If you have just one or two learners to add to your learning platform, then the quickest way is to use the Add learners application, so you might find this useful: Managing new learners
If you’ve got a lot of people that you want to add, for example when you first set up the platform and want to get everyone uploaded from your payroll/HR platform, then it’s well worth the effort to create an import spreadsheet and then import the whole lot in one go.
So, pick Learners… Add learners:
You’ll see two options:
Universal – this import follows a fixed structure, with us telling you exactly what information you need to put into your file, and in what order and format. If all the information is entered correctly, the import tool will take all that data and put it straight into the platform. No need for any extra steps or configuration, it works just like that!
Standard – this import is slightly different in that we don't tell you what information or data is required. It’s unfixed, so you’ll need to set it up and configure it to your requirements. This import is useful if you have a file with your learner details that doesn’t quite fit for the universal import, as not every file will look the same or contain the same information. It’s very much dependent on the organisation.
With both import options, you’ll need the file that you want to upload to be a CSV file. A CSV file is a comma-separated values file, which means that each piece of data in the file is separated by a comma rather than a column. It’s not too important to know the ins and outs of CSV for your import purposes; you just need to make sure that your file type indicates it’s a CSV. Oh, and it needs to be UTF-8 encoded (reach out to your IT function, or to us for help with that!)
The Universal learner import is great for getting all your learners on the platform in one go, without having to do any additional configuration on the learning platform.
The way it works is a simple 2-step process where you choose a file to upload and then select Submit:
So, the key thing to get right is the file that you are uploading, and you’ll notice that we give you plenty of help to get it right first time:
Let’s have a look at the expected structure in more detail below:
User Name - this is the unique name that the learner will use at the login screen
User Type (Dashboard) - this needs to be a known dashboard within your platform. Remember, a dashboard is simply a list of tools that a person sees when they log in. If you’re not sure what to use then open up Learners … Add learner and look for yourself: `
In the Learner Details Editor, scroll down and see what options are displayed in the Dashboard dropdown:
First Name - the learner’s given first name
Last Name - the learner’s given surname
Email - they’ll need this if they ever forget their password!
Password - something that will let them log in quickly, changeme is a good one
Org1 - this is important as it is the location where they work and is key to reporting. If you’re not sure which value to use then open up the Add learner application to look for yourself, Show the Learner Details Editor, scroll down and see what options are displayed in the four organisation dropdowns:
Also have a look at the Manage company structure application and look at the location editor (it might be called something else but it’s the one on the far right!)
Date of Birth - it’s not mandatory to include this but if you do it’ll be stored for a learner
Country Code - GB will do just fine
Language Code - en is perfect. A learner can change this when they log in and their preferred language will be stored.
Job Code – this works alongside the Job Description field which is coming up next. If you’re not sure which value to use then open up the Manage job types application, have a look at the list and pick one from the Code column.
Job Description – this works alongside the Job Code field which we’ve just covered. If you’re not sure which value to use then open up the Manage job types application, have a look at the list and pick one from the Description column.
Company Start Date – is the date they joined the company, make sure it looks like this 02/08/1998 (and not in any other date format)
Company Leave Date – is the date they left the company, make sure it looks like this 25/08/2020 (and not in any other date format). The leaving date is important because it will also set this person as inactive (and will keep your reporting stats accurate!)
Employment Type – this may be used for filtering in reports. If you’re not sure which value to use then open up the Add learner application to look for yourself, Show the User Details Editor, scroll down and see what options are displayed in the Employment Type dropdown:
Old User Name – this is a very handy feature that lets you change an existing username to be a new username. You might have previously created a learner with a temporary username just to get them up and running whilst they wait for their payroll number to be issued for example.
Tmp Exclude – this is a simple 1 or a 0. If you set it as 1 then this person will be excluded from reporting:
So, we’ve covered what data is needed, we now just need to bring it all together in one place and the easiest way to do that is with an Excel spreadsheet (or your open source spreadsheet application of choice). This is the file you will choose to upload/import.
A really important thing to note is that the column names have to be exactly as we show them in the expected structure – including the capitalisation and the spaces in between the words.
If you find that you’ve created the template using MS Excel and you’ve inadvertently added an extra column or two, then this will affect how the Universal import works and you’ll see an error message like this:
When your file has successfully imported you’ll see this message:
So, that’s it for the Universal learner import! Don’t forget to check your error logs!
What about the Standard learner import option?
You’ll remember we also mentioned a Standard option when it comes to importing learner details. You’ll only use this option if we have already created an automated user import facility for you as a paid-for managed service.
The benefit of using the Standard learner import is that it’s a little more flexible than the Universal one. It will still work and import your learner details with whatever information you or your HR system has on your workforce. It’s all about taking the information you can provide on your learners, mapping the data, and ensuring the Standard import puts the right data in the right place in the system.
Want to automate your learner imports? Get in touch with us today.
The next guide in this section is How to check the user import error logs
You might also find these useful to help you get up to speed with how the various applications all work together:
Managing your company structure
Just to help you out we’ve got this handy template below that you can use as your starting point! USP_User_Import_Template_explained.xlsx
(Just remember to export the files you create as CSV files!)