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Chapter 3: Sign-in via Other Platforms (Single Sign-On) and Duplicate Accounts

Edumaps

Overview

Why Single Sign-On and duplicate accounts are important.
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Purpose of this pinboard

  • This pinboard explains how Single Sign-On (or “SSO” for short) basically works in Edumaps and why duplicate accounts sometimes occur.
  • After this pinboard, you will know:
    • what SSO means
    • how login via external platforms should be understood
    • why manual accounts and SSO accounts can conflict
    • when accounts should be merged
    • how admins can avoid duplicate accounts
    • when support should help
  • ⚙ start
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What does Single Sign-On (SSO) mean?

  • SSO stands for Single Sign-On.
  • This means:
  • A user does not log in directly to Edumaps with a username and password, but via an external platform.
  • Examples may include:
    • Bildungsmediathek NRW
    • Edupool
    • IServ
    • VIDIS
    • other school login systems, see list
  • Edumaps then receives information from the external platform about which user has logged in.
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Why is this important for admins?

  • SSO simplifies login, but it can also lead to questions.
  • Typical admin questions:
    • Why does a teacher suddenly have two accounts?
    • Why are old maps missing after an SSO login?
    • Why does an account linking page appear?
    • Can a manual account be connected to an SSO account?
    • Which account should remain in the end?
  • Key point: SSO solves login problems, but admins need to understand account assignment.
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Typical situation in schools

  • Many schools initially start with manually created accounts.
  • Later, SSO access is added, for example via an educational platform.
  • Then the following can happen:
    1. The teacher already has a normal Edumaps account.
    2. The teacher opens Edumaps via the external platform.
    3. Edumaps technically cannot recognize that both accesses belong to the same person.
    4. A second account is created or a link must be confirmed.
  • This is not an error, but a required protection mechanism.
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Understanding SSO

Understanding login via external platforms.
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Login via SSO (process)

  • When a school uses Edumaps via an external platform (such as Vidis, IServ, Edupool, Bildungsmediathek NRW, …), users log in through that platform.
  • The process is roughly:
    1. The user is on the external platform and clicks the “Edumaps” button or tile.
    2. The external platform sends the user to Edumaps and both servers confirm the identity.
    3. Edumaps receives the necessary user data.
    4. Edumaps checks whether a matching account already exists.
    5. The user is signed in or must confirm a link.
  • Important: Edumaps does not determine identity based on the name alone. Names are not unique enough.
  • Every platform has its own identifiers!
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Why names are not enough

  • A name alone is not enough to safely merge accounts.
  • Reasons:
    • several people can have the same name
    • names can be written differently
    • first name and last name can be reversed
    • umlauts or special characters can differ
    • an account may already be connected to another identity
  • Example: Two people are named “Max Müller.” Edumaps must not automatically decide which account belongs to which SSO access.
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Account linking as a security step

  • If Edumaps detects a possible connection, an account linking page may appear.
  • This means:
    • Edumaps checks whether the external access belongs to an existing account.
    • The user must confirm that it is the correct account.
    • For normal accounts, additional confirmation may be required.
  • Important: This page is not an error. It prevents a third-party external login from being accidentally linked to the wrong Edumaps account.
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Shared devices

  • In schools, computers, tablets, or browsers are sometimes used by several people.
  • Risk:
    • Teacher A is still logged in to Edumaps.
    • Teacher B then opens Edumaps via SSO.
    • Without protection, the wrong account could be linked.
  • That is why Edumaps must be especially careful with account linking.
  • Recommendation: Always log out after use on shared devices.
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Identifying duplicate accounts

How admins can spot the problem.
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Typical signs

  • A duplicate account probably exists if a user reports:
    • “My maps have disappeared.”
    • “I’m logged in via SSO, but I can’t see anything anymore.”
    • “I suddenly have a new empty account.”
    • “I can’t find my old folders.”
    • “My name appears twice in user management.”
  • Check: Are there two similar accounts in user management with the same or a similar name?
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Manual account and another SSO account

  • The most common case:
    1. An admin manually created the teacher.
    2. The teacher is already working with this account.
    3. Later, the teacher uses the SSO of an external platform.
    4. Edumaps creates or detects a separate SSO access.
  • Then two accesses exist:
    • old manual account with content
    • new SSO account with platform login
  • The goal is usually to merge both properly.
  •  
  • Example: Ms. Müller has two accounts
    1. The admin created Ms. Müller manually – her maps are stored there.
    2. Later, she logs in for the first time via the Bildungsmediathek. This creates a second, empty SSO account.
    3. She reports: “My maps are gone.”
  • Solution: In Merge accounts, choose the empty SSO account as the future login and merge the old manual account with the content into it. After that, she logs in via the Bildungsmediathek and finds her maps again.
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What admins should check

  • Before merging, admins should check:
    • Which account contains the important maps?
    • Which account contains uploads?
    • Which account will be used for login in the future?
    • Is one of the accounts an SSO account?
    • Has the user confirmed which account is meant?
  • Attention: Do not delete anything first. Check first, then merge or clean up.
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Not every similar name is a duplicate account

  • Similar names do not automatically mean it is the same person.
  • Examples:
    • two teachers with the same last name
    • a student and a teacher with a similar name
    • old test accounts
    • accounts without names or dummy accounts
  • Principle: Only merge accounts if the identity has been clearly confirmed.
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Merging accounts

How to turn two accounts back into one.
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When should accounts be merged?

