Administrator handbook

Set up your institution with confidence

A complete user-facing manual for administrators launching Lernmark for the first time. Use it to find portal links, configure the academic hierarchy, launch evaluations, and troubleshoot common setup issues.

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Platform Introduction

Lernmark is an academic evaluation platform for institutions that need structured, anonymous student feedback on teaching quality, course delivery, and learning experience. It replaces scattered paper forms, informal surveys, and disconnected spreadsheets with one guided evaluation workflow.

The platform is used by administrators, teachers, and students. Administrators configure the academic structure, open evaluation sessions, monitor completion, and review reports. Teachers view feedback and analytics for their assigned courses. Students complete evaluations for the courses available to them in the active evaluation session.

Important Notes

Your institution is assigned automatically from your administrator account. School-wide administrators should not look for a school selector during normal setup. Created academic units, courses, sessions, teachers, students, and reports are filtered to the institution attached to your account.

How the Platform Works

  1. Institution setup: administrators confirm their account scope and create the academic units, optional programs, levels, class sections, teachers, and course definitions their institution type uses.
  2. Evaluation design: administrators create semesters, matrix categories, questions, answer options, and evaluation templates.
  3. Session launch: administrators create and activate an Evaluation Session, then activate eligible courses into that session.
  4. Student access: administrators upload the Student Registry for the active session so students are matched to the correct academic unit, program, level, and class section when used.
  5. Student evaluation: students sign in, see eligible courses, and submit one evaluation per eligible course during the submission window.
  6. Analytics: administrators and teachers review aggregate participation, ratings, trends, and comments after submissions are available.
Institution scope
  -> Academic units and academic levels
  -> Programs or options, if used
  -> Teachers and course catalog
  -> Semester, questions, and evaluation template
  -> Active Evaluation Session
  -> Course activation and teacher assignment
  -> Student Registry upload
  -> Student submissions
  -> Dashboard, reports, and teacher insights

Real-World Examples

Institution TypeRecommended SetupExample
University facultyDepartments, options, levels, course bundles by semester.Faculty of Science creates Computer Science and Mathematics departments, Level 200, and Semester 1 bundles.
Professional instituteDepartments and academic levels, with options only when tracks exist.Business School creates Management, Accounting, and Marketing departments with Year 1 and Year 2 levels.
Secondary schoolUse optional tracks/streams such as Grammar, Commercial, or Technical Education, then define levels and class sections.Grammar Education creates Form 1 and Form 1A/Form 1B, while a school without tracks can work directly from level and section.
Best Practice

Complete setup with a small pilot first: one academic unit when used, one level, one class section if needed, a few teachers, a short evaluation template, one active session, and a limited registry upload. Confirm course visibility before launching institution-wide.

Institutional Scope and Roles

Lernmark is institution-focused. Once an administrator signs in, the platform shows the records and workflows available for that administrator account. This keeps each school workspace clear and reduces the risk of configuring data in the wrong place.

Warning

School administrators cannot select a school during workflows where the platform already scopes data from their account.

Administrator Roles

RoleWhat They Can ManageVisibilityTypical Use
Institution AdministratorInstitution-wide setup, administrators, academic structure, evaluation launch, reports.Records for the assigned institution.Primary platform owner inside a school.
Director AdministratorSchool-wide academic setup, academic units, teachers, courses, sessions, registry, analytics.Institution-wide records for their assigned school.Dean, director, quality assurance lead, registrar.
Department AdministratorAcademic-unit-owned teachers, options when enabled, courses, assignments, and reporting workflows.Records related to their assigned department, track, or stream.Head of department, stream coordinator, or department coordinator.

What Administrators Can and Cannot Access

  • Director Administrators can manage school-wide configuration for their assigned institution.
  • Department Administrators work inside their assigned department, track, or stream and should only see relevant records.
  • Courses, academic units, sessions, students, teachers, and reports are filtered according to the administrator account.
  • Students and teachers use separate portals and do not manage institutional setup.

Platform Setup Hierarchy

The platform setup order matters because later workflows depend on earlier academic records. Skipping a required dependency usually causes empty dropdowns, rejected imports, hidden courses, incomplete analytics, or blocked session launch.

