This article will serve to provide a general overview of the Optional Core Data files and their impact in the Outcomes product for non-technical users. This is not meant to be guide for Data Managers in the construction of files. Please see our Technical Resources for further help and guidance. The Outcomes platform can use several optional Core Data File imports that can enhance the user experience and enable several additional features. These import files are not required for the Outcomes platform. The optional files are:
- Courses
- Sections
- Enrollments
- Instructors
- Remove Instructor
- Academic Programs
Courses File
The Courses File import is used to create a campus course catalog in the platform. The Courses file should contain all the courses that would ever be offered at an institution. When a course is loaded to the platform, it will appear in each term for an academic year. You will need to import the Section file to attach specific course offerings for each term.
Required for: Course level assessment, Sections level assessment, Individual Student Course Roster Scoring Options, and the Academic Programs file
Core Data File View
Platform View
The course appears as a navigational site within the Outcomes platform. The course can now have sections attached to it. You can also write Learning Outcomes, document assessments, and enter assessment results at the Course level. Connections can also be completed at the course level. You can also assign permissions at the course level. In the example above, Marketing 321 will appear in the Overview, the Fall semester view, and the Spring semester view as one course. Courses Technical Resources
Sections File
The Sections File Import is used to associate individual course offerings to the courses in the course catalog. Sections are attached to a specific course and a specific academic term within a year. If you want the same section to appear in both the Fall and Spring semesters, you will need a separate entry for both fall and the spring. Requires Courses File to be in use.
Required for: Sections level assessment, Individual Student Course Roster Scoring Options, Implicit Instructor Permission
Core Data File View
Please note, this Core Data file will only produce a section offering for the Fall term for Marketing 321 Section 101 in the example above. You may have the same course offering in the Spring, Marketing 321 Section 101, but you will have to create a unique Sections entry for that offering as well.
Platform View
The section appears as a navigational site within the Outcomes platform only for the Fall semester. You can write Learning Outcomes, document assessments, enter assessment results at the section level. Connections can also be completed at the section level. You cannot manually assign permissions at the section level. To assign permissions at the sections level, you will need to use the Instructors file.
Sections File Technical Resources
Enrollments File
The Enrollments File import is used to attach a student roster to a specific section offering. This file is needed to import a roster for the Individual Student Score option for entering assessment results. Enrollments files are specific to an individual section and require a prior import of the Sections file.
Core Data File View
Platform View
When in the results template, the Course Roster button will appear for a user if an Enrollments file has been attached to the specific section. If no Enrollments file is in use, the button will not appear.
Once the Course Roster button is clicked, the course roster will automatically be imported, and the assessment scores are ready to be filled out for the roster.
All students attached to a section will appear on the course roster, regardless of the Status entered for the student on the Sections file. Any students that have a Status of Dropped or Withdrawn can be removed from the roster in Outcomes by clicking on the trash can icon in their row. We recommend uploading the Enrollments file when the course roster has been finalized.
Students will appear on Course Rosters in Outcomes in the order they were entered into the Enrollments file, in ascending order. In the screenshot above, Katie Felton would have been entered first in the Enrollments file.
Enrollments File Technical Resources
Instructors File
The Instructor File Import should include instructors facilitating a section offered for a specified term. This file attaches an instructor to a specific section and provides the instructor implicit access to the section as a Creator user role. You cannot assign permission manually at the section level. If you want to conduct section level reporting, you need to be using the Instructors file. Requires the Sections file for use.
Required for: Section level reporting, Permissions at the Section Level
Core Data File view
Platform View
Once imported, the instructor will be granted access as a Creator to their section. Access will also be automatically granted under the Star Icon navigation tab. If you look for the instructor in the permissions tab, you can see that they will have been granted access.
Instructors File Technical Resources
Remove Instructors File
The Remove Instructor File import is used to remove an instructor from a course section. Once an instructor is attached to a section, they will remain attached until they are removed. Importing the Remove Instructor file will remove the instructor from the course while keeping them in the Accounts file allowing them to still access Outcomes. Requires the Instructors file to be in use.
Required for: Removing section level permissions.
Core Data File View
Platform View
There is nothing to show as permissions and explicit access are removed.
Remove Instructors File Technical Resources
Academic Program File
The Academic Programs File import allows for the creation of generic course groupings. This would allow cross-listed courses, academic programs, major or minor tracts, issue areas, or interdisciplinary courses to be placed together in one location for reporting needs.
It also allows courses with different Parent Units to report to one area. Because of the hierarchical structure of Outcomes, each organizational unit, course and section can only be nested under one parent unit. We know that campuses don’t always operate that way. The Academic Programs file will allow courses nested in their original designation to also be listed in a separate, central location with other interdisciplinary courses. Examples include Academic Programs, General Education Courses, International Studies, and many others.
This is only one of several options for addressing interdisciplinary listings. See our Academic Programs support article for more information. Academic Program Units are not organizational units to their construction and maintenance is different. To be included in an Academic Program files, courses must first be imported following the standard procedures of the Courses File. Requires the Courses file for use.
Required for: academic programs, interdisciplinary, or cross-listed reporting
Core Data File View
Platform View
The Academic Program appears as a navigational link in the Organizational Chart.
And users will see all the academic program courses grouped together.
