INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE

TO

Nuventive.Improve©

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Table of Contents ACCESSING Nuventive.Improve© ......................................................................................................................3

NAVIGATING Nuventive.Improve© ....................................................................................................................4

Menus and Submenus ............................................................................................................................................5

UTILIZING Nuventive.Improve© ........................................................................................................................8

Saving Changes .......................................................................................................................................................8

Filtering ...................................................................................................................................................................9

Copying ................................................................................................................................................................ 10

APPLYING Nuventive.Improve© ...................................................................................................................... 13

Summary .............................................................................................................................................................. 13

Program Menu ..................................................................................................................................................... 14

General Information ............................................................................................................................................ 15

Assignments ........................................................................................................................................................ 15

Personnel ............................................................................................................................................................. 16

Program Assessment Plan ................................................................................................................................... 18

Assessment Results ............................................................................................................................................. 19

Adding an Assessment Result .............................................................................................................................. 20

Adding a Program Outcome ................................................................................................................................ 21

Adding an Assessment Method ........................................................................................................................... 23

Adding an Action Step ......................................................................................................................................... 24

Adding a Related Goal ......................................................................................................................................... 25

Adding Assignments ............................................................................................................................................ 27

Adding Assessment Results ................................................................................................................................. 29

Adding Documents to the Document Repository ............................................................................................... 31

Adding Folders to the Document Repository ...................................................................................................... 32

Outcomes Mapping ............................................................................................................................................. 33

Student Learning Outcomes Mapping to Outcomes ........................................................................................... 35

Curriculum Mapping ............................................................................................................................................ 36

Reports ................................................................................................................................................................ 37

Standard Reports ................................................................................................................................................. 38

Ad Hoc Reports .................................................................................................................................................... 39

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ACCESSING Nuventive.Improve© Open your internet browser. Use Firefox, Chrome, Safari or Edge. (Internet Explorer is

not supported by Improve.)

In the web address bar, type nctc.tracdat.com. Do not include “www” in the URL. Press

Enter. (Image 1)

IMAGE 1

The NCTC Improve Account Login webpage will load. (Image 2)

IMAGE 2

Enter your username (typically first initial and last name). For example, the username for

John Doe would be jdoe.

Enter your password and click on Login. Your password will be provided by the

Department of Institutional Research and Reporting.

On the upper right of the page is a Welcome and a bell icon. (Image 3)

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IMAGE 3

NAVIGATING Nuventive.Improve© At the top of each page the unit you have selected will be displayed. (Image 4)

IMAGE 4

In order to change to a different unit, click on the dropdown menu and select the assignment

or reporting unit you wish to access. The options for NCTC are “Program”, “Courses”, and

“Operational.” (Image 5) The options available to you may vary depending on your

responsibilities and program.

IMAGE 5

Under the Welcome is a drop-down. Your ‘Profile’ can be

updated here. ‘About’ provides you with version number

and copyright information about Improve. You can

‘Change Password’ here, and ‘Logout’. (Image 3)

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Previous versions of Improve (known as Tracdat) used tabs and subtabs to assist in

navigation. This version uses menus and submenus. The main menu can be found on the

upper left side of the page. These menu items are associated with a specific broad task

for the unit you’ve selected. Click on the downward pointing arrow to see submenu items.

(Image 6)

IMAGE 6

Submenu items take the broader defined menu items and narrow them down to more

specific tasks. Image 7 illustrates the menu and submenu items available (e.g. Menu item

Program has submenu items General Information, Assignments, and Personnel).

IMAGE 7

Menus and Submenus

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The Header on each page shows you where you are in the Improve system, beginning

with the broadest location. The header in Image 8 indicates that this user is in the

”Training Program-Equine Breeding Farm Management L1 Certificate” assessment unit.

Then, “Program Planning” specific to that unit is selected. Finally, the user is looking at

the “Program Assessment Plan” for the selected assessment unit. (Image 8)

IMAGE 8

You can also determine your location in Improve by looking at the menus and submenus.