Setup ItemRequired BeforeWhy It ExistsWhat Breaks If SkippedRequired?
Institution account scopeAll setupDetermines which workspace and records administrators can see.Administrators may not see expected records or workflows.Mandatory
Academic unitsPrograms/options when enabled, teachers, courses, registry rows, department admins.Defines academic ownership for departments, tracks, or streams.Scoped records cannot be grouped, and registry rows may be rejected when the unit is required.Profile-dependent
Options or programsProgram-specific courses and registry rows.Represents specializations inside an academic unit.Program-level courses may not appear to students.Optional and hidden for secondary profiles
Academic LevelsCourses, registry rows, student eligibility.Controls level-based course visibility.Students may not see courses for the session.Mandatory when level-based
SemesterEvaluation Session.Gives the session an academic period.Sessions cannot be configured correctly.Mandatory
Questions and optionsEvaluation Template.Defines what students answer and how results are grouped.Templates may be unusable or analytics may be incomplete.Mandatory
Evaluation TemplateEvaluation Session.Defines the evaluation form for a session.Session creation or activation may be blocked.Mandatory
Active Evaluation SessionRegistry upload, student access, course activation context.Defines the current cycle.Registry import and student evaluation access may be unavailable.Mandatory for launch
TeachersTeacher assignment.Connects feedback to instructors.Students may see no eligible instructor, and teacher analytics may be empty.Mandatory
Course CatalogBundles, activation, assignments, student visibility.Defines reusable course records.Courses cannot be activated or assigned.Mandatory
Student RegistryStudent registration and evaluation access.Verifies student identity and academic placement for the session.Students may be unable to register or may not see expected courses.Mandatory when registry verification is used
Common Mistakes

Uploading the registry before the active session exists, creating courses without levels, assigning teachers after launch without reviewing visibility, and using slightly different academic-unit names in the registry file.

Getting Started Setup Guide

Follow this sequence for a first production launch. Each step lists the purpose, where to find it, required permissions, dependencies, and recommended conventions.

StepWherePurposeDependenciesField Examples
1. Review institution scopeAdmin Portal dashboardConfirm you are in the correct institution workspace.Administrator accountInstitution name, role label
2. Create administrator usersPeople > AdministratorsDelegate setup to institution and academic-unit staff.Academic units for department rolesJane Mbah, Director Administrator
3. Create academic unitsAcademic Setup > DepartmentsRepresent faculties, departments, tracks, streams, or sections such as Grammar Education.Institution scopeComputer Science, Nursing, Grammar Education
4. Create optionsAcademic Setup > OptionsRepresent tertiary specializations or programs when enabled.Academic unitsSoftware Engineering, Public Health
5. Configure levelsAcademic Setup > Academic LevelsDefine academic progression.Institution scopeLevel 100, Year 2, Master 1
6. Create semestersEvaluation > SemestersDefine the academic period.Institution scope2026 Semester 1
7. Create matricesEvaluation > QuestionsGroup questions into reporting categories.Evaluation planTeaching Clarity, Assessment, Engagement
8. Create questionsEvaluation > QuestionsBuild the question bank.Matrices recommendedThe teacher explains concepts clearly.
9. Configure optionsEvaluation > QuestionsSet rating or choice values.Questions1 to 5 rating scale
10. Create templateEvaluation > Evaluation TemplatesAssemble questions into a form.QuestionsEnd of Semester Teacher Evaluation
11. Create sessionEvaluation > Evaluation SessionsSet the evaluation cycle and dates.Semester, template2026 S1 Course Evaluation
12. Add teachersPeople > TeachersCreate instructor records.Academic units when usedDr. A. Nfor, Computer Science
13. Create Course CatalogAcademic Setup > Course ManagerCreate reusable course definitions.Academic units when used, levels, options when enabledCSC201 - Data Structures
14. Create Course BundlesCourse Manager > Bundle BuilderGroup repeatable course sets.Course CatalogCS Level 200 Semester 1
15. Assign teachersCourse Manager > Teacher AssignmentConnect teachers to courses globally or by class section.Teachers, courses, active session for class-specific assignmentCSC201 -> Dr. A. Nfor, or CSC201 + Form 1A -> Dr. A. Nfor
16. Activate coursesCourse Manager > Bulk ActivationAdd eligible courses to the active session.Active session, course catalogActivate selected
17. Upload registryPeople > Student RegistryVerify students and academic placement.Active session, levels, class sections, academic units when usedREG001, Grammar Education, Form 1, Form 1A
18. Launch evaluationsEvaluation Sessions and Student PortalOpen student submissions.Template, active session, courses, teachers, registrySubmission window: May 1 to May 15
19. Review analyticsDashboard, Reports, Teacher PortalMonitor completion and evaluate results.Student submissionsCompletion rate, average rating, comments

