Electronic Signatures for Courses - FAQ

(Feature will be released in our November release)

What is the Electronic Signature feature?

The Electronic Signature feature allows administrators to require learners to digitally sign a document before a course is marked as complete. This is particularly useful for compliance training, legal acknowledgments, policy agreements, and any course where formal attestation is required.

When enabled, learners must complete all course content AND provide their electronic signature before the course shows as 100% complete.

To enable this feature, please contact Customer Success team for further guidance

How Electronic Signatures Work

For Administrators

Enabling Electronic Signature for a Course:

  1. Navigate to the course you want to edit in the admin area

  2. Go to the Course Settings tab

  3. Scroll to find the Electronic Signature setting

  4. Check the box: "An Electronic Signature is required to complete the course"

  5. Save your changes

Once enabled, any learner enrolled in this course will need to provide their electronic signature to complete it.

Important Notes for Admins:

  • Only administrators (not team managers) can enable or disable this setting

  • This setting can be toggled at any time, but affects all current and future enrollments

  • Learners who already completed the course before this setting was enabled will remain at 100% completion

For Learners

Completing a Course with Required Electronic Signature:

  1. Complete all course content - Watch all videos, complete all lessons, quizzes, and assessments as usual

  2. Sign the document - Once you've finished all content, you'll be prompted to sign electronically

  3. Course completion - Only after signing will your course show as 100% complete

What happens if I don't sign?

  • Your course will remain incomplete, even if you've finished all lessons and quizzes

  • Your progress will show as less than 100% (typically 95-99%)

  • You won't be able to receive your course certificate until you sign

  • The course will appear as "In Progress" rather than "Completed"

Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Q: What is an electronic signature?

A: An electronic signature (also called an e-signature) is a legally binding digital equivalent of a handwritten signature. It confirms that you've reviewed and acknowledged the course content. We use SignWell, a trusted electronic signature platform, to securely collect and store signatures.

Q: Is an electronic signature legally valid?

A: Yes. Electronic signatures are legally recognized in most countries under laws like the U.S. ESIGN Act, EU eIDAS Regulation, and similar legislation worldwide. They carry the same legal weight as handwritten signatures.

Q: Which courses require an electronic signature?

A: Not all courses require signatures. Only courses where an administrator has specifically enabled the "Electronic Signature" setting will require you to sign. You'll see a clear indication when a signature is required.

Q: Can I complete a course without signing if the signature is required?

A: No. If electronic signature is required for a course, you must sign to reach 100% completion. The signature is a mandatory final step.

For Learners

Q: When do I need to sign the document?

A: You'll be prompted to sign after you've completed all course content (videos, lessons, quizzes, assessments). The signature step appears at the end of the course.

Q: How do I know if I've already signed?

A: Once you've signed:

  • Your course progress will show 100% complete

  • Your course status will change to "Completed"

  • You'll be able to access and download your course certificate

  • The signature prompt will no longer appear

Q: Can I change my signature after submitting it?

A: No. Once submitted, electronic signatures are final and cannot be modified. This ensures the integrity and legal validity of the document. If you made an error, contact your administrator.

Q: What if I close the browser before signing?

A: Don't worry! Your course progress is saved. When you return to the course, you'll be prompted again to complete the signature step. You won't lose any of your completed work.

Q: Do I need to sign separately for each course?

A: Yes. If multiple courses require electronic signatures, you'll need to sign each one individually. Each signature is specific to that course's content and completion.

Q: What if the signature link isn't working?

A: Try these troubleshooting steps:

  1. Ensure you've completed all course content (all of lessons, quizzes, and assessments)

  2. Refresh your browser or restart your mobile app

  3. Clear your browser cache and try again

  4. Try a different browser

  5. Check if popup blockers are preventing the signature window from opening

If the issue persists, contact your learning administrator.

Q: Can I complete the course on mobile and sign on desktop (or vice versa)?

A: Yes! Your course progress is synced across devices. You can complete the content on any device and sign on another.

Q: Why is my course showing 99% complete but not 100%?

A: If electronic signature is required for the course and you haven't signed yet, your course will show as nearly complete but not 100%. The signature is the final step needed to reach 100% completion.

For Administrators

Q: How do I know if a learner has signed?

A: You can track signature status through:

  • Course Completion Reports: Learners with 100% completion have signed (if signature is required)

  • Enrollment Progress: Check individual learner progress in the course enrollment section and you can download user’s signatures from enrolment tab

Q: Can I enable electronic signature after learners have already enrolled?

A: Yes, you can enable it at any time. However:

  • Learners who already completed the course at 100% before you enabled the setting will remain at 100%

  • Learners who are currently in progress will need to sign when they finish the remaining content

  • New enrollments will automatically require signatures

Q: What happens if I disable electronic signature after enabling it?

A: If you disable the setting:

  • Learners who haven't signed yet will be able to complete the course without signing

  • Previously collected signatures remain valid and stored

  • Course completion percentages will recalculate to reflect that signatures are no longer required

Q: Can I see who hasn't signed yet?

A: Yes. Filter your course enrollment reports by:

  • Completion status: "In Progress" or "Not Started" or “Missed”

  • Download the report: You will find the list of users who did not complete the course

Learners who have completed all content but haven't signed will show a high progress percentage (typically 95-99%) but not 100%.

Q: Does requiring electronic signature work with pass scores?

A: Yes! Electronic signatures work alongside other course requirements:

  • Learners must achieve the pass score threshold (if set)

  • Learners must complete all content

  • Learners must provide their electronic signature

All requirements must be met for 100% completion.

Q: How does this affect course recurrence/recurring enrollments?

A: If a course has recurring enrollments:

  • Each recurrence is treated as a separate enrollment

  • Learners must sign separately for each recurring enrollment

  • Previous signatures don't carry over to new enrollments

This ensures learners acknowledge the content each time they retake the course.

Q: Can invited users (who haven't registered yet) sign documents?

A: Users must be registered and logged in to complete courses and provide electronic signatures. Invited users should:

  1. Accept their invitation and create their account

  2. Complete the course content

  3. Provide their electronic signature when prompted

Q: Is there a way to bulk-download all signed documents?

A: Yes, please contact the support team at support@5mins.ai. They can help you with bulk download of signatures.

Compliance & Security

Q: How secure is the signature process?

A: We user a third party tool that takes industry-standard security measures:

  • 256-bit SSL encryption for data transmission

  • Secure, encrypted storage

  • Tamper-proof audit trails

  • Compliance with SOC 2 Type II standards

  • Regular security audits

Q: Does this meet compliance requirements (GDPR, HIPAA, etc.)?

A: Yes, our signatures are compliant with major regulations including:

  • GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)

  • ESIGN Act (Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce)

  • UETA (Uniform Electronic Transactions Act)

  • eIDAS (European Union regulation)

Q: Can signatures be audited?

A: Yes! We provides comprehensive audit trails including:

  • Who signed the document

  • When they signed (date and timestamp)

  • IP address used for signing

  • Device information

  • Email verification

  • Complete history of the document

These audit trails are admissible as evidence in legal proceedings. Please contact our support if there is a requirement for audit.

Troubleshooting

Q: The signature completion is not reflecting in course progress. Why?

A: This could happen due to:

  • Synchronization delay: Wait a few minutes and refresh the page

  • Browser cache: Clear browser cache and reload

If the issue still exists, please contact support@5mins.ai