Merge Tags for Personalization

[burkay_ozturk]

Hi Community,

On another LMS I used recently, if I add "{FirstName}" to the text of an announcement or message, it displays the first name of the user who views it. For example, if the course has an announcement that says "Hi {FirstName}!",  it would read to a user named Bob as "Hi Bob!"

I think what I described might be called a "merge tag" or "shortcode".  Whatever it is actually called, it is a good tool for personalizing communications and student experience without putting in tedious work. Is there a similar functionality on Canvas?

Happy learning!

Burkay

[mzimmerman · Accepted solution]

Hi @burkay_ozturk 

It sounds like you are describing Blackboard's "template variables" functionality. 

There is no built-in equivalent in Canvas.  A few Canvas administrators have come up with ways to do similar things in Canvas through editing the Canvas theme settings.  See https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Higher-Ed-Canvas-Users/simulating-replicating-Blackboard-quot-tem... 

[burkay_ozturk]

Hi @mzimmerman ,

Thank you for the reply. The code is great.

However, I don't have admin rights and there is no way I can get a custom mod to javascript approved by our admins in a reasonable time frame. Last time, simply enabling SCORM LTI integration with Canvas took more than a year of messages back and forth, and produced nothing. I won't even bother this time.

I will be on the lookout in case the situation changes and a streamlined, native template variable functionality is introduced here on CANVAS.