Is an achievement scale required before instructors can create and align course outcomes?

Heather.B.4264

We are beginning to test the Learning Outcomes (Standards) tool and have not yet created an organization-level achievement scale.

Does an achievement scale need to be in place before instructors can create, import, and align outcomes in their courses, or is it only required once they begin assessing student achievement?

I have been able to create course-level outcomes manually in a sandbox, but I want to confirm whether the achievement scale is actually a prerequisite to enabling the tool for instructors.

I am also wondering about the fastest way to import existing learning outcomes. Many of our instructors currently have their learning outcomes or objectives listed in Word documents. Is transferring them into the CSV template the most efficient option, or is there a simpler workflow?

Raquel.B.6168

Hi @Heather.B.4264,
Thank you for reaching out to us within the Brightspace Community!
It is possible to create course-level outcomes without first defining an organization-level achievement scale. However, I would recommend defining the achievement scale before instructors begin aligning outcomes to activities and assessments.
The achievement scale is used when evaluating learner achievement against outcomes and is an important component of the overall Learning Outcomes workflow. Having it configured early can help ensure a smoother transition from outcome creation and alignment to outcome assessment and reporting.
Regarding importing existing outcomes, if your instructors currently maintain outcomes or objectives in Word documents, converting them into the Learning Outcomes CSV format is generally the most efficient approach for bulk creation.
The following documentation provides details on creating and importing outcomes using a CSV file:
https://community.d2l.com/brightspace/kb/articles/4329-create-and-manage-learning-outcomes#create-a-custom-csv-file-to-import
I hope this helps!
Have a great weekend,

Raquel