  • Accounts should be merged if it is clear that:
    • both accounts belong to the same person
    • one account contains important content
    • the other account is the future login access
    • the user has confirmed the assignment
  • Typical goal: The user logs in via SSO in the future and still finds all previous maps and content.
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What can be transferred?

  • When merging, content and assignments can be transferred from the old account to the target account.
  • Depending on the system function, this may include:
    • own maps
    • folders
    • uploads
    • shared content
    • bookings or assignments
    • other user data
  • Important: Check beforehand which account should remain.
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Basic process for admins

  • Typical process:
    1. Open User management and then the page “Merge accounts”.
    2. Determine which account contains the content.
    3. Determine which account will be used in the future.
    4. Select both accounts accordingly in the dropdowns and check again.
    5. Perform the merge.
    6. Inform the user to log in again.
    7. Have the result checked.
  • Attention: A merge cannot be undone. Great care is required.
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Which account should remain?

  • Usually, the account that will be used for future login should remain.
  • With SSO, this is often the external platform account.
  • Questions to help decide:
    • How will the person log in in the future?
    • Which account is connected to SSO?
    • Where is the important content stored?
    • Is one account just an empty duplicate account?
  • Goal: One clean main account with all important content and the correct future login method.
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Avoiding duplicate accounts

It is better to work cleanly beforehand.
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Invite teachers instead of creating them again

  • If teachers already have an Edumaps account but are not yet assigned to your school, you can invite them instead of creating them again.
  • Advantages:
    • existing content is preserved
    • fewer duplicate accounts
    • cleaner school assignment
    • less support effort
  • Recommendation: Before creating an account manually, check whether the teacher already has an account.
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Inform users before introducing SSO

  • If a school switches to SSO, teachers should be informed in advance.
  • Short message to the teaching staff:
    • use the external platform for login in the future
    • do not create new accounts in parallel
    • if maps are missing, do not start over, but contact the admin
    • check carefully during account linking
  • Tell your users that there is an SSO connector. Here, SSO can be linked to an already existing account.
  • Goal: Users should not accidentally continue working in the wrong or empty account.
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Do not use test accounts permanently

  • Test accounts are practical for training sessions, but they should not be used permanently as personal work accounts.
  • Problem:
    • later there is no real identity
    • SSO linking becomes more difficult
    • content is stored in anonymous accounts
    • school assignment is unclear
  • Recommendation: Clean up test accounts after training sessions or clearly separate them from real user accounts.
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Check user management regularly

  • Admins should regularly check the user list.
  • Pay attention to:
    • duplicate names
    • empty or almost empty accounts
    • accounts without a clear role
    • teachers without school assignment
    • old test accounts
    • users who no longer belong to the school
  • Tip: After major SSO changes, it is worth specifically checking for duplicate accounts.
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Security and support

When caution is necessary.
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Why automatic merging would be dangerous

  • Automatic merging based only on names can be risky.
  • Possible consequences:
    • content ends up with the wrong user
    • a third-party SSO access is linked incorrectly
    • data protection problems arise
    • a user gets access to someone else’s maps
  • That is why confirmation and admin review are important.
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When should support be contacted?

  • Contact support if:
    • it is unclear which account is the correct one
    • important content is missing
    • several similar accounts exist
    • an SSO account seems to be linked incorrectly
    • content is missing after a merge
    • a school is currently switching to SSO
  • Please include: name of the school, affected user, description of the login method, and if possible no passwords.
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What users can do themselves

  • Users can help by:
    • logging out on shared devices
    • not mixing multiple login methods
    • not immediately creating new maps when content is missing
    • telling the admin which login method they used
    • providing screenshots of error messages
  • Key point: Clarify first, then continue working.
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FAQ and next step

Short answers to typical questions.
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Is the account linking message during first-time SSO use an error?

  • The account linking page is not an error, but a security step. It appears when Edumaps wants to assign an external login to an existing account and must ensure that both really belong to the same person.
  • This protects users and schools from incorrect links.
  • The security step only appears if there is already an active login on Edumaps when SSO is used.
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Can an empty SSO account be deleted?

  • That depends on the case.
  • If an empty SSO account was created by accident, the following should first be checked:
    • Does it really belong to the same person?
    • Should it be the future login account?
    • Does content need to be transferred from an old account?
  • Merging is often better than deleting directly.
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What is the next step?

  • After SSO and duplicate accounts, the next key admin topic is:
  • Tutorial: Sharing, permissions and “My School”
  • There, admins learn:
    • how to share maps and folders securely
    • when links make sense
    • when classes or groups are better
    • how “My School” can be used as an internal school portal
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