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Getting Started with Courses

Michael Stephenson avatar
Written by Michael Stephenson
Updated over 2 weeks ago

Available in Element Success. See our packages overview for details.


Overview

Course data in Element451 enables you to leverage course-related data from your institution’s Learning Management System (LMS) or imported files. This data unlocks powerful capabilities to improve student engagement, retention, and success.

This feature provides a view-only data model for storing and using course-related information. By integrating course data into Element451, you can:

  • Identify and Support At-Risk Students Early: Use data like grades, attendance, and participation to create automations that send alerts, trigger interventions, and improve outcomes.

  • Engage and Motivate Students: Send personalized messages celebrating achievements or offering timely support like tutoring resources.

  • Enhance Student Access to Data: Students can view their course details in StudentHub, keeping them informed and empowered.

  • Create Targeted Segments: Build contact segments using course data filters (e.g., grade drops, excessive absences).

  • Trigger Strategic Workflows: Automate campaigns (emails, texts, push notifications) or assign tasks to academic advisors or students.

🚨 Important: Course integration is not a source of record. It provides view-only data pulled from your LMS or imported files, allowing you to use this data meaningfully. Additionally, Element451 currently supports integration with only one LMS platform.


Course Data Fields

Course data comprises three main categories: courses, course sections, and enrollments. Here is a breakdown of the fields supported that can be used for filtering and segmentation:

📌 Note: Field availability may vary slightly depending on your LMS. Not all platforms support all fields; some fields may be populated differently based on your LMS configuration.

Courses

Courses represent the top level of a course offering (e.g., "BIO 101: Basic Anatomy"). These are the core academic programs offered by your institution.

Code

Unique identifier for the course

Credits

Number of credits the course is worth

Department

Academic department(s) offering the course

Description

Full course description

Grading

Grading method (e.g., letter grades, pass/fail)

GUID

Unique ID generated by Element451

Name

Course title (e.g., "Basic Anatomy")

Number

Course number (e.g., 101, 202)

Status

Status of the course (e.g., active, completed)

Subject

Subject area of the course (e.g., Math, History)

Type

Type of course (e.g., lecture, lab)

Updated At

Last sync timestamp

Sections

Sections represent specific occurrences of a course offered in a given term with specified meeting times (e.g., "BIO 101 Section 001, Mondays and Fridays 9am-10am").

Campus

Campus where the section is offered

Code

Unique identifier for the section

Course Reference

Link to parent course

Current Enrollments

Number of students currently enrolled

End Date

Date the section ends

Enrollment Count

Current number of enrolled students

GUID

Unique ID generated by Element451

Institution ID

Section ID from your LMS/SIS

Instruction Mode

How the course is delivered (e.g., online, hybrid, in-person)

Instructor

Name of the instructor for the section

Instructor Email

Email address of the instructor

Max Enrollment

Maximum number of students allowed

School

Academic school offering the section

Section Type

Type (e.g., Lecture, Lab, Seminar)

Start Date

Date the section begins

Status

Section status (e.g., active, canceled)

Term

Academic term the section is offered in

Type

Type of section (e.g., lecture, discussion)

Updated At

Last sync timestamp

Meeting Times

For each section, the following meeting time details are captured:

Day*

Day of week (0=Sunday, 1=Monday, etc.)

Start Time

Meeting start time

End Time

Meeting end time

Start Date

Meeting period start date

End Date

Meeting period end date

Timezone

Meeting timezone

Building

Building location

Room

Room number

Enrollments

Enrollments represent the relationship between a student and a specific section, including academic performance and engagement data.

User

The student enrolled in the course

Current Grade (Text)

Student’s current grade in text format (e.g., B+)

Current Grade (Number)

Student’s current numeric grade

Enrollment Status

Status of the enrollment (e.g., enrolled, dropped)

Final Grade (Text)

Final course grade in text format

Final Grade (Number)

Final course grade as a number

GUID

Unique ID generated by Element451

Institution ID

Enrollment ID from your LMS/SIS

LMS URL

Direct link to your LMS

Last Attended Date

Last date the student was present or engaged in course activity

Last LMS Activity

Most recent activity timestamp recorded in the LMS

Total Absence

Number of recorded absences

Total Active Time

Total time (in hours) spent in the course

For LMS integration specifics regarding data fields and syncing, refer to our Native Courses Integrations for Learning Management Systems (LMS) article.


Adding + Importing Course Data

Element451 provides several ways to bring course data into the platform, depending on your systems and preferences. Below are the available methods:

Option 1: API Integration

Use an API connection to sync course, enrollment, and academic data from your LMS to Element451. An API (Application Programming Interface) allows systems to communicate automatically, offering a real-time or scheduled flow of data between your LMS and Element451. For more information, visit our Integration Guide.

