CLOSO Build K402/K309 Release Note

What is new for the Instructor?

  1. Course information page is now simpler. The instructor does not have to enter the number of students and assessments for a course. CLOSO picks them up from the Students and Assessment Design pages.
  2. Course selection dropdown list can now be sorted by course name or course number.
  3. Students page has been significantly improved. Lists of students’ IDs and names can be copied from EXCEL, Word or any other application. It is now simpler and easier.
  4. Score Distribution page has been improved. Various types of assessments and their weights can be specified. The user can modify any of the assessment types by clicking and typing in. An explanation has been provided on the page about why the assessment types and weights are required.
  5. Assessment Design page has a new layout with improved functionality and user experience.

What is new for CLOSO Administrator?

  1. Program Type page now has options to choose Engineering Technology (ABET-ETAC) associate and baccalaureate programs. This is in addition to ABET-EAC, ABET-CAC, ABET-ANSAC, Business/Management program options. There is also a “Custom” option for the user to specify a program other than any of the listed programs.
  2. Outcomes page now has a new option that will allow an instructor to specify SOs other than what are specified in the CLO-SO map of the course for a “Question Set”. The administrator has the ability to turn this option on or off.
  3. Satisfaction Criterion page now has an explanation of “Program Satisfaction Criterion”.
  4. Import Options page has been renamed to Cloud Options. It allows the CLOSO administrator to specify the URL for cloud storage of the syllabus and customization data files. It also has the option to force automatic update of the syllabus and customization data files to keep them up to date on the instructor’s computer.
  5. CLOSO administrator of the department can upload the syllabus and customization data files directly to the cloud storage from within CLOSO without opening the browser.

CLOSO Build J428-17:30 Release Note

What is new for the Instructor?

  1. CLO-SO map display has been changed to a grid of checkboxes. Easier and more meaningful.
  2. An explanation of the CLO-SO map has been added to the instructor’s panel that shows up when the mouse is moved to the CLO-SO map.
  3. Final grade window did not open for total of all assessment marks being less than 100. Now the user can open the final grade window even with total being less than 100. An option has been added to show the marks/score or percentages.
  4. Several windows now display the SOs and CLOs as the mouse is moved to some control that needs the display.
  5. Marks/Score input window shows the SOs and CLOs as tool tip.
  6. In assessment design window, if the user leaves some input and tries to close, the window now will close without any warning. The data cells in the CLO column with “Click to select” will be interpreted as “Non-CLO”.
  7. While preparing a new course file, the instructor’s name can be entered without going to “Instructor Information” window. The user can enter the name and select a course in the main window and save to create a work space.

What is new for CLOSO Administrator?

  1. CLO-SO map display has been changed to a grid of checkboxes. Easier and more meaningful.
  2. An explanation of the CLO-SO map has been added to the instructor’s panel that shows up when the mouse is moved to the CLO-SO map.
  3. Final grade window did not open for total of all assessment marks being less than 100. Now the user can open the final grade window even with total being less than 100. An option has been added to show the marks/score or percentages.
  4. Several windows now display the SOs and CLOs as the mouse is moved to some control that needs the display.
  5. Marks/Score input window shows the SOs and CLOs as tool tip.
  6. In assessment design window, if the user leaves some input and tries to close, the window now will close without any warning. The data cells in the CLO column with “Click to select” will be interpreted as “Non-CLO”.
  7. While preparing a new course file, the instructor’s name can be entered without going to “Instructor Information” window. The user can enter the name and select a course in the main window and save to create a work space.

CLOSO Build J315-5 Release Note

What is new for the instructor?

