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Program Outcomes Assessment Techniques: Overview and Examples. “ I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” - Mark Twain. Steve Steele, Consultant Faculty Online Technology Training Consortium (FOTTC) Applied Sociologist Anne Arundel Community College
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Program Outcomes Assessment Techniques: Overview and Examples “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” - Mark Twain Steve Steele, Consultant Faculty Online Technology Training Consortium (FOTTC)Applied Sociologist Anne Arundel Community College sfsteele@mail.aacc.cc.md.us 410-541-2369
Common Conceptualizations of Evaluation/assessment • Is it viewed a “a reign of terror?” • Is it “stuck on like a barnacle”; an afterthought • Is it an ongoing process in itself? • An organized entity in itself • Part of a management information system
Where are We Going Today? • Evaluation? Assessment? Definitions • Reasons For Doing This • Placement of Evaluation/assessment • The Dynamic Fit Between Planning, Evaluation/assessment and Doing In the Improvement Process • Examples • Summary: Strengths and Weaknesses
Evaluation? Assessment? Definitions • The systematic assessment of the operation and/or outcomes of a program or policy, compared to explicit or implicit standards, in order to contribute to the improvement of the program or policy. (Weiss, 1998) • “The key sense of the term... refers to the process of determining the merit, worth, or value of something...” (Scriven, 1991, pp. 139-141) • “evaluation/assessment research... refers to research purpose rather than research method.Babbie,1989, 326)
Critical Components of Definitions • A systematic process • A judgment will likely be made • Standards for judgment, for success • Intervention • Orientation toward Improvement?
Internal Clients/Stakeholders The President The Dean Your Chairman Your students You! External Clients/Stakeholders Societal Middle States Professional Granting agencies Reasons For Doing This
Reasons For Doing This • Have you considered the client’s “corporate culture” when constructing this project/design? • Are you sure that you have focused on the client’s needs for ALL relevant clients and stakeholders?
Placement of Evaluation/assessment • Think of evaluation/assessment before the program, not after. • Integrate evaluation/assessment into the grant proposal, plan or program. • Use evaluative data “for all it’s worth!” • Consider evaluation/assessment as constructive criticism, rather than “doing time!”
The Dynamic Fit Between Planning, Evaluation/assessment and Doing In the Improvement Process HERE!! Based on E. Deming’s work
Example: A Distance Learning Business Plan http://www.aacc.cc.md.us/ola/ http://www.aacc.cc.md.us/ola/Assessment/BusPlanNov98.html
Goals and Objectives... http://www.aacc.cc.md.us/ola/Assessment/BusPlanNov98.html#To implement
“Check” • Some Approaches to “Checking”Keeping track... is it operating (not necessarily successfully!)Forming something, improving somethingSum up, impact… did it work? Based on Michael Scriven’s Formative & Summative Evaluation
Some Tools for Tracking, Forming and Summing • Frequency of something • Rates or percentages of something • Level of Need • Opinions, behaviors, feelings • Indicators, Estimates and Forecasts • Survey • Use patterns • Focus groups
A Plan Level Example #1 Wells, Kepner, Barnes, SteeleAACC
Toward an Evaluation/assessment Plan http://www.aacc.cc.md.us/ola/Assessment/Baldrige.html
Scroll http://www.aacc.cc.md.us/ola/Assessment/assessmentStudentStakeholder.htm
Measures…. http://www.aacc.cc.md.us/ola/Assessment/studentsurveyresults.htm
A Plan Level Example #2 Barnes, Warner, SteeleAACC
Some Tools for Tracking, Forming and Summing • Frequency of something • Rates or percentages of something • Level of Need • Opinions, behaviors, feelings • Indicators, Estimates and Forecasts • Survey • Use patterns • Focus groups
A Course Level Example #3 SteeleAACC
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Summary: Strengths and Weaknesses • StrengthsOpportunity for continuos growth Possibility for continuous improvementMakes planning usefulImproves program and course design • WeaknessesResource and infrastructure commitmentRequires a variety of skillsDifficult to stay “tangent”Demands attention