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University of Wisconsin-Madison Establishing Institution-wide Expectations for Student Learning

2008 T&L Symposium Session Overview Introduction Challenges of arriving at common expectations What is your sphere of influence? Where have we been? 2003 Assessment Plan 2007 Assessment Audit 2008 Preface to the 2003 Assessment Plan Where are we now?

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University of Wisconsin-Madison Establishing Institution-wide Expectations for Student Learning

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  1. 2008 T&L Symposium Session Overview • Introduction • Challenges of arriving at common expectations • What is your sphere of influence? • Where have we been? • 2003 Assessment Plan • 2007 Assessment Audit • 2008 Preface to the 2003 Assessment Plan • Where are we now? • Essential Learning Outcomes (and LEAP) • Wisconsin Experience • Where are we going? • Convergence and integration • What do you think? • Discussion about your roles and how expectations for student learning influence your work as an educator • How do we know how we are doing? • Presenters • Mo Noonan Bischof, Assistant to the Provost and Co-Chair of the Assessment Council • mabishof@wisc.edu • Jocelyn Milner, Director of Academic Planning and Analysis, past Co-Chair of Assessment Council • jlmilner@wisc.edu • About Assessment at UW-Madison: • http://www.provost.wisc.edu/assessment/ • About the Wisconsin Experience: http://www.provost.wisc.edu/teach.html About the Essential Learning Outcomes: http://www.ls.wisc.edu/gened/LEAP/default.htm University of Wisconsin-Madison Establishing Institution-wide Expectations for Student Learning Spheres of Influence Where do you fit? High-resolution Courses Academic Programs Co-Curricular Activities Institutional-level perspective More aggregated External stakeholders JLM/APA April 2008

  2. Where have we been? • Early 1990’s General Education Assessment • 1995 University Assessment Plan • 2003 University Assessment Plan • Year-long process • Specified roles and responsibilities across levels • Evaluation is part of academic life; system = assessment • Every academic program has to have a plan, do something (anything!) annually to evaluate student learning • Use assessment findings *locally* • Intentionally laid aside the specification of university-wide expectations for student learning

  3. Where have we been? • 2007 Assessment Audit • Explicit institution-level learning outcomes are necessary, basis for knowing how we are doing, for doing better • What expectations for student learning had been stated, agreed upon by the university community? • Examine expectations for student learning from existing documents • Our finding: Existing statements aligned with the Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs) • Recommendation: adopt ELOs as university-wide expectations for student learning • To: Provost, VPT&L, UAC, UGEC, LEAPers

  4. A number of campus groups have been independently discerning the distinctive nature of a UW-Madison education. These groups, units, and individuals have started to coordinate efforts in more intentional ways, and are converging on a shared understanding of the educational experience. Two intersecting sets of ideas have found strong resonance. The Wisconsin Experience at UW-Madison (WI-X) provides a description of the distinctive nature of the educational experience. The Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs) align to cross-cutting values and expectations for student learning that are present in existing statements and descriptions of the curriculum. Together, WI-X and the ELOs provide a framework for talking and writing about the educational experience. They are not prescriptive. Rather, they give us language to describe, to ourselves and to others, goals for student learning. And they provide a reference point for planning and evaluation. About the Wisconsin Experience: http://www.provost.wisc.edu/teach.html Leadership from Aaron Brower, Vice-Provost for Teaching and Learning, and Lori Berquam, Dean of Students. About the Essential Learning Outcomes: http://www.ls.wisc.edu/gened/LEAP/default.htm A multi-year national research project by the AACU and involving universities, students, business leaders, and the professions. UW-Madison leadership from Jolanda Vanderwal Taylor, Chair of German; Nancy Westphal-Johnson, L&S Associate Dean; Elaine Klein, L&S Assistant Dean. University of Wisconsin-Madison CONVERGENCE around the Wisconsin Experience and the Essential Learning Outcomes Wisconsin LEAP Project Provost Dean of Students VP-Teaching and Learning WAA University General Education Committee First-Year Experience/ Office of New Student Programs L&S Student Academic Affairs Reaccreditation Project ASM Study Abroad Office Essential Learning Outcomes University Assessment Council Office of the Registrar Libraries Academic Planning and Analysis Council of Associate Deans L&S TA Training Morgridge Center School of Pharmacy DoIT Academic Technologies University Communications University Academic Planning Council Faculty, staff, and students are represented across the various units JLM/APA March 2008

