making assessment meaningful: using assessment results to improve student learning dr. elizabeth...

Making Assessment

Meaningful: Using Assessment

Results to Improve Student Learning

Dr. Elizabeth Wemlinger4.7.15

Assessment / Evaluation

• Purpose of evaluating program through student learning outcomes

1. Demonstrate 2. Provide feedback 3. Improve

Improve• How can student learning outcomes

help improve program

1. Identify gaps in learning2. Identify gaps in curriculum3. Identify gaps in instruction

Identify Gaps in Learning

• Are there learning gaps in the program?

Identify Gaps in Curriculum

• Are there curriculum gaps within the program?

Identify Gaps in Instruction

• Are there instruction gaps within the program?

What is Curriculum Mapping?

• Curriculum mapping is the process indexing or diagraming a curriculum to identify and address academic gaps, redundancies, and misalignments for purposes of improving the overall coherence of a course of study and, by extension, its effectiveness

Source: The Glossary of Education Reform

Example

Source: Florida International University

Example

Adapted from University of Hawaii example: https://manoa.hawaii.edu/assessment/howto/mapping.htm

Requirements: Track 1

Requirements: Track 2

Requirements: Track 3

SLO 1 SLO 2 SLO 3 SLO 4 SLO 5

Core: CRS 255 (3 credits) I I I I I

Core: Three theory courses (9 credits)   I I    

Core: Writing (3 credits) I     I I

CRS 310, 312, 350

      R   R  

CRS 325     R R      

CRS 355       R R    

CRS 405           R R

CRS 410      A  A A  A  A

 CRS 215, 315

      R R R

 CRS 316     R   R  

 CRS 318   R   R R  

 CRS 320, 415

    R   R  

 CRS 495   A A A A A

Developing a Curriculum Map

• Essential Elements

1. Student learning outcomes 2. Level of proficiency expected for each

outcome, for each class3. Syllabi (with learning objectives)

Course Objectives• Should identify the skill, knowledge

or ability that the student will learn in this class

• Identify the level of competency that will be expected for this skill

Syllabi Objectives: You will learn:2. The basic techniques of social science research. These include hypothesis formation, measurement, hypothesis testing, and data analysis.

SLO 1: Students will be able to apply basic research methods including research design, data analysis and interpretation.

Steps to Starting your Curriculum Map

Insert SLOs in

the Columns

Insert Classes in the Rows

Connect knowledge, skill, ability

and level

Starting your Mapping Process

• Need to construct the curriculum map with the student learning outcomes that the program had identified

Class SLO 1 SLO 2

POLI 101 Introduced Introduced

POLI 203 Reinforced

POLI 320 Reinforced Mastered

POLI 400 Mastered

Class SLO 1: “Students analyze governmental institutions, political behavior, civic engagement, and their political and philosophical foundations”

SLO 2 : “Students will effectively develop, interpret and express ideas through written, oral and visual communication”

POLI 101 Introduced Introduced

POLI 203 Introduced Reinforced

POLI 320 Reinforced Reinforced

POLI 400 Mastered Mastered

What Next?Identify gaps

Assess learning at multiple levels of competency

Evaluate whether progressive levels of skill development are in the curriculum

Evaluate whether students are taking classes in appropriate order

Assess Learning at Multiple Levels

• Students analyze governmental institutions, political behavior, civic engagement, and their political and philosophical foundations

1. Introduction to American Government (Introduced)

2. Congress (Reinforced)3. Campaigns and Elections (Reinforced)4. Capstone (Mastered)

How Can this Improve Program

governmental institutions + political behavior + civic engagement + political/

philosophical foundations

governmental institutions + political behavior

governmental institutions

political/ philosophical foundations

political/ philosophical foundations

political behavior

Identifying Gapsgovernmental institutions + political

behavior + civic engagement + political/ philosophical foundations

governmental institutions + political behavior

governmental institutions

political/ philosophical foundations

political/ philosophical foundations

political behavior

Gaps in LearningWriting in the discipline

Spelling and Grammar (I,M)

Organization and Flow (M)

Discipline Specific Writing (M)

Class SLO 1: “Students analyze governmental institutions, political behavior, civic engagement, and their political and philosophical foundations”

SLO 2 : “Students will effectively develop, interpret and express ideas through written, oral and visual communication”

POLI 101 Introduced (not assessed)

Introduced (not assessed)

POLI 203 Introduced (not assessed)

Reinforced (not assessed)

POLI 320 Reinforced (not assessed)

Reinforced (not assessed)

POLI 400 Mastered Mastered

Gaps in LearningYou do not have the ability to identify why

SLOs might not be met at the capstone level because you do not evaluate them at the lower level

There might be learning or instruction problems and the lower introduction that are negatively influencing students ability to succeed in program – hence the SLO success at the higher level might be a false representation.

Gaps in Curriculum: The Way Students are

Expected to Take Classes

POLI 101

Introduced

POLI 203

Reinforced

POLI 320

Mastered

Gaps in Curriculum: The Way Students

Actually Take Classes

POLI 101

Introduced

POLI 320

Mastered

POLI 230

Reinforced

Gaps in Instruction• Early identification of areas of

improvement can increase student success

Introduced

Reinforced Mastered

How to Start the Mapping Process

1. Identify Student Learning Outcomes2. Identify where students should be

learning this knowledge, skill, or ability

3. Identify at what level of competency is expected for each class

4. Consider how to assess this at each point in the process.

Best Practices1. Build in practice and multiple learning trials for

students: introduce, reinforce, master. Students will perform best if they are introduced to the learning outcome early in the curriculum and then given sufficient practice and reinforcement before evaluation of their level of mastery takes place.

2. Use the curriculum map to identify the learning opportunities (e.g., assignments, activities) that produce the program's outcomes.

3. Allow faculty members to teach to their strengths (note: each person need not cover all outcomes in a single course). "Hand off" particular outcomes to those best suited for the task.

Source: University of Hawaii, Manoa

Best Practices4. Ask if the department/program is trying to

do too much. Eliminate outcomes that are not highly-valued and then focus on highly-valued outcomes by including them in multiple courses. (The eliminated outcomes can still be course-level outcomes. They need not disappear completely from the curriculum.)

5. Set priorities as a department/program. Everyone working together toward common outcomes can increase the likelihood that students will meet or exceed expectations. Source: University of Hawaii,

Manoa

Best Practices6. Communicate: Publish the curriculum

map and distribute to students and faculty.7. Communicate: Each faculty member can

make explicit connections across courses for the students. For example, at the beginning of the course or unit, a faculty member can remind students what they were introduced to in another course and explain how the current course will have them practice or expand their knowledge. Do not expect students to be able to make those connections by themselves. Source: University of Hawaii,

Manoa

Additional Resources• https://

manoa.hawaii.edu/assessment/howto/mapping.htm (University of Hawaii, Manoa)

• https://manoa.hawaii.edu/assessment/workshops/pdf/SLOs_curriculummaps2008-10.pdf (University of Hawaii, Manoa)

• http://www.nyu.edu/academics/academic-resources/academic-assessment/guidance-for-academic-programs/student-learning-outcomes/Curriculum-Mapping.html (New York University)

Curriculum Map for Your

Program?