As an introduction to using your Student Management System (SMS), it is beneficial to explore some key terminology used throughout the system.
Becoming familiar with some product terms will assist with learning how to use it to its full potential – and speed up your learning experience! This article will serve to highlight some immediate elements of the system, and introduce the unique terminology that communicates what they are used for.
For you, the user:
A handful of terms are specific to you as a user operating the program. These can be helpful for communicating any needs you may encounter for support assistance, or for additional queries to how you can better personally operate the system.
These terms include:
- User ID and Password - These details are unique to you and are used to access the system.
- User Profile - Every user will have their own unique User Profile. This includes their Dashboard to reflect information specific to them, as well as a set of preferences that can be used to shape their user experience.
- User Role - The role of a user is configured to determine what records can be accessed, and what functions can be performed. Roles are managed by users with Administrator permissions!
Your User Profile and Dashboard
Once you have logged in, you will be viewing the home screen - this is part of your User Profile.
There are some key elements in this area - the items you will immediately see include:
- Dashboard - Upon logging in, each user will see the main screen of their very own dashboard, showing a summary view of their activity
- Activity Widgets - These panels display options for the unique data types that are managed within.
In the top-right, there are some unique options, including User Profile configuration details. These include:
- Search - The search panel can be used to quickly look up and display information within your system. You can use the drop-down arrow to quickly select a particular query type.
- Notifications - These can be toggled on or off across different systems and functions for your User Profile.
- Profile Preferences - Each user will have access to unique configuration options via their username at the top-right of the dashboard:
- Note: Your Password can be reset within the My Account area.
People and Organisations
There are a great many parties present within the system that reflect different individuals and the bodies they can represent. These can range from the students that are completing learning, right through to the agents that refer them to your organisation - and everything in between!
Here is a quick list of some common terminology for people/organisations within the system:
- Individual/Party Profile - This is a record for a person and acts as a base record where details unique to that individual are recorded. It reduces data entry and limits the risk of duplicate records. It allows one record to be used for multiple roles (i.e. an Individual Profile can have the role of Academic/Educator/Trainer, whilst also being a student (in a previous life, or if you're tracking their Professional Development courses).
- Staff - This role includes Academics/Educators/Trainers/Assessors/Coordinators within your organisation. Your Staff can be added to courses or enrolments, or assigned to various system entities (tasks, timetable events, applications/prospects) for tracking purposes. If a Staff member is also a user, a user account must be created so system access can be granted.
- Student - This refers to the Enrolment of an individual who has been enrolled on a course. An individual can have many enrolments.
- Company - Company/Organisation to be included in your network. A Company can be linked to a student enrolment or utilised as a service provider (e.g. work placement, transport, accommodation)
- Agents - A third party linked to an enrolment - commonly used for overseas CRICOS agents.
Curriculum, Learning Resources and Offerings
As a student management system, it will of course require learning materials to be established and monitored for your students. This is done across the broad Curriculum offering - which encompasses your Programs, Enrolments, Unit activity – everything that makes up the training activity you provide!
- Program/Course Curriculum/Scope - this represents the main framework for what your organisation delivers. Its flexible nature means that preferences can be set that flow through to linked courses/enrolments – and any details added here will be included in compliance reporting where required. Course Curriculum will generally include Units – however Subjects and/or Elements can be included depending on requirements and delivery style!
- Enrolment - A student's particular learning, presented in a collected area within the system for review and management.
- Subject/Unit of Study - A cluster of units used to set up modular style delivery.
- Unit - Represents a Unit of Competency (which can be accredited or non-accredited).
- Element/Activity - Constituents of a Unit of Competency. Custom elements/activities can be created to reflect assessments/tasks to be completed within a Unit.
- Course - This is a course offering and a way of grouping common enrolments. The Course sits between Curriculum and Enrolment in the system hierarchy and allows each provider to create their own structure and set preferences/defaults for enrolments.