diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/editor/editor.js.erb b/app/assets/javascripts/editor/editor.js.erb
index aa7fee59..1e254dd3 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/editor/editor.js.erb
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/editor/editor.js.erb
@@ -29,9 +29,10 @@ var CodeOceanEditor = {
 
   lastCopyText: null,
 
+  <% self.class.include Rails.application.routes.url_helpers %>
   <% @config ||= CodeOcean::Config.new(:code_ocean).read(erb: false) %>
-  sendLearningAnalyticEvents: <%= @config['codeocean_events'] ? @config['codeocean_events']['enabled'] : false %>,
-  learningAnalyticsURL: "<%= @config['codeocean_events'] ? @config['codeocean_events']['url'] : "" %>",
+  sendEvents: <%= @config['codeocean_events'] ? @config['codeocean_events']['enabled'] : false %>,
+  eventURL: "<%= @config['codeocean_events'] ? events_path : '' %>",
 
 
 configureEditors: function () {
@@ -149,15 +150,15 @@ configureEditors: function () {
   },
 
   handlePasteEvent: function (pasteObject) {
-    var same = (this.lastCopyText === pasteObject.text);
+    var same = (CodeOceanEditor.lastCopyText === pasteObject.text);
 
-    // if the text is not copied from within the editor (from any file), send an event to lanalytics
+    // if the text is not copied from within the editor (from any file), send an event to the backend
     if (!same) {
-      this.publishCodeOceanEvent("codeocean_editor_paste", {
-        text: pasteObject.text,
-        codeocean_user_id: $('#editor').data('user-id'),
-        exercise: $('#editor').data('exercise-id'),
-        file_id: "1"
+      CodeOceanEditor.publishCodeOceanEvent({
+        category: 'editor_paste',
+        data: pasteObject.text,
+        exercise_id: $('#editor').data('exercise-id'),
+        file_id: $(this).data('file-id')
       });
     }
   },
@@ -247,8 +248,8 @@ configureEditors: function () {
        */
 
       // editor itself
-      editor.on("paste", this.handlePasteEvent.bind(this));
-      editor.on("copy", this.handleCopyEvent.bind(this));
+      editor.on("paste", this.handlePasteEvent.bind(element));
+      editor.on("copy", this.handleCopyEvent.bind(element));
 
       // listener for autosave
       session.on("change", function (deltaObject) {
@@ -381,38 +382,18 @@ configureEditors: function () {
     //panel.find('.row .col-sm-9').eq(4).find('a').attr('href', '#output-' + index);
   },
 
-  // move URL to config file, only fire event if desired.
-  publishCodeOceanEvent: function (eventName, contextData) {
-    if(this.sendLearningAnalyticEvents){
-
-      // enhance contextData hash with the user agent
-      contextData['user_agent'] = navigator.userAgent;
-
-      var payload = {
-        user: {
-          uuid: $('#editor').data('user-external-id')
-        },
-        verb: {
-          type: eventName
-        },
-        resource: {
-          type: 'page',
-          uuid: document.location.href
-        },
-        timestamp: new Date().toISOString(),
-        with_result: {},
-        in_context: contextData
-      };
-
-      $.ajax(this.learningAnalyticsURL, {
+  publishCodeOceanEvent: function (payload) {
+    if(this.sendEvents){
+      $.ajax(this.eventURL, {
         type: 'POST',
         cache: false,
         dataType: 'JSON',
-        data: payload,
-        success: {},
-        error: {}
-      })
-
+        data: {
+          event: payload
+        },
+        success: _.noop,
+        error: _.noop
+      });
     }
   },
 
