The Nuventive Improve Assessment Management System



The Nuventive Improve Assessment Management System Manual for Summary UnitsTable of Contents TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u The Nuventive Improve Assessment Management System Manual for Summary Units PAGEREF _Toc35355485 \h 0Introduction PAGEREF _Toc35355486 \h 2About AMS Nuventive Improve PAGEREF _Toc35355487 \h 2What is Nuventive Improve? PAGEREF _Toc35355488 \h 2The Nuventive Improve AMS at Penn State PAGEREF _Toc35355489 \h 2Assessment Liaisons PAGEREF _Toc35355490 \h 2Summary Units in the AMS PAGEREF _Toc35355491 \h 2About This Manual PAGEREF _Toc35355492 \h 3How This Manual Works PAGEREF _Toc35355493 \h 3Important Information and AMS Best Practices PAGEREF _Toc35355494 \h 4Getting Started PAGEREF _Toc35355495 \h 5Log In/Access AMS Nuventive Improve PAGEREF _Toc35355496 \h 5Navigating the Home Screen PAGEREF _Toc35355497 \h 6The Side Panel Reports and Resources PAGEREF _Toc35355498 \h 7Program Feedback Report PAGEREF _Toc35355499 \h 8Your Unit’s Submission Status At-a-Glance PAGEREF _Toc35355500 \h 9Generating Reports PAGEREF _Toc35355501 \h 10Find Reports PAGEREF _Toc35355502 \h 11Types of Reports in the AMS PAGEREF _Toc35355503 \h 11Filtering Reports in the AMS PAGEREF _Toc35355504 \h 12Create and View a Report PAGEREF _Toc35355505 \h 12Save a Report PAGEREF _Toc35355506 \h 13Save a Report as a Zip File PAGEREF _Toc35355507 \h 13Save a Report to the Document Repository PAGEREF _Toc35355508 \h 14Document Library PAGEREF _Toc35355509 \h 15Find the Document Library PAGEREF _Toc35355510 \h 15Add a Folder to the Document Repository PAGEREF _Toc35355511 \h 16Add Files and URLs to the Document Repository PAGEREF _Toc35355512 \h 16Add a File from Your Computer PAGEREF _Toc35355513 \h 16Add a URL to the Document Repository PAGEREF _Toc35355514 \h 17AMS Resources PAGEREF _Toc35355515 \h 18IntroductionAbout AMS Nuventive Improve What is Nuventive Improve? Nuventive Improve is an Assessment Management System (AMS) that supports learning outcome assessments, strategic planning, and accreditation. In terms of learning outcomes assessment, the focus of this manual, this tool lets you document, submit, and report program learning objectives (PLOs), assessment methods, assessment results, and program action plans for your annual assessment reporting. The Nuventive Improve AMS at Penn State Penn State has implemented the Nuventive Improve AMS for faculty and staff, to facilitate assessment reporting processes currently in place. While the Penn State process for Learning Outcomes Assessment (LOA) implemented in 2016 is unchanged, the Nuventive Improve AMS provides new efficiencies and benefits to the streamline the process. Advantages include:An organized archive of learning outcome assessments and activities over timeEasy and manageable data entryNo more copying and pasting PLOs and assessment methods from year to yearReadily available and manageable curriculum mappingA repository for assessment-related documents The ability to create, download, and share a variety of reports from year to year.NOTE: Any degrees (associates, bachelors, masters, and doctoral) and for-credit certificate programs that do not go through a specialized accreditation process are required to participate in the University’s learning outcomes assessment process, the reporting of which is outlined in The Nuventive Improve Assessment Management System Manual for Assessment Processes which can be found on OPAIR’s AMS Training webpage (opens in a new window). Programs that do go through a specialized accreditation process, including associated learning outcomes assessment requirements, are required to provide the Office of Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research (OPAIR) with a copy of their most recent accreditation self-study in lieu of participation in Penn State’s assessment process. Contact your HYPERLINK "" Assessment Liaison (opens in new window) if you’re not sure if this applies to you.Assessment LiaisonsEach college and campus is assigned an Assessment Liaison to support your assessment process. If you need help with the AMS interface or anything assessment related, reach out to your Liaison and they will be happy to assist you. Visit the Assessment Liaison webpage (opens in new window) to find out who your liaison is. Summary Units in the AMSTo allow academic administrators a summary view of all the programs under their purview, programs are grouped into Summary Units in the AMS. For example, “Campus – Abington” or “College – Science”. About This ManualNOTE: This manual was written and tested in a Windows operating system using Google Chrome’s browser. A user’s experience may vary depending on their operating system and browser. We recommend disabling your pop-up blocker for this website in your browser. See this article about disabling pop-up blockers (opens in new window). The Nuventive AMS support the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari. It does not support Internet Explorer. OPAIR recommends that users use Chrome or Firefox.How This Manual WorksThis manual is set up to guide users through the process using Summary Units in the