CYCLES: What Every WEAVEonline Administrator

Should Know

Kristin Rice

Director of Member Support & Development Management

During this session:Terminology– Data Elements– ID Numbers– Lifespans– Enhanced Cycle Functionality

New Cycle Creation– What happens in Admin Tools– What happens in Assessment

Orphan Tools and the Lifespan ManagerCommon Pitfalls

Terminology: Data Element

We use the phrase ‘data element’ to refer to:– Mission/Purpose Statements– Goals– Outcomes/Objectives– Measures– Achievement Targets– Action Plans, etc.

Terminology: ID NumbersID Numbers are visible to WEAVEonline

Administrators via a rollover for:– Entities– Goals – Outcomes/Objectives– Measures– Targets

ID Numbers are uniqueID Numbers are the same for a data element’s entire lifespan

Terminology: LifespansLifespans control in which cycles a

data element is active using:– Established in Cycle– Active Through Cycle

Lifespans control if a data element will be copied into a new cycle

• Select the last cycle in which that Data Element should be Active OR

• Select ‘Keep Active’ if this Data Element should be copied into new cycles

Terminology : LifespansLifespans are like taffy:

A B C

It is the same piece of taffy, same ID#, and should be the same general idea/theme within the data element

Lifespans: Admin Tools Entities

General Education/Core CurriculumInstitutional PrioritiesStrategic PlansStandards & Standards SetsAnalysis QuestionsAnnual Report SectionsLocal News (Start/End dates, not effected by cycles)

Lifespans: AssessmentMission

GoalsOutcomes/ObjectivesMeasuresTargetsFindings (single cycle lifespan)

Action PlansDocuments

Lifespan: Example 1I have three cycles:

If I create an Outcome/Objective that was Established in ‘A’ and is set to ‘Keep Active’

This Outcome/Objective will exist in:

When a new cycle is created, it will automatically be copied from the most recent cycle (C) into a newly created cycle (D)

This Outcome/Objective will have the same ID number in all cycles

Lifespan: Example 2I have three cycles:

I need to create an Entity that was established in the prior cycle (B), will be in the current cycle (C), and will be in future cycles:

Once saved, this Entity will now exist in*:

When a new cycle is created, it will automatically be copied from the most recent cycle (C) into a newly created cycle (D)

This Entity will have the same ID number in all cycles

Terminology: Enhanced Cycle Functionality

Edits made in one cycle are NOT automatically reflected in other existing cycles Small changes, edits, tweaks are therefore accurate to the cycle in which they were madeThis preserves the data so that the wording/naming is accurately reflected in each cycleThe Cycle Text Viewer can be used to review wording in all cycles

Enhanced Cycle Functionality: Example

Copy Edits ForwardOn the Assessment Tab: If you edit a Data Element in one cycle and you want this identical change made in other subsequent editable cycles you can use the Copy Edits Forward functionality

Admin Tools: This feature does not exist in Admin Tools

Enhanced Cycle Functionality: Admin Tools

Entities*General Education/Core Curriculum*Institutional Priorities*Strategic Plans*Standards*Analysis Questions*Annual Report Sections*

* Enhanced Cycle Functionality

Enhanced Cycle Functionality: Assessment

Mission*Goals*Outcomes/Objectives*Measures*Targets*FindingsAction Plans*Documents * Enhanced Cycle

Functionality

Creating a New CycleBefore creating a new cycle – Review & Plan!A new cycle:– Cannot be deleted– Start/End Dates must not overlap– The Cycle Display is what users will see– Cycles cannot be rearranged chronologically– New cycles cannot precede existing cycles

chronologically

Creating a New CycleClick on Add New Cycle

Enter Details

Press ‘Save’

CyclesWEAVEonline Administrators choose which cycle should be the ‘current’ cycle for their institution

What Happens when a New Cycle is Created?