  1. The license authorization is much easier than before. No license file is required. In the main window of CLOSO, click the “Instructor’s License” icon while connected to the internet. CLOSO will prompt for user login ID. License will be activated automatically based on the license information for the department in our cloud storage.
  2. To import the syllabus and customization files for the first-time use, the instructor simply needs to click “Import Syllabus Data” and “Import Customization Data”. Unlike previous version where fully qualified URL was required for the import, the new feature automatically downloads it from the cloud storage. However, to be able to use this feature, the department’s CLOSO administrator has to upload the CLOSO.SYL and CLOSO.CUS files to the cloud storage provided by smart-accredit.com. The instructions for the CLOSO administrator for uploading the files to smart-accredit.com cloud is given later in this document.
  3. Modification of the syllabus by the instructor is much easier now. The interface has been improved. A new option has also been introduced where the instructor can import the syllabus of a course from a text file by clicking the “Import Text File” button on the Syllabus page of CLOSO.
  4. The list of courses in the dropdown menu of the “Syllabus” page is displayed sorted by course numbers making the lookup much easier.
  5. Assessment Design Window is improved. The option of “Based on CLO-SO map” has been removed. A dominant SO for a QS (Question Set) can now be selected from a list of SOs relevant to the selected CLO for the QS. Also, a button to replicate the previous row is provided to save instructor’s time.
  6. Final Grade display is improved. Unsort option has been activated. When the final grades are scaled, they are distributed to all assessments and reflected automatically as curved up grades.

What is new for CLOSO Administrator?

  1. Now, the syllabus and customization data are stored in our cloud storage. This was necessary to make any modifications to the syllabus available to all instructors and to ensure that all instructors use the same syllabus data. Smart-accredit provides free storage for these data files. Each CLOSO administrator is given a login ID and password to enable uploading the CLOSO.SYL and CLOSO.CUS files to the smart-accredit cloud. The CLOSO administrator of the department may choose to store the files on a server/cloud of their own choice and don’t have to necessarily use smart-accredit’s cloud. The user may contact support@smart-accredit.com for any assistance.
  2. CLOSO administrator can now open the browser page to upload the SYL and CUS files by clicking a button from the Admin Panel window.
  3. Reports can be generated about Loop Closing, Students’ Count, Course Web Pages, Faculty Accessibility and Faculty Hours.

CLOSO Build J310-1 Release Note

What is new for the instructor?

  1. The license authorization is much easier than before. No license file is required. In the main window of CLOSO, click the “Instructor’s License” icon. CLOSO will prompt for user login ID. Enter it and the instructor’s license will be activated.
  2. When importing the syllabus and customization files for the first time, user only needs to click “Import Syllabus Data” and “Import Customization Data” rather than providing full URL as was the case in previous versions. However, the CLOSO administrator must have uploaded the CLOSO.SYL and CLOSO.CUS files to the cloud. The instructions for the CLOSO administrator for uploading the files to smart-accredit.com cloud is given later in this document.
  3. Modification of the syllabus by the instructor is much easier now. The interface has been improved. Also, there is a new option. The instructor can import the syllabus of a course from a text file by clicking the “Import Text File” button on the Syllabus page of CLOSO.
  4. Now the list of courses in the dropdown menu appears sorted by course numbers.
  5. Assessment Design Window is improved. The option of “Based on CLO-SO map” has been removed. A dominant SO for a QS (Question Set) can now be selected from a list of SOs relevant to the selected CLO for the QS. Also, a button to replicate the previous row is provided to save instructor’s time.
  6. Final Grade display is improved. Unsort option has been activated. When the final grades are scaled, they are distributed to all assessments and reflected automatically as curved up grades.

What is new for CLOSO Administrator?

  1. Now, the syllabus and customization data are stored in the cloud. This was necessary to make any modifications to the syllabus available to all instructors and to ensure that all instructors use the same syllabus data. Smart-accredit provides free storage for these data files. Each CLOSO administrator is given a login ID and password to enable uploading the CLOSO.SYL and CLOSO.CUS files to the smart-accredit cloud. The user may choose to store the files on a server other than smart-accredit’s cloud. The user may contact support@smart-accredit.com for any assistance.
  2. CLOSO administrator can now open the browser page to upload the SYL and CUS files by clicking a button from the Admin Panel window.
  3. Reports can be generated about Loop Closing, Students’ Count, Course Web Pages, Faculty Accessibility and Faculty Hours.

