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Troubleshooting Trainee Issues

  • Updated

Managers are often the first point of contact when a trainee experiences an issue with their training.

This guide explains the most common issues trainees may report, what information to gather, and what to provide to Support if further investigation is required.

Issue Types

These issues are typically related to the trainees device, network, or browser. Common examples include:

  • A required activity or video not completed.
  • Content not displaying properly (especially on mobile)
  • Slow or restricted networks.
  • In-app browsers (Outlook) blocking content.
  • Browser settings preventing progress from being recorded.
  • Temporary platform issues (CloudFront) 

Note: CloudFront issues are usually resolved by logging out and back in. If that doesn't work, clearing the browser cache or restarting the device may help.

What trainees may report

1. General/ unclear

Trainees may say:

  • "My training isn't working"
  • "Something's wrong with my training"
  • "I'm stuck and I don't know why"
  • "I can't complete my training"

2. Can't continue / stuck in module

Trainees may say:

  • "It's not letting me continue"
  • "The continue button doesn't work"
  • "The page won't scroll"
  • "It keeps sending me back to the start"
  • "I've watched everything but it won't complete"

3. Video Issues

Trainees may say

  • "The video isn't working"
  • "The video won't play"
  • "The video keeps looping"
  • "The video keeps buffering"
  • "The screen is black"

4. Training won't load / won't open

Trainees may say

  • "My training won't load"
  • "The course won't open"
  • "It's stuck on the loading screen"
  • "I'm seeing a blank page"
  • "Nothing happens when I click the link"

5. Slow or restricted network

Trainees may say

  • "The training is really slow"
  • "It keeps freezing"
  • "It takes ages to load"

6. Progress not saving / sync issues

Trainees may say

  • "My progress didn't save"
  • "It made me start again"
  • "I got a retry message when exiting"

What managers can do

Managers are not expected to fix technical issues. Instead, you can help by gathering a few key details and asking trainees to try a few steps that often resolve the issue.

If trainees are unsure what's wrong, these steps will help you guide them.

1. Ask the trainee to run the System Checker

This tool identifies the most common compatibility issues Please ask them to run it and share a full-page screenshot of the results.

You can also share this link with the trainee:
Using the Spark System Checker

2. Confirm the trainee has tried an alternate browser

Some browsers can block learning content or limit interaction.

Ask the trainee to try:

  • Use Chrome or Edge
  • Avoid in-app browsers (e.g. Outlook)

3. Confirm the trainee has tried a different device.

Asl the trainee to try another:

  • Laptop or computer
  • Mobile device
  • Table

(Whichever is different from the device they were using initially).

4. Confirm the trainee has tried another network connection

Some networks can block video or interactive content.

Ask them to switch between:

  • Home Wi-Fi
  • Work Wi-Fi
  • Mobile data.

If they are on a corporate network, IT may need to allow access to Sponge domains, which are listed in this article. 

5. Skill Pill or SLAMM training

If the affected training is delivered through Skill Pill or SLAMM, additional guidance is available:

What to send to Support

Once the trainees has completed the checks above, send Support the following information.

  • Trainee name
  • Module name
  • A brief description of the issue.
  • Full-page screenshot of where they are stuck.
  • System Checker results.
  • Whether they tried another device.
  • Whether they tried another browser.
  • Whether they tried another network,.

With this information, Sponge Support can investigate immediately.

Note: Support may also pose as the trainee to check progress and advise on further steps.

 

 

 

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