diff --git a/app/controllers/events_controller.rb b/app/controllers/events_controller.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3a3b02a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/controllers/events_controller.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+class EventsController < ApplicationController
+
+  def authorize!
+    authorize(@event || @events)
+  end
+  private :authorize!
+
+  def create
+    @event = Event.new(event_params)
+    authorize!
+    respond_to do |format|
+      if @event.save
+        format.html { head :created }
+        format.json { head :created }
+      else
+        format.html { head :unprocessable_entity }
+        format.json { head :unprocessable_entity }
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
+  def event_params
+    params[:event]&.permit(:category, :data, :exercise_id, :file_id)
+        &.merge(user_id: current_user&.id, user_type: current_user&.class.name)
+  end
+  private :event_params
+
+end
diff --git a/app/models/event.rb b/app/models/event.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..325fecb8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/models/event.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+class Event < ActiveRecord::Base
+  belongs_to :user, polymorphic: true
+  belongs_to :exercise
+  belongs_to :file
+
+  validates :category, presence: true
+  validates :data, presence: true
+end
diff --git a/app/policies/event_policy.rb b/app/policies/event_policy.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a648b901
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/policies/event_policy.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+class EventPolicy < AdminOnlyPolicy
+
+  def create?
+    everyone
+  end
+
+end
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index 6703d8c1..7c1f317b 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -168,6 +168,8 @@ Rails.application.routes.draw do
     end
   end
 
+  resources :events, only: [:create]
+
   post "/evaluate", to: 'remote_evaluation#evaluate', via: [:post]
 
 end
diff --git a/db/migrate/20180814145059_create_events.rb b/db/migrate/20180814145059_create_events.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b6bc8745
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20180814145059_create_events.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+class CreateEvents < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  def change
+    create_table :events do |t|
+      t.string :type
+      t.string :data
+      t.belongs_to :user, polymorphic: true, index: true
+      t.belongs_to :exercise, index: true
+      t.belongs_to :file, index: true
+      t.timestamps null: false
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/migrate/20180814154055_rename_events_type_to_category.rb b/db/migrate/20180814154055_rename_events_type_to_category.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..f97200c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20180814154055_rename_events_type_to_category.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+class RenameEventsTypeToCategory < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  def change
+    rename_column :events, :type, :category
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/migrate/20180815115351_remove_event_indices.rb b/db/migrate/20180815115351_remove_event_indices.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2be20c1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/db/migrate/20180815115351_remove_event_indices.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+class RemoveEventIndices < ActiveRecord::Migration
+  def change
+    remove_index :events, [:user_type, :user_id]
+    remove_index :events, :exercise_id
+    remove_index :events, :file_id
+  end
+end
diff --git a/db/schema.rb b/db/schema.rb
index ae1398a6..2646f080 100644
--- a/db/schema.rb
+++ b/db/schema.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 #
 # It's strongly recommended that you check this file into your version control system.
 
-ActiveRecord::Schema.define(version: 20180703125302) do
+ActiveRecord::Schema.define(version: 20180815115351) do
 
   # These are extensions that must be enabled in order to support this database
   enable_extension "plpgsql"
@@ -95,6 +95,17 @@ ActiveRecord::Schema.define(version: 20180703125302) do
 
   add_index "errors", ["submission_id"], name: "index_errors_on_submission_id", using: :btree
 
+  create_table "events", force: :cascade do |t|
+    t.string   "category"
+    t.string   "data"
+    t.integer  "user_id"
+    t.string   "user_type"
+    t.integer  "exercise_id"
+    t.integer  "file_id"
+    t.datetime "created_at",  null: false
+    t.datetime "updated_at",  null: false
+  end
+
   create_table "execution_environments", force: :cascade do |t|
     t.string   "docker_image",             limit: 255
     t.string   "name",                     limit: 255
diff --git a/spec/controllers/events_controller_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/events_controller_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bd9e11a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/controllers/events_controller_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+require 'rails_helper'
+
+describe EventsController do
+  let(:user) { FactoryBot.create(:admin) }
+  let(:exercise) {FactoryBot.create(:fibonacci)}
+  before(:each) { allow(controller).to receive(:current_user).and_return(user) }
+
+  describe 'POST #create' do
+    context 'with a valid event' do
+      let(:request) { proc { post :create, event: {category: 'foo', data: 'bar', exercise_id: exercise.id, file_id: exercise.files[0].id} } }
+      before(:each) { request.call }
+
+      expect_assigns(event: Event)
+
+      it 'creates the Event' do
+        expect { request.call }.to change(Event, :count).by(1)
+      end
+
+      expect_status(201)
+    end
+
+    context 'with an invalid event' do
+      before(:each) { post :create, event: {exercise_id: 847482} }
+      expect_assigns(event: Event)
+      expect_status(422)
+    end
+
+    context 'with no event' do
+      before(:each) { post :create }
+      expect_status(422)
+    end
+  end
+end