SAMIS integration block – what is it

Introduction

There are a number of ways that students can be added to a Moodle space, and their method of enrolment will determine whether or not they will be removed automatically at the end of the academic period. The vast majority of students are enrolled through the SAMIS Integration.

The SAMIS Integration block is a tool that gives staff the ability to manage SAMIS cohorts within their Moodle spaces though the creation of Mappings.

SAMIS Integration functionality

The SAMIS integration block is a tool that gives staff the ability to manage SAMIS cohorts within their Moodle spaces. Typical uses might include:

1. Enrolling multiple SAMIS cohorts on to a single Moodle course
2. Specifying a date when a SAMIS cohort should be unenrolled from a Moodle course. For example, you may want students studying a unit in semester 1 to have access to the relevant Moodle space until the end of semester 2.

Any changes that you make within the SAMIS block will normally be updated within 24 hours, during the Moodle-SAMIS synchronisation process.

Automated synchronisation between Moodle and SAMIS only takes place Sunday through to Thursday.  This means that the student memberships associated with mappings created on a Friday or Saturday, will not be reflected in Moodle until the early hours of the following Monday morning.  If there is a need to synchronise an individual space sooner the SAMIS block has a Sync feature that will enable this. 

Mapping Types

Cohort mappings are typically referred to as either default or bespoke.

• A default mapping is one that is applied automatically to a space, having been identified as the relevant SAMIS code for that unit. This means that if your Moodle space represents a SAMIS unit or course (and has the relevant SAMIS code) that the corresponding cohort of students will be automatically enrolled – assuming they are correctly registered in SAMIS. 
• A bespoke mapping however is user defined – enabling additional (non-default) cohorts to be added to the space.

Cohorts will generally be added or removed according to the relevant period slot code (start and end dates) listed in SAMIS, though the Technology Enhanced Learning Team may occasionally extend these periods slightly as staff have reported that setting an earlier start date and slightly later end date for the period acts as a useful buffer to cohort management.