Recommended Naming Conventions

  • Evaluation Session: Academic Year + Semester + Purpose, for example 2026 Semester 1 Teacher Evaluation.
  • Course Bundle: Academic Unit or Program + Level + Semester, for example Nursing Level 300 Semester 2.
  • Course Catalog: Official course code + official title, for example ACC210 - Financial Accounting II.
  • Template: Evaluation type + audience, for example End of Semester Course Evaluation.

Course Manager Deep Dive

Course Manager is the academic operations workspace for reusable course definitions, bundles, session activation, and teacher assignment. It exists so institutions can prepare courses once, reuse them each session, and control exactly which courses become visible for evaluation.

Important Notes

Only courses within your institution are displayed. Department Administrators see course records relevant to their assigned academic unit. If a course is missing from Course Manager, first check academic unit, program/option, level, status, and active filters.

Course Manager Views

ViewPurposeUse WhenKey Actions
Catalog BrowserSearch, filter, inspect, edit, and delete reusable course definitions.You are reviewing or maintaining the master course list.Search, filter, edit, delete, select rows.
Bulk ActivationActivate selected course definitions into an Evaluation Session.You are preparing a session for student evaluations.Activate selected, load bundle, choose target session.
Bundle BuilderCreate and maintain reusable groups of course definitions.You repeat the same course groups each term.Create bundle, update loaded bundle, load bundle, activate bundle.
Teacher AssignmentAssign instructors to selected course definitions.You need teacher analytics and student evaluation attribution to work correctly.Assign instructor, choose a target session, optionally choose a class section, update assignment.

Tables, Filters, and Controls

ElementWhat It ShowsWhy It Matters
Course columnCourse code and title.Use it to confirm the official course identity before assigning or activating.
Academic Context columnAcademic unit, option or program when enabled, level, and scope label.Controls which students can see the course.
Status badgeActive, inactive, or archived.Inactive or archived courses should not be used for new launch work.
Offerings columnHow often the definition has been activated into sessions.Helps identify reused courses and older records.
Instructor columnGlobal assignment summary and any class-specific assignments.Unassigned or partially assigned courses cannot produce complete teacher analytics.
Latest Session columnMost recent session where the course appeared.Confirms whether a course has been used recently.
SearchCourse code, name, institution, academic unit, or program.Fastest way to find a course in a large catalog.
Academic unit filterDepartments, tracks, or streams available to your account.Narrows the catalog to one academic unit.
Program / Option filterSpecializations inside academic units.Use when course visibility depends on program mapping. Hidden when the institution profile does not use programs.
Level filterAcademic levels.Use before activating a level-specific bundle or course group.
Scope filterSchool-wide, academic-unit-wide, or program-wide.Explains how broadly a course applies.
Session filterAvailable Evaluation Sessions.Shows courses related to a specific session context.
Rows selectorNumber of rows per page.Use larger values for bulk review; use smaller values for careful cleanup.

Course Bundles

A Course Bundle is a reusable set of course definitions. Bundles are useful for large institutions that repeat the same course groups each semester. For example, "Computer Science Level 200 - Semester 1" can contain every Level 200 Computer Science course expected in that term.

Bundles do not replace course definitions. They help administrators load, update, and activate multiple course definitions as a group.

Teacher Assignment

Teacher Assignment connects a teacher to a course definition. This connection is essential because student submissions must be attributed to the correct instructor for teacher-facing analytics and reports.

  • Assign teachers before inviting students to evaluate.
  • Review "Unassigned" courses before launch.
  • Use a global assignment when one instructor owns the course for all classes in the session.
  • Use a class section assignment when one session offering is split across sections such as Form 1A and Form 1B.
  • When a course has multiple instructors, do not duplicate the course definition unless the academic context is genuinely different.