AMS. From accessing the AMS, to exporting detailed reports for your unit, this manual demonstrates how to use the Nuventive Improve interface to successfully navigate a Summary Unit. Instructions for inputting assessment reports for individual programs can be found in the companion manual, The Nuventive Improve Assessment Management System Manual for Assessment Processes available at on the AMS Training Web Page (opens in a new screen). This manual assumes that you have view-only access to at least one Summary Unit (typically a college or campus). If you do not have access to the appropriate Summary Unit(s), please contact your Assessment Liaison (opens in new window) or call (814) 863-8721 to get set up.Programs that go through a specialized accreditation process, including associated learning outcomes assessment requirements, are required to provide the Office of Planning, Assessment, and Institutional Research (OPAIR) with a copy of their most recent accreditation self-study in lieu of participation in Penn State’s assessment process. However, some accredited programs choose to use the AMS for their own needs. Depending on whether your accredited programs are using the AMS or not, you may not see anything for these in your summary data. Contact your Assessment Liaison (opens in new window) if you have questions about this. Important Information and AMS Best Practices Throughout the manual, this icon indicates important information and best practices that help make this process as easy as possible. The list below identifies important points to keep in mind as you go through these processes. Most Summary Unit users cannot edit the Summary Unit or individual programs within the unit. If you need to make changes to the Summary Unit composition or if you require edit access to specific programs contact your Assessment Liaison (opens in new window) or call the OPAIR office, (814) 863-8721, for assistance.In the Document Repository, use the breadcrumbs at the top of the page to navigate back, rather than the Back button on your browser. The Back button takes you to the first page you loaded.We strongly discourage programs from using sequential numbers when they name your PLOs, as this could create confusion if they need to rearrange them or if they add/archive PLOs.The Nuventive AMS interface updates hourly, so you might not see changes reflected immediately. It’s a best practice to check the Home Screen often to make sure it displays your changes. If your changes still aren’t reflected, contact your Assessment Liaison (opens in new window) or call the OPAIR office, (814) 863-8721, for assistance.Programs must submit annually even if they are not submitting results this cycle. The system will give you them opportunity to indicate the reason that you do not have results to submit for the current cycle. Each program must assign PLOs and Assessment Methods for the coming year even if they are not submitting results this cycle.Make sure you disengage pop-up blockers in your browser in order to download reports. See this website for instructions to turn off pop-up blockers (opens in new window) if you’re not sure that you’ve done this.Throughout the manual, this icon indicates important information and best practices that help make this process as easy as possible. The list below identifies important points to keep in mind as you go through these processes. Most Summary Unit users cannot edit the Summary Unit or individual programs within the unit. If you need to make changes to the Summary Unit composition or if you require edit access to specific programs contact your Assessment Liaison (opens in new window) or call the OPAIR office, (814) 863-8721, for assistance.In the Document Repository, use the breadcrumbs at the top of the page to navigate back, rather than the Back button on your browser. The Back button takes you to the first page you loaded.We strongly discourage programs from using sequential numbers when they name your PLOs, as this could create confusion if they need to rearrange them or if they add/archive PLOs.The Nuventive AMS interface updates hourly, so you might not see changes reflected immediately. It’s a best practice to check the Home Screen often to make sure it displays your changes. If your changes still aren’t reflected, contact your Assessment Liaison (opens in new window) or call the OPAIR office, (814) 863-8721, for assistance.Programs must submit annually even if they are not submitting results this cycle. The system will give you them opportunity to indicate the reason that you do not have results to submit for the current cycle. Each program must assign PLOs and Assessment Methods for the coming year even if they are not submitting results this cycle.Make sure you disengage pop-up blockers in your browser in order to download reports. See this website for instructions to turn off pop-up blockers (opens in new window) if you’re not sure that you’ve done this.Important Information before You BeginAMS Best PracticesCreate a workable naming convention for your document files and folders and share it with users who have access to your Summary Unit in the AMS.Contact your liaison if you are unsure at any