Option 2: Direct LMS Integration

Element451 offers direct integrations with popular LMS platforms, including Canvas, Brightspace, and Blackboard, with Open LMS support coming soon. This connection automatically syncs course and enrollment data in real-time, providing an efficient and seamless experience.

  • This is a read-only connection. Element451 imports data but does not write back to your LMS.

For LMS-specific setup guides, check out the links below to get started:

Option 3: Manually Add

You can manually add individual courses directly in Element451, although this method is rarely necessary. In nearly all use cases, syncing via flat file, API, or direct LMS integration is the preferred and more scalable approach.

Pro Tip: Utilize manual entry for testing purposes and to explore different use cases using course-related data to facilitate personalized and automated student support and engagement.

To add a new course:

  1. Navigate to Data + Automations > Courses > All Courses.

  2. Click the + Add Course button.

  3. Fill out the course details (code, subject, number, type, status, credits, grading, and departments).


Accessing Course Data

📌 Note: You must have the Administer Courses permission enabled to access Course data. Contact your administrator if you do not have the necessary permissions.

Navigating to Courses

  1. Go to Data + Automations > Courses.

  2. From here, you can select:

    • All Courses: View and manage course, section, and enrollment data.

    • Settings: Configure data sources for courses, sections, and enrollments.

All Courses

The All Courses tab displays a table of all courses, including details like course name, status, code, and subject.

  • View Course Details: Open a course to view its information and associated sections.

  • Delete Courses: Remove a course from Element451 (this action only deletes it from Element451, not the source system).

  • View Section Details: Open a section to see its details and enrollments.

  • Delete Sections: Remove a section from Element451 (this action only deletes it from Element451, not the source system).

Note: You cannot add or edit course data in Element451. Courses is designed to display data synced from your LMS or imported files.

Settings (Course Data Sources)

The Settings tab allows you to manage the data sources for courses, sections, and enrollments.

By default, the system uses system data sources (pre-configured by Element451). However, you can switch to custom data sources to meet your institution’s specific needs. To learn more about creating new custom data sources, click here.

System Data Sources

  • Course

    • Status

    • Type

    • Grading

    • Departments

  • Section

    • Status

    • Type

    • Instruction Mode

    • Building

  • Enrollment

    • Status


Accessing Enrollment Data

Enrollment data can be accessed in three ways:

  1. Enrollment by Section:

    • Navigate to Data + Automations > Courses > All Courses.

    • Locate the desired course, find the section, and open it to view enrollment details.

  2. Student Profile:

    • Access individual students’ course and enrollment data from their Profile Card.

  3. Filters + Segments:

    • Use course data fields (e.g., grades, attendance) to filter your contact list and create segments for workflows, campaigns, and interventions.

Student Access to Courses

Students can view their course details in StudentHub, providing them with real-time access to key information about their academic progress. Learn more about StudentHub here.


Why Course Data Matters

Bringing course data into Element451 unlocks powerful, real-time insights that fuel personalized, timely support at scale. Whether it’s identifying a student who’s falling behind, celebrating a key milestone, or nudging someone toward a helpful resource, course data helps you deliver meaningful interventions exactly when they’re needed.

By connecting this data with automation, AI, and StudentHub, you can provide always-on support that boosts student engagement, retention, and persistence.

Key Ways You Can Use Course Data in Element451

  • 🧠 Proactive, Personalized Support: Use real-time academic signals, like low grades or poor attendance, to automatically trigger support workflows. Send helpful messages or assign tasks.

  • 🎯 Smarter Automation & Segmentation: Filter students based on their course data. Create dynamic segments (e.g., students failing two or more classes) that power automated outreach, nudges, and alerts.

  • 💬 AI-Powered, Context-Aware Help: Bolt Agents have a 360-degree view of a student's record and can provide personalized support via all communication channels (including live chat directly inside StudentHub)—24 hours a day, 7 days a week. StudentHub also gives students direct access to their grades, schedules, and other course-related information, and supports push notifications for timely messaging.

  • 🏆 Celebrate Progress: Recognize academic wins like passing midterms, improving grades, or staying engaged. Send motivating messages and connect students with next-step resources for continued success.

To take a deeper dive into some real-life examples and use cases, check out our Course Data Use Cases Guide article.


Final Reminders

  • When integrating your LMS, the data in Element451 is view-only. Your LMS remains the source of record.

  • Use filters, segments, and workflows to turn academic insights into action.

  • Combine the automation of workflows with StudentHub and Bolt Agents to provide personalized, timely support at scale.

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