Overview
This release introduces significant updates to the Planning & Self-Study platform, focusing on user-defined terminology, centralized measure management, and expanded reporting accuracy. These improvements aim to align the platform with institutional language and streamline the assessment planning workflow.
Managing Assessment Plans with the Measure Library
This release introduces the new Measure Library, a centralized feature designed to help manage, find, and add measures to assessment plans more efficiently. This update is for assessment coordinators and faculty members who build or maintain assessment plans.
Key Features of the Measure Library
The Measure Library empowers users with greater flexibility in reusing and organizing measures. Rather than automatically populating measures into assessment plans, this feature provides full control over which measures to include.
- Dedicated Measure Library: All available measures are visible and searchable within the assessment plan workspace.
- Search and Filter: Measures are searchable by name or filterable by method (Direct, Indirect, or Not Selected).
- Measure Details: The library displays the title, description, type, and the date of the last assessment for each measure.
- Simplified Navigation: Pagination and alphabetical sorting allow for easy browsing of large measure collections.
Enhancements
Improved Control and Reusability
- Retained Measures: Measures removed from an assessment plan remain in the library for future use instead of being deleted from the system.
- Manual Selection: Measures created in centralized or curriculum areas do not automatically appear in plans. This allows for the precise selection of relevant measures.
- Smart Population: To maintain a clean workspace, only measures from the most recent previous plan populate when an outcome is selected. Outdated measures remain in the library until specifically requested.
- Instant Updates: Measures appear in the plan immediately after selection and return to the library if removed.
These improvements increase efficiency by allowing the reuse of existing work without the clutter of previous plans. By providing manual control over measure selection, the system ensures assessment data remains accurate and focused on current goals.
*The screenshot below shows the option to select from existing measures when adding measures to a plan.
*The screenshot below shows the option to select existing measures from the Measure Library.
Configuring Outcome Terminology
This release introduces the new capability for institutions to customize the language used for outcomes throughout the Planning & Self-Study platform. This update is primarily for top-level administrators responsible for platform configuration and institution-wide assessment standards.
Key Features and Capabilities
Institutions now have the flexibility to align the platform with internal practices by defining specific labels for various outcome types.
- Customizable Labels: Administrators can define singular and plural forms for "Outcomes," "Learning Outcomes," and "Success Outcomes."
- Centralized Settings: A dedicated configuration area is available for authorized administrators to manage these terms.
- Instant Platform-Wide Application: Changes apply immediately across the interface, including organization management, plan setup, curriculum mapping, and the Measure Library.
- Consistent Communication: Configured terminology is automatically integrated into email notifications, system alerts, and home page widgets.
The terminology update extends beyond simple labels to ensure a cohesive experience for all faculty and staff.
This configuration screen can be accessed from Admin> Configuration Settings> Outcomes.
Unified Interface and Reporting
Dynamic UI Elements: Labels, help text, buttons, and system messages update automatically to reflect the institution's chosen language.
Reporting and Exports: All HTML and PDF reports, charts, and progress indicators utilize the custom terms to maintain consistency in documentation.
Validation Standards: The configuration page includes character limits and validation to ensure that custom terms remain concise and legible within the platform's layout.
Breadcrumb Navigation: The configuration area includes clear navigation paths to help administrators move through settings efficiently.
Help Resources: Direct links to support documentation are available on the terminology settings page for immediate assistance.
Feature Scope and Limitations
While the terminology update is comprehensive, certain modules are excluded from this release.
| Included Areas | Excluded Areas |
| Assessment Plans and Plan Setup | Institution Learning Outcomes |
| Curriculum Mapping and Alignment | Self-Study Module |
| Measure Library and Manage Measures | Program Review Module |
| Performance Dashboards and PDF Reports (see list below) | Insights Hub |
| System Emails and Notifications |
Expanded Reporting and Export Capabilities
All report titles, descriptions, and column headers in outcome-related reports and CSV exports now automatically utilize the institution’s configured terminology. For example, if "Goals" is the chosen term, it will replace "Outcomes" across all generated documents. Notifications and exported files reflect these settings, ensuring total consistency between the platform interface and downloaded materials.
Updated Reports
The following reports have been updated to reflect custom terminology throughout all headers and data fields:
Mapping & Alignment: Outcome Mapping Crosswalk Report, Course Outcome Mapping Crosswalk Report, and Strategic Plan’s Outcome Mapping Crosswalk Report.
Progress & Participation: Organization Outcome Progress Summary, Organization Current Participation Summary, and Plan Organizational Progress Summary.
Detailed Analysis: Course Outcome Details Report, Organization Outcome Details Report, and Outcomes Details Report for all courses.
Plan Specifics: Plan Measure Detail (Program and Course), Comprehensive Plan Export, Plan Measure Results, Plan Outcome Detail, and Plan Action Detail.
Data Exports: All Outcome Actions CSV (Program and Course).
Comprehensive Column Updates: All relevant columns, including those indicating archived items, total counts, and status indicators, now use the configured terminology.
Export Notifications: Download alerts and email notifications clearly state the configured terms, providing a seamless transition from the platform to local files.