point during this process.Getting StartedLog In/Access AMS Nuventive ImproveVisit the OPAIR website (opens in new window) to access the interface. Click the Click here to log in to the AMS button on the right side of the home page. If necessary, use your Penn State Access ID credentials to log in. Click the Launch button in the center of the screen. Click the Program field at the top of your screen and select a program from the drop-down menu.The Program field at the top shows which program is displayed on the dashboard below. Each time you log in to the AMS, this field automatically selects the last program you worked on the last time you were logged in. Click your cursor anywhere in this field to display a drop-down menu of programs to which you have access and click a program to select it. If you don’t see a program to which you think you should have access, contact your Assessment Liaison (opens in new window) or call the OPAIR office, (814) 863-8721, for assistance.Figure 1: The Program field.Some users may see both Summary Units and Assessment Units listed in their drop-down menu. The navigation of Summary Units is addressed in this document. The use of individual Assessment Units (i.e., individual programs) is described in The Nuventive Improve Assessment Management System Manual for Assessment Processes which can be found on OPAIR’s AMS Training webpage (opens in a new window).Figure 2: The Program Field with Summary Unit and Assessment Unit selections. NOTE: This drop-down menu only displays programs to which you are assigned. If you don’t see a program you think you should be assigned to, please contact your Assessment Liaison (opens in new window) or call the OPAIR office, (814) 863-8721, for assistance.Navigating the Home ScreenThe Summary Unit Home Screen is designed to show academic administrators the assessment status of all your programs at-a-glance. This screen shows which programs have Program Learning Objectives (PLOs) and how many active Assessment Methods, Assessment Results, and Action Plans they have in the system. If your program list is incorrect, contact your Assessment Liaison (opens in new window) or call the OPAIR office, (814) 863-8721, for assistance.Figure 3: The Nuventive AMS home screen for Penn State Altoona, indicated in the Program field. On the home screen, a red X or a red flag indicates a program that does not have Program Learning Objectives (PLOs) in the AMS. These objectives are the basis for program learning assessment and for everything that is reported in the AMS, so they are a key assessment metric. The PLOs for a program may be viewed by clicking on the arrow to the left of the program name. Figure 4: Opening the list of Program PLOs.The Side Panel Reports and ResourcesThe side panel on the right side of your screen gives you access to a variety of resources, including the LOA Handbook and the AMS Training Site. This allows you to use the AMS side-by-side with either the handbook or the training site.Figure 5: The AMS side panel is present on most screens.Click the options at the top of the right-side panel to change how much of the side panel you wish to see. By default, when you log in you will always see the third option from the right selected. When you select an item from the side panel, it will automatically bump up to take up half of your screen. To return to the default view with all the options, click on the third option from the right. Click on the Program Submission Report to see your unit’s submission status at a glance. Click on the Program Feedback Report to view the program-specific assessment plan feedback provided by OPAIR staff. Click on the Program Personnel Report to see what users have access to the individual programs within the Summary Unit and their level of access. Users can filter their users by the credentials they have access to (i.e., degree levels) and/or by their level of access by clicking on the left-hand boxes. Figure 6. Filtering options for the Program Personnel Report. Click on the Summary Unit User Guide to access this document.Click the LOA Handbook panel on the right side of your screen after you log in. This provides in-depth learning outcomes assessment explanations and definitions, as well as the option to simultaneously view the AMS and the handbook side-by-side. Look at specific segments or download the full version on this page. Once you click the handbook, you may need to scroll down to see its contents.Click the AMS Training Site, below the LOA Handbook, to access training materials and learn more about the AMS. Program Feedback ReportThe Program Feedback Report is accessible through the side panel (see above). Every assessment report is reviewed by at least one OPAIR staff member and feedback is provided. The intention of the feedback is help programs conduct effective and efficient assessments. The Program Feedback Report can be filtered by cycle (i.e., report year) and by program. Figure 7: Program Feedback Report.Your Unit’s Submission Status At-a-GlanceThe Unit’s Program Submission Report is accessible through the side panel (see above). This report summarizes the submission status for every program in a Summary Unit. For