When a menu is expanded and a submenu selected, the text is highlighted and there is a

pointer noting the sub-menu. (Image 9)

IMAGE 9

Above the menu on the left of the home page are these icons: (Image 10)

IMAGE 10

The green question mark is instruction by Nuventive. The green question mark

instructions are available on all pages. At the bottom of each green box, you will see a

link to a help portfolio and a link to a customer success portfolio. To remove the box,

click the icon again. (Image 11)

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IMAGE 11

The purple “i” is for page level help. If you have page level help available in your

Improve instance, on high level pages it will automatically display. On pages where data

entry forms exist, you will need to click the purple “i” instructions for that page level.

(Image 12)

IMAGE 12

This icon is an activity log. The activity log is available on all screens where you

can add, edit, and delete information. You can view a log of activity for different time

frames (Last time I logged in, Last 30 days, Last 6 months, Last year, Show all activity).

To close the page, click the icon again. (Image 13)

IMAGE 13

The blue filter icon is for you to filter the data that you see displayed in your

particular instance. This filter displays any filters that have been set. To close the page,

click the icon again. (Image 14)

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IMAGE 14

To the right of the above icons, you see a bell icon. If there is a number displayed in this

icon that means you have an assignment. Typically assignments are emailed out and you

would have seen that assignment come through your inbox. But if you log in you can also

see the assignment here. And of course you can log out or change your password with

the black icon. (Image 15)

IMAGE 15

UTILIZING Nuventive.Improve©

When entering new information or modifying existing information, it is important to save

your work. Immediately to the right and under the header that shows where you are

working, if you are adding or changing information you will see a button for saving.

(Image 16)

IMAGE 16

Saving Changes

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Click on the arrow next to “Save” to see the saving options. You can “Save and Return”

or you can “Save and Add New.” (Image 17)

IMAGE 17

“Save and Return” saves your work and returns you to the screen you were using.

“Save and Add New” saves your work and opens a new window where you can add

something additional.

The “Return” button returns you to the previous screen. No work is saved when using this

option.

Program Assessment Plan, Course Assessment Plan, and Assessment Results

submenus have a filter that allows you to display information that meets specified criteria.

To set a filter or filters, click on the filter icon .

If a filter is available, a window will display showing you the options for setting a filter in

that specific location. (Image 18) As you select your criteria from the dropdown fields, the

information being displayed is refreshed according to your choices.

Filtering

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IMAGE 18

Filter Settings are on the left side of the filters page. You can choose to view results from

any filter or from all filters. Click on the Clear Filters button to remove any filters you’ve

set.

If no filter is available when you click on the filter icon , a message (Image 19)

will display.

IMAGE 19

There are several areas in Improve where you can copy from one place to another

(Objectives, Assessment Results, Action Steps, Use of Results). As an example, we’ll copy an Objective.

Select the Objective you want to copy and look to the right for the copy icon. (Image 20)

Copying

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IMAGE 20

Click on the Copy icon. The next window is the parameters window. Edit the Objective name to reflect the

name of the new Objective. Then select what needs to be included in the copy. (Image 21)

IMAGE 21

From the list on the bottom left, select the Unit(s) where you want to copy the Objective. If you need to copy the Objective to more than one unit, use the Shift+Click (with the

Shift key pressed, click on the unit names) method to make your selections.

When you have finished selecting where to copy the Objective, click on the right arrow at the top of the box. (It would be very rare, but if you needed to copy to all of the units, press the double right arrow. (Image 22)

IMAGE 22

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The unit(s) will move to the empty list box on the right. If you made a mistake and need to move a unit back, click on the unit on the right and click on the left arrow. As with the

right arrow, if you have multiple items on the right and need to move them all back, click on the double left arrow. (Image 23)

IMAGE 23

Once complete, save your work. If you click on Return, you will be reminded that you have changes that are

unsaved on this page. If you click OK, your changes will not be saved. If you select Cancel, you will be returned

to the last page. (Images 24-25)

IMAGE 24

IMAGE 25

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APPLYING Nuventive.Improve© From the Home page, select the appropriate Operational, Course or Program area. The

following example is taken from Program – Associate of Arts & Teaching. (Image 26)

IMAGE 26

Once selected, a Program Planning Summary and a Course Planning Summary will be

displayed. (Image 27)

IMAGE 27

Summary

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This Summary provides a high-level overview of the number of Outcomes, Assessment

Methods, Assessment Results, Use of Results, and Closing –the-Loop currently present in

the selected program. For example, for the course EDUC2301-INTR TO SPECIAL POPS,

Image 18 above shows four (4) Outcomes, Assessment Methods, Assessment Results, and

Use of Results. There are three Closing-the-Loop.

