Shrewd LMS Admin Guide

How to Use Shrewd LMS as an Admin

This guide is designed for administrators and course owners to effectively use Shrewd LMS within Microsoft Teams, from installation and course setup to reporting and notifications.

Microsoft Teams Admin Guide Reports & Notifications
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Important Note: Shrewd LMS works natively within Microsoft Teams and does not require configuration via Azure Active Directory (Azure AD). We strongly recommend not using Azure AD groups or custom restrictions to control access, as this may cause unexpected access issues. Manage access using Microsoft Teams settings and policies only. The same Shrewd LMS app cannot be added twice in the same Team or Chat scope.
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1

Installing Shrewd LMS in Microsoft Teams

Install and launch the app

This section guides you through the process of installing Shrewd LMS within Microsoft Teams. By completing these steps, you will be able to access the app and begin setting up and managing your learning environment directly inside Teams.

Step 1: Open Microsoft Teams

Open Microsoft Teams using desktop or web app

Step 2: Add the App

  1. Click Apps on the left sidebar.
  2. Search for Shrewd LMS.
  3. Click Add.
Find and add the Shrewd LMS app in Microsoft Teams

Step 3: Open the App

  • Click Open to launch the app.
Open the Shrewd LMS app
2

Accessing the Global Report Dashboard

Centralised visibility into learning activity

What is Global Report?

  • Overall course activity
  • Enrolment figures
  • Overall and individual learner progress

The Global Report Dashboard provides a centralised overview of learning activity across your organisation, allowing admins to monitor performance without leaving Microsoft Teams.

How to Access

  1. Open Shrewd LMS from the sidebar.
  2. The Global Report Dashboard will load automatically.
Global report dashboard overview
3

Creating a Course in a Team (Learning Tab)

Add a learning tab to a Team and Channel

This section explains how to create a course by adding a Shrewd LMS Learning Tab within a Microsoft Teams channel. Once added, the tab serves as the central space for managing course content and learner activities.

Steps

  1. Go to your desired Team and Channel.
  2. Choose your desired team and channel
  3. Click the “+” (Add Tab) button.
  4. Add a tab inside the channel page
  5. Select Shrewd LMS.
  6. Select the Shrewd LMS app
  7. Click Save.
  8. Save the learning tab

Result

  • A Learning Tab will be created.
  • The tab will appear in the channel and be accessible to members.
Successful Shrewd LMS learning tab view
4

Reports API

Integrate reporting into your own systems

Shrewd LMS provides a Reports API for integrating report data into your organisation’s systems.

Steps to Generate API Key

  1. Click the floating button (top-left corner).Floating button to access Reports API
  2. Select Settings.Settings button in Shrewd LMS
  3. Find API Integration.Reports API configuration page
  4. Click Generate New Key.Generate new API key button

Use Cases

  • Connect reports to dashboards.
  • Integrate with analytics tools.
  • Export learning data programmatically.
5

Notification Settings

Configure when users receive course notifications

This feature allows admins to configure when notifications are sent to users regarding course activities.

Initial Setup

  1. Click Grant Permission.
  2. Grant permission button for notifications
  3. Complete the Microsoft permission approval (admin required).
  4. Microsoft permission approval process
  5. Reload the app.
  6. Reload the app after approval
  7. Ensure the Grant Permission button is no longer visible.

After Setup

Once permissions are granted, admins and course owners can enable the following notifications:

Student Notifications

  • New Activities: Notify students when new activities are added to the course.
    ⚠️ Note: This notification is triggered only if the student has completed all activities in the course and the course owner adds a new activity.
  • Activity Updates: Notify students when existing activities are updated.
    ⚠️ Note: This is triggered only if the student has already completed the activity that is being edited.
  • Course Ending Soon: Notify students before the course expires. You can customise how many days in advance the notification is sent before the course end date.

Course Owner Notifications

  • New Enrollments: Get notified when new students enroll in your course.
  • Course Ending Soon: Get notified before your course expires. You can customise how many days in advance the notification is sent before the course end date.
Enable notifications after permission is granted
6

Global Certificate Template

Create a standard certificate design across all courses

The Global Certificate Template allows admins to create and manage a standard certificate design that can be applied across all courses. Course managers can still customise certificates at the course level.

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Note: Only a designated Certificate Manager can manage the Global Certificate. Please contact us and let us know who in your organisation should be assigned to this role.

Steps

  1. Open Shrewd Global Dashboard within Microsoft Teams.
  2. Navigate to Certificate Settings. Go to the Certificate tab.
  3. Edit Certificate Content. Update the available fields to define the certificate text, such as learner name, course name, and completion message.
  4. Set Override Option if needed. Tick Override Course-level settings if you want the global template to apply to all courses.
  5. Global certificate template settings page
  6. Save the settings.
  7. Save global certificate template settings
  8. Upload Branding Assets. Add your organisation's logo and certificate background image.
  9. Upload branding assets
  10. Preview the Certificate. Go to any course's Course Settings to preview how the certificate will appear with the applied global template.
  11. Preview certificate with global template applied
  12. Your certificate is now ready to use across all courses!
  13. Final certificate design with global template applied
7

Summary of Admin Workflow

High-level admin journey
  1. Install Shrewd LMS in Microsoft Teams.
  2. Access the Global Report Dashboard.
  3. Create courses via Learning Tabs.
  4. Monitor learner progress.
  5. (Optional) Integrate reports via API.
  6. Configure notifications.
  7. Apply the Global Certificate Template when a standard certificate design is required across courses.