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Our Quest: Looking for answers we need without a process we’ll hate

Explore the assessment design and strategies implemented in the Geology Department at the University of Dayton to improve educational outcomes for students, communicate strengths and needs to various audiences, and align with institutional priorities.

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Our Quest: Looking for answers we need without a process we’ll hate

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  1. Our Quest: Looking for answers we need without a process we’ll hate Assessment Design in the Geology Department at the University of Dayton

  2. Why Assess? • Self-evaluate performance in order to Improve educational outcomes for our students. • Facilitate communication of strengths and needs to internal and external audiences (Upper Level administration, alumni, funding agencies, community partners) • Evaluate alignment with institutional priorities. • Because “they” (Administrators, Accreditors) tell us we have to. 

  3. Balancing Assessment with Improvement • Does time & effort expended in assessing outweigh benefits of comparable time & effort expended in improvement? (But how do you know unless you assess?) • Does Law of Diminishing Returns apply to Assessment? • At UD: one chair + one admin  We have to look for “bang for buck.” What strategies yield the most valuable information with the minimum expenditure of time & energy? • Assessment is a means, not an end

  4. Character & Mission of UD • Founded by Society of Mary (Marianists) in 1850 • “A leader in American Catholic Education” • Key values: Community, inclusion, service, practical education, faith formation, strategic adaptation (“reading the signs of the times”) • Comprehensive, urban • Largest private University in Ohio Fr. William Joseph Chaminade, founder of the Marianist order.

  5. Character & Mission of Geology Department • 1st Majors graduated in 1949 • Historical focus on undergraduate education, graduating 6-12 a year • New grad certificate program in GIS • Preparation for graduate school (70% of students), but also for employment. • Strong focus on getting students into field early • Partnering students with faculty mentors early on in developmental model. • Collaborative student-faculty research. • Marianist character expressed through a service orientation.

  6. Old Assessment Framework • Over-reliance on vague, qualitative statements from subjective exit survey • Never fully implemented • Never systematically reported back to faculty! • Faculty-driven “Competency-based” assessment never implemented at all. • The Good news: It shouldn’t be hard to improve!

  7. New Assessment Framework at UDHabits of Inquiry and Reflection • Scholarship • Faith Traditions • Community • Diversity • Practical Wisdom • Critical Evaluation of the times • Vocation Departments tasked to define own outcomes, at least some of which must map to HIR

  8. Measures We’ve Considered • Survey-based Measures • Graduating Students. • Alumni three years after graduation. • Survey of Employers and/or Graduate Advisors of Alumni (?) • Evaluative Measures • Competency-based measures derived from classroom evaluations, possible portfolio requirement. • Comprehensive 2nd Year Review. • CountingMeasures • Proportion of graduates going onto grad study, • Proportion of students completing thesis, presenting at UD Research Symposium and/or Professional Meetings, participating in summer research or internships. • Proportion of students participating in service projects or team-learning • BoardofVisitors • How frequently? (10 yrs?) • Who? Alumni, Academics, Community Partners (esp. for new GIS program)

  9. Competency-based Assessment • Based on ~14 broad competencies expected of graduating Geology majors • Faculty would use rubric to assess individual majors at time of grade submission and submit to Dept. office which would track each student. • 2nd Year Review would be instituted to identify student progress and needs for add’l assistance to attain competencies (Developmental Approach) • Possibility of portfolio-based assessment tied to competencies, or a 2nd year comprehensive ‘qualifying’ exam (?)

  10. Competency Categories • Information Literacy • Quantitative Reasoning and Inquiry • Communication (Reading/Writing/Oral) • Living in Community • Each broad category subdivided into component and subcomponent skill sets • Top three Categories map mostly to Scholarship & Practical Wisdom; “Living in Community” accents Marianist identity.

  11. Information Literacy • 1. Students will understand the structure, form, and access methods of recorded information and develop effective strategies to use information technologies to seek knowledge. • 2. Students will demonstrate the ability to evaluate and analyze information gathered from a variety of sources. • 3. Students will use information and information technology responsibly and ethically.

  12. Quantitative Reasoning & Inquiry • Students will demonstrate an ability to understand geological processes in space and time. • Students will meet the university’s quantitative competency standards by completing the basic math sequence through at least MTH149: Calculus II • Students will demonstrate the capacity to plan and design protocols, experiments or procedures to address scientific problems or societal needs. • Students will apply technical skills and analytical methods to collect, record and interpret Earth science data in the field, lab and/or office.

  13. Communication Reading, Writing, Oral • Students will develop scientific arguments through the diverse modes of written, graphical and/or spoken scientific communication. • Students will work effectively in small groups, teamwork situations or general discussions, meeting basic standards of respectful discourse. • Students will demonstrate basic professional skills.

  14. Living in Community • Students will be able to articulate an understanding of the vocation of earth science and will demonstrate a commitment to the scientific and broader community through service. • Students will understand the evolving challenges of our times pertaining to the sustainable habitation of humans on planet Earth. • Students will demonstrate an appreciative understanding of the value of diversity and inclusion in the scientific community. • Students will be exposed to the diverse ways that earth processes and human culture and human vulnerability interact.

  15. The Quest Continues The Quest Continues . . . • Additional Discussion & pruning or elaboration of competencies. They are skills-based; should we also include some knowledge-based outcomes? • Revisit Exit Survey; Design of Alumni survey • Establish a system of collection for “counting measures.” • Establish an Assessment Schedule • Implementation! – We are tasked to begin collecting data on at least one outcome this year!! • Establish System for annual engagement of faculty as well as generating reports to upper administration.

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