From the IR Office To the Classroom: The Role of Assessment in Student Learning

1. From the IR OfficeTo the Classroom: The Role of Assessment in Student Learning Dr. John W. Quinley Dr. Brett Parker

2. From IR Office To The Classroom • Expansion of focus • History of student outcomes assessment • Rubric review project

3. Expansion from IR & IndirecttoClassroom & Direct

4. David Gardner “Nation At Risk” Commission Nation At Risk “We talk a good fight about wanting to have excellent schools when in fact we’re content to have average ones.” Shift

5. Institutional Effectiveness Movement (indirect) • Accreditation agencies • National professionassociations • National taskforces • State efforts Shift

6. Student Learning Outcomes Movement (direct) • What the student • Knows • Can do • Values • Appropriate Shift

9. Push • External mandates • Administrative mandates • Models, systematic approaches Shift

10. Model • Develops frameworks • Ties measures to core • Reports, analyzes findings • Uses findings • Integrates plans

11. Structure

12. Faculty the Key to Success • Involvement andmeaning • Decentralizedresponsibility withsupport • Sustainability

13. Palomba & Banta, 1999 “One of the distinguishing characteristics of successful assessment programs is the extent to which they engage faculty and others in the process.”

14. Keeton, 1998 “In order to maintain buy-in and relevance to purposes, it is important to decentralize the day-to-day assessment work while providing central support to the process. Everyone should be held responsible for his or her role.”

15. Maki, 2002 Morante, 2003 “The weight of trying to assess too many learning outcomes…may unduly tax faculty and professional staff who will need to…integrate the process of learning about student learning into institutional rhythms and practices.” “While all areas should be assessed, “an institution that tries to define all areas equally, for whatever reason, is more likely to get bogged down in minutiae and overwork, increasing the likelihood of missing the improvement of student learning.”

16. Pull • Discussion • Encouragement, coaching • Faculty led initiatives • Professional development

17. Engaging Faculty • On scale of 1-5, where is your college • On push? • On pull? • Think of an experience with push or pull that you would be willing to share with the group.

18. History of Student Outcomes Assessment

19. Isothermal Experience • Learning College • Assessment Taskforce • Learning outcomestatements • Criteria and rubrics • Curriculum mapping • Faculty quality improvement forms History

20. A Learning College Primer Learning College: To Improve Life Through Learning • Creates substantive change • Engages learners • Provides options • Collaborates in learning • Defines instructors needs by student needs • Supports learning by everyone • Succeeds only when learning documented O’Banion, 1997 History

21. Annual goalssince 1998 Procedure, responsibility, purpose,& timeline Taskforce & college-wide meetings Hosts assessment authorities Professional development Assessment Taskforce History

22. Communicate Effectively Through Writing… History

23. General educationstatements Criteria Individual class Extent of emphasis (0,1,2) List major assignments/assessments CurriculumMapping History

24. General Education Competency and Rubric Review

25. General Education Competency Statements • Communication • Problems • Interpersonal • Quantitative • Computer • Culture

26. Originated from QEP development process • Form teams • Review using provided list of questions, survey current usage, examine literature • Revise • Test revisions with students and faculty • Present revisions to steering team & administration • Present to college-wide assessment meeting

27. Questions • Content • Scale • Clarity and reliability • Usability

28. Revisions introduced at a Rubrics Faire • Reviewed rubrics highlighting any changes • Provide examples of rubric use • Sought input for additional revisions

29. QEP Update • Notes from the chairs • Faire • Literature • Assessment in supportareas • History and culture • CCSSE

30. Results of process • Changes were made to all but one rubric • In almost all cases the content areas within a rubric were not changed

31. Considerable revision aimed at clarity; often leading to reduction of detail

32. Consistency of across rubrics • Language • Formatting

33. In all but one case, the 1-4 scale was maintained, although changes were made to the description of one scale

34. In summary, the process has … • Shifted from indirect to direct measures • Included both push & pull processes • Arisen from sustainable and faculty driven efforts • Involved students in various systems of assessment • Engaged students in self-assessment

35. Resulted in meaningful data from many audiences • Led to • Improved programs • Improved instruction • Improved student learning

36. Plans for next year include… • Focus on two general education outcomes each year • Workshops for faculty to improve information literacy understanding and use • Speaker for interpersonal skills

37. From the IR OfficeTo the Classroom: The Role of Assessment in Student Learning Any questions or comments? Dr. John W. Quinley Dr. Brett Parker