Getting Started

Getting Started

• Decide which type of assessment– Input assessment – Process assessment – Outcomes assessment– Impact assessment

Input Assessment Questions

• Who are our students?– Demographics– Attitudes– Skills– Knowledge

• What do they need in the way of programs and services?

Process Assessment Questions

• Visibility: Do students know about us?

• Importance/Need: Do students want/need our services?

• Use: Do students use our services?

• Satisfaction/Reaction: What do students think of the services and programs we provide?

D

Program/Service Are you aware of this service?

How important is this service to you?

Have you used this service?

How satisfied are you with this program?

Yes No Not at all

Some-what

Very Important

Yes No Dissatisfied Neutral Satisfied

Academic Advising

Counseling Services

Health Education

Financial Aid Services

Recreational Sports

Learning Support Center

Dean of Students

Residential Life

Process Assessment Template

Outcomes Assessment Questions

• What have students learned?

• Who have they become?

Impact Assessment

• Did our program or service make a difference in what students learned or who they became?

• How will we know?

Moving from Strategic Vision

to Measurable Outcomes

Mission Review

• What business are we in?

• What business should we be in?

Why Mission Review?

• To determine purpose

• To respond to changed assumptions

• To clarify values

• To respond to changed capabilities

• To strengthen decision-making

• To conform actuality with aspirations

• To foster institutional change and renewal

Goals

• Goals state what the institution desires to have (inputs), to be (processes) and to become (outcomes).

Goals

• What do we want the result – outcome, process, or input – to be?

• How will we recognize the result when we have it? What are the concrete behaviors?

• What specific evidence are we willing to accept that these concrete behaviors have actually occurred?

Objectives Consist of:

• Desired outcome

• Criteria

• Indicators

• Standards of attainment

Outcome IndicatorsCriteria

To engage insystematicthinking

Develop scientifichypotheses

Write short stories

Invent shortcut fortransmission repair

Written test:Given data

Writes story:Given theme

Hands on performance

Goal Statement

Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3

Criterion 1

Indicator 1

Criterion 2

Indicator

Indicator 2

Criterion 1

Indicator

Criterion 2

Indicator 1

Indicator 2

Criterion 1

Indicator

Linking Goals and Objectives to Assessment and Evaluation

Assessment Results Evaluative Judgment Action to be Taken

Information usefulfor decision making.

Actual outcome compared with apre-specified standardfor an intended outcome.

Changes, if any, tobe made in inputs and processes on basis of evaluation.

Effective Goal Statements

• Begin with the word “To”

• Use verbs that imply action or accomplishment – To construct, To develop

• Use language appropriate to audience

• Include what you want the result to be

Example Goal

• To draw reasonable inferences from observations and logical premises

Effective Objectives

• Begin with the word “To” followed by a verb specifying an action or accomplishment

• Has associated with it one or more observable and therefore assessable results (concrete behavioral criteria)

Effective Objectives

• Identifies a target population

• Specifies or implies a target date for completion

• Identifies one or more indicators (methods of assessment) for its outcome

Effective Objectives

• Has associated with it conditions under which assessment will take place

• Has associated with it one or more standards of attainment for purposes of evaluation

Effective Objectives

• Relates to a specific goal

• Specifies WHAT will be done and WHEN, but not why or how or where

• Relates to a relatively short period of time, typically one year

Effective Objectives

• Is realistic and obtainable

• Specifies the maximum cost allowable

A Process for Writing Goals and Objectives

• Get the main idea down on paper

• be liberally educated• think critically• have a high standard of ethics• be concerned about important social issues• have good communications skills

A Process for Writing Goals and Objectives

• Identify concrete behavioral expressions of the outcome

1. What evidence would you be willing to accept?

2. What distinguishes people who have the characteristic from those who do not?

3. What instructions would you give to someone else who had to recognize the outcome?

Example

Outcome: be liberally educated

Concrete behaviors:knows a lotenjoys good booksis articulatetakes leadership roles in the communityunderstands sciencewrites well

A Process for Writing Goals and Objectives

• Clean up the language used in Step 2• Delete duplications and choose the one statement that best

represents your intent

• Cross out behaviors that do not represent behaviors or conditions

• Eliminate statements that are not behaviors

Example

Outcome: be liberally educated

Concrete behaviors:uses the libraryreads the Great Booksowns a public library cardwrites book reviews for the campus newspaperreads few mass market gothic novels

A Process for Writing Goals and Objectives

• Write complete sentences to describe each outcome

Concrete behaviors:uses the library = borrows each semester at least ten books from the college library

writes book reviews for the campus newspaper =has had accepted for publication by the campus newspaper during the last year one or more book reviews.

A Process for Writing Goals and Objectives

• Check for completeness of goal description

• Does this series of concrete behaviors adequately describe the goal?

• If these behaviors or conditions are present, are you willing to accept that the goal has been achieved?

ExamplesGoal: To graduate seniors who are all prepared for productive roles in society, both as effective participantsleaders.

Objective 1: To graduate students who have well developedhigher-order cognitive skills.

Objective 2: To graduate students who developed an activeawareness of their natural environment

Objective 3: To graduate students who have developed an awareness of themselves

Examples

• See Goal Objective Example

Small Group Exercise

Use Goal Objective Template