What is Authentication?
Campus Labs requires a single point of identification, referred to in this document as Primary Attribute, for a user that is consistent across all the components of the platform. The Primary attribute (sometime called the External ID or Person ID) is chosen during the Authentication process, one of the first things a campus will do when partnering with Campus Labs. This Primary attribute allows someone to log in to multiple platforms and allows multiple data points to be associated with that user.
Why is it important?
The identifier needs to be used to associate data with a user account. If a value other than the Primary Attribute is used, you will create invalid accounts when importing Core Data files. In other cases, you will produce data that is not attached to the proper account
How is it selected?
A campus will decide a Primary Attribute to use as an external identifier. Common identifiers could be some unique piece of information like campus ID’s, campus emails, or some other unique identifying piece of information.
If you don’t know who coordinated Authentication, or how to locate your campus’s Primary Attribute, please reach out to your Campus Labs Consultant and we will get you the correct information.
Where do you need the Primary Attribute in Core Data?
The Primary Attribute will appear in three Core Data Files. Each one of these files will have field titled PersonIdentifier. Anytime you need to fill out the PersonIdentifier field, the field will need to be populated with the Primary Attribute that was sent over during authentication.
- Accounts File
- The Accounts file contains data that the platform requires to identify a user and tie information to them. This information is used to customize the user experience of the web application, and enable communication directly to the user in specific conditions.
- In the Accounts File example above, the campus decided to use the email address as the Primary Attribute. The Primary Attribute has been used to populate the PersonIdentifier field.
- The Accounts file is used by the following Campus Labs platforms: (Required) Beacon, Evaluate, Insight, Outcomes, Planning, Rubrics, Engage
- Instructors File
- This file attaches an instructor to a specific section and provides the instructor implicit access with the correct permission.
- In the Instructors File example above, the campus decided to use the email address as the Primary Attribute. The Primary Attribute has been used to populate the PersonIdentifier field. Please note, the PersonIdentifier must be filled out with the Primary Attribute for every instance of a section being taught by a faculty member.
- Instructors file is used by the following Campus Labs platforms: (Required) Evaluate, (Optional) Beacon, Insight, Outcomes
- Enrollments File
- The Enrollments File import is used to attach a specific student to a specific section offering. Enrollment data will include the enrollment records of all students into the individual sections offered for the term.
- In the Enrollments File example above, the campus decided to use the email address as the Primary Attribute. The Primary Attribute has been used to populate the PersonIdentifier field. Please note, the PersonIdentifier must be filled out with the Primary Attribute for every instance of a section enrollment by a student.
- The Enrollments file is used by the following Campus Labs platforms: (Required) Evaluate, (Optional) Beacon, Insight, Outcomes
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