CLOSO Build I323-1 Release Note

Instruction Panel Enhancements

  1. Automatic Distribution of Final Grade Scaling:
    Now it is easier for the instructor to curve-up the final grade. CLOSO automatically distributes the differences in the earned scores due to curving of the final grade to the individual assessments.
  2. Improved Save File Button Performance:
    Now, the save file button of instructor panel, saves the data modified by the user in the currently open window without closing the window so the user can continue data input.
  3. Improved Assessment Design:
    Now, the Assessment Design window has a better look with easier data input and save options.
  4. Improved Scores Input:
    Scores input window has improved performance and is more convenient to the user.
  5. 5)Improved Final Grade Processing:
    a) The Final Grade window is much more improved. It will now prompt the user to complete the assessment score input if the total contribution of all assessments is less than 100.
    b) Manual editing of the final grade is easier now with instantaneous display of the effect of modified grades on the grade distribution curve.
    c) The user now can choose number of decimal places for the display of final scores. d) Now, the user can sort the final grades just by clicking the column headers.
    e) Now, CLOSO displays the grade distribution of original, previously curved and currently curved scores.
  6. Improved CLO Satisfaction Display:
    CLO attainment table display now highlights the CLO when it goes below the PSC (Program Satisfaction Criterion). It also displays “Simple Averages” along with the “Weighted Averages”.
  7. Improved SO attainment Window:
    SO attainment table display is also improved. It highlights the SO satisfaction when it goes below the PSC (Program Satisfaction Criterion).

Admin Panel Enhancements

  1. New ABET Accreditation Criteria:
    ABET has approved the new criteria for Engineering (EAC) and Computing(CAC). These will be applicable starting from the 2019-20 cycle. CLOSO has incorporated the new criteria while keeping the old ones. CLOSO administrator may choose any of the old or new criteria.
  2. Copy Course Option:
    Course List window has an additional feature that can be used by clicking “Copy Course” button. It allows the CLOSO administrator to copy a course and then modify it and assign a different course number or name. It is useful when changes are made to the curriculum with new numbering of the modified courses.
  3. Enhanced Export:
    The “Export” button of Course Details window, opens another window. It has options to preview and print Appendix A of ABET SSR as well as export to EXCEL using various filters. The bugs have been fixed and the output has been improved.
  4. Course-SO Map:
    The Course-SO Map of Admin Panel exports the map to EXCEL for the SSR. It had an error in the totals. It has been fixed.
  5. Course Files Queries:
    The Course Files window of the Admin Panel now has a set of queries that the user can make based on a set of CLOSO course files and then export to EXCEL for inclusion in the ABET SSR. This feature is helpful in the continuous improvement of the program because it keeps track of faculty, accessibility, course web pages, students’ count in various courses and the loop closing monitoring data.

CLOSO Build GA07 Release Note

Report of Missing/Incomplete Instructor Input Items

Build GA07 instructor panel has an additional icon on the “Course Information” page. With a data file open, clicking this icon will display a report of missing and incomplete instructor input items. The report can be exported to EXCEL. The feature is useful for the instructor as well as the person in charge of collecting the CLOSO course files from the instructors.

Contribution of SO for CLO-SO Map Option

For cases with Question Sets with no dominant SO specified, user has the option of “Based on CLO-SO map” (Assessment Design page). For such cases, CLOSO did not display the contribution on the “SO Assessment Tools” page. Build GA07 now displays the contribution of each relevant SO even for such cases.

CLOSO Build G429 Release Note

What is new for the instructor?

  1. The instructor can now specify multiple CLOs addressed by a question or Question Set. In Assessment Design, just select the question that addresses multiple CLOs and click “Multiple-CLO” button. A row of data will be inserted by CLOSO. Suppose Question set 2 has multiple CLOs. Then the generated row will have Question Set ID “2*” to indicate it is multiple CLO part for Question Set 2. The user must specify the CLO ID and the score associated with it. The user can generate as many Multiple CLO rows as required. This option can be applied to any number of Question sets in each assessment.
  2. The default scale of ability/understanding has been reversed to make it increasing ability with the score. The edit option is there for the user to reverse it or to change the terms the scale to anything of user’s choice.
  3. The instructor can now can print the course syllabus using the Print Course Folder/Handouts link.
  4. When an instructor data file is opened and CLOSO finds out that the file was produced using a different syllabus than what is currently in the syllabus data base, it now ignores minor modifications to the syllabus and will let the user edit the file without any data re-initialized. However, if the course contents, CLOs or CLO-SO map are different, it give the user choice to edit with some data re-initialized or just review without any data re-initialized.