a submission to be considered complete, a program must have selected “Yes” on the Submission Screen in response to the statement “My assessment materials are ready to be reviewed.” The Submission Screen is not covered in this manual, but is described in depth in The Nuventive Improve Assessment Management System Manual for Assessment Processes available at on the AMS Training Web Page (opens in a new screen). When reviewing the Program Submission Report, it is best to select the largest option for the side window (first box from the left). If you want to see the status of a specific program, you can use the Filter by Program box. You may also Filter by Submission Status (complete or incomplete). Figure 8: Program Submission Report screen.Generating ReportsReports are where you can dive into the assessment details for your programs. left58630000You can pull reports in a variety of formats to meet your needs. These formats include, pdfs, zip files, and hyperlinks to associated documents.Only other users with AMS access will be able to open the hyperlinks generated in the reports. If you want to share these reports with non-users, then OPAIR recommends that you use the Open Report >Download as Zip option (Figure 8). The zip folder includes the report and any documents related to the Program’s Assessment Methods or Assessment Results.Figure 9: The option to download a report as a zip file.Find ReportsClick the Program field at the top of the window and select your program from the drop-down menu.Figure 10: The Program field.NOTE: This drop-down menu only displays programs to which you are assigned. If you don’t see a program you think you should be assigned to, please contact your Assessment Liaison (opens in new window) or call the OPA office, (814) 863-8721, for assistance.Click the hamburger icon (three horizontal lines) in the upper left-hand corner. A menu panel opens. Click the Reports tab from the menu panel that opens.Figure 11: The Reports tab.You can now view and save different reports for your Summary Unit. Jump to instructions to:View a ReportSave a Report as a Zip FileSave a Report to the Document RepositoryTypes of Reports in the AMSUnit Planning Summary Report: This report displays the information provided in the Summary Unit Home Summary Table in an Excel spreadsheet. The first sheet (Summary Data) basically replicates the Home screen. The second sheet (Expanded Data) gives a more in-depth view, showing all program PLOs.The third sheet (Pivot Table) allows users to choose how the data is reported. The fourth sheet (Summary Chart) graphically illustrates the number of PLOs by program. Assessment Report: This report provides the PLOs for all the programs in your summary unit, along with any information contained in their Assessment Plans. The report is displayed in a narrative layout with each program’s General Information displayed at the top of its section. This report can also list courses that are designated by your Assessment Leaders as relating to each program PLO. Assessment Report (4-column): This report contains similar information to the Assessment Report in a four-column layout. Filtering Reports in the AMSleft2813500The best way to get the most from your reports is through using the Filters and Options sections when you create a report. The Filters and Options sections allow you to show one or multiple Planned Assessment Years, and only Active or Archived PLOs, among other options. When you click on the link to a Report on the Reports page it takes you to a form. This form allows you to enter information and choose your filters and options for that report.Create and View a ReportYou can create any of the reports listed above and view them. Navigate to the Reports page (Steps 1-5 in Find Reports).Click the link for the report you want on the Reports page.Enter information in the fields and select options for your report.(Optional) In the Filter section, click the PLO Status field and select Active. This removes Archived PLOs from your generated report. NOTE: The options available vary by report. Some key options to consider are: 1) whether you want to see all PLOs or only active PLOs and 2) which reporting periods you want to view. It is a good practice to give your report a descriptive name and subtitle. Figure 12: Report options for the Four-Column Report.Click the Open Report button in the upper right corner to view it.NOTE: If you do not see your Report, you may need to allow pop-ups for this site and repeat this process. See this website for instructions to turn off pop-up blockers if you’re not sure. Save a ReportYou have two options to save a report in the AMS; you can save it as a zip file, or you can save it to the Document Repository in the AMS.Save a Report as a Zip FileNavigate to the Reports page (Steps 1-5 in Find Reports).Click the link for the report you want on the Reports page.Enter information in the fields and select options for your report.Click the down arrow to the right of the Open Report button and click Download as Zip from the drop-down menu.Figure 13: The Download as Zip optionClick the Return button in the upper right-hand corner to return to the Reports screen.Your report