The required reading feature allows content to be assigned to users as required reading. Users have a dashboard to show what they are required to read, and they must confirm that they have read the required content. Admins or users with permissions can assign required reading and track who has and has not read it.

Required reading is enabled and configured on the Admin panel: Content section > Required reading page.

If you are currently using the Required Reading Custom Card

Some ThoughtFarmer clients have used a Required Reading Custom Card from ThoughtFarmer's Card Marketplace (accessible through our ThoughtFarmer Community site) with versions prior to 9.10. If you have been using the Custom Card and would like to start using the Required reading core feature, please use the new required reading feature on new required reading pages.

It is not possible to migrate existing information about required readers or their confirmation status from the Required Reading Custom Card to the Required reading core feature. If you want to retain required reader and confirmation status information on pages using the Custom Card, please continue to use the Custom Card for those pages. Use the Required reading core feature for new required reading content.

If you have the Required Reading Report Custom Card on your required reading pages, you can download a report of which users are assigned the page as required reading, whether they have read the page, and when they confirmed that they read it. You can retain this information in downloaded form if you want to start using the new Required reading core feature, but the required reading information will not be retained in ThoughtFarmer.

Turn required reading on

Required reading is off by default. Permissions and messaging for required reading can be configured while the feature is turned off. Required reading must be enabled before any pages can be assigned as required reading.

1. Go to the Admin panel: Content section > Required reading page.
2. Click on the Required reading toggle to turn it ON.

Once required readers are added to any page, required reading can only be turned off globally after required reading has been removed from all pages. Required reading is removed from a page by using Delete all data under the Required reading tab of the page. This deletes all required reading information for the page, including required readers and confirmation status.

Turning off required reading globally will delete all required reading options, tracking reports, dashboards and required reading cards.

Permissions

Permissions for who can assign required reading are set on the Admin panel: Content section > Required reading page. Under Permissions, select the radio button for the desired permissions. The default permissions setting is Administrators only.

There are three Permissions options:

• Administrators only: Only administrators can assign content as required reading.
• Everyone with View & Edit permissions: Users can assign content as required reading if they have View & Edit permissions on it.
• A specific security group when given View & Edit permissions to the content: Members of a specific security group can assign content as required reading if they have View & Edit permissions on it. When you select the radio button for this option, the Select a security group box appears. Start typing the name of the security group in the box and select it from the dropdown menu when it appears.

Click Save after selecting the radio button for the Permissions that you want.

Messaging

Confirmation banner message

• The confirmation banner is displayed at the top of all required reading pages until the user clicks the confirmation banner button to confirm that they have read and understood the page.
• Default text: Confirm that you have read and understood this page.
  
  

Confirmation banner button

• The button displays in the confirmation banner.
• Default text: Confirm

Thank you banner message

• The thank you message shows after a user confirms that they have read the required reading content. The date and time the person confirmed that they have read the content shows in the thank you banner. The thank you banner can be dismissed by clicking the X on the right of it.
• Default text: Thank you for reading this page.
  
  

Confirmed status

• The status that records that an individual has read and confirmed the page. Shows in reports and the required reading tab.
• Default text: Confirmed
  
  

Not confirmed status

• The status that records that an individual has not read the page. Shows in reports and the required reading tab.
• Default text: Not confirmed

Reporting

For each required reading page, there is a reporting dashboard where you can view who has and has not confirmed that they have read the required content. The Reporting heading of the Admin panel: Content section > Required reading page allows you to customize some of the information shown on the reporting dashboard.

• Number of results: In this field, enter the number of results to show on the reporting dashboard before needing to go to a new page. Default is 25.
• Profile fields: The reporting dashboard will always show the user's name, job title, and manager (if enabled). You can add up to 2 additional profile fields to show on the reporting dashboard. To add an additional profile field, click + Add. The next available profile field will display. Click on the profile field to open a dropdown list of available profile fields. Click on the field you want to select it. Repeat to add a second field. Drag and drop the field (clicking outside of the dropdown area) to reorder the fields. Click Save.