Overview #
Student Tags provide a flexible way to maintain additional attributes or classifications about students that are important to an institute but are not already covered by a dedicated field or module in EasyEdmin.
Student Tags are particularly useful for information that is expected to remain applicable to the student throughout the student’s association with the institute.
For example, an institute may want to maintain information such as:
- Whether a student has been identified for a particular institute-specific purpose
- Whether a student has received a particular scholarship
- Whether a student belongs to a particular geographical or cultural background
- Whether a student has a particular community or organizational affiliation
- Other institute-specific classifications that are not otherwise maintained in EasyEdmin
The information maintained through Student Tags can subsequently be used by EasyEdmin in different places for filtering, identification, indicators, and other context-specific purposes.
When to Use Student Tags #
Student Tags are best suited for relatively stable student attributes.
A tag should generally be used when:
- The information is relevant to the student as a whole.
- The information is not already maintained through a dedicated EasyEdmin field or module.
- The value is expected to remain the same throughout the student’s association with the institute.
- The information may be useful for identifying, filtering, or processing students in different parts of EasyEdmin.
Example #
Suppose an institute wants to identify whether a student has received a particular scholarship.
A suitable Custom Tag can be created to maintain this information, with the available scholarship types defined as its values.
The information can subsequently be referenced wherever relevant. For example, while preparing a scholarship-related certificate, EasyEdmin can display scholarship information already associated with the student.
Important: Choose Tags for Stable Information #
Student Tags currently do not maintain an edit history.
Therefore, they should not be used for information where the value is expected to change over time and where historical values are important.
For example, suppose a student’s tag value changes from:
Category A → Category B
If the tag value is simply changed, EasyEdmin does not retain the previous value as a historical version of the tag.
This can affect reports or other processes that depend on the student’s tag value.
Recommended approach #
Use Student Tags primarily for information that is expected to remain stable throughout the student’s association with the institute.
For information that is expected to change from one academic session or period to another, a dedicated field/module or another appropriate mechanism should be preferred.
Note: EasyEdmin may introduce session-wise Student Tags in the future to support classifications that can vary between academic sessions.
Types of Tags #
EasyEdmin provides two types of Student Tags:
System Tags #
System Tags are predefined tags provided by EasyEdmin for commonly required purposes.
These tags are maintained as part of the EasyEdmin system and can be used by institutes where applicable.
Custom Tags #
Custom Tags are created by the institute according to its own requirements.
They are intended for additional information that is relevant to the institute but is not already covered by an existing EasyEdmin field or module.
Examples may include:
- A student-specific recognition or classification
- A scholarship or benefit received by the student
- Geographical or background-related classification
- Community or organizational affiliation
- An institute-specific criterion or attribute
The institute defines the title, tag type, scope, and options of a Custom Tag.
Tag Properties #
Each Student Tag has three properties:
- Title
- Tag Type
- Scope
1. Title #
The Title describes the information represented by the tag.
The title should be clear and meaningful so that users can understand its purpose when viewing or maintaining student tags.
Examples #
- Favourite Student
- Scholarship Received
- Student Origin
- Community Affiliation
- Institutional Affiliation
For a Yes / No classification, a question-style title may also be appropriate.
For example:
Is Student from Kerala?
2. Tag Type #
Tag Type determines how the tag value is maintained.
EasyEdmin provides two Tag Types:
- Yes / No
- With Options
Yes / No #
Use Yes / No when the tag represents a simple classification where the student either has the tag or does not have it.
For example:
Favourite Student
If the tag is assigned to the student, it represents Yes.
If the tag is not assigned, it represents No.
No separate options are required for a Yes / No tag.
Suitable for #
- Simple classifications
- Eligibility or status indicators
- Institute-specific criteria
- Other attributes that can be represented by Yes or No
With Options #
Use With Options when the tag represents a classification that has a predefined list of possible values.
For example:
Scholarship Received
Possible values might include:
- Academic Scholarship
- Financial Assistance
- Special Scholarship
- Other
Only one value can be assigned to a student for a particular tag.
This makes a With Options tag suitable for classifications where a student must be associated with one value from a defined list.
Managing Tag Options #
Options are applicable only to With Options tags.
Once a With Options tag is created, authorized users can manage its available values.
Options can be:
- Added
- Activated
- Inactivated
- Marked as the Default Value
Adding an Option #
New options can be added whenever the institute needs another value.
For example, additional scholarship types can be added to an existing Scholarship Received tag without creating a new tag.
Activating and Inactivating Options #
An option can be inactivated when it is no longer applicable.
An inactive option cannot be selected for new student assignments.
Existing assignments can continue to retain an inactive option so that previously recorded information is not unnecessarily lost.
Default Value #
For a With Options tag, one active option can be marked as the Default Value.
The Default Value is automatically selected when the tag is being assigned to a student.
