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Assessing Learning Outside the Classroom at Gettysburg College

Assessing Learning Outside the Classroom at Gettysburg College. AICUP Assessment Workshop August 2006 Jeff Foster Director of Student Rights & Responsibilities and Coordinator of College Life Assessment Suhua Dong Associate Director of Institutional Analysis. Context and History.

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Assessing Learning Outside the Classroom at Gettysburg College

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  1. Assessing Learning Outside the Classroom at Gettysburg College AICUP Assessment Workshop August 2006 Jeff Foster Director of Student Rights & Responsibilities and Coordinator of College Life Assessment Suhua Dong Associate Director of Institutional Analysis

  2. Context and History • Small, private college of arts and sciences • Enrollment of about 2600 • Comprehensive Assessment Plan (2003) • Includes a report and plan outlining co-curricular assessment • Developed as part of self-study for MS re-accreditation • Focus on student learning assessment • Committee On Learning Assessment (COLA) • Members • Oversight of all learning assessments at the College • Co-curricular Learning Assessment Group (CLAG) • Includes representation from Athletics, Admissions, College Life, Institutional Research • Includes VP for College Life and VP for Enrollment & Educational Services

  3. Co-Curricular Goal Development • CLAG and COLA • Student Life Committee • Governance committee • Faculty, staff and student representation • Consulted widely in co-curricular areas • Athletics • Admissions • College Life programs • Students • Education Department faculty • Has been working with assessment and can provide some expertise

  4. Gettysburg College Co-Curricular Goals Overarching Goals: • Ethical Decision Making • Effective Communication • Collaboration and Teamwork • Local and Global Citizenship Objectives: See handouts The four overarching co-curricular goals are now in the process of being integrated with the general education (curricular) goals.

  5. Assessment Process (1) • Planning documents outlined a five year plan for CLAG • Developed Goals & Objectives during first year • Began assessing Goals in second year • Each year had an identified ‘goal of focus’ • Coordinated through CLAG meetings

  6. Assessment Process (2) • Two levels: institutional & program • College surveys • Focus on structured, intensive co-curricular programs • Use multiple methods • Emphasize program impact • Minimize administrative burden • Technical support from the IR available throughout theyear • Middle States resources

  7. Documenting Assessment Information • Annual summaries • Reporting Templates: 4 key components (Outcomes, Methods, Results, Utilization) • Dissemination and archiving: Assessment website

  8. Collaboration of Co-Curricular Departments and IR • IR staff serve on both COLA and CLAG • Primary roles: • Co-Curricular Divisions staff: Develop Goals and Objectives; determine annual priority Goal to assess; identify training needs & handle logistics; solicit summaries; set deadlines; follow-ups… • IR: Provide technical assistance to departments (e.g., consultations, trainings, developing tools/instruments, data analysis, quality assurance, tracking progress, Website)

  9. Accomplishments Our Steady Progress (So Far): • Articulated Overarching Goals • Started Goals clarification game at program level • Developed Standardized Reporting Templates • Assessing both process and outcomes • Meaningful assessment: emphasis on utilizing results for improvement • Collaboration: CLAG, IR, COLA • Created the assessment Website: http://www.gettysburg.edu/about/offices/ees/institutional_analysis/