New Cycle: Admin ToolsEntities:

– All existing entities that have their lifespan set to ‘Keep Active’ will be stretched from the most recent cycle into the new cycle

– If an entity is added to an earlier cycle and is set to ‘Keep Active’ it will automatically populate into all existing cycles

– After the cycle is added, edits made to an entity in any cycle are NOT made to that entity in any other cycle (Enhanced Cycle Functionality)

New Cycle: Admin ToolsEntities:

– Cycles are meant to be added when needed– If you have several future cycles and an

entity’s name is edited in the current cycle, this change will need to be made in every future cycle

– If an entity’s placement in the tree changes in the current cycle, you may drag/drop or cut/paste this entity to its new position, this change will need to be made in every future cycle

– Use the cycle text viewer to view the ID#, name, and parent for the entity in all cycles.

New Cycle: Admin ToolsEntity Tree Editing Tip

– If you will be making large scale/restructuring changes to your entity tree:1. Print the entity tree for each existing cycle2. Mark editing/placement changes on the

printout3. Make edits to entity names in all

appropriate cycles within the application4. Re-parent all child entities prior to ending

the lifespan of a parent entity5. Move entities into correct placement in

tree

New Cycle: Admin Tools

– Each data element in these areas have a lifespan– These areas have Enhanced Cycle Functionality– Edits made in one cycle STAY in that cycle– Use the magnifying glass to see the wording over all

existing cycles– When a new cycle is created, all data elements that were

set to ‘Keep Active’ will be stretched into the new cycle– When editing a data element, the edit stays in the cycle

where the edit was made – Use the Cycle Text Viewer to see the wording in

different cycles

New Cycle: Assessment

– All data elements that are set to ‘Keep Active’ are copied from the most recent cycle into the new cycle

– If a data element is added to an older cycle and is set to ‘Keep Active’ it will automatically populate into all of the cycles in its lifespan

– From this point forward, edits made to a data element in one cycle are NOT automatically made to that data element in any other cycle (Enhanced Cycle Functionality)

New Cycle: AssessmentMission/Purpose

– An entity can only have one Mission/Purpose per cycle– You may edit an existing mission or choose to alter its

lifespan

Targets– Can only have one per cycle per Measure/Objective pair– You may edit or choose to alter its lifespan– If you wish to see Findings from prior years (trend data)

then you would choose to edit as opposed to altering the lifespan

Findings– You must have a Target before you can enter a Finding– Can only have one Finding per Measure/Objective pair– Findings exist in only one cycle

New Cycle: AssessmentWhen a new cycle is created, the following are

automatically copied into that new cycle:– Numbering for Goals, Outcomes/Objectives and

Measures– Associations of Outcomes/Objectives with General

Education/Core Curriculum elements, Strategic Plans, Institutional Priorities, and Standards

– Relationships for Outcomes/Objectives, Measures and Goals

– Relationships between a Measure/Objective pair and its Achievement Targets and Action Plans

– Connections with Documents

New Cycle: AssessmentIf a user is working ‘out of sequence’ (not in

the most recent/newest cycle) and makes a change to:– Associations (ASSOCIATIONS between and Outcome/Objective

and Goals, Standards, Strategic Plans, General Education/Core Curriculum, Institutional Priorities and RELATIONSHIPS between Measure-Outcome/Objective pairs and Targets and Action Plans)

– Connections (Documents)

Those changes can be brought forward into a cycle using:

New Cycle: Example 1Cycle C is createdIn the prior cycle (B) a user adds a document that is set to ‘Keep Active’ and connects that document to an existing O/O that is also set to ‘Keep Active’The document and the O/O have lifespans and therefore exists in cycles B and CBut, the connections between the document and the O/O only exist in the prior cycle (B)The document ( ) can be copied into the new cycle by navigating to cycle C and clicking on:

New Cycle: Example 1Associations, Relationships & Connections are added using check boxes – Associations of Outcomes/Objectives with General

Education/Core Curriculum elements, Strategic Plans, Institutional Priorities, and Standards

– Relationships for Outcomes/Objectives, Measures and Goals

– Relationships between a Measure/Objective pair and its Achievement Targets and Action Plans

– Connections with Documents

These check box choices get copied into NEW cycles automaticallyBut if a user is working out of sequence, these need to be PULLED forward using

New Cycle: AssessmentIf a user is working ‘out of sequence’ (not in the

most recent/newest cycle) and makes a change to:– Data Elements (Mission, Goals, Outcomes/Objectives, Measures,

