Intro 

The Learning Analytics platform turns learning data into key insights with easy-to-use reports. In this article, we will see how you can create and manage Dashboards. 

Dashboards are a collection of widgets that give you an overview of some metrics at a glance. Moreover, it’s a great tool that you can build and customize in a way that makes sense for you.  

Creating a Dashboard 

To start using Dashboards, log into your Learning Analytics platform and go to the My Dashboards tab using the navigation panel on the left side of the Learning Analytics platform. If you have already created dashboards, existing dashboards will be listed on the My Dashboards main page. If you have no existing dashboards, the page will be empty. You can start creating your first dashboard to populate this page. To do so, click on the New Dashboard button in the top right corner. In the pop-up window that opens, enter the name of your dashboard and press Create. 

Please note in case of multiple dashboards, each dashboard must have a unique name. If you enter a name that already exists, you will get an error message. 

Your dashboard is now listed on the main My Dashboards page. In the table, you will see the name of the dashboard, the creation date and the date of the last update. You can now start populating your dashboards with widgets. 

Adding Widgets to a Dashboard

After you have created your dashboard, you will be redirected to the dashboard main page where you can add widgets, rename the dashboard and share the dashboard. For more details on how to manage dashboards, refer to the chapter below Managing Dashboards. 

To start adding widgets, click on the Add Widget button in the top right corner of the dashboard main page. You will be redirected to the widget library where you can select the widgets you want to add to your dashboard. To speed up the selection process, widgets have been divided into categories and you can navigate between categories using the labels at the top of the page. You can make your selection among all of the available widgets on the platform, choosing between the different categories.

To add a single widget, click on the Add item in the bottom right corner of the widget. This will automatically add the widget to your dashboard.

Additionally, you can add a selection of multiple widgets at once. To do so, hover your mouse over the widget and click on the top right corner of the widget to select it. The number of selected widgets will be displayed on the bottom of the page. If you need to deselect a widget, click on Deselect. Once your selection is complete, click on Add Selection in the bottom right corner of the page. Before adding a widget, you can also click on Preview to see what it will look like in your dashboard. A pop-up window will open displaying the widget with its real dimensions, click on Select to add the widget to your selection. 

Managing Dashboards 

Once you have added widgets, your dashboard main page will be populated with your selection. The widgets are displayed in selection order starting from the upper left corner. But you can adjust this at any time by dragging and dropping widgets and rearranging them to fit your needs. You can remove a widget from the dashboard by clicking on the ellipsis icon in the top right corner of the widget and selecting Remove Widget. Removing a widget will discard the widget from your selected dashboard but the widget will still be available for you to use in other areas of the platform and you can add it back to your dashboard at any time. Other options are also available for widgets just like in other areas of the platform. For more information on widgets, refer to the dedicated article of the Knowledge Base. 

All the dashboards you have created will be listed on the My Dashboards page. On this page, you will see the name of the dashboard, the creation date and the date of the last update. By clicking on the ellipsis icon at the end of the dashboard row, you will be able to rename the dashboard, or share it with platform members. You can also delete the dashboard. Deleting the dashboard means it will be removed from the platform and you will no longer have access to it.  

Click on the dashboard’s name to access the dashboard’s main page. You will find all your selected widgets. To access the dashboard options, click on the Actions button in the top right corner of the page. From here, you can share the dashboard. Other options like time filtering and the possibility to rename the dashboard are also available. 

Renaming a Dashboard

To rename a dashboard, go to the My Dashboards tab, find the dashboard you want to rename and click on the ellipsis icon at the end of the dashboard row. Operate your changes and press Update. Remember that each dashboard must have a unique name. If you enter a name that already exists, you will get an error message. 

Sharing a Dashboard

You can share a dashboard with other members of the Learning Analytics platform. To do so, click on the Actions button in the top right corner of the dashboard main page and select Share. 

In the pop-up box that opens, choose the member you want to share the dashboard with in the list by pressing the Add item next to the member’s name or look for additional members by typing their names in the textbox and press Add. Click on Confirm to finalize your action. The dashboard will be shared with the selected members. Alternatively, you can share the dashboard via a public share link. A public share link allows external users to view the data included in the dashboard without giving them access to the platform.  

Please note : When you share a dashboard with another member, the member will only be able to see data for which he/she has been given visibility permissions. On the other hand, when you share a dashboard via a public link, the person you share the dashboard with will see the dashboard the same way you see it and visibility permissions will not apply. 

When another user shares a dashboard with you, this dashboard will appear in the Shared with me page. This page displays all the dashboards and widgets that have been shared with you by other users, with the name of the person that has shared the item and the date of sharing. You can remove a dashboard from this page by clicking on the ellipsis icon and selecting Remove. When you remove a dashboard from the Shared with me page, it will no longer be available to you. Click on the name of the dashboard to access it and check all the widgets included in it. You will be able to use the time filter to navigate the dashboard.

Time Filter

You can apply a specific Time Frame filter to the results by using the time selector on the top right corner of the dashboard main page.  

By default the data will be displayed for the last 12 months (if available). You can adjust that by selecting a different time frame for your analysis from the list. The selected time range will automatically apply to all the widgets of the page. 

Note: when you select last X months in the time frame filter, the time range that will apply will go from the same day in the corresponding month to today regardless of the number of days in the months. For example, if you choose Last 2 Months as a time frame filter on April 5, the time range will go from February 5 to April 5. You can also choose a custom time range. To do so, choose Custom in the drop-down menu. Click first on the first day of your time range and then click on the last day of your time range. Press Apply to complete the process.