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Categorizing resources

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Summary

This article explains how to categorise Resources within Learn to improve discoverability and accessibility for learners. Resource categorisation allows Administrators to organise non-scoring reference materials into topic-based groups. These categories are configured in the Admin Area and displayed in the learner interface under the Resources section. The workflow covers assigning Resources to categories, creating new categories with descriptions, and translating category names and descriptions for multilingual Learn deployments.

Prerequisites

  • Administrator or Content Creator role with access to the Learn Admin Area
  • Existing Resources created within Learn
  • For multilingual categorisation: multilingual support enabled on the Learn platform

Problem / Intent

Learners need a structured way to find relevant reference materials quickly. Without categorisation, Resources appear as an unorganised list, making it difficult for users to locate the content they need. This article helps Administrators classify Resources into logical topic-based categories, improving navigation and ensuring learners can access the right reference materials when they need them.

 

This video explains how to effectively categorise resources within the Learn system. It covers tagging, structuring, and organising content to improve discoverability and accessibility for learners.

You can watch this video for an overview to learn about this topic or keep reading the article below. 

Steps

Assigning a Resource to a Category

  1. Log in to the Learn Admin Area
  2. Navigate to the Resources section in the left sidebar
  3. Select the Resource you wish to categorise
  4. On the Resource admin page, locate the Categories panel on the right side of the screen
  5. Check the checkbox next to each category you want to assign to this Resource
    • Resources can be assigned to multiple categories
    • The Resource will appear under each selected category in the learner interface
  6. Click Save or Update to apply the changes

Expected result: The Resource now appears under the selected category (or categories) when learners navigate to Resources in the left-hand menu.

Creating a New Resource Category

  1. Log in to the Learn Admin Area
  2. Navigate to Resource Categories (recommended approach for adding descriptions)
  3. Click Add New Category or equivalent button
  4. Enter the Category Name
  5. Click the newly created category in the list on the right side of the page
  6. In the category detail view, add a Description that explains what type of Resources belong in this category
    • Descriptions help learners understand the category's purpose in the learner interface
  7. Click Save to confirm the new category

Expected result: The new category is now available for assignment to Resources and appears in the learner interface with the description visible to users.

Translating Resource Categories for Multilingual Platforms

  1. In the Learn Admin Area, navigate to Resource Categories
  2. Select the category you wish to translate
  3. Locate the Language dropdown in the top right corner of the page
  4. Select the target language from the dropdown
  5. Enter the translated Category Name
  6. Enter the translated Category Description
  7. Click Save to store the translation

Expected result: When a learner views the platform in the selected language, the category name and description appear in that language.

Note: The translation process for Resource Categories is the same as for Pathways, Levels, and Missions.

Notes & Warnings

Note: If you create a category directly from a Resource admin page (rather than via the Resource Categories page), you will not be able to add a description at the time of creation. You must navigate to Resource Categories separately to add the description later.

Note: Category descriptions are displayed to learners in the learner interface and provide context about what type of content belongs in each category. Providing clear descriptions improves the user experience.

Note: Resources can belong to multiple categories. If a Resource is relevant to more than one topic, assign it to all applicable categories to maximise discoverability.

Examples

Example 1: Categorising a Mental Health Awareness Resource

Scenario: An Administrator has created a Resource about mental health awareness and wants it to appear under both the "Wellbeing" and "Health & Safety" categories.

Steps:

  1. Navigate to Resources in the Learn Admin Area
  2. Open the "Mental Health Awareness" Resource
  3. In the Categories panel on the right, check both Wellbeing and Health & Safety
  4. Click Save

Result: Learners browsing either the "Wellbeing" or "Health & Safety" category in the Resources section will see the "Mental Health Awareness" Resource.

Example 2: Creating a Category with a Description

Scenario: An organisation wants to create a "Sustainability" category for Resources related to environmental initiatives.

Steps:

  1. Navigate to Resource Categories in the Admin Area
  2. Click Add New Category
  3. Enter "Sustainability" as the category name and save
  4. Select "Sustainability" from the category list on the right
  5. In the description field, enter: "Resources related to environmental sustainability, carbon reduction, and corporate social responsibility initiatives."
  6. Click Save

Result: The "Sustainability" category now appears in the learner interface with the description visible to help users understand its purpose.

Example 3: Translating a Category for a Multilingual Platform

Scenario: A global organisation uses Learn in both English and Spanish. They need to translate the "Training Resources" category.

Steps:

  1. Navigate to Resource Categories
  2. Select "Training Resources"
  3. Select Spanish from the language dropdown in the top right
  4. Enter "Recursos de Capacitación" as the translated name
  5. Enter a Spanish description: "Materiales de referencia para apoyar programas de capacitación."
  6. Click Save

Result: Spanish-speaking learners see "Recursos de Capacitación" with the Spanish description when viewing Resources.

Troubleshooting

Symptom: A Resource does not appear in the expected category in the learner interface

Cause: The category checkbox was not checked, or changes were not saved.

Resolution:

  1. Return to the Resource admin page
  2. Verify the correct category checkbox is selected in the Categories panel
  3. Click Save to confirm changes
  4. Refresh the learner interface and navigate to Resources to verify the Resource appears

Symptom: A newly created category does not have a description visible to learners

Cause: The category was created from the Resource admin page rather than the Resource Categories page, or the description was not added.

Resolution:

  1. Navigate to Resource Categories in the Admin Area
  2. Select the category from the list on the right
  3. Add or edit the description field
  4. Click Save

Symptom: Translated category names do not appear in the learner interface

Cause: The translation was not saved, or the learner's language preference does not match the translation language.

Resolution:

  1. Navigate to Resource Categories
  2. Select the category and verify translations are saved for the correct language using the language dropdown
  3. Verify the learner's language preference is set correctly in their profile or system settings

FAQ

Q: Can a Resource be assigned to multiple categories?
A: Yes. A Resource can be assigned to as many categories as applicable by checking multiple category checkboxes on the Resource admin page. The Resource will appear under each selected category in the learner interface.

Q: How do I remove a Resource from a category?
A: Navigate to the Resource admin page, uncheck the checkbox for the category you wish to remove, and click Save.

Q: What happens if I delete a category that has Resources assigned to it?
A: The Resources will no longer appear under that category in the learner interface. The Resources themselves are not deleted, but they will lose the association with the deleted category. You will need to reassign them to other categories if desired.

Q: Where do categories appear in the learner interface?
A: Categories appear when a learner clicks the Resources section in the left-hand navigation menu. Categories are displayed as headings or sections, with Resources grouped beneath each category.

Q: Can I change the order of categories in the learner interface?
A: The article does not specify category ordering functionality. Contact your Learn Administrator or refer to additional Learn configuration documentation for information about sorting or reordering categories.

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AI Metadata

Product Area: Learn, Content Management, Resource Organisation

User Role: Administrator, Content Creator, Training Manager

Tags: Learn, Resources, Categories, Resource Categorisation, Content Organisation, Reference Materials, Multilingual, Admin Area, Content Discovery, Learner Navigation

Version/Region: All supported Learn platform versions, applicable across all regions

Important Synonyms: Resource Categories, Resource Classification, Resource Tagging, Content Categories, Topic Categories, Reference Material Organisation, Admin Page (Admin Area), Back End (Admin Area), Front End (Learner Interface)

Suggested Embedding Keywords: categorise resources, resource categories, Learn categories, organise resources, resource classification, add resource category, assign resource to category, category description, translate categories, multilingual categories, Learn admin, resource discovery, learner navigation, reference materials, Learn platform, content organisation

 

 

 

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