Course Activation and Evaluation Eligibility

Activating a course into an Evaluation Session makes it part of that session. Students still only see the course when their registry placement matches the course academic context and the session accepts submissions.

Incorrect course setup affects:

  • Student visibility: students may not see the course if the academic unit, program/option, level, or class section does not match their registry placement.
  • Teacher analytics: reports may be empty if no teacher is assigned before submissions.
  • Evaluation eligibility: inactive, archived, or unactivated courses should not appear for evaluation.
  • Registry imports: registry rows must use academic labels that match configured units, programs/options, levels, and class sections.
  • Reporting accuracy: duplicate course definitions can split results across records.

Bulk Actions

ActionWhat It DoesWhen to UseReversible?
Activate into sessionAdds selected course definitions to a target Evaluation Session.Before student launch.Usually reversible by removing from the target session before submissions.
Create bundleSaves selected course definitions as a reusable bundle.When course groups repeat across terms.Yes, by updating or replacing the bundle.
Update loaded bundleChanges the currently loaded bundle contents.When a bundle needs course additions or removals.Yes, by editing again.
Assign instructorConnects selected courses to a teacher.Before students submit evaluations.Yes, by changing the assignment.
Update statusChanges selected courses to active, inactive, or archived.During catalog maintenance.Usually yes, unless institutional policy treats archive as final.
Remove from target sessionRemoves selected assigned courses from the selected session.Before submissions when a course was activated by mistake.Use carefully after launch; removal can affect visibility and reporting.
Best Practice

For large institutions, filter by academic unit, program/option, and level before selecting across filtered results. This reduces accidental activation of courses outside the intended academic group.

Course Manager Troubleshooting

IssueLikely CauseWhat to Check
Course not showing for studentsCourse not activated, mismatched level, wrong program/option, inactive session, or closed window.Session status, course activation, course academic context, registry placement.
Teacher analytics emptyNo global or class-specific teacher assigned before submissions, or no submissions yet.Instructor column, target session assignment summary, Reports, Student completion status.
Bundle activation includes wrong coursesBundle contents are outdated.Load bundle, inspect selected course definitions, update loaded bundle.
Registry rows rejectedImported academic unit, program/option, level, or class section does not match configured records.Spelling, naming conventions, active session, optional program column, and class sections defined under Academic Levels.
Duplicate report entriesDuplicate course definitions or inconsistent course naming.Catalog Browser search, course codes, archive old duplicates after review.

Admin Portal Navigation Reference

Navigation ItemPurposeTypical ActionsDependencies
DashboardOverview of activity, setup status, evaluation progress, and metrics.Monitor, review, export where available.Configured sessions and activity.
Search WorkspaceFind teachers, students, courses, sessions, reports, and setup records.Search, open result, troubleshoot missing records.Existing records.
Recent ActivityReview recent administrator activity.Filter activity, inspect setup changes.Administrator actions.
Student ReportsReview student reports, issues, and evaluation reporting views.Open report, review analytics, generate report.Submissions or report records.
Audit LogsReview administrative changes for accountability.Filter, inspect change history.Permission to view audit records.
AdministratorsCreate and manage admin users.Create, edit, deactivate, assign academic unit.Academic units for department roles.
TeachersManage teacher accounts and placement.Create, edit, assign academic unit, update status.Academic units and options when used.
StudentsManage student directory records.Create, edit, review status.Registry and institution scope.
Student RegistryUpload or manually add verified students for the active session.Import, export, add rows, resolve failures.Active session, academic units when used, levels, class sections, options when enabled.
SchoolsInstitution profile area for visible school-level records where available.Review or update institution profile.Institution Administrator access.
DepartmentsManage academic units.Create, edit, activate, archive.Institution scope.
OptionsManage programs or specializations.Create, edit, assign to academic unit.Academic units. Hidden when the institution profile does not use programs.
Academic LevelsManage student and course levels.Create, edit, order, activate.Institution scope.
Course ManagerManage course catalog, bundles, activation, and teacher assignment.Filter, create, edit, bulk assign, activate.Academic units when used, levels, session, teachers.
Assign CoursesDedicated assignment workspace for teacher-course links.Assign, update, review assignment directory.Teachers and courses.
SemestersCreate academic periods.Create, edit, set current where available.Institution scope.
Evaluation SessionsCreate and manage evaluation cycles.Create, activate, close, reopen, edit dates.Semester and template.
Evaluation TemplatesAssemble reusable evaluation forms.Create, edit, assign questions, preview.Questions.
Question BankManage matrices, questions, and rating options.Create matrix, create question, configure options.Evaluation plan.
AnnouncementsSend or manage institution messages.Create, publish, archive.Audience and permissions.
ProfileManage personal administrator profile.Edit name, image, account details.Signed-in account.
SettingsManage available institution or account settings.Update preferences and supported settings.Permission-dependent.

