In Content Designer, each rating element can be linked to a variable. This allows you to track and analyze student interactions systematically and compare data across activities and courses.
You can create variables by going to Site administration > Grades > Variables and clicking Create variable.
Create variables
When creating a variable, you define several properties to ensure clarity and usability in reports and analytics.
Full name
The full name is a label that describes the variable’s purpose, helping educators understand its meaning in reports.
Example: If tracking engagement, the full name could be Learning Experience.Short name
The short name is a unique, concise identifier for the variable. It must be distinct and is used internally and in reports for simpler referencing.
Example: If the full name is Learning Experience, the short name could be LX.This field is mandatory.
Description
The description explains what the variable measures and its purpose, which helps others understand its role in reporting and analysis.
Type
The type defines how the variable is categorized and used:
Not specified – For general-purpose variables.
Course role – Links the variable to a specific role in the course (e.g. Student, Teacher) using the roles available in the course.
Custom category 1–10 – Allows custom classification. These category names can be adjusted via language customization.
This field is mandatory.
Course categories
Here you select which course categories the variable applies to. This restricts its use to specific categories if needed.
Status
The status determines if the variable is currently active:
Active – Available for selection in elements and included in reports.
Archived – No longer available for new elements but remains in existing ones and in reports. You can restore or delete archived variables when managing variables.
This field is mandatory.