2.7 Outcomes scope

Purpose

This document aims to describe the enhancements to the Moodle outcomes system that will be done as part of Moodle 2.7. This is not a description of the outcome system. It is a description of the gap between the documents and the current code.

Sources

The items listed below have come from two sources:

1. Items that exist in the 2.6 specification (https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Outcomes_Specification) and related documents but which do not exist in the code. The specification has been compared against the code at https://github.com/andyjdavis/moodle/commits/MDL-40230_outcomes.
2. Feedback received on MDL-40230.

Items By User Type

Admin

https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Outcomes_Administrator_Use_Cases

https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Outcomes_Administrator_Specification

Import Outcome Set

1. Academic Benchmark (What is this?)
2. ASN (ie http://asn.jesandco.org/resources/ASNJurisdiction/AK. This appears to be done)
3. General Moodle Format (Is this the XML format that we export?)
4. CSV (Described in the spec https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Outcomes_Administrator_Specification#CSV_File_Upload but does not appear to exist in the code)

There is XML import described in the spec which does not appear to exist in the code. https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Outcomes_Administrator_Specification#XML_File_Upload

Export Outcome Set

User can export as XML. Is this "General Moodle Format"? Do we want to support any other formats?

Administrator Mapping Outcomes to a Course

Done. You map outcome sets to the course on the course settings page. There is a page at course administration > Outcomes which you use to access information about the mapping of outcomes within the course. Should the mapping of outcome sets to the course be done there too?

Administrator Manually Entering and Editing Outcomes

Exists and works

Administrator Deleting Outcomes (Soft Delete)

Deleted outcomes still exist in the database. However, I don't think this is entirely done. Deleting an individual outcome causes it to disappear from the UI everywhere including currently mapped activity settings and the Activity and performance page.

Administrator wants to import K-12 State Standards and Associate with the appropriate courses

https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Outcomes_Administrator_Use_Cases#Administrator_wants_to_import_K-12_State_Standards_and_Associate_with_the_appropriate_courses Is this the purpose of the subject and year drop downs when the user is mapping an outcome set to a course?

Administrator wants to include a new version of a K-12 State Standards Package

Does not appear to exist.

Administrator configures criteria for how a student is marked as having achieved competence on an outcome

Does not appear to exist. This may have been decided against. https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Outcomes_Administrator_Specification#Achievement_Configuration

Administrator Generates Report to Show that Courses Cover All Required Outcomes

There is a coverage report for a single course. There is no report that allows the user to select an outcome set and see its coverage across courses. Links are shown in the spec but don't exist in the code.

https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Outcomes_Administrator_Specification#Outcomes_Administration_Screen

https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Outcomes_Administrator_Specification#Coverage_Report_.28Administrator.29

Administrator Generates Report to Show the Performance of Various Courses Against Outcomes

An Activity and performance report exists for a single course. There is no report that allows the user to select an outcome set and see student performance across courses. Links are shown in the spec but don't exist in the code.

https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Outcomes_Administrator_Specification#Outcomes_Administration_Screen

https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Outcomes_Administrator_Specification#Performance_Report_.28Administrator.29

Teacher

https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Outcomes_Instructor_Use_Cases

https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Outcomes_Instructor_Specification

Instructor Browses Available Outcomes and Maps Course to Appropriate Outcomes

The user can select outcomes on both the activity setting page and on the rubric. The two sets of outcomes do not appear to be related.

The rubric could be limited to the outcomes in the activity settings however a rubric can be used on multiple assignments. Perhaps the outcomes section of the activity settings should be disabled as soon as "rubric" is selected.

Instructor Maps Quiz Questions Against Standards

The user can associate outcomes with either a quiz or individual questions. Should there be a relationship between the outcomes associated with the quiz and the questions? Should the outcomes for a quiz simply be the aggregate of the outcomes for the individual questions?

Instructor Uses Other Advanced Grading Methods With Outcomes

"The frameworks should make it possible for Advanced Grading should allow outcomes to flow through, if the developer for that advanced grading chooses to implement it."

Does this exist?

Instructor is Required to Show Student Performance Against Outcomes

https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Outcomes_Instructor_Use_Cases#Instructor_is_Required_to_Show_Student_Performance_Against_Outcomes

This does not exist as described. Currently there is the "Activity and performance" report which allows the user to view performance for all outcomes by group. They can use the "Completion marking" page to view an individual student's performance against all outcomes. There does not seem to be anywhere where you can view the performance of all students against a single outcome.

K-12 Instructor in U.S. has to Provide Data of Student Performance Against State Standards

All of the outcomes pages allow exporting of the displayed table. This is presumably adequate but confirmation of this would be great.

Backup / Restore Common Cartridge with Outcome ID

https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Outcomes_Instructor_Use_Cases#Backup_.2F_Restore_Common_Cartridge_with_Outcome_ID

Does this exist?

K-12 Instructor wants to use Moodle Sections as a Lesson Plan (Optional)

https://docs.moodle.org/dev/Outcomes_Instructor_Use_Cases#K-12_Instructor_wants_to_use_Moodle_Sections_as_a_Lesson_Plan_.28Optional.29

This does not currently exist. A page showing the used outcomes grouped by course section could be handy.