Achievement Targets, and Action Plans)

These changes can be pushed forward into other subsequent editable cycles using ‘Copy Edits Forward’

Lifespan ManagerThe purpose of the Lifespan Manager is to allow WEAVEonline Administrators the ability to review lifespan data and relationships within entities The Lifespan Manager is accessed through three different paths:– Via Admin Tools> Orphan Tools> Orphan Index– Via Admin Tools> Orphan Tools> Lifespan Manager– Via Assessment Pages > Lifespan Manager button

This tool is currently just for WEAVEonline AdministratorsWEAVEonline Administrators can use this tool to align data, fix orphans, and view text in multiple cycles

Lifespan ManagerExample of aligned data

Please view the Orphan Tools Webinar (Online Learning Community) and/or the Orphan Tools Tutorial (Help > FAQs and Other Info) for more details.

Lifespan ManagerUse the Lifespan Manager to review wording in all cycles

The Cycle Text Viewer can also be utilized

Common PitfallsPitfall Example# 1: Changing the Theme/Meaning/Idea of a Data Element that exists in multiple cycles• Editing the wording of an existing

data element (ex. O/O) into a completely different idea so that it no longer resembles what existed in prior cycles • Then editing the lifespan

Pitfall Example #1

Original O/O

Changing the Theme of a Data Element

Pitfall Example #1 (continued)Changing the Lifespan :

– Removes this data element from 2008-2009– Removes all records of the original wording of this

Outcome/Objective

If you were to extend the lifespan back to 2008-2009, all wording would be copied from 2009-2010

Pitfall #1 SynopsisIn this scenario:– A Data Element had one underlying ID

number, but after editing had more than one theme/concept

– This can then lead to users making further and more drastic changes such as changing the data element’s Lifespan

– The consequences can be:• Loss of wording specific to a cycle(s)• Creation of Orphaned Relationships, Targets

and Findings (see next example)

Common Pitfalls

Example 2: Changing the Lifespan/Orphaning Data

Editing the ‘Established in Cycle’ or ‘Active through Cycle’ dates without regard to data that exists in those cycles and thereby creating orphans

Pitfall Example #2

Original Data

Pitfall Example #2Original Data in the lifespan manager

Pitfall Example #2 (continued)

Original Data Schematically

Pitfall Example #2 (continued)

If the lifespan of the Objective is altered

Pitfall Example #2 (continued)

Original Data in the lifespan manager

Pitfall Example #2 (continued)

If the lifespan of the Objective is altered

Pitfall Example #2 (continued)If the lifespan of the Measure is

altered

Pitfall Example #2 (continued)If the M/O Relationship is removed

Pitfall Example #2 (continued)

If the M/O Relationship is removed

Pitfall Example #2 (continued)

If the lifespan of the Target is altered

Pitfall #2 SynopsisAnytime the lifespan of an Objective, Measure, or Target is altered, there is a potential to orphan dataAnytime a relationship between a Measure-Outcome/Objective pair is removed, there is a potential to orphan dataA warning exists in the application as well as in the ‘Adding/Editing Data in a New Cycle’ document

Pitfall #2 SynopsisDespite warnings…. users still change the ‘Established in Dates’ of data elements

It is hoped that WOAs will be able to choose to either show/hide the Established in Date to their users via a setting

Pitfall #2 SynopsisTo prevent orphans, users should work in the following order:1. Remove un-needed Findings2. Alter the lifespan of Targets3. Remove M--O/O relationships4. Alter lifespans of Measures 5. Alter lifespans of Objectives

The following warning exists in the ‘Adding/Editing Data in a New Cycle’ documentNOTE: Do not change the ‘Established in Cycle’ without first

reviewing related data that may be affected. Please ask your WEAVEonline Administrator if you have questions.

WEAVEonline Administrators can find and fix orphans via Orphan Tools

For More Information:Help > FAQs and Other Info > Cycle PrimerHelp > Getting Started > Adding & Editing in a New CycleHelp > FAQs and Other Info > Orphan TutorialOrphan Tools WebinarEncore Training - EVERY MONTH (2nd Friday)

Contact Supportsupport@weaveonline.com or 1-877-219-7353