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A Case Study in Evaluation & Assessment for a Virtual Learning Commons Mellon Library/Faculty Fellowship for Undergraduate Research. Pat Davitt Maughan | Project Manager Mellon Library/Faculty Fellowship for Undergraduate Research University of California, Berkeley.
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A Case Study in Evaluation & Assessment for a Virtual Learning CommonsMellon Library/Faculty Fellowship for Undergraduate Research Pat Davitt Maughan | Project Manager Mellon Library/Faculty Fellowship for Undergraduate Research University of California, Berkeley
“assessment alone changes little” “Nine principles of Good Practice for Assessing Student Learning” American Association for Higher Education (AAHE)
VISION & VALUES audiences & stakeholders ...… audiences & stakeholders ...... GOALS & OBJECTIVES audiences & stakeholders …… QUESTIONS & METHODS DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS .......... project reports……… theme reports...... student feedback REPORTING
The assessment plan • Captures agreement about what matters • Gives directions for actions • Provides a way of knowing if progress is being made • Provides feedback to students & stakeholders • Feeds back into program/course development to improve performance & learning
Assessment plan | success indicators • Reflects an understanding that learning is … • multidimensional | integrated | revealed in performance over time • Compares educational performance against student learning outcomes
UC Berkeley Mellon Library/Faculty Fellowship Program for Undergraduate Research
Mellon Program Elements • Collaborations • Institute • I-teams • Assessment
Assessment | Programmatic • To create a scaleable & sustainable model for promoting changes in courses & curricula • To create a community of fellows who demonstrate their commitment to student learning through inquiry based strategies & serve as change agents • To compile student performance data on the library research components of course assignments as one indicator of student learning • To expand the community of faculty committed to providing undergraduate research that requires the use of library collections • To strengthen collaboration among Academic Partners in support of instructors and instruction
Assessment | Thematic • Show themes and Questions
Student Learning Assessment | Chemistry 1A • 1,200 students | highest impact lower division course | important gateway course BEFORE MELLON Involve students in a structured process of scientific inquiry Paired students to apply basic chemistry concepts to real life problems Students presented findings in poster session
Case study | Chemistry 1A AFTER MELLON Assignment staged over longer period Developed a schedule that detailed all assignment related activities GSI training | introducing the assignment | locating & evaluating sources| hypothesis development | development/use of rubric Students explicitly led through processes of topic selection, hypothesis formation, research design, information gathering, communicating results Assignment & performance expectations formally introduced
Case study | Chemistry 1A AFTER MELLON i-Team & Fellow developed 2 student worksheets worth points 1 – hypothesis development 2 – evaluation of sources students documented research methods GSIs provided feedback i-Team & Fellow developed course web site - posted Grading rubrics for disciplinary content, information literacy & presentation skills | Models | Information sources | short tutorials Rubric allowed uniform grading across sections & used to collect performance data on discrete learning outcomes
Case study | Chemistry 1A • Assessed from three data streams • Students • Projects | self assessment • GSI’s • assessment of their learning | student learning • Faculty’s assessment of what students learned
Summary Project Assessments • Collaboration • mid-year | post-Institute survey of Academic Partners • Institute • pre-, mid- and post-Institute Surveys • Faculty Fellows • reflections on their own learning & their students’ learning | changes in practice| video interviews • Student learning • performance & rubrics • post-course self-assessments • UCUEs (UC NSSE correlate) surveys • video interviews
Project outcomes • Past 3 years, 35 faculty • redesigned 33 lower & upper division courses to include research components influencing 8,000 students • many extended research-based & IL into other courses • Partner units developed a richer appreciation for the multiple skills & perspectives offered by their peers • Good practices are shared • among faculty, librarians, and partner contributors
Project outcomes • Closer relationships between the library & campus teaching & learning units • ETS | GSI | AC | Student Advising | OED | DUE • New focus within the library on library’s educational role • New AUL for Educational Initiatives • Strengthening connections between the library & other campus units – teaching & learning focus • Library involvement in other campus wide initiatives • e-Berkeley symposium “Teaching & Critical Thinking in the ‘Point & Click’ Age” – spotlighted Mellon models • B-space | Sakai
Acknowledgments • The thoughts and writings of the following individuals informed the development of parts of this presentation: • Elizabeth Dupuis, Head of Instructional Services University of California, Berkeley • Cynthia Schrager, Special Assistant to the Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Education University of California, Berkeley • Mary Sue Ammon, Assessment Consultant Mellon Library/Faculty Fellowship for Undergraduate Research