A red flag indicates that something is missing. Hover your mouse pointer over the red

flag and a message will display indicating what is missing. (Image 28)

IMAGE 28

Select Program from the menu to view the submenus. (Image 29)

IMAGE 29

Program Menu

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Opening the General Information submenu shows the fields for Mission Statement and

Institutional Goals. These must include exact descriptions as defined by North Central

Texas College. This information should only change if there is an official change by the

institution.

The fields Program Purpose Statement and Departmental Purpose Statement are

determined by the program and department for the selected unit. This information should

only change if your program or department administrator provides a new description.

(Image 30)

IMAGE 30

Nuventive Improve users assigned to your unit may only be able to view the assignment

table, or some may be granted permission to create assignments and manage

assignments. Your Institution's Improve Administrator also has the ability to create and

manage assignments.

Each time an assignment is created within the unit, it will display in a summary table

within the Assignments submenu. The Assignments submenu acts as a log for each

assignment that is created within your Unit. From the summary table, you can delete the

assignment (as well as multiple assignments at once) or send a reminder to the

assignees.

To view and interact with the assignment log:

1. Select your Unit from the drop down at the top of the screen

2. Click the Program tab just under Home from the left-hand navigation pane 3. Click the Assignments Submenu

General Information

Assignments

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4. A log of all Assignments created for your Unit will display. You can apply filters to

what you see displayed within the table below by clicking the blue filter icon to at

the top of the left-hand navigation pane 5. You can filter for the status of the assignment by selecting overdue, complete, and

incomplete. You can also apply a filter to see which assignments are open and which are in progress. Click in the ‘show’ field to display the two options. Or you

can filter by assignment due date by using the calendar option 6. From the log below, you can see the status of the assignment, the due date, a

description of the assignment, who it was assigned to, and the date of the last e-

mail sent. 7. You can also delete the assignment using the trash can icon.

8. If the assignment has not yet been completed, you can re-send it by checking the ‘send checked’ box and clicking send at the top right of the screen.

9. If the log has numerous assignments, you can use the search box to find the

assignment easily by typing in key words such as assignee names or assignment status. (Image 31)

IMAGE 31

If the ‘Personnel’ submenu is enabled you will be able to view all users (those with login

credentials as well as e-mail only users) who have been assigned to your Unit.

If you have been given permission, you will be able to assign new Personnel to your Unit.

For example, if new faculty or staff members were hired in your department and they are

responsible for submitting assessment data into Improve either by logging in or through

e-mail assignments, you have the ability to assign those new users to your Unit.

To view and assign new users to your Unit:

1. If you are assigned to multiple Units, select your desired Unit from the drop down at the top of the screen

2. Click the ’Assessment Unit’ tab from the left-hand navigation pane

Personnel

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3. Click ‘Personnel’ sub-tab. You will see a table with all users currently assigned to

that Unit

4. To assign new users, click the green wrench icon on the top right of the table

(Image 32)

IMAGE 32

5. The top field ‘Selected Assessment Unit’ has already been selected for the Unit you

are in 6. Ask the Improve Administrator which role you should select for the new users from

the ‘Selected Role’ drop down 7. You will see all Improve users in the left-hand table and all users assigned to your

Unit in the right-hand table.

8. Search for the new users in the left-hand table by typing the name in the Filter box. Highlight the name and use the single arrow to move the name from the left-hand

table to the right-hand table. 9. When all users have been moved to the right-hand table, click ‘Save and Return’

(Image 33)

IMAGE 33

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Click on Program Planning menu item, then select Program Assessment Plan from the

submenu on the left. (Image 34)

IMAGE 34

The outcomes field for this program will display. (Image 35)

IMAGE 35

Click on the arrow to view outcomes and click on the green plus sign to add outcomes.

