Replacement Variables

What are replacement variables?

Replacement variables provide another way to simply and uniquely personalize each user's learning experience. Variable codes placed in the content causes Pearson Connexus to automatically replace the variables with dynamic values drawn from user, course, and/or domain information. 

Example

This example uses the $USERFIRST$ code, allowing the teacher to address each student by first name, and the $COURSENAME$ code, which means that they can change the name of the course without having to edit this folder's landing content.

Now, this is what Wanda sees when she opens that activity folder.

Where can I use replacement variables?

Currently, you can use variables in the following locations:

• Folder landing pages
• Activity content
• Questions in assessment and practice questions activities
• Activities that are website links; you can use variables in the website URL or in POST parameters to the website.
• You can use a limited set of variables for giving student feedback.

Predefined domain-wide replacement variables

This table outlines the predefined variable codes that are available in all Pearson Connexus domains. Simply set the variable code between dollar signs ($) to activate the variable, like this: $VARIABLECODE$.

Name	Value
DOMAINID	The ID of the current user's domain
DOMAINNAME	The current user's domain name
USERID	The current user's ID. This ID is unique only within the Userspace; i.e., the USERSPACE/USERID value uniquely identifies a user in Pearson Connexus
USERNAME	The current user's username. This name is unique only within the userspace.
USERSPACE	The current user's userspace. The USERSPACE/USERNAME or USERSPACE/USERID combination uniquely identifies a user.
USER	The current user's full display name
USERDISPLAY	Same as USER
USERFIRST	The current user's first name
USERLAST	The current user's last name
USERREFERENCE	The current user's external ID
ENROLLMENTID	The current user's enrollment ID for the content they are viewing
ENROLLMENTFIRST	First name of the current enrollment user
ENROLLMENTLAST	Last name of the current enrollment user
ENROLLMENTREFERENCE	The external ID of the current enrollment
ENROLLMENTUSER	Full name (first and last name) of the current enrollment user
ENROLLMENTUSERNAME	Username of the current enrollment user
ENROLLMENTUSERREFERENCE	External ID of the current enrollment user
COURSEID	The ID of the course the current user is viewing
COURSENAME	The name of the course the current user is viewing
COURSEREFERENCE	The external ID of the course the current user is viewing
ITEMID	The ID of the item that the current user is viewing
ITEMNAME	The item's title that the current user is viewing

How do I create my own replacement variables?

You can also create replacement variables for your own course:

1. Open Course settings (wrench icon) from the Editor toolbar.
2. Select Add variable under Variables.
   • Provide the variable Name, which is the variable code that will be replaced (e.g., SECTIONNUMBER).
   • Provide the variable Value, which is the value you want the code to be replaced by (e.g., Section 5).
3. Select Save.

Once you've created a course-specific replacement variable, you use it by placing it between dollar signs ($) just like you do with the other variable codes (e.g., $SECTIONNUMBER$).