is saved as a zip file along with any documents you related to your Program’s Assessment Methods or Assessment Results. Find the zip file in your Downloads folder on your computer. Save a Report to the Document RepositoryNavigate to the Reports page (Steps 1-5 in Find Reports).Click the link for the report you want on the Reports page.Enter information in the fields and select options for your report.Click the down arrow to the right of the Open Report button and select Save to Document Repository from the drop-down menu.Figure 14: The Save to Document Repository option.Click the Return button in the upper right-hand corner to return to the Reports screen.Your report is saved to the Document Repository in the AMS. Document LibraryUsers of summary units may find it helpful to store reports they have created or other supporting documents for their unit’s assessment needs in the AMS Document Library (also referred to as the Document Repository in the AMS). This section shows how to find the Document Library, create a folder, and add files and URLs to that folder. NOTE: Documents must be saved in folders. Use an existing folder or create a folder in the Document Repository.NOTE: When navigating the Document Library, it may be helpful to use the breadcrumbs at the top of the screen rather than the Back button on your browser to move between folders.Figure 15: Breadcrumbs in the Document Repository.Find the Document LibraryClick the Program field at the top of the window and select your program from the drop-down menu.Figure 16: The Program field.NOTE: This drop-down menu only displays programs to which you are assigned. If you don’t see a program you think you should be assigned to, please contact your Assessment Liaison (opens in new window) or call the OPAIR office, (814) 863-8721, for assistance.Click the hamburger icon (three lines) in the upper left-hand corner. A menu panel opens. Click the Documents tab to open the Document Repository. Figure 17: The Documents tab.You will see any folders related to your program here. Jump to instructions to: Add a Folder to the Document RepositoryAdd a File from Your ComputerAdd a URL to the Document RepositoryAdd a Folder to the Document RepositoryWhen you first open the Document Repository you will have the General folder present by default. This folder is a good place to save general information about your unit’s assessment efforts. Another folder you may wish to create is an “Archived Reports” folder. left703300All documents and URLs must be saved in a folder. Use one of the existing folders or create an appropriate one. OPAIR recommends that you make folders based on contents area rather than year. Navigate to the Document Repository (Steps 1-5 in Find the Document Repository).Click the Add Folder icon in the upper right-hand corner. A new window opens.Enter a name for the folder in the Name field.Click the Save button in the lower right-hand corner of the window.Your folder appears alphabetically in the list of folders. You can now use that folder to save, add, and view files.Add Files and URLs to the Document RepositoryAdd a File from Your ComputerNavigate to the Document Repository (Steps 1-5 from Find the Document Repository).Click the folder to which you want to add a document.Click the Add File icon in the upper right-hand corner. A new window opens.Click the Choose Files button on the left-hand side of the Add Documents window to select a file from your computer.Click the Save button in the lower right-hand corner of the window.Your selected file now appears in the list within the folder in alphabetical order. You can now attach it to your Assessment Methods, and Assessment Results.Add a URL to the Document RepositoryIf the document you wish to reference is on a webpage, you can add the URL to the Document Repository.NOTE: Because of the temporal nature of URLs, OPAIR recommends downloading relevant documents to your computer and then uploading them into the Document Repository rather than linking to a URL in order to ensure continued access to that document over time.Navigate to the Document Repository (Steps 1-5 from Find the Document Repository).Click the folder to which you’d like to add a document.Click the Add File icon in the upper right-hand corner. A new window opens.Enter a Name for the file, and the URL, in their respective fields.Click the Save button in the lower right-hand corner of the window.The URL now appears in the list within the folder in alphabetical order. You can now attach it to Assessment Methods, and Assessment Results.AMS ResourcesFor resources and information about the assessment process at Penn State, please visit the OPAIR Website (opens in new window). For training resources specific to the AMS, visit OPAIR’s AMS Training Website (opens in a new window). Each college and campus is assigned an Assessment Liaison to support your assessment process. If you need help with the AMS interface or anything assessment related, reach out to your Liaison and they will be happy to assist you. Visit the Assessment Liaison webpage (opens in new window) to find out who your liaison is. ................
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