(Image 36)

IMAGE 36

Program Assessment Plan

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Click on the arrow next to the outcome to expand the outcome. When the outcome is

expanded, Assessment Methods, Action Steps, Related Goals, and Assignments are

visible. (Image 37)

IMAGE 37

As noted above, clicking on the arrow expands that field. The plus sign is available for

adding components and the wrench icon is available to add Related Goals or Manage

Assignments.

Other icons available include:

If you need to modify an existing entry, select the pencil icon.

If you plan to repeat the same outcome or make adjustments (e.g. change an

attainment percentage) to an Outcome used during past academic years, you can select

this copy option.

Is for deleting

Allows you to reorder the outcomes. Hover your mouse over the icon and the

mouse pointer changes to . When the cursor changes, you can click and drag the

outcome up or down on the list.

Click on the Program Planning menu item, then select Assessment Results from the

submenu on the left. (Image 38)

Assessment Results

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IMAGE 38

When the outcomes are displayed, the number of results that have been entered will show

immediately to the left of the description of the outcome. (Image 39)

IMAGE 39

Click on the arrow next to the outcome that will have an Assessment Result Added. Once

expanded, click on the green plus sign to add an Assessment Result. (Image 40)

IMAGE 40

Adding an Assessment Result

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IMAGE 41

All four of the fields are required. (Image 41)

Assessment Results Date always populates with the date the assessment results were

entered.

Assessment Results is where the data analysis for the assessment results is entered.

Reporting Year is a dropdown from which you select the year that these results are based

on.

The Results Status is also a dropdown. Select either Criteria Met or Criteria Not Met.

Save the changes.

Select your program from the drop-down list at the top of the page. Select Program

Planning and then Program Assessment Plan. (Image 42) Click on the arrow to the left of

Outcomes to view any Outcomes that have already been entered. (Image 43) This is

where you enter the desired Outcomes for the selected unit.

IMAGE 42

Adding a Program Outcome

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IMAGE 43

If you believe that other Outcomes were previously entered, but they are not displayed,

check for possible filtering. Also, if you want to display only the current assessment

period Outcomes choose filtering options.

Click on the to add an outcome. Each Outcome includes the following information:

Outcome Name

Outcome

Outcome Status

Assessment Plan Year(s)

Start Date

Inactive Date

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The question mark icon provides expanded help for the field.

Select the copy icon for the Outcome you want to duplicate or adjust.

Each Outcome requires an Assessment Method. Go to the list of Outcomes and click on

the arrow to view Outcomes. Then select the arrow next to the Outcome you wish to

expand. (Image 44)

IMAGE 44

The expanded Outcome displays Assessment Methods, Action Steps, Related Goals, and

Assignments. Click on the to add an Assessment Method. (Image 45)

IMAGE 45

Adding an Assessment Method

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Fields in the Assessment Methods are:

Active

Assessment Category

Assessment Method

Criterion

Assessment Schedule

For each Assessment Method entered, there must also be one or more Action Steps.

What steps will be taken to enable reaching the desired Assessment Results? For

example:

Adding an Action Step

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Expand Outcomes by clicking on the arrow. Expand the selected outcome by clicking on

the arrow. Click the to add an Action Step. (Image 46)

IMAGE 46

Action Steps Year: Type the academic year that these steps will be taken. The years must

be in four (4) digit format (e.g. 2017-2018; not 2017-18).

Action Steps: Type the steps that will be taken to achieve the desired student learning

outcome.

Budget Justification: Type the budgetary requirements needed to accomplish the

objective (e.g. supplies, equipment, personnel, operational cost, etc.).

Budget Amount: Type the dollar amount needed for the “Budget Justification.”

Save the changes.

Click on the green wrench to the right of Related Goals. (Image 47)

Adding a Related Goal

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IMAGE 47

Place a check mark under the objective and to the right of the appropriate goal. (Image

48)

IMAGE 48

Save your work, or click on Return to cancel changes. (Image 49)

IMAGE 49

If you have made changes and click on Return, a prompt will display confirming what you

want to do with those changes. (Image 50)

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IMAGE 50

Select the unit and expand the objective you wish to assign. Click on the green wrench to

the right of Assignment. (Image 51)

IMAGE 51

When the Assignment window displays, some fields will automatically populate, based on

what is in your objective. The only field that is required from here is the ‘Assign To’ field.