What is new for CLOSO Administrator?

  1. In Course Details, the “Export” option has several new features. It now exports Appendix A of the ABET SSR required for Criterion 5 (Curriculum) chapter giving complete syllabus as required by ABET as a PDF file. Also, now user has option to specify course group, course type and course category for exporting the attributes of a set of selected courses or all courses.
  2. Automatic update of syllabus now makes it easy to maintain a copy of syllabus data on a server. CLOSO administrator may get cloud space on Smart-Accredit server for the syllabus and customization data files. It is easy and simple and can be done as follows:
    1. In CLOSO Admin Panel Click “Import Options”
    2. Enter the web address for CLOSO.SYL: http://smart-accredit.com/username/CLOSO.SYL
    3. Enter the web address for CLOSO.CUS: http://smart-accredit.com/username/CLOSO.CUS
    4. Click CLOSO Admin and save the files.
    5. Request for activation of user’s folder to sales@smart-accredit.com
    6. sales@smart-accredit.com will send you a user name and password for file upload
    7. Go to smart-accredit.com and click SYL/CUS Upload tab.
    8. Enter the user name and password and click login
    9. Click “Choose File” button and browse to the file to be uploaded (CLOSO.SYL or CLOSO.CUS).
    10. Click “Submit”
    11. Once the above is done, the instructor can import the files from the server by typing in the web address of the files in “Import Syllabus Data” / “Import Customization Data” and clicking the “Download from the above address” button.

CLOSO Build F521 Release Note

What is new for the instructor?

  1. Students’ survey is the most important indirect assessment required for accreditation of an academic program. In this assessment, students tell about their perception of the level of understanding and attainment of abilities in the course learning outcomes (CLOs). In this build, CLOSO lets the instructor customize it. The instructor can specify all the performance level descriptors as well as the instruction to the students and the headers. Click the new “Edit” button on the “Course Folder / Handouts” form.
  2. In the “Print Course Folder/Handouts” window, there is an option of printing cover pages for the students work samples. These cover pages are detected by CLOSO using the “Separator Icon” printed on the top left corner. It was too big. It has been made smaller (reduced to 500 pixels from 5000 pixels). Saves printer toner and looks better.
  3. Separator page detection algorithm has been improved. Detection of separator pages is much more reliable and faster. Just make sure, the first page of students work sample is also a CLOSO separator page with the separator icon.

What is new for CLOSO Administrator/Accreditation Coordinator?

  1. “Edit Course List” form upgraded. Now it has two optional input columns as follows:
    1. A column for specifying ABET course category as in the Table 5-1 of the ABET SSR Template [1]
    2. A column for specifying the department offering the course
    1. If the above optional data are input, CLOSO generates complete Table 5-1 of ABET SSR. The table is output to *.CSV file and can be opened in EXCEL. The table can then be copied to MS Word.
    2. In “Edit Course Details” a course group can be specified as before. This course grouping can be used by the user for various purposes.
    3. “Course SO Map” now has three filters as follows:
      1. ABET course category
      2. Course type (Core or compulsory course / Elective / Selected Elective)
      3. Course Group
    4. “Course SO Map” now displays the credit hours also for each course.

      5. CLOSO Build BG21-1 Release Note

      Whenever students’ performance is lower than expected there may be several reasons that made the assessments difficult for the students. In such cases, the instructor might make a judgment to curve or scale the final grades. Now CLOSO offers curving or scaling of the final grade using several options as follows:

      1. Manual editing: Grades of individual students are modified through keyboard input
      2. Bell curve: Bell curve distribution is applied automatically without affecting the relative standing of students.
      3. Flat-scale curve: Same points are added to each student's score.
      4. Flat-scale within a range: User specifies a range (e.g. 60 to 80) for adding points to the student’s score.
      5. Triangular scale (Top Tilt): This method gives more points to students with higher scores than students with lower scores using a triangular variation.
      6. Triangular scale (Bottom Tilt): This method gives more points to students with lower scores than students with higher scores using a triangular variation.

      One or more of the above options may be combined. CLOSO ensures that after curving, the scores do not cross the maximum score.