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Chapter 2: CSV Import and School Year Change

Edumaps

Overview

What the CSV import is about.
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Goal of this pinboard

  • This pinboard explains how school admins can create or update users and classes using a CSV file.
  • After this pinboard, you will know:
    • when CSV import is useful
    • which columns a CSV file should contain
    • how classes are created automatically
    • how to add new students
    • how to prepare for a school year change
    • which errors occur frequently
  • Important: This pinboard covers import via user lists. Individual test accounts or accounts without names are explained in Chapter 1: Admin Menu and First Accounts.
  • ⚙ start
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When is CSV import useful?

  • CSV import is useful when many users need to be created or updated at once.
  • Typical cases:
    • new student accounts for a class
    • creating several classes at the same time
    • preparing for a school year change
    • adding new students
    • assigning existing students to a new class
    • importing teachers or project groups in bulk
  • Rule of thumb: As soon as more than a few accounts need to be created, CSV import is usually faster and cleaner than manual entry.
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Basic principle

  • A CSV file is a simple table. Each row represents one user.
  • Typical columns are:
  • First name → User's first name
    Last name → User's last name
    Email → Real or school email address
    Class name → Class, group, or course
  • Edumaps reads this file and creates accounts and classes from it.
  • Note: If a class does not yet exist, it can be created automatically during import.
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Recommended process

  • Always proceed in this order when importing:
    1. Prepare the CSV file
    2. Check the file for clear columns
    3. Start the import in Edumaps
    4. Check the column mapping
    5. Review the import preview
    6. Import users
    7. Check the result
    8. Save login passes or access data
  • Tip: For large lists, first run a small test import with only a few rows.
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Prepare the CSV file

What the import file should look like.
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Recommended columns

  • Edumaps expects the full name in one column, for example Anna Example.
  • If the name is in the form Last name,First name (with a comma), use the import function "Merge first and last name". This removes the comma and creates a clear name:
  • Example,Anna → Anna Example
  • Edumaps always stores only one display name per person. Separate columns for first name and last name are not imported.
  • This structure is therefore suitable for student data:
  • NameEmailClass name
    Anna Exampleanna.example@schule.de5a
    Ben Sampleben.sample@schule.de5a
    Clara Testclara.test@schule.de6b
  • For younger students without a real email address, the email column may remain empty depending on the school concept or be filled with school placeholders.
  • Important: Use consistent class names. 5a, 5A, and Class 5a may be interpreted as different groups.
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Save CSV from Excel or LibreOffice

  • If the user list is available in Excel, LibreOffice, or a school administration system, save it as a CSV file.
  • Make sure of the following:
    • a header row with column names
    • no empty rows in between
    • no merged cells
    • no additional headings above the table
    • clear class names
    • UTF-8 character encoding if umlauts are included
  • Tip: Open the CSV file in a text editor as a test. You should see one row per user.
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Example of a simple CSV file

  • A simple CSV file can look like this:
  • Name,Email,Class name
    Anna Example,anna.example@schule.de,5a
    Ben Sample,ben.sample@schule.de,5a
    Clara Test,clara.test@schule.de,6b
  • Depending on the program, a semicolon may be used instead of a comma:
  • Name;Email;Class name
    Anna Example;anna.example@schule.de;5a
  • Edumaps recognizes common CSV formats. Still, check the preview before importing.
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Clean up data beforehand

  • Before importing, you should clean up the list.
  • Check the following:
    • Are first name and last name separated?
    • Are there empty names?
    • Are email addresses spelled correctly?
    • Are class names consistent?
    • Are there duplicate rows?
    • Does the file include former students who are no longer at the school?
  • Key point: The cleaner the CSV file, the less follow-up work is needed in Edumaps.
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Carry out the import

Steps in the admin area.
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Open CSV import

  • Steps:
    1. Open User management.
    2. Select Create accounts.
    3. Select the CSV file method.
    4. Upload the CSV file.
    5. Check whether the columns were recognized correctly.
  • Up to 1,500 accounts can be imported per run. For larger lists, simply work in two runs. The more accounts there are, the longer the matching process takes.
  • Note: If a column is recognized incorrectly, do not cancel the import immediately. First check whether the column can be assigned correctly manually.
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Select role

  • During import, you must specify which role the imported users should receive.
  • Typical roles:
    • Student for class lists
    • Teacher for staff lists
  • Recommendation: Import students and teachers separately if both groups should receive different roles.
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Create classes automatically

  • If the CSV file contains a Class name column, Edumaps can use this column to assign classes.
  • Example:
  • NameClass name
    Anna Example5a
    Ben Sample5a
    Clara Test6b
  • Result:
    • Anna and Ben are assigned to class 5a.
    • Clara is assigned to class 6b.
    • If the classes do not yet exist, they are created automatically.
  • During update import: With the checkbox "Create classes again", class assignments are reset according to the CSV – if an old class is missing from the file, the student is removed from it. Without the checkmark, existing assignments remain unchanged.
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Check import preview

  • Before the final import, the preview should be checked.
  • Pay special attention to:
    • Are first and last names correct?
    • Are email addresses correct?
    • Was the class recognized correctly?
    • Are all rows being imported?
    • Are there warnings about existing users?
  • Important: Warnings are not just a formality. They often show whether existing accounts are being updated or new accounts are being created.
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After the import