This is a dropdown listing the names of users with access to this unit. (Image 52)

Adding Assignments

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IMAGE 52

The Due Date, Subject, and Notes/Instructions can be modified as appropriate. This

assignment can be repeated once, monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. You

can determine what the assignee should provide (Related Document, Assessment Results

and Use of Results; Related Document and Assessment Results). You can also select the

location for any documents added (Assignee(s) may choose Repository Folder, General).

If you wish to email the assignee this assignment, click the check box next to E-mail

Assignment to Assignee(s). To send a CC to the Person Assigning, click that check box.

Save your work, or click on Return to cancel changes. (Image 53)

IMAGE 53

If you have made changes and click on Return, a prompt will display confirming that you

want to leave this page without saving those changes. (Image 54)

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IMAGE 54

Each Assessment Method requires that an Assessment Result be added. With your unit

selected, select the Program Planning menu and the Assessment Results submenu.

(Image 55)

Image 55

If Assessment Results have been previously entered, the quantity entered will display at

the beginning of each outcome. (Image 56)

IMAGE 56

Adding Assessment Results

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After selecting the unit, and clicking on the Assessment Results submenu, expand the

objective that needs an Assessment Result. Click the green plus sign to the right of the

Assessment Method for which you will enter results. (Image 57)

IMAGE 57

The Assessment Results Date always populates with the date Assessment Results were

entered.

In the Assessment Results field please provide the data analysis for your assessment

results.

Reporting Year is the academic year that your results represent. This is a dropdown list.

Results Status is a dropdown. Please select Criterion Met or Not Met.

With Assessment Results entered, you may then add Use of Results. At the bottom of the

window where Assessment Results were entered, click the green plus sign to the right of

Use of Results. (Image 58)

IMAGE 58

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Use of Results Date should be the date that you are entering your use of results. This

should be after a meeting with your area to discuss the results and any changes that were

proposed.

Use of Results is where you write how you used the results to improve effectiveness.

What was determned to be a future action step. (Modifications, Improvements,

Accomplishments).

Documents can be added to Improve and can be related to Objectives. Keep your data

documentation or assessment instruments in this location. Please do not upload anything

with student grades or identifiers. From the menu on the left, select Documents, and

then Document Repository. (Image 59)

IMAGE 59

To expose the contents of a folder in the repository, click the arrow to the left of the

folder. If there are files in the folder, you can click and drag one of the files and drop it in

the Related Documents area on the right side of the page. You can also un-relate a

document by hovering over its name, clicking on the arrow that appears to the right, and

choosing Un-relate this document. (Image 60)

IMAGE 60

Adding Documents to the Document Repository

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This Related Documents page saves automatically. You can return to the previous page

by clicking the Complete button in the upper right corner of the page. (Image 61)

IMAGE 61

Hover your mouse over any existing folder to show the down arrow. Click on that arrow

and select the Add Folder item. (Image 56)

IMAGE 62

The next window allows you to enter a name for the folder and either Save or Cancel.

(Image 63)

IMAGE 63

Adding Folders to the Document Repository

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Select the Mapping tab and then Outcomes Mapping. (Image 64)

IMAGE 64

On the left side of the window the standards are visible (Image 65). You can choose from

either SACSCOC Comprehensive Standards as shown in Image 66 or Vision 20/20 2015-

2020 Strategic Plan as shown in Image 67. Click on the dropdown to make your selection.

IMAGE 65

Outcomes Mapping

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IMAGE 66 IMAGE 677

Once Standards have been selected, the Outcomes for the Program will show across the

top of the table. Click in the Outcome cell to the right of the standard to be mapped. A

checkmark will appear in the cell. To remove the checkmark, simply click in the cell

again. (Image 68)

Image 68

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Select the Mapping tab and then Student Learning Outcomes Mapping to Outcomes.

(Image 69)

IMAGE 69

In this mapping section, the Student Learning Outcomes of the Course selected in the

current Program will be listed horizontally across the top of the form. If there is more than

one Course available for mapping, you can change the Course being shown from the drop-

down at the top of the second column.