This is useful when one value is applicable to most students and users generally need to change it only for exceptions.
Example #
Suppose a tag named Scholarship Type has the following values:
- No Scholarship
- Merit Scholarship
- Need-based Scholarship
- Special Scholarship
If No Scholarship is marked as the Default Value, it will automatically be selected when the tag is being set for a student.
The user can change the selection whenever another value applies.
Only one value can be marked as the Default Value for a tag.
If the current Default Value is changed, the newly selected value becomes the default for subsequent assignments. It does not automatically change the value already assigned to existing students.
Controlling Who Can Change Tag Values #
EasyEdmin allows module rights to be mapped to a Student Tag.
This determines which authorized users can change the value of that tag against a student.
This is useful when a particular classification should be maintained only by designated users.
For example, an institute may decide that scholarship-related information can only be maintained by authorized administrative users.
By mapping the appropriate rights to the tag, EasyEdmin can restrict who is permitted to modify it.
Visibility and modification rights are separate. A user may be able to view a tag without having permission to change it.
Managing Tags for a Student #
Once tags have been configured, they can be maintained against individual students.
EasyEdmin provides a Student Tags dialog that can be opened from multiple locations where a student record is available.
The dialog allows authorized users to:
- View existing tags
- Add a tag
- Select a value for a With Options tag
- Change an existing value
- Remove a tag
The available actions depend on the user’s rights.
Adding a Tag #
When a user adds a tag:
Yes / No #
The tag is assigned directly to the student.
For example:
Favourite Student
The presence of the tag represents Yes.
With Options #
The user selects one of the available active values.
If the tag has a Default Value, that value is automatically selected when the tag is being assigned.
The user can change the selection if another value applies.
Only one value can be maintained for a particular With Options tag against a student.
Changing a Tag Value #
For a With Options tag, an authorized user can change the selected value.
For example:
Scholarship Received → Academic Scholarship
can be changed to:
Scholarship Received → Special Scholarship
Because Student Tags do not currently maintain edit history, such changes should be made carefully where historical reporting is important.
Removing a Tag #
A tag can be removed when it is no longer applicable.
For a Yes / No tag:
Tag assigned → Yes
Tag removed → No
For a With Options tag, removing the tag removes the student’s association with that tag.
Using Student Tags in EasyEdmin #
Student Tags are not intended to be isolated information stored only in the Student record.
EasyEdmin can use Student Tags at different places throughout the ERP to provide useful context.
Tags may be used for:
- Filtering students
- Displaying indicators
- Identifying students belonging to a particular classification
- Providing relevant information while performing an operation
- Supporting reports and document generation
- Other context-specific functionality
Example — Scholarship Certificate #
Suppose an institute has maintained scholarship information using Student Tags.
While generating a scholarship-related certificate for a student, EasyEdmin can display the scholarships already associated with that student.
This allows the user to refer to existing student information without maintaining a separate list outside the relevant ERP record.
As Student Tags become integrated into more areas of EasyEdmin, the same information can be reused wherever it is relevant.
Choosing the Right Tag Type #
Use the following guideline:
| Requirement | Tag Type |
|---|---|
| Information can be represented simply as Yes or No | Yes / No |
| Information requires selecting one value from a predefined list | With Options |
Simple rule #
If the information is simply present or absent, use Yes / No. If the information requires choosing a value, use With Options.
Before Creating a Custom Tag #
Before creating a Custom Tag, check whether the information is already available through an existing EasyEdmin field or module.
Student Tags are intended to complement the existing ERP structure, not duplicate information that EasyEdmin already maintains elsewhere.
A Custom Tag is appropriate when the required information:
- Is not already captured in EasyEdmin
- Is useful for identifying or classifying students
- Is relevant to the institute’s requirements
- Is expected to remain relatively stable
- May be useful in filtering, reports, indicators, certificates, or other ERP processes
Best Practices #
Use clear titles #
Use titles that clearly describe the information being maintained.
Prefer:
Scholarship Received
over:
Scholarship
when the purpose is specifically to indicate scholarships already received.
Keep options meaningful #
For a With Options tag, define options that represent genuine alternatives rather than creating unnecessary variations.
Use a Default Value thoughtfully #
Set a Default Value when one value is applicable in most cases and users generally need to change it only when an exception applies.
Avoid setting a default merely for convenience if doing so could result in incorrect information being saved.
Avoid duplicate information #
If EasyEdmin already provides a dedicated field or module for the information, use that facility instead of creating a tag for the same purpose.
Consider future changes #
Before creating a tag, consider whether its value is expected to remain stable.
If the information is likely to change over time and historical values matter, Student Tags may not be appropriate under the current implementation.
Assign appropriate rights #
Where the information should be maintained only by specific users, map the appropriate module rights to the tag.
