Program Assessment Plan

1. Program Assessment Plan Merri Incitti Director of Assessment

2. Why an Assessment plan? Move from Individual to Collaborative

3. Assessment Terminology • Institutional Learning Priorities (ILPs) – Broad learning outcomes at the University level • Mission Statement – Broad inspirational and aspirational statements (Department & University) • Department Goals – Combined program goals – not solely student achievement • Program Goals – Intended or expected results in general terms. • Learning Outcomes (Objectives) (LOs) – What we intend for the students to know • Program Outcomes – what the students actually know – based on final data

4. Assessment process

5. Mission statement • Structure • The mission of (program name) is to (your primary purpose) by providing (your primary functions or activities) to (your stakeholders). • Fitchburg State University is committed to excellence in teaching and learning and blends liberal arts and sciences and professional programs within a small college environment. Our comprehensive public university prepares students to lead, serve, and succeed by fostering lifelong learning and civic and global responsibility. A Fitchburg State education extends beyond our classrooms to include residential, professional, and co-curricular opportunities. As a community resource, we provide leadership and support for the economic, environmental, social, and cultural needs of North Central Massachusetts and the Commonwealth. • The order of the pieces may vary from the structure.

6. Considerations for a mission statement • Why does your department, program exist? • Who are your stakeholders? • Can stakeholders like students/faculty get a glimpse of the program experience from the mission statement? • What makes you unique within the university? • What makes your program unique in the region? • Why do you do what you do? • What impact do you have and on whom? • What story do you want to tell? • How do you contribute to the University Mission and Core Values? Source: Presentation, Academic Program Assessment (Nicholas 2017)

7. School of Arts & Sciences Mission Statement • Structure • The mission of (program name) is to (your primary purpose) by providing (your primary functions or activities) to (your stakeholders). • The School of Arts and Sciences merges scholarship and professional practice in a wide range of innovative programs. Our facultyinspire students to think and communicate clearly, to recognize and value diverse perspectives, and to act creatively when addressing complex problems in their communities and beyond. We preparestudentsto navigate a world of rapid change, while developing a foundation for a meaningful life. • The order of the pieces may vary from the structure.

8. Vision Statement • Forward thinking – looking toward the future. • Positive Focus • Concise • One Sentence • Fitchburg State University will be nationally recognized for its excellence in teaching and learning in current and emergent fields, for its commitment to transforming lives through education, and for its dedication to public service. • Changing Lives • Strengthening Communities • Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, Asheville, NC

9. Group Discussion on Mission and Vision • Worksheet 1 • 1. See if you can pick out the component from your current Mission • 2. Are there definite changes you would like to incorporate now • Vision Creation: • Begin the brainstorming process on the creation of a Vision for your program.

10. Part I: Student learning outcomes

11. It is all an academic relationship • University ILPs • Department LOs • School LOs • PLOs • LA&S LOs • Course LOs

12. Backward design Design Backward Intended Institutional Learning Priorities (ILPs) Intended Academic School/ Department/ Program LOs and LA&S LOs Intended Learning Outcomes of the Lesson Intended Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) Intended Learning Outcomes of the Unit Deliver Forward Source: Adaption based on Learner-Centered Assessment on College Campuses: shifting the focus from teaching to learning (&Freed 2000) Source: Learner-Centered Assessment on College Campuses: shifting the focus from teaching to learning (& Freed 2000)

13. Program learning outcomes (objectives) • Concise statements of what students in the major will know, value and be able to do upon graduation • Best practice is 3-5 for each program • Should have additional 1-3 for a concentration • Represent intent • Direct vs. Indirect • Direct assessment is required. • Indirect assessment is insufficient when used alone • Using both is best practice. • Formative vs. Summative • Good practice is to use both in the program

14. Direct vs. Indirect Assessment • Direct assessment acquires evidence about student learning and the learning environment: Exams, projects, portfolios, observations.... • Indirect assessment acquires evidence about how students feel about learning and their learning environment: Surveys, questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, reflective essays....

15. Direct Assessment Examples • Specific exam or quiz questions • Rubric-scored assignment – paper/writing assignment, presentation • Juried exhibit or performance • Review of student portfolio utilizing a rubric • Peer assessed presentation or project • Pre- and Post-Assessment • Faculty/professionally assessed presentation or project • Licensure or standardized tests connected to course outcomes** ** Careful here – sometimes hard to ensure have taught to all aspects. Usually can’t use as total score.

