diff --git a/step/email/lang/de/lifecyclestep_email.php b/step/email/lang/de/lifecyclestep_email.php
index b0fab933..f2710d1d 100644
--- a/step/email/lang/de/lifecyclestep_email.php
+++ b/step/email/lang/de/lifecyclestep_email.php
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
         . '<br>' . 'Nachname des Empfängers: ##lastname##'
         . '<br>' . 'Link zur Antwortseite: ##link##'
         . '<br>' . 'Betroffene Kurse: ##courses##'
+        . '<br>' . 'Kurznamen betroffener Kurse: ##shortcourses##'
         . '</p>';
 $string['email_content_html'] = 'HTML-Vorlage für Emails';
 $string['email_content_html_help'] = 'Stellen sie die HTML-Vorlage für Emails ein. (in HTML-Format; falls gesetzt, wird es an Stelle der Klartext-Vorlage benutzt!)' . '<p>' . 'Sie können die folgenden Platzhalter benutzen:'
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@
         . '<br>' . 'Nachname des Empfängers: ##lastname##'
         . '<br>' . 'Link zur Antwortseite: ##link##'
         . '<br>' . 'Betroffene Kurse: ##courses##'
+        . '<br>' . 'Kurznamen betroffener Kurse: ##shortcourses-html##'
         . '</p>';
 $string['keep_course'] = 'Kurs behalten';
 $string['pluginname'] = 'Email-Schritt';
diff --git a/step/email/lang/en/lifecyclestep_email.php b/step/email/lang/en/lifecyclestep_email.php
index a0fd8ec4..e593339f 100644
--- a/step/email/lang/en/lifecyclestep_email.php
+++ b/step/email/lang/en/lifecyclestep_email.php
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
         . '<br>' . 'Last name of recipient: ##lastname##'
         . '<br>' . 'Link to response page: ##link##'
         . '<br>' . 'Impacted courses: ##courses##'
+        . '<br>' . 'Short names of impacted courses: ##shortcourses##'
         . '</p>';
 $string['email_content_html'] = 'Content HTML Template';
 $string['email_content_html_help'] = 'Set the html template for the content of the email (HTML email, will be used instead of plaintext field if not empty!)' . '<p>' .  'You can use the following placeholders:'
@@ -37,6 +38,7 @@
         . '<br>' . 'Last name of recipient: ##lastname##'
         . '<br>' . 'Link to response page: ##link-html##'
         . '<br>' . 'Impacted courses: ##courses-html##'
+        . '<br>' . 'Short names of impacted courses: ##shortcourses-html##'
         . '</p>';
 $string['email_responsetimeout'] = 'Time the user has for the response';
 $string['email_subject'] = 'Subject template';
diff --git a/step/email/lib.php b/step/email/lib.php
index f25b78bb..1dfcbbc2 100644
--- a/step/email/lib.php
+++ b/step/email/lib.php
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@
 use tool_lifecycle\local\manager\settings_manager;
 use tool_lifecycle\local\response\step_response;
 use tool_lifecycle\local\manager\step_manager;
-use tool_lifecycle\local\manager\process_data_manager;
 use tool_lifecycle\settings_type;
 
 defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
@@ -169,53 +168,34 @@ private function replace_placeholders($strings, $user, $stepid, $mailentries) {
         $patterns[] = '##link-html##';
         $replacements[] = \html_writer::link($url, $url);
 
-        // Replace courses list.
-        $patterns[] = '##courses##';
-        $courses = $mailentries;
-        $coursesstring = '';
-        $coursesstring .= $this->parse_course(array_pop($courses)->courseid);
-        foreach ($courses as $entry) {
-            $coursesstring .= "\n" . $this->parse_course($entry->courseid);
+        $courses = [];
+        foreach ($mailentries as $entry) {
+            $courses[] = get_course($entry->courseid);
         }
-        $replacements[] = $coursesstring;
 