Evaluation Design and Session Setup

Evaluation design controls what students answer. Session setup controls when and where those questions appear. A session requires a semester and an evaluation template. A template requires assigned questions. Questions should be mapped to matrix categories when the institution wants clearer reporting groups.

Question Bank, Rating Scales, and Matrices

  • Matrix Category: a reporting dimension such as Teaching Clarity or Classroom Engagement.
  • Question: a prompt students answer during an evaluation.
  • Question Options: rating or choice values used to submit a response.
  • Rating Scale: the numeric scale used for scoring, commonly 1 to 5.

Evaluation Template

An Evaluation Template is the reusable form attached to an Evaluation Session. Create one focused template for the first launch, then clone or revise templates for future cycles when your institution has reviewed the reporting needs.

Student Registry

The Student Registry is the verified list of students allowed to register and participate in the active Evaluation Session. It connects each student identifier to the correct academic unit when used, option if applicable, academic level, and optional named class section.

Registry uploads require an active Evaluation Session because student eligibility is session-specific. Use the columns shown in Student Registry: tertiary schools usually use reg_no, department, program, level, optional class_section, and optional status; secondary schools can use reg_no, level, class_section, and status, with track or stream only when configured.

  • Define class sections under Academic Levels before importing registry rows that reference them.
  • When class_section is blank, Lernmark uses the explicitly defined default section for that level, such as Level 200 Default.
  • When class_section is provided, it must match an existing section under the student's academic level, for example Form 1A.
  • Students evaluate the teacher assigned to their class section first, then fall back to the session's global teacher assignment if no class-specific assignment exists.
Warning

Students cannot reliably evaluate courses until their registry placement, the active session, course activation, and teacher assignment all align.

Analytics and Reporting

Analytics become meaningful after students submit evaluations. Administrators use Dashboard and Reports to review participation, average ratings, course performance, session progress, and comments where enabled. Teachers use the Teacher Portal to review feedback related to their assigned courses.

Teacher Portal

The Teacher Portal gives teachers access to scoped feedback and performance summaries. If a teacher sees no analytics, check whether the teacher was assigned to the evaluated course and whether students have submitted responses.

Button, Action, and Status Reference

ActionWhat It DoesWhen to UseSide Effects
CreateAdds a new record.When the item does not already exist.May make the item available in later dropdowns.
EditUpdates an existing record.When correcting names, status, dates, or ownership.Can affect search, reports, and student visibility.
ArchiveRemoves an item from normal active use while preserving history.When no longer used but still needed for reference.Archived items may be read-only or hidden from launch workflows.
ActivateMakes an item available for current use.For sessions, courses, or records ready for launch.Can change what students and staff see.
AssignConnects one item to another, such as teacher to course.Before launch or when responsibility changes.Changes reporting and visibility relationships.
PublishMakes prepared content visible to the intended audience.For announcements or finalized content.Audience may see it immediately.
SyncRefreshes records from the latest setup context.After registry or course placement updates.May update visible student context.
CloneCopies an existing item as a starting point.For templates or repeatable setup.Review copied content before publishing or activating.
ImportUploads records from a file.For student registry or bulk data workflows.Rejected rows must be corrected.
ExportDownloads records or reports.For review, audit, or offline planning.Keep exported files secure.
Bulk AssignApplies an assignment to multiple selected records.When many courses share an instructor or setup action.Review filters before applying.
ResetClears filters or returns a form to its default state.When search results look incomplete.Does not usually change saved records.
LockPrevents further changes or submissions where available.After final review or closeout.May make records read-only.
Close SessionStops the evaluation cycle from accepting submissions.At the end of the submission window.Students cannot submit new evaluations.
Reopen SessionAllows a closed session to accept submissions again when permitted.For approved extensions.Students may regain access during the window.
PreviewShows what will be displayed before launch.Before activating or publishing.No saved data changes.
Save DraftSaves incomplete work without publishing.When content needs review.Not visible to the audience until published or activated.
SubmitFinalizes a form or response.For completed forms and student evaluations.May be irreversible for student submissions.
View AnalyticsOpens reporting and insight views.After submissions exist.No setup changes.
Generate ReportCreates a report output.For formal review or sharing.May include sensitive academic feedback; share carefully.

