Content block analytics
Open the Analytics tab on a content block to review completion, ratings, grade distribution, and learn time for that step.
Each content block in a course has its own analytics view. Use it to understand how students engage with a specific piece of content — how many have completed it, what they rated it, how grades are distributed, and how actual learning time compares to expectations.
Block analytics answer operational questions teachers ask every week: Did everyone finish the reading before the seminar?, Is this quiz too hard?, Are grades clustered in a way that suggests a marking issue? They complement the course-wide picture in Course analytics and the per-user detail in Monitor progress.
Why it matters
A learning journey is only as effective as its weakest step. One early block with low completion can stall an entire cohort when later content depends on prerequisites or conditions. Block analytics surface that bottleneck before the term is half over.
For gradable blocks, grade distribution helps you spot marking drift, unexpectedly high failure rates, or incomplete marking before you publish from the Grades view. Learn time helps instructional designers judge whether material matches the credited workload — a gap between expected and actual time may mean content is harder, easier, or being skipped.
Ratings — when the block allows student feedback — give a lightweight signal of perceived quality alongside harder metrics like completion and grades.
How it fits
| Related area | Relationship |
|---|---|
| Review submissions and grade | Open the submission list when grade distribution shows gaps or outliers |
| View and publish course grades | Publish the grades that feed into distribution charts |
| Course analytics | Whole-course Summary, Visits, Engagement, and Participation |
| Monitor progress | Per-user progress sheet when one block is low for many students |
| Build the learning journey | Edit block settings when analytics show structural problems |
Key concepts
| Metric | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Completion | How many students have completed the block versus total enrolled |
| Ratings | Average student rating (if the block allows feedback) and rating distribution |
| Grade distribution | A breakdown of grades across all graded submissions (for gradable blocks) |
| Learn time | Expected versus actual time students spent on the block |
Completion counts finished work — not merely opened pages. For Hand-in and similar blocks, students must fully submit before they count as complete.
How to open content block analytics
Open the course and go to the Learning Journey section.
Click on the content block you want to inspect.
In the block details panel, click the Analytics tab or the analytics icon.
What you can see
Content block analytics show:
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Completion | How many students have completed the block versus total enrolled |
| Ratings | Average student rating (if the block allows feedback) and rating distribution |
| Grade distribution | A breakdown of grades across all graded submissions (for gradable blocks) |
| Learn time | Expected versus actual time students spent on the block |
How to use completion data
The completion count tells you whether students are progressing through the course. A low completion rate for a block early in the journey may indicate that the block is blocking progress — for example, a condition that is hard to meet.
| Pattern | Possible cause | What to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Low completion, high Not started | Start dates, unpublished draft content, or recent enrollment | Check journey publish status and Assign to users |
| Low completion, many In progress | Students opened but did not finish — common on Hand-in and tests | Clarify instructions; check due dates |
| Low completion on one block only | Blocking condition, unclear title, or technical issue | Open View as a student for that step |
| High completion, poor ratings | Content may be clear but unsatisfying | Revise material or add support resources |
How to use grade distribution and learn time
For gradable blocks, compare grade distribution against your rubric expectations before you publish grades. A spike at one grade may be legitimate — or a sign that one grader applied the scale differently. Cross-check with the block Users overview in Review submissions and grade.
Learn time compares expected versus actual effort. If actual time is far below expected, students may be skipping depth; if far above, the block may be harder than intended or contain friction (long videos, confusing navigation).
Best practices
- Check block analytics before and after major due dates — patterns differ when deadlines concentrate effort.
- Pair completion with the grade grid: high completion with many Ungraded cells means marking backlog, not disengagement.
- After you change a stuck block, revisit analytics a few days later to confirm completion improved.
- Use ratings as a conversation starter, not a sole quality measure — low ratings with high completion may still indicate acceptable difficulty.
- For cohort-wide trends across many blocks, escalate to Course analytics rather than opening every block individually.
Common pitfalls
| Pitfall | What to try |
|---|---|
| No grade distribution on a block | Confirm the block type collects grades — info-only blocks do not show distribution |
| Completion looks low but class seems fine | Distinguish enrolled users from active learners; check filters and enrollment timing |
| Analytics checked once at term end | Early-block reviews prevent compounding delays |
| Assuming analytics replace the grade book | Enter and publish grades separately — analytics reflect outcomes, they do not release them |
FAQ
Which blocks show grade distribution?
Blocks that collect grades: Hand-in, Exam, Assessment, and Interactive File. Other block types still show completion and learn time where applicable.
Can students see block analytics?
No. Block analytics are for teachers and staff with appropriate course access. Students see their own progress in the learning journey.
How is this different from course analytics?
Block analytics focus on one content step. Course analytics summarize Summary, Visits, Engagement, and Participation for the entire offering.
How is this different from CMS statistics?
LMS block analytics are live teaching signals inside a course. Statistics and reports in OrgHub support institution-wide exports and custom reports — not per-block teaching dashboards.