Collaboratory provides full data exports that can be combined with other institutional datasets for deeper analysis.
HEADS UP! Data exports are NOT intended to replace the insights available through Collaboratory's reporting tiles. Instead, exports serve a distinct purpose: enabling data scientists or analysts on your team to apply advanced analysis techniques and combine Collaboratory data with other sources.
How to Export Data
Navigate to the Admin Reports Dashboard and click "Export" at the top of the filter menu.
This will open the Export Manager, where you can select the specific dataset you’d like to export.
Once the export is initiated, you can safely navigate away from the page. You’ll receive an email when your file is ready to download.
Alternatively, you can download the file directly through the Download Manager at any time. All previously exported files remain accessible there.
Export File Format
Collaboratory provides full exports as a series of flat, two-dimensional CSV files. These files are linked by a shared primary ID and include the following datasets:
Activities
Community Organizations
Courses
Profiles (Users)
Units
Some columns in these files contain multiple values stored together in a single cell. This includes lists of items like pedagogies, student learning objectives, or participation counts. These fields may appear as text but are actually serialized arrays or data structures from the underlying database. For example:
['Independent study', 'Global learning'][Decimal('10')]
To interpret and use this data effectively, users may need to:
Parse text into separate values
Extract numeric data
Convert strings into list formats using spreadsheet tools (like Excel’s Text to Columns) or programming languages such as Python
These fields are intentionally designed to preserve the rich, relational nature of the original data, but they may require additional cleaning or transformation for accurate analysis and reporting.
Looking for a More Scalable Solution?
If your team regularly needs to combine or refresh Collaboratory data with external systems, consider using our Outbound Reporting API. It provides a programmatic and more sustainable approach for accessing up-to-date data in real time - ideal for advanced analytics pipelines or institutional dashboards.
👉 Learn more about Collaboratory’s Outbound Reporting API or contact our support team for implementation guidance.