Customizing the SharePoint Learning Kit: part 2

Change the default color of the Web Part

By default the SLK uses the default SharePoint theme. If you need to change this then do the following:
- Open the core.css file located in C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS\1033\STYLES.
- search for
table.ms-toolbar,table.ms-viewtoolbar,.ms-toolbarContainer
{
background-image:url(“/_layouts/images/toolgrad.gif”);
background-repeat:repeat-x;
background-color:#d6e8ff;
}

And change the value for background-color to your own needs.

I know its not a bullet proof solution but it works for me.

Customizing the SharePoint Learning Kit: part 1

When using the SLK in combination with the Microsoft e-learning courses the double navigation can be confusing for the students.

If you only have the MS courses, or other courses that have their own navigation,  then perhaps you could consider to change the frameset of the SLK course player.

• go to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\web server extensions\12\TEMPLATE\LAYOUTS\SharePointLearningKit\Frameset
• edit the MainFrames.aspx page
• change the Frameset cols to ’0′ on ID=FramesetParentUI
• save the file
• your done

The revival of the SharePoint Learning Kit?

In the past weeks I looked at different implementations of the SharePoint Learning Kit. And it surprises me that more and more companies start using SharePoint and the SharePoint Learning Kit for their first steps in to the Learning world. Because I strongly believe in the use of SharePoint for Learning, especially with the 2010 version, I would say great choice!

However, the installation needs to be done by professionals and that’s something I did last week. Installing the SLK, including a Dutch language pack, on a SharePoint farm with different web applications is something where you need to be very careful. Before you know it the SLK is installed on the wrong web app and you can everything all over again.

Some things you need to know

• The SLK won’t run on a SharePoint 2010!! So far it runs only on a WSS 3.0 and MOSS 2007. The SLK SP 2010 version is expected by the end of this summer.

• If you plan to use another language then the default English, then stay with the 1.3.1 version. The Dutch language pack is, as far as I know, not available for the moment.

• Make sure that the site you are deploying to has the right regional settings NL-NL

• Change the DeploySolution.cmd file of the SLK installer so the installer uses the right web app

• Don’t forget to activate version control on the document library that will hold your courses!

• Importing Microsoft eLearning courses resulted in a warning but the course launched and tracking worked fine. It seems that the e-learning content does not have well formed SCORM syntax?

On Codeplex somebody proposed solution but that doesn’t seems to solve the problem.

I believe that the SLK is fine for the first steps in to the world of learning but if you want to go further you will definitely need more functionalities.