In this article, we'll explain how Categories are used to organise content so it's easier for learners to find what they're looking for, your LMS stays neat and tidy, and reporting can be more targeted.
Categories are mandatory for Courses. They're important because learners use them to refine their view of Courses on the 'All Courses' page. Categories can also be used by administrators to refine the list of Courses in Learn admin, to find and view a specific Course.
It's also possible to specify a Category for Accreditations, Catalogues, Groups, Job Profiles, Lessons and Resources. Categories in these areas are visible only to administrators in Learn Admin, and its totally optional to use them (but we REALLY recommend you do, they really help you keep organised).
We'll cover how to:
- View and edit the Category for a Course, Lesson Catalogue or Group
- Create and edit Categories for any system area
- Make it mandatory to add a Category for any system area (where categories are used)
Watch the video below for an overview of Categories in Learn LMS:
For more information about Categories, Courses and Catalogues, take a look at 'Build and curate learning' in The Academy
View and edit the Category for a Course, Lesson, Catalogue, and Group
View a Course, Accreditation, Catalogue, Group, Job Profile, Lesson or Resource and there will be an option to specify a Category. Here are a few examples of where that option appears:
For Catalogues, the Category is specified here:
For Courses, the Category is specified here:
For a Lesson, the Category is specified here:
For a Group, the Category is specified here. (Note that the 'Manually Maintained Users' category should only be used where the Group contains manually added Users):
Steps to create and edit Categories for any system area
Categories are unique to each system area. For this example, we'll create a new Category for Courses. The same steps apply for Catalogues, Groups, and Lessons in each respective area of Learn admin.
- Browse to the Course area of Learn admin:
- Select 'Edit' next to the Course Category. All existing categories will be listed.
- Select 'New' to create a new Category, or Edit/delete to amend an existing Category:
- When you're done, select 'Save' to keep the changes. The new Category will now be available to select when a Course is created or edited.
Steps to make it mandatory to add a Category for any system area
Categories are used for Accreditations, Catalogues, Groups, Job Profiles, Lessons, and Resources. If you decide to use Categories to keep your LMS organised, make it mandatory so all administrators populate the Category field. Here's how to do it:
- In Learn admin, browse to settings:
- Select 'Category' from the Settings administration menu
- Select the checkbox for the system areas where categories should be mandatory:
- Select 'Submit' to save
Ask the Community🤝
Want to connect with peers and hear how they keep Learn LMS neat and tidy? Our customer Community is a great place to get quick, relatable advice - so jump in, ask your question, and learn from the wider customer Community.
Get deeper learning in The Academy🎓
Custom fields and categories are two great ways to keep Learn LMS neat and tidy. Head to The Academy to find out more:
- Big picture: build and curate learning
- How to use Custom fields to support your content audit
- How we use Custom Fields to keep the Academy organised
- How can I use Custom Fields as a filter and in a table?
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