note breaking changes in course release notes (quiz question changes may require reattempts). For regulated customers, maintain a binder linking LMS course ID to compliance control ID in Employee Compliance.

Desk administrators use /desk/learning for cross-course metrics; portal users rely on /lms/courses for consumption—both URLs should appear in internal SOP PDFs so auditors can reproduce learner steps without admin credentials.

Last updated: May 2026