Items to be mapped to will be in the first column along the left. If there is more than one

set of items available for mapping, you can change the Unit being shown from the drop-

down at the top of the first column.

You can click anywhere on the grid to place a checkmark in the boxes to map Student

Learning Outcomes to Outcomes and/or Goals. If there are too many items to display on

the screen at once, a horizontal and/or vertical scroll bar will appear. (Image 70)

Student Learning Outcomes Mapping to Outcomes

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IMAGE 70

Select the Mapping tab and then Curriculum Mapping. (Image 71)

IMAGE 71

In this mapping section, the Courses of the Program will be listed horizontally across the

top of the form. Outcomes to be mapped to will be in the first column along the left.

Curriculum Mapping

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You can click anywhere on the grid to place a checkmark in the boxes to map the Courses

to Outcomes. If the advanced form of Curriculum Mapping has been configured, additional

options represented by numbers, letters, or other characters will appear within the box

selected. They will appear gray at first, but when clicked turn black to indicate they are

selected. You may choose multiple options by clicking additional characters and may de-

select an option by clicking it again to make it appear gray. A legend of these additional

choices will appear above to the right of the Courses header.

If there are too many items to display on the screen at once, a horizontal and/or vertical

scroll bar will appear. (Image 72)

IMAGE 72

Improve provides both Standard Reports and Ad Hoc Reports. Select the Reports menu

item and then select the type of report you wish to generate. (Image 73)

IMAGE 73

Reports

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There are three categories of Standard Reports: (Image 74)

IMAGE 74

Program Reports

o Assessment: Program Four Column – This report shows the Outcomes for

each selected Program, along with any Assessment Methods, Assessment

Results, and Use of Results for each Outcome. The report is displayed in a

four column layout. In addition, any reportable fields from the General

Information page display at the top of the report.

Course Reports

o Assessment: Course Four Column – This report shows the Student Learning

Outcomes for the selected courses, along with any Assessment Methods,

Assessment Results, and Use of Results for each Student Learning Outcome.

This report is displayed in a four column layout. In addition, any reportable

fields from the General Information page display at the top of the report.

Mapping

o Mapping: Curriculum Mapping – This report shows the Outcomes of the

Program and how each selected Course is related to each Outcome using

Curriculum Mapping. This report can only be run for one Program at a time.

o Mapping: Curriculum Mapping Excel -- This report shows the Outcomes of the

Program and how each selected Course is related to each Outcome using

Curriculum Mapping.

Standard Reports

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Select the type of report you wish to run and fill out the fields you want to report on. If

you wish to see the report on screen, click on Open Report. If you wish to download the

file as a Zip file or save the file to the document repository, select that choice from the

dropdown of the Open Report button. If you do not wish to view or save the report, click

on Return. (Image 75)

IMAGE 75

To create an Ad Hoc report, click on Reports and then Ad Hoc Reports to see a screen

similar to the image below. If previous Ad Hoc reports have been generated and saved,

they should display on this screen. (Image 76)

Image 76

Click on the green plus sign to create a new Ad Hoc report. Images 57-60 show the

information on the report creation page.

Begin with selecting the format and layout for your report by selecting your choices from

the dropdown menus. The format can be either PDF, HTML, Word, or Excel. The layout

can be either Landscape or Portrait.

Enter a title for the report. An optional subtitle and/or description can also be entered.

(Image 77)

Ad Hoc Reports

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IMAGE 77

On the left side of the page, under the report information is a list of fields available for the

report. Select the fields for the report by clicking on the field name (Image 78) and

dragging it to the appropriate area on the right (Image 79). Image 80 provides the

capability of being more specific in the report requirements by noting requirements of the

selected fields.

IMAGE 78

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IMAGE 79

IMAGE 80

As with Standard Reports, once your Ad Hoc report is configured and ready to be

generated, there are options. If you wish to see the report on screen, click on Open

Report. If you wish to download the file as a Zip file or save the file to the document

repository, select that choice from the dropdown of the Open Report button. If you do not

wish to view or save the report, click on Return. (Image 81)

IMAGE 81