Assessment 101: Unpacking the Complexities Dr. Linda J.

Celebrating Learning Coach Role•Train with Linda on assessment best

practice

•Review current processes and results & recommend improvements

•Assist with mini-workshops training faculty/staff about how to measure learning and analyze data .

Mentoring faculty•Assist faculty to complete program Target

and Student Learning Database(TSLD) reports (4-5 programs per coach).

▫Program review of specialized outcomes & matrices

▫Program targets –August, October, Jan., March. ▫Student Learning--completed the month the

program chooses.

3-4 one-hr. program faculty “coaching” meetings each year (4-5 programs @) ballpark 20 hrs. ?)

Timelines

▫September, October, November: individual program assistance with updating specialized outcomes, matrices, Target Database and assessment plans/projects

▫February, March: Assist with Target & Student Learning Database

▫Summer review of institutional learning outcomes assessment projects (like WAC), & selected Target & Student Learning Database .

Analysis and Feedback :

•Analyze Target and Student Learning Database results & produce summary report for institution (June 2012 work session)

•Faculty Course Feedback Reports analysis & summary

Benefit

•Learning!•Networking with other faculty•Get to see the big picture & how

programs & individual faculty fit together•Credentialing credit

Questions

What is assessment of student learning?

•Your definition

•Definitions from the experts

Assessment is

•collecting, •reviewing, •reflecting, and •using information about students

to improve the learning (Linda J.)

“The overriding purpose of assessment is to understand how educational programs are working and

to determine whether they are contributing to students’ growth and development.”

(Trudy Banta)

Principles of effective assessment practice

• Is systemic, involving the culture of an institution

• Uses multiple and varied measures to check the student learning.

• Should include direct and indirect measures of that learning.

• Is faculty-driven and “owned.”• Is supported through leadership which

understands and provides sufficient infrastructure and resources for assessment efforts to be successful.

• Must lead to improvement and impact the coursework and curriculum.

Do assessment as if learning matters most…”Thomas Angelo 1999

What key ideas about assessment of student learning emerge for you?

Reading & summarizing

•What is Good Assessment? Linda Suskie

•Pairs—▫Read. Summarize briefly—key points▫Exchange ideas▫Report out discoveries

•How do internal stakeholders view assessment of student learning? How are examples of good assessment practice shared?

•How are results communicated and to whom? Are there opportunities to reflect on and make sense of results from assessment?

HLC criteria • 2c--Ongoing evaluation & assessment processes

provide reliable evidence of effectiveness that informs planning.

• 3a--Goals for student learning outcomes are clearly stated for each program & make effective assessment possible.

• 4c--Measures the “usefulness of curricula to students who will live and work in a global, diverse, and technological society.”

Why key ideas emerge?

Best practice

•Mesa Community College•Northern Indiana•Winona State College•Wayne State•Northern Arizona

Northern Indianahttp://www.niu.edu/stuaff/VPO/Selected%20Assessment%20Methods%20Grid.Feb_07.xls

•Winona State College http://www.winona.edu/ipar/assessment.asp

•Mesa Community Collegehttp://www.mesacc.edu/about/orp/assessment

Kansas State College•http://www.k-state.edu/assessment/degprogu

nit/

Task

•Go to websites•Jot notes on

▫Name of college▫Type of assessment you reviewed▫What this affirmed▫What surprised you ▫Something to share/insight

What does STI do for assessment of student learning? •Levels—

▫Institutional▫Program▫Course

Institution-level

•Direct measure—Writing Across the Curriculum projects

▫Need to develop more measures of problem solving/critical thinking, professionalism

•Indirect measures—student satisfaction surveys, employer surveys, graduate surveys

Classroom level

•Faculty record grades

•Faculty complete Faculty Course Feedback report

Program•100% programs participate

•Learning outcomes defined-- program , institutional, & course level

•Annual Program Assessment Reports & Action Plans (new Target Action database)

Program assessment•Program mission & outcomes

•Measures of Student Learning : ▫direct measures—exams, clinical,

licensures, projects▫indirect measures--N. Levitz,

employer survey, etc.

•Annual Report: Target &Student Learning Database

•Program Review or Specialized Accreditation

A look at database reports

•Open database (Option enable)•Review 5 reports from various programs.

▫1.Note the assessment tool▫2.Target▫3.Results▫4. Action ?

Discoveries?

Reading & summarizing

•Assessing Academic Programs in Higher Education

Mary Allen

•Pairs—▫Read. Summarize briefly—key points▫Exchange ideas▫Report out discoveries

Coaching Faculty Teams•Emphasize that this is about learning!

•Educate/explain/coach

•Meet with teams/dept. in their areas

•Faculty are experts

•Listen…and ask “What best measures what you want your students to learn?”

Chart the results and analyze……..what does your data tell you?

•Encourage Reflections & analysis

Encourage conversations—what does our assessment data mean?

•Use natural curiosity—faculty already analyze how students do▫Mini-research--document conversations.

•Use structures in place—depart./team meetings

•Start somewhere

•Try course-embedded or modified—pick one▫Analyze & report on that.

•Use change agents…someone will “get it”--build on that.

•Tackle a piece at a time but keep momentum going

•Pace, pace, pace…

•Celebrate successes—▫faculty share at meetings, newsletter

Ideas?

A look at how to connect coaches to program faculty?•Assigned by programs in your area OR at

random?

•By end of Sept. invite a meeting to review what they have done & discuss questions they may have.

•Assist with a check of outcomes, matrix, and student learning project. Is it possible to analyze trends? Compare students with another group?

Ideas for encouraging completion of tasks •What happens if program does not

complete tasks?•Who should be responsible?•What rewards/consequences? •Return to checklist? •How to share effective work?

What are other faculty doing?

•Finding assessment tools for your field:

▫Search web & locate 3 examples of assessment tools for your field.

 ▫Are any useful to your program/course?

  

Ideas for effective tools •Capstone project which requires students

to use skills learned throughout the program

•Project incorporating several learning outcomes.

•Portfolio of student work (select only a few items so the rating does not become a burden)

•Pre-post test. •Exam.•Internship or clinical report from

supervisor. •Lab performance check.