  5. Where have we been? • 2008 Preface to the Assessment Plan • Recognizes that expectations for student learning are implicit in many existing documents and policies • Recommends the language of the Essential Learning Outcomes as university-wide expectations for student learning • Discussed at three University Assessment Council meetings; adopted February 26, 2008 • {March 12 Gen Ed Breadth Event} • Presented to the University Academic Planning Council, March 28, 2008

  6. Where are we now? • Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs) • Wisconsin Experience (WI-X) • Together these two sets of ideas provide a framework: • for explicitly articulating students’ educational experiences and goals for student learning, curricularly and programmatically • for integrating efforts more intentionally across campus

  7. Where are we now? Institutional-level Perspective • Serves as a reference point for planning and collecting evidence at the local and campus-level • Provides a template for understanding where the “gaps” are and what improvements are needed • Sets a foundation for building a campus-level assessment report Institutional-level Challenges • Documentation and communication: how do we communicate to internal and external audiences what we value, what we do, what we’ve learned, and what we hope to improve?

  8. A number of campus groups have been independently discerning the distinctive nature of a UW-Madison education. These groups, units, and individuals have started to coordinate efforts in more intentional ways, and are converging on a shared understanding of the educational experience. Two intersecting sets of ideas have found strong resonance. The Wisconsin Experience at UW-Madison (WI-X) provides a description of the distinctive nature of the educational experience. The Essential Learning Outcomes (ELOs) align to cross-cutting values and expectations for student learning that are present in existing statements and descriptions of the curriculum. Together, WI-X and the ELOs provide a framework for talking and writing about the educational experience. They are not prescriptive. Rather, they give us language to describe, to ourselves and to others, goals for student learning. And they provide a reference point for planning and evaluation. About the Wisconsin Experience: http://www.provost.wisc.edu/teach.html Leadership from Aaron Brower, Vice-Provost for Teaching and Learning, and Lori Berquam, Dean of Students. About the Essential Learning Outcomes: http://www.ls.wisc.edu/gened/LEAP/default.htm A multi-year national research project by the AACU and involving universities, students, business leaders, and the professions. UW-Madison leadership from Jolanda Vanderwal Taylor, Chair of German; Nancy Westphal-Johnson, L&S Associate Dean; Elaine Klein, L&S Assistant Dean. University of Wisconsin-Madison CONVERGENCE around the Wisconsin Experience and the Essential Learning Outcomes Wisconsin LEAP Project Provost Dean of Students VP-Teaching and Learning WAA University General Education Committee First-Year Experience/ Office of New Student Programs L&S Student Academic Affairs Reaccreditation Project ASM Study Abroad Office Essential Learning Outcomes University Assessment Council Office of the Registrar Libraries Academic Planning and Analysis Council of Associate Deans L&S TA Training Morgridge Center School of Pharmacy DoIT Academic Technologies University Communications University Academic Planning Council Faculty, staff, and students are represented across the various units JLM/APA March 2008

  9. Question 1. Thinking about your role in teaching and the educational experience, where to you see resonance with the Essential Learning Outcomes? To the extent that the ELO’s resonate with you, how do they influence your work as an educator?

  10. Question 2. How do we know if expectations for student learning are being met?

  11. The following pages provide more information about doing assessment in your unit …...

  12. Figure 2. Examples of Assessment Strategies Implemented at UW-Madison Source: 2003 University Assessment Plan

  13. Figure 3. Practices that Contribute to Successful Academic Assessment Source: 2003 University Assessment Plan

  14. The Basic Assessment Plan 1. Specify expectations for student learning, goals When students finish this (assignment, course, program) we expect them to ___________________________ Not too many; stick with what you agree on. 2. One direct measure: Program faculty review senior work for progress to goals. For example selected projects from a capstone course. Also works for graduate theses. Subjective evaluations are acceptable. 3. One indirect measure. A survey or focus group that asks students: i) How well did they meet expectations for student learning ii) What aspects of this (assignment, course, program) helped their learning? Why? How? iii) What might be done differently to help them learn more effectively? Why? How? Placement rates, alumni surveys may also be useful. 4. Annual meeting to review results, findings, identify a some actionable improvements; decide on upcoming year measures. Modified from Assessment Clear and Simple: A Practical Guide, Barbara Walvoord, 2004.

  15. The Basic Assessment Plan: Use Scoring Schemes to Organize Judgment (Rubrics, Primary Trait Analysis)

  16. Liberal Education Scorecard, Wick and Phillips, in Liberal Education, V94(1):22-29 http://www.aacu.org/liberaleducation/le-wi08/documents/wi_08_Scorecard.pdf Figure 2b. Sample Liberal Education Scorecard: “Scientific Reasoning” Emphasis

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