Identify unique variables and filter tables accordingly with customizable tags.

 

Best Practices

Tags are best used as an additional means for filtering and sorting data in Experiential Learning Cloud when the standard database fields do not give you the ability to track all of the unique and significant variables you need.  

Once a tag is created, it will be available to all users within your university's Experiential Learning Cloud instance, so it is best practice to create generally applicable tags, rather than overly-specific tags that only apply to individual uses. 

Why It Matters

Using tags effectively allows you to leverage creative and customizable data management solutions within Experiential Learning Cloud. Tags provide flexibility and customizability for programs that have more nuanced needs. 

Site Tags (loc_location)

Site Tags should be used to clearly identify the most important characteristics of a site that your placement team and your students need to be mindful of. Students and placement approvers can filter the site list by tag and can clearly see a site’s tags when viewing the site’s record. 

Recommended Use:

Identify schools as Rural, Suburban, or Urban for teacher education programs when students need to complete placements within each of these settings.

Identify the grade levels, specialty areas, and content areas offered by a school so teachers education students and placement approvers can easily find schools that meet a student’s needs.

Identify the specific levels (classifications) or specializations accepted by a site, so that students and placement approvers know, at a glance, whether a site is a good fit for a student.

 

CAREFUL!  Site tags are visible to site representatives, students, and placement approvers, so they should never be used to track sensitive information that shouldn't be shared with all personas.

 

Site tags in the site record (Site Management Workspace)

Site Tags in the Find a Site Table (Site Management Workspace)

 

Document Tags (st_document, loc_document)

Document tags can be used to identify a document as belonging to a certain category or having a certain characteristic. Users can filter the documents workspace by tag to quickly find relevant documents. Tags can only be added to individual instances of a document once it has been created (they cannot be added to form or assignment definitions). 

Recommended Use:

Use a “portfolio” document tag to allow faculty and students to flag documents for their portfolios. Once these tags have been applied, either by the student or faculty member, any user with access to the student’s documents can filter the documents table by this filter.

 

CAREFUL!  Document tags are visible to anyone with whom the document is shared, so they should never be used to track sensitive information that shouldn’t be shared with anyone who accesses the document.

 

Filtering the documents workspace by a tag (faculty perspective)

Timesheet Tags (time_time)

Timesheet tags can be limited to specific tracks and activities via the “Activities” tab in the tag record. If a tag is not limited to a specific track and specific activities within the track, it will show up for all students using any time tracks within the customer’s instance. 

Timesheet tags allow students to associate timesheet entries with additional variables. Students, faculty, and site supervisors can filter the timesheets table by tags, but these do not show up on students' time reports. They do show up on the #525 Report for Admins to view the percentage of tagged hours logged by students across the program. 

Recommended Use:

Use timesheet tags if a program needs to track the percentage of a certain type of hours across the program. For example, you need to know the percentage of “in-person” vs. “remote” hours logged by students.

 

CAREFUL!  Do not use timesheet tags for data insights that need to be accessible to students. Aggregating additional timesheet data for students on an individual basis should be accomplished through the use of flavors, experiences, and assessments.  Learn more about these other time-tracking features here.

 

Tagged Hours as displayed in the #525 Student Hours by Tag report. 

Communication Tags (comm_communication)

Communication tags allow members of a thread to flag the thread or notification. Users can also filter their inboxes by tagged threads. Communication tags can also be applied to sticky notes on documents and timesheets. 

Recommended Use:

Create standard tags that are likely to apply to communications or tasks, such as “Assistance Needed”, “Urgent”, “More Information Needed”, “Awaiting Review”, etc. to help users work through tasks and sort and prioritize messages.

 

CAREFUL!  Communication tags are visible to anyone on the communication thread, so they should never be used to track sensitive information that shouldn’t be shared with anyone who is a part of the thread.

 

Comms Hub filtered by tag.

Learn how to create tags here