Fractal

Fractal is Synap's approach to question analytics with Tags & Facets, learn about the best practices and how to start setting up your own Facet structure for your use case

How do we give users valuable and easy to understand insights into their learning?

In Synap, Tags and Facets are the building blocks of content organisation and analytics. Tags are specific descriptors that you assign to questions, while Facets are the categories under which these tags are grouped. Together, they create a structured framework that allows users to easily identify their weaker areas and create custom tests to improve their knowledge. For admins, they provide insights into user and cohort content performance and understanding.

Tags: Specific labels / keywords assigned to individual questions to categorise similar questions together

Facets: Overarching categories to organise tags, providing a structured framework for grouping similar tags together under the 3 facet types : Content, Skill or Difficulty *Content facets can be further broken down into: Exam>Module>Subject>Topic>Subtopic

In order to use this system, all of your question content will need to be tagged and faceted. Once in place users will be able to see their performance across:

Example facet structure

Understanding Facets

Facets on Synap are divided into three main types:

1. Content Facets – Organise your questions based on the subject matter and hierarchical educational content.

2. Skill Facets – Categorise questions based on the skills they test, such as 'Critical Thinking' or 'Data Analysis.'

3. Difficulty Facets – Define the level of challenge a question presents, typically 'Easy,' 'Medium,' or 'Hard.'

Best practices

• Be Consistent: Apply tags uniformly across similar questions to maintain consistency in reporting and analysis.

• Stay Relevant: Choose tags that are directly related to the content or skill being tested.

• Use Hierarchies Wisely: For Content Facets, use a logical hierarchy that represents the flow from general to specific (e.g., Exam > Module > Subject > Topic > Subtopic).

• Avoid Over-Tagging: While it's tempting to add multiple tags for thoroughness, too many can clutter your analytics. Aim for the most impactful tags.

• Review and Refine: Regularly review your tags and facets to ensure they're still relevant and add value to your analytics.

• Start with Topic: If you're struggling with where to start, focus on Topic tags. Subject, Topic and Subtopic are the most important content Facets so by picking Topic in the middle it's easier to go one level above or below to get all 3.

• Create your questions first and tag in bulk later: Through the question importer you can bulk tag existing or new questions, and you can easily assign facets to tags in the tag manager.

Tag manager

Setting up tags and facets on Synap is a crucial step towards unlocking the full potential of your educational content. By categorising questions with relevant tags and grouping them under intuitive facets, you create a dynamic, navigable structure that not only streamlines the creation and management of assessments but also powers detailed analytics. This strategic organisation leads to more efficient study paths for learners, targeted revision areas, and enables educators to pinpoint and address specific knowledge gaps, ensuring a more personalised and effective learning experience.

Example of a users insights page