Status Reference

StatusMeaningAdministrator Guidance
ActiveAvailable for current workflows.Use only when the record is ready for use.
InactiveTemporarily unavailable.Use when a record should not be selected for new work.
ArchivedRetained for history but removed from normal operations.Use for old records that should not be reused.
ScheduledPrepared for future use.Review dates and dependencies before launch.
ClosedNo longer accepting new submissions.Use after the evaluation window ends.
DraftSaved but not ready for release.Review before activation or publishing.
PublishedVisible to the intended audience.Confirm audience and content before publishing.

Glossary

Academic Level
A year, level, or stage used to match students with eligible courses.
Active Session
The current Evaluation Session used for registry, student access, and evaluation submissions.
Course Catalog
The reusable list of official course definitions before they are activated into a session.
Course Bundle
A saved group of course definitions used for repeatable activation.
Dashboard Metrics
Summary numbers such as completion, participation, course counts, and recent activity.
Department / Track / Stream
An academic unit that can group teachers, courses, registry rows, and reports. Secondary schools may use it for Grammar, Commercial, or Technical Education, or skip it and organize directly by level and class section.
Evaluation Analytics
Aggregate feedback insights for administrators and teachers.
Evaluation Progress
How many eligible evaluations have been completed compared with what remains pending.
Evaluation Session
The evaluation cycle with a template, semester, dates, status, and eligible courses.
Evaluation Status
The state of an evaluation workflow, such as active, closed, or scheduled.
Evaluation Template
The reusable form containing the questions students answer.
Matrix Category
A reporting group for related questions.
Option
A program or specialization inside an academic unit. It is hidden for institution profiles that do not use programs.
Question Options
The rating or multiple-choice values students can select.
Rating Scale
The scoring range used for evaluation responses.
Registry
The verified list of student identifiers and academic placement for the active session.
Semester
The academic period attached to an Evaluation Session.
Student Registry
The administrator-managed list that controls student verification, session eligibility, and optional class section placement.
Submission Window
The date range when students can submit evaluations.
Teacher Assignment
The connection between a teacher and a course definition for evaluation and analytics, either globally for all classes or scoped to one class section.
Class Section
A school and level specific group such as Form 1A that can receive its own teacher assignment inside a session.

Troubleshooting Center

ProblemCommon CauseResolution
Student cannot registerStudent identifier is missing from the active session registry.Check Student Registry, active session, and identifier spelling.
Student cannot see a courseCourse is not active for the session or does not match the student's academic unit, program/option, level, or class section placement.Review Course Manager activation, teacher assignment summary, and registry placement.
No active session messageNo Evaluation Session is active for the institution.Activate the intended session after template and semester setup.
Teacher reports are emptyNo submissions, no teacher assignment, or wrong course assignment.Check assigned instructor and completion status.
Registry import rejects rowsImported academic unit, program/option, level, or class section names do not match setup records.Correct names and re-import.
Course appears twiceDuplicate course definitions were created.Keep the correct record active and archive old duplicates after review.
Archived session is read-onlyHistorical records are protected for reporting consistency.Create or activate a new session for new evaluations.

Administrator FAQ

Why do I not see a school selector?

Your institution is automatically assigned based on your administrator account. Most school administrators do not need to choose a school while working.

Why must I create a session before uploading the registry?

The registry is tied to the current evaluation cycle so each student receives the correct academic placement for that session.

Why are students missing courses?

Course visibility depends on the active session, course activation, teacher assignment, course status, and the student's registry placement, including class section when used.

Can I use Course Bundles without options?

Yes. Bundles can be created for academic units, levels, or any repeatable course group, even when the institution does not use programs or specializations.