Note: Some functions listed here may be disabled depending on country-specific or customer-specific requirements. In such cases, user management is carried out through a different method. Please contact your system administrator.

Preparations for Import

Preparation of Hierarchies

Basically, you should consider which users you want to import and what hierarchy structure is intended. The levels for "Teachers", "Students", and possibly "Guardians" are suggested. More information can be found in the article on Hierarchies.

Preparation of the Import File

Note: The following description for preparing the import file serves as an example to illustrate the functionality of the import using a CSV file. In practice, user information can already be structured and exported from a school management system and prepared in Excel based on the following information.

The CSV import generally allows multiple users to be newly created or updated in itslearning as a package. Prepare the data in Excel by creating a worksheet or a separate file for each user group:

Important:** Save the tables as CSV files (UTF-8 comma-separated).

Below, we show you the import of teachers and students. The import of guardians is described in a separate article: Import of Guardians.

Import File for Teachers

The table needs at least the following fields:

- Synchronization Key (ID): Used to match records when reusing the import file (e.g., at the start of a new school year). This value must be unique, meaning it cannot be assigned multiple times, and each user gets exactly one ID. You can also take this ID from a management software. If you do not use one, you can generate a unique synchronisation key as follows:

•   L_20200611_001
•   L = Teacher
•   20200611 = the current date in reverse (YYYYMMDD)
•   001 = Running number, which can start at 001 each day.
•   In Excel, you can mark the first cell and drag it down the column with the mouse. All IDs will then be created automatically.
•   If you use itslearning with multiple schools on a shared platform, e.g., provided by the school authority, you should also include a school identifier in the ID. We recommend prefixing the respective school number. The ID would then have a format like this: 7389201_L_20200611_001

- First Name First name (alternatively, e.g., the teacher's abbreviation). The first name is also displayed as the profile name in itslearning.

- Last Name

- Username: The username is required along with the password for login, so it must not be assigned multiple times. Common formats are "FirstName.LastName" or the teacher's abbreviation. Umlauts are possible here and are recognized with and without dots during login (e.g., Müller = Muller). Consider a procedure for double names.

You can also automatically generate usernames to avoid dealing with possible duplicates. This is especially useful if you use itslearning with multiple schools on a shared platform or if you maintain student data in multiple tables. This way, you avoid errors during import that you would have to correct manually if a username already exists. This also applies if this username is used by another school on the same itslearning platform. You can leave this column empty - then all persons will receive an automatically generated username. Alternatively, you can specify during import that an automated name should only be generated in case of duplicates. More on this in the import section below.

Automatically generated usernames consist of several initial letters of the first and last names, e.g., "MaSc" or "MarSch" for Maria Schneider.

You can optionally add more columns, such as a (work) email address.

Import File for Students and Guardians

Students are initially created together with the guardians on one worksheet:

If you want to use the platform without guardians, simply omit the guardian-related columns.

- Synchronization Key: If you already have a student number, e.g., from a management software, you can and should use it here as well. Otherwise, you can generate an ID analogously to the teacher ID:

  - S_20200611_001

  - S = Student

  - continue as for teacher

- First Name + Last Name: as for teacher

- Username: as for teacher, if students are familiar with a student number, it can also be used as a username.

- Year + Class: These designations can vary depending on the educational institution, e.g., in vocational schools, training course and graduation year. There can be more or fewer than 2 columns. The aim is to map the learners in the familiar structure so that, e.g., a teacher can retrieve them as a group. These columns will appear as sub-hierarchies of the student level after import.

Import

Start the import on the overview page of user management:

 In the next step, select the prepared CSV file by clicking on the paperclip icon:

> You can then either search for the file on your computer or drag and drop it with the mouse. Note that the file must not be open.

The semicolon (;) is usually correct and can remain as is unless you saved the CSV file with a different delimiter.

> Click on Next.

> You will now reach the import mask, where you make the corresponding entries for the user data:

Here, you connect the fields from itslearning with the column labels of your CSV file. Leave fields that you do not need and therefore do not appear in your table (e.g., date of birth) blank.

Username:

If you want to create all usernames yourself and manually resolve duplicates: Select the column with the username in the selection field and do not need to do anything else here.

Otherwise:

 a) You have already created usernames (in the system or in the table) and only want an automatically generated username in case of duplicates: Select your table column in the selection field and additionally check the box "Allow username generation (if empty or used)":

b) You want to automatically generate usernames in general: Leave the default entry "Generate (has not changed during synchronization)" and additionally check the box "Allow username generation (if empty or used)":

Further down, enter the ID as the synchronization key and mark the field "Synchronization field" on the right:

If you automatically generate usernames, you can basically do without the ID and mark the username as the synchronization field. For self-created usernames, an additional ID is your insurance that an existing account is not accidentally overwritten with new data.

Next, assign the corresponding hierarchy:

The initial hierarchy ("Start hierarchy:") must already be created. The year and class hierarchies are created with the import - if they do not already exist. In this case, the students are assigned to the corresponding hierarchies. Teachers are usually not assigned to further sub-hierarchies. Leave these fields blank.

Click on "Next":

In the next step, you will see a preview of your hierarchies. Levels that are newly created during the import are marked:

Click on "Next" again.

A preliminary report of the expected import appears next:

In the first line, "1" (=one error) is often displayed. This is usually unproblematic. Then the first empty line of the import file contains an invisible control character. You can ignore this error.

Click on "Finish" to start the import. Wait until the import report is displayed. There is no progress indicator.

Important: Please note that with such a CSV import, only users can be added, not deleted. Deletion, on the other hand, happens in user management under "Users and Access Rights".