This site runs on a new LMS called LearnWorlds, which does some things better than Thinkific (in my opinion at least):
One of the main drawbacks with Immersive Labs is that students have to log into a separate platform to access their labs and exams. This introduced several logistical challenges and overall wasn't a great experience. To address this, I'm moving away from Immersive to a new lab provider called Skillable. This brings multiple benefits:
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Skillable labs are accessible outside of their platform via an API. I can export lab configurations as SCORM packages and import them into LearnWorlds. This means labs (and exams) are now available directly from inside a course.
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Unlike Immersive, Skillable don't charge for storage which means dormant labs are no longer a financial burden. This has allowed me to do away with lab expiry, which in turn removes any time pressure on students to complete labs within a given timeframe.
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Skillable provide a robust scripting engine around lab launches, which form the basis of their 'activity based assessments'. I have been able to completely re-define how exams are assessed and graded. Instead of simply looking at a set of flags, exams are graded based on outcomes and performance.
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Ranges in Immersive end up being singular, monolithic labs, where everything runs at once. This is inefficient because you run VMs that you don't need for the task being carried out, which increase costs and complexity. Skillable makes it much easier to build and reuse VMs across different lab profiles as and when you need them. So each course section can now have one or more mini-labs dedicated to specific tasks. Post-launch scripting is used to automatically execute a Beacon so students can hit the ground running when a lab is launched.
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Finally, Skillable have the ability to launch labs that include cloud resources from Azure and AWS. This opens exciting possibilities for new course content in the future 😁
Zero-Point Security's founding mission statement was to make cybersecurity courses more affordable for the masses. Although the current pricing is reasonable for some, we must remember that 80 percent of humanity lives on $10 or less a day. I'm extending my commitment to this mission by adopting a new pricing model based on 'purchasing power parity' (PPP). This provides dynamic pricing based on the local economic conditions of the purchaser's country, ensuring they get a fair at equitable price.
As hinted at above, students are now able to access examinations on-demand, directly from a course - no more needing to book through a calendar with coupons. However, examinations will no longer be available outside of a course.
Back in 2020, I made the commitment that I would not put an expiry date on courses - something that multiple training vendors have since adopted. In 2025, I'm doubling-down by not charging a fee for examination retakes.
Digital credentials will now published under Zero-Point Security's own
subdomain, rather then
Badgr, each with brand new certificate and badge designs. This is powered by Accredible, who are known and trusted by businesses across the world. The badges are also integrated into the new user profiles, so you'll never lose track of them.
The old badges issued on Badgr will not be migrated.
With LearnWorlds, I am able to provide a stronger enterprise offering for businesses who want to buy in bulk for their team. This includes self-service seat management, user analytics, and reporting. See the 'for businesses' page for more information.
