1. Watermark
  2. Planning & Self-Study (PSS)
  3. Organization Management

Importing Outcomes

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Importing Outcomes into Planning & Self Study

Learning and Success Outcomes can be imported into Planning & Self Study in bulk, via CSV import. This capability is particularly useful for users coming to Planning & Self-Study from another system, or those that have their current outcomes documented elsewhere. This feature allows institutions to get up and running more quickly, and to ensure that when assessment leads and contributors log in for the first time, they find their outcomes already in the system and ready for use.
Organizational (Program) Outcomes and Course Outcomes can both be imported, and there is a unique template for both. 
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 Organizational and Course Outcomes Templates, with information on formatting the CSV. 
 
Note: There is no limit to the number of outcomes you can import. However, for optimal performance, we recommend uploading batches of no more than 2000 outcomes at once.
 

How to Import Outcomes

To import outcomes, please follow these steps:
  1. Enter Organization Management.  The Organizational ID values that will be referenced in the Organizational Outcome import can be found on this page. These are used to ensure that the outcomes are aligned with the correct organization.

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    Note:  Users with access to System Administration can export a list of Organizations, including the Organization codes. As System Administrator divides the organizational hierarchy into Organizations and Programs, exports of both the Organization file and the Program file will likely be necessary to reference the organizational ID for all required areas. 
  1. Select "Import Outcomes" in the top-right. On the Import Outcomes page, Administrators will find the templates and parameters shown in the screenshot above.
  2.  Select “Download Template” to retrieve the template in .CSV format.

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  3. Once the CSV template is populated with outcome data, it can be uploaded using the ‘Upload CSV’ button. As the file processes, the system will validate against the noted parameters and character limits and will check for duplicate outcomes within each organization.

When the import is complete, a message will be displayed noting success or failure. If the import succeeds, the confirmation will indicate how many outcomes were added to the system.

 

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If the import fails, the confirmation message will indicate the reason - either errors in the file content, or an unreadable file. When the file contains data errors, the system will display exactly where the errors are, and what the nature of the error is. The Outcome Errors card displays a maximum of 50 errors per page, and will break into multiple pages if there are more than 50.

 

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Optional Outcome Titles

Outcomes can be imported using just the Organization Code or Course Code provided in the CSV file. Outcomes will be loaded in the system and a Title will be auto-generated for those.
For Organizational outcomes, the outcome title will have the Organization Code, followed by the Outcome Type and a serial number. For example: If the Organization code is DPHE, the numbering system will be DPHE Learning Outcome 1, DPHE Learning Outcome 2, DPHE Success Outcome 1, DPHE Success Outcome 2.
 
For Course outcomes, if the course code is ENG 101, the numbering system will be ENG 101 CLO 1, ENG 101 CLO 2.
After outcomes are imported, Leads can immediately begin to use them and make any modifications needed. If outcomes have been imported without a proper title, we strongly recommend that department chairs or whomever is responsible for maintaining the outcomes go in and create a relevant title, as titles appear in reports and dashboards throughout the site.

Preventing Simultaneous Uploads

The system detects and notifies a user if there is another Outcomes import being worked on by another user. This will prevent the current user from importing outcomes while the other concurrent import is in progress, reducing the risk of duplication, data inconsistencies and other errors. 

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Users can click the "Try Again" option to upload their outcome file again. If an upload is already in progress, an error notice stating "Upload is still in progress" will appear. Users can still click on "Try Again" until the ongoing upload is done.

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