As a SmarterU LMS administrator, having clear, accessible records can make all the difference in supporting training progress, answering questions, or completing audits. For instance, imagine needing to confirm if an employee completed their security training before a critical deadline or understanding why a user can’t see their learning plan. That’s where the User Activity Log comes in.
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What is the User Activity Log?
The User Activity Log provides a detailed history of a user's interactions with SmarterU. These include interactions such as logging in, completing a course, being assigned a learning plan, or meeting a certification. Think of it as a comprehensive timeline for each user within SmarterU.
Anyone with permission to view a user’s profile can view their activity log. This log is valuable when you’re investigating or auditing changes related to a specific user. For example, use it when you want to:
Confirm the exact date and time a learner completed a course.
Understand how a learning plan was assigned. Did a user enroll in the learning plan themselves, was it assigned through their group, or was it assigned through a user import?
Know when a user's learning plan status changed to Met or Unmet.
The User Activity Log can also include entries you or other administrators manually entered. These entries provide insight and context for specific actions, such as why the user’s course grade was changed or why they were assigned a learning plan.
We’ll talk about how you can add a manual entry to the log later in this article.
How to View the User Activity Log
To view the activity log for a specific user:
Navigate to the Users Dashboard.
Locate the user’s name in the grid.
You can search for a user by clicking the
icon beside the column header, selecting Filter, then entering characters from the user’s name.
Select the user’s name to view their profile.
Open the Activity Log accordion.
You'll see a grid that lists all the user’s activities in reverse chronological order by date and time. The grid includes information such as:
The date and time of the activity.
Whether the entry was generated by SmarterU (i.e., System) or manually entered by another user (i.e., Manual). SmarterU automatically adds system-generated entries for events such as when a user logs in or completes a course. Any entries added by another user are considered manual.
A description of the activity or any comments added.
If the entry was added manually, the name of the user who performed the action.
How to Add an Entry to the Log
Although SmarterU automatically logs many events, there are times when you may want to add notes to the User Activity Log. This helps provide context for specific actions such as:
Adjusting a learner’s course enrollment details. For example, you want to document extending a learner’s enrollment due dates to accommodate maternity leave.
Modifying a learner's grade. For instance, if you adjusted a learner's grade on a course from Pass to Fail because of updated company grading policies, you can record this justification for future reference.
Detailing the use of a generic user account for API calls. For example, you might document using the API to add users to the Leadership group.
To add an entry to the User Activity Log:
From the Activity Log accordion in the user’s profile, click Activity.
The current date and time are automatically entered, but you can click in these fields to change them. If someone other than you made the change, you can select their name from the Created By list.
Enter the details you want to record in the Notes field.
Click Save.
You can update manually entered notes by clicking the
Edit icon beside them.
Examples
Let’s look at examples of how the user activity log can be used.
Example 1: Course Completion Timestamp
A supervisor needs to confirm that an employee completed their security training before the company’s established June 30th, 5 p.m. deadline. They look at the user’s activity log and see the exact date and time the user completed the course.
The activity log lets the supervisor verify that the employee met the critical deadline.
Example 2: Course Forced to Completion
Cristiano, a SmarterU administrator, is contacted by Sam, a learner enrolled in the Security Training SCORM course. Sam completed the same course, but in person. His enrollment in the SCORM course is still incomplete, so Cristiano forces the course to completion. Cristiano adds a note to the activity log explaining that Sam completed the live version of the course.
This provides a clear, transparent record of the events.
Example 3: Missing Learning Plan
A learner informs Cristiano, a SmarterU administrator, that they can no longer see their Forklift Training learning plan. Cristiano checks the learner’s profile and sees that Anna, another administrator, unassigned the learning plan from the user on July 29th.
Cristiano speaks with Anna and learns that the learner is transferring to a different department and no longer needs to complete the learning plan. He adds an entry to the user’s activity log for record-keeping.
With the activity log, there’s a record of the learning plan being removed and the reason.
The User Activity Log is more than just a record of what’s happened—it’s a valuable tool for creating transparency, ensuring accountability, and maintaining a complete picture of each user’s experience in SmarterU. Start exploring the Activity Log today, and see how it can help you better support your team and organization’s training goals.
Questions? Contact our Success Desk.