Applies To:
- Pinnacle Series Administrators.
Common Causes/Issues:
- You would like to learn about how the Pinnacle Series Spark micro learning feature works.
Solution Overview:
Enable Spark at the Group Level
What You’ll Need
- Admin access to Groups
- Decision on notification cadence: Daily, Weekly, or Monthly
- A short list of Interests to target content (you can refine later)
- Group interests are captured within the user settings area, which makes them available to select within each group setting.
What Enabling Spark Does
- Sends in-app reminders (and optional emails) on the cadence you set.
- Users land on the Spark page and see a fresh, AI-curated queue of short videos aligned to their interests.
- Spark menu enabled for users and Spark Preference link appears within User Profile Settings.
At a Glance
- Per Group: settings apply to all users in the group.
- Notification Cadence: Daily / Weekly / Monthly.
- Interests: drive which videos Spark promotes.
- Start Immediately: Becomes active upon saving. Align your communication plan to ensure group members anticipate notifications and recognize the value of engaging with their Spark content.
Step 1 - Decide which Group you want to toggle Spark on for
Carefully consider the group's area of focus and what video content would be most applicable for them. Ask feedback from SMEs where needed. You will define user interests next and content titles and meta-data can be helpful to make interest as relevant as possible.
Step 2 - Consider Group Interests Thoughtfully
Group Interests help guide Spark’s recommendations across your organization. They act as “context clues” for what matters to a team - disciplines, tools, and workflows - but individual user preferences are always prioritized in the algorithm. The goal is to shape discovery through thoughtful curation while still allowing users to personalize their experience. Head to User Settings > User Interests and capture all the group interests that you wish to have available to select from for group interests.
How Spark Matches and Suggests Content
Spark recommendations appear in the “Just for You” section based on a combination of User Preferences, Group Interests, and Hero Products. When there’s a match - and the item is shared to the user - it may be suggested if:
- The user hasn’t viewed the item within the last 90 days, and/or
- The content duration is under five minutes.
Matching can occur across Title, Description, Keywords, Topics, Chapters, or Transcript. Group Interests shape visibility, but user-defined preferences remain dominant.
Plan Group Interests around skills, workflows, and deliverables rather than departments or job titles. This ensures SPARK suggestions stay aligned with project work.
Good vs. Weak Examples
| Weak Interest | Why It’s Ineffective | Stronger Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Civil Team | Too broad; doesn’t reflect actual learning needs. | Civil 3D – Road Design, Drainage Modeling, Survey Integration |
| BIM Group | Ambiguous; lacks workflow context. | Revit Collaboration, Navisworks Coordination, Model Checking |
| New Hires | Role-based, not content-relevant. | Onboarding: Autodesk Account Setup, Template Standards, Project Collaboration Basics |
Planning Template
Use this structure to align team interests with existing content metadata:
| Group Name | Proposed Interests | Linked Metadata / Content Themes |
|---|---|---|
| Structural Engineering | Revit Reinforcement, Robot Analysis, Dynamo for Structures | Revit Structural, Analysis Tools, Automation |
| Environmental Design | InfraWorks Site Grading, Civil 3D Stormwater, Sustainable Design | Civil 3D, Sustainability, Drainage |
In a large AEC firm, distinct discipline groups - Architecture, Structural, MEP, and Civil - can each define focused interests that mirror project work. For the Civil Infrastructure team, suggested interests could include:
- Civil 3D 2025 – Corridor modeling, subassembly workflows
- InfraWorks – Early design visualization, Civil 3D integration
- Survey & Topography – Point cloud and surface management
- Drainage Design – Stormwater modeling, pipe network analysis
Defining interests around project workflows ensures Spark delivers suggestions that reinforce real-world deliverables rather than general training.
Step 3 - Groups Settings > Spark Toggle
Go to Admin Home > Groups, select the group you want to configure, then open Group Details.
Step 4 - Toggle Spark On
In the Features panel, turn Spark On and confirm the prompt. Spark activates as soon as you save. Be sure to follow your communication plan - after saving, users will start seeing Spark prompts, the Spark menu, and related in-app and email notifications (if enabled).
Step 5 - Set Notification Frequency
- Daily — short pilots or high-priority rollouts
- Weekly — balanced reminder for most audiences
- Monthly — ongoing, evergreen programs
Quick Action Checklist
- Review Spark analytics monthly to confirm top engagement topics per group.
- Host a short SME sync to validate that interests match active projects.
- Remind users to update their My Interests preferences to further personalize Spark suggestions.
- Use Library sharing to curate the most relevant content for your audience - this remains the best method for content control.
Step 6 - Select Group Interests
Click Add Interests and select topics that fit this group.
Spark uses this weighted order:
- User Preferences (highest priority)
- Group Interests (set by your manager/admin)
- Hero Products from Shared Libraries - AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D, Revit, Inventor, Autodesk Construction Cloud, Navisworks and Bluebeam (default if no preferences are set)
Save Changes
Spark FAQs for Group Admins
Q1. Can I prevent specific content from appearing in SPARK?
Not currently. Spark draws from shared content across Libraries available to the user. While you can’t exclude specific videos, you can curate visibility using Library sharing - this ensures only relevant material is discoverable through Spark.
Q2. What happens if users don’t set their own interests?
If users haven’t defined preferences, Spark falls back to Group Interests and Hero Products (Revit, AutoCAD, Civil 3D, Navisworks, Inventor, Autodesk Construction Cloud, Bluebeam). These defaults keep suggestions relevant even without user input.
Q3. Can I control how often users receive notifications?
Yes. Notification cadence is managed per group: Daily, Weekly, or Monthly. For most organizations, Weekly works best to maintain steady engagement without over saturation.
Q4. Why are some users seeing different videos?
Spark personalizes suggestions based on each user’s activity and preferences. Even in the same group, results vary depending on their engagement history, content views in the past 90 days, and interests set at the user level.
Q5. What if a user says their Spark feed looks random?
Encourage them to update the 'Just for You' area in their profile. Spark’s algorithm weights user-defined interests highest, so refining them improves accuracy and relevance.
Q6. Does Spark include long videos or just short clips?
Spark prioritizes short videos (under five minutes) and items not viewed in the past 90 days. This ensures learners receive fresh, high-impact “nano-learning” suggestions rather than full-length courses.
Q7. How can I monitor what’s performing well?
Use Spark analytics or engagement dashboards to review view rates, click activity, and topic trends per group. Adjust Group Interests quarterly based on these insights to keep content aligned with evolving needs.
Q8. Can users opt out of Spark notifications?
Yes. Individual users can disable notifications from their User Settings > Notifications area. However, Spark remains accessible from the navigation menu so they can browse suggestions anytime.
Q9. How does Spark determine a match?
Spark uses a combination of User Preferences, Group Interests, and Hero Products to surface content. Terms in quotes are matched exactly, and matches can occur across a content item's Title, Description, Keywords, Topics, Chapters, or even the Transcript - meaning spoken words in videos can trigger a match. This exact-match logic ensures SPARK suggests truly relevant content instead of loosely related results.