  • After the import, you should check the result.
  • Recommended check:
    • Open class
    • check the number of users
    • review individual samples
    • save login passes or access data
    • if necessary, inform teachers about completed classes
  • Tip: Briefly document which file was imported and when. This helps during the school year change and with follow-up questions.
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Update import

Add to or update existing data.
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Add new students

  • You can use the update import to import only new students.
  • Suitable when:
    • individual students are new to the school
    • a class is already almost complete
    • only a few accounts are missing
  • Procedure:
    1. Prepare a CSV file containing only the new students
    2. Import the file
    3. Check the class
    4. Save access data or issue login passes
  • Advantage: Fast and clear.
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Import a complete current list

  • During a school year change, a complete current list is often more useful.
  • Suitable when:
    • many students change classes
    • new classes are created
    • many students have left the school
    • the data from the school administration system has been updated
  • Recommendation: For the school year change, it is better to work with a clean complete list than to make many small manual changes.
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Map class changes

  • If students move to a new class, the CSV file should contain the new class name.
  • Example:
  • First name Last nameEmailClass name
    Anna Exampleanna.example@schule.de6a
  • If Anna was previously in 5a, the update import can assign her to the new class 6a.
  • Important: After the import, check whether the class assignments are correct. The student should no longer be found in the old class, but only in the new one.
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Changed email addresses

  • Email addresses can change, for example with new school domains or corrected spelling.
  • Check before importing:
    • Is the new email address unique?
    • Does an account with this email already exist?
    • Is the existing user recognized, or would a new account be created?
  • Click the button "Check all" to show obvious errors. Correct these.
  • Warning: If data is unclear, duplicate accounts can be created. Check the import preview especially carefully.
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Error cases

Common import pitfalls.
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Duplicate names

  • In schools, there may sometimes be two students with the same name.
  • Example:
  • NameClass
    Max Müller7a
    Max Müller8b
  • Here you simply name the second user "Max Müller 2".
  • Important: Edumaps is designed so that the name must be unique within a school, so that the import works the following school year as well (even if the email address changes).

    The student's/teacher's name is therefore the unique feature used for recognition.
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Umlauts and special characters

  • If umlauts are displayed incorrectly, the reason is usually the character encoding of the CSV file.
  • Typical errors:
    • Müller appears as Müller
    • special characters are replaced
    • names with accents are displayed incorrectly
  • Solution:
    • save the CSV file again as UTF-8
    • check the file in a text editor
    • start the import again
  • Tip: LibreOffice is well suited for consciously choosing the encoding when saving.
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Incorrect or inconsistent class names

  • Inconsistent class names quickly create confusion.
  • Examples:
    • 5a
    • 5A
    • Class 5a
    • 05a
  • These variants may appear as different classes.
  • Define before importing:
    • short names: 5a, 6b, 10c
    • or detailed names: Class 5a
    • but do not mix them
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Empty fields

  • Empty fields can be problematic depending on the column.
  • Especially critical:
    • empty first name
    • empty last name
    • missing class in student lists
    • incorrect or duplicate email address
  • Recommendation: Filter the table for empty fields before importing and correct them first.
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School year change

Recommended procedure.
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Preparation

  • Before the school year change, you should clarify:
    • Which classes remain?
    • Which classes are renamed?
    • Which students leave the school?
    • Which students are new?
    • Are there new teachers?
    • Are real email addresses or dummy addresses being used?
  • Tip: Before major changes, create a current user list as a backup or documentation.
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Recommended process for the school year change

    1. Export the current student list from the school administration system
    2. Clean up the CSV file
    3. Standardize class names
    4. Run a test import with a few rows
    5. Run the complete update import
    6. Check classes by sample
    7. Review old or no longer needed users
    8. Issue new login passes only for new users
  • Important: Not all existing users need new access data. Existing accounts can continue to be used.
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Remove old users?

  • Users who have left the school should not remain permanently in the active school administration.
  • Options:
    • remove users from classes
    • remove users from the school
    • delete users if the account is no longer needed
  • When removed from the school, the account is reset to a basic account: neither teacher nor student, no longer assigned to your school. The person's content and login remain, but access to internal school maps is removed.
  • Warning: Check beforehand whether content, maps, or uploads are still linked to the account. If so, the account cannot be deleted. In that case, simply remove the user from the school.
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Follow-up check

  • After the school year change, you should check:
    • Are the class lists correct?
    • Are there unexpected duplicate accounts?
    • Are new students present?
    • Have former students been removed or cleaned up?
    • Can teachers find their classes?
    • Does login work with new accounts?
  • Key point: The import is only complete when the classes in Edumaps are practically usable.
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FAQ and next step

Short answers to common questions.
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Do I have to upload all students again?

  • Not always.
  • You can either:
    • import only new students
    • or import a complete current list
  • For individual late registrations: Import only new students.
  • For the school year change: A complete current list is usually more useful.
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What happens to existing accounts?

  • Existing accounts do not automatically have to be created again.
  • Updating is about correctly recognizing existing users and, if necessary, adding to them or reassigning them.
  • Pay particular attention to:
    • Name (unique feature)
    • email address
    • class
    • role
  • Warning: If an existing user is not recognized clearly, a duplicate account can be created.
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What is the next step?

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