16. Formative vs. summative Low Stakes – Low points or no grade. High Stakes – High points or graded. The goal of summative assessment is to evaluate student learning at the end of an instructional unit by comparing it against some standard or benchmark. Examples: a final project a paper a senior recital • The goal of formative assessment is to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning. • Examples: • Asking students to: • draw a concept map in class to represent their understanding of a topic • turn in a research proposal for early feedback Source: Adapted from Carnegie Mellon University, Eberly Center: https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/formative-summative.html

17. Structure of learning outcomes • Some authors suggest using a template: • “[Students] should/will be able to (focus is on student) • [action verb] (observable, assessable, performative verbs) • [object or learning statement].” (specific areas of learning) • Avoid double barrel learning objectives • K.I.S.S. – Keep It Simple and Straightforward

18. Create an innovative learning portfolio. Reflect In this model, each of the colored blocks shows an example of a learning objective that generally corresponds with each of the various combinations of the cognitive process and knowledge dimensions. Design on one’s progress. an efficientproject workflow. Judge efficiency of sampling techniques. Deconstruct one’sbiases. Assemble a team of experts. Remember: these are learning objectives—not learningactivities. It may be useful to think of preceding each objective with something like: “Students will be able to . ..” Use techniques thatmatch one’sstrengths. Integrate compliancewith regulations. Determine relevanceof results. Generate a log of daily activities. Predict one’s responseto culture shock. Carryout pH tests of water samples. Check for consistencyamong sources. Differentiate high and low culture. Identify strategies forretaining information. Clarify assembly instructions. Provide adviceto novices. Select the most complete list of activities. Recall how toperform CPR. Classify adhesivesby toxicity. Respond to frequentlyasked questions. Recognize symptomsof exhaustion. Summarize features of a new product. List primary and secondary colors. Model created by: RexHeer Iowa StateUniversity Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching Updated January, 2012 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. For additional resources, see: www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/RevisedBlooms1.html

19. Evaluating LO Structure

20. Quiz – Critique structure • Students will be satisfied with their opportunities to learn critical thinking. • Faculty members will teach students key elements of writing a research paper. • Students will become life-long learners. • The number of students participating in multicultural activities will increase by 2%. • Students will be able to discuss political questions. • The number of books in the library will reach 500,000 by 2019. • Students will score a B or higher in the capstone course. • Students will be able to think critically and develop sensitivity for ethnic and racial diversity.

21. Review of your Program outcomes! Worksheet 2 : Program Learning Outcomes Checklist

22. Part II: Curriculum Mapping

23. Curriculum Map

24. Curriculum Map Discussion • Use Worksheet 3 to guide this discussion. • Discussion • To what extent does this curriculum map reveal vertical reiteration (multiple opportunities in successive years)? • To what extent does this curriculum map reveal appropriate sequence (successive experiences building upon preceding experiences)? • To what extent does this curriculum map reveal horizontal integration (integration between experiences in the same year)? • What changes does this curriculum map suggest to improve our students’ opportunities to achieve these learning objectives? • Adapted from Peggy Maki (2004)

25. Part III: Assessment Measures, timelines and targets

26. Direct Assessment

27. Indirect Assessment

28. Part IV: Assessment cycle timeline

29. Five Year Assessment Plan PLOs are to be fully assessed at least once in a five-year period. This means assessed, data reviewed, recommendations made, and either implemented or a timeline for implementation.

30. Part V: Intended analysis, responsibility, and communication

31. This is a summary of what will happen in your department • Implementation of the assessment plan should be a shared responsibility • Identify who will be involved in the analysis and evaluation of the subsequent evidence • Identify who will be responsible for communicating results and creating an action plan • Can utilize a diagram to show the cycle of assessment • **Incorporate any new policies, procedures, trials, etc. into your Action Plan on the Annual Report so that you can provide progress each year and it doesn’t fall through the cracks!

32. To Do Items Complete Feedback Form Now Complete a Draft Program Assessment Plan by October 31, 2019

33. Thank you