-        // Replace courses html.
+        // Replace courses list.
+        $coursesstrings = [];
+        foreach ($courses as $course) {
+            $coursesstrings[] = $course->fullname;
+        }
+        $patterns[] = '##courses##';
+        $replacements[] = join("\n", $coursesstrings);
         $patterns[] = '##courses-html##';
-        $courses = $mailentries;
-        $coursestabledata = [];
-        foreach ($courses as $entry) {
-            $coursestabledata[$entry->courseid] = $this->parse_course_row_data($entry->courseid);
+        $replacements[] = join("<br>", $coursesstrings);
+
+        // Replace short courses list.
+        $coursesstrings = [];
+        foreach ($courses as $course) {
+            $coursesstrings[] = $course->shortname;
         }
-        $coursestable = new \html_table();
-        $coursestable->data = $coursestabledata;
-        $replacements[] = \html_writer::table($coursestable);
+        $patterns[] = '##shortcourses##';
+        $replacements[] = join("\n", $coursesstrings);
+        $patterns[] = '##shortcourses-html##';
+        $replacements[] = join("<br>", $coursesstrings);
 
         return str_ireplace($patterns, $replacements, $strings);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Parses a course for the non html format.
-     * @param int $courseid id of the course
-     * @return string
-     * @throws \dml_exception
-     */
-    private function parse_course($courseid) {
-        $course = get_course($courseid);
-        $result = $course->fullname;
-        return $result;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Parses a course for the html format.
-     * @param int $courseid id of the course
-     * @return array column of a course
-     * @throws \dml_exception
-     */
-    private function parse_course_row_data($courseid) {
-        $course = get_course($courseid);
-        return [$course->fullname];
-    }
-
     /**
      * Defines which settings each instance of the subplugin offers for the user to define.
      * @return instance_setting[] containing settings keys and PARAM_TYPES
diff --git a/step/email/tests/lib_test.php b/step/email/tests/lib_test.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..826842be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/step/email/tests/lib_test.php
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+<?php
+// This file is part of Moodle - http://moodle.org/
+//
+// Moodle is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
+// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
+// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
+// (at your option) any later version.
+//
+// Moodle is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
+// GNU General Public License for more details.
+//
+// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
+// along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
+/**
+ * Unit tests for the lifecyclestep_email lib.php.
+ *
+ * @package    lifecyclestep_email
+ * @copyright  2024 Justus Dieckmann, University of Münster.
+ * @license    http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+namespace lifecyclestep_email;
+
+/**
+ * Unit tests for the lifecyclestep_email lib.php.
+ *
+ * @package    lifecyclestep_email
+ * @copyright  2024 Justus Dieckmann, University of Münster.
+ * @license    http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
+ */
+final class lib_test extends \advanced_testcase {
+
+    /**
+     * Tests \tool_lifecycle\step\email::replace_placeholders.
+     *
+     * @covers \tool_lifecycle\step\email::replace_placeholders
+     */
+    public function test_replace_placeholders(): void {
+        $this->resetAfterTest();
+
+        $user1 = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_user(['firstname' => 'Jane', 'lastname' => 'Doe']);
+        $course1 = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_course(['fullname' => 'Course 1', 'shortname' => 'C1']);
+        $course2 = $this->getDataGenerator()->create_course(['fullname' => 'Course 2', 'shortname' => 'C2']);
+        $lib = new \tool_lifecycle\step\email();
+        $callreplaceplaceholders = function($strings, $user, $stepid, $mailentries) {
+            return $this->replace_placeholders($strings, $user, $stepid, $mailentries);
+        };
+        $response = $callreplaceplaceholders->call($lib, [
+                "##firstname##\n##lastname##\n##courses##\n##shortcourses##",
+                "##firstname##<br>##lastname##<br>##courses-html##<br>##shortcourses-html##",
+        ], $user1, 0, [(object) ['courseid' => $course1->id], (object) ['courseid' => $course2->id]]);
+
+        $this->assertCount(2, $response);
+        $this->assertEquals("Jane\nDoe\nCourse 1\nCourse 2\nC1\nC2", $response[0]);
+        $this->assertEquals("Jane<br>Doe<br>Course 1<br>Course 2<br>C1<br>C2", $response[1]);
+    }
+}