Using metadata for classification and search

As the Content Bank’s library of items, tests, and assets grows, metadata offers a way of finding and organizing these libraries. Entities are categorized and labeled with metadata, so that relevant materials can be found easily.

How metadata inheritance works

The property fields appear for each resource in the class they were created for
Authors can enter individual values for those inherited properties per resource:
- If all items in a class have a Topic property, you can assign different topic values for each item.

You cannot add new properties to individual resources that aren't part of the class schema. To introduce new metadata, you must edit the class schema.

Types of metadata

Metadata can be structured as open-ended or closed-ended, depending on the type of information you're collecting.

Open-ended metadata

Open-ended metadata allows freeform input for individual resources, usually in the form of text.

Field type	Description
Short Field	Single-line text input (e.g., course code, tag)
Long Box	Multi-line plain text (e.g., instructions, notes)
Long HTML Editor	Rich-text input with formatting options

Open-ended fields offer flexibility but can lead to inconsistent values (e.g., typos, varied formatting), which may impact search accuracy.

Closed-ended metadata

Closed-ended metadata restricts users to select from predefined options.

These field types pull from defined lists or trees that you create in the system (see section below on Lists).

Use closed-ended metadata when planning to search, sort, or filter by values later.

Field type	Description
Single Choice (Radio)	Select one option from a visible list
Single Choice (Dropdown)	Select one option from a dropdown menu
Multiple Choice (Checkbox)	Select one or more options
Tree	Select hierarchical values (e.g., Subject > Sub-topic)

Special Metadata Field Types

These field types don’t fit cleanly into open/closed categories but serve specific purposes:

Field type	Use Case
Calendar	For setting dates (e.g., item creation or expiration)
Password	Rarely used; hides input for sensitive data
File	Attach reference files to items (e.g., media or rubrics)

How to manage lists for metadata

Lists are used to support closed-ended metadata fields such as dropdowns, radio buttons, and checkboxes. Instead of having users type in values manually, Lists provide a controlled set of options to choose from, helping ensure consistency, simplify data entry, and improve search and filtering.

Creating a metadata list

In the Assessment Builder interface, hover over the cogs (⚙️) icon in the top-right corner.
Select Lists from the dropdown menu.

In the left-hand panel, click Add List or Create new list.
Enter:
- List Name (e.g., “Difficulty Levels”)
Click Next to define the values:
- Enter each item’s Label (displayed to users)
Click Save.

The list will now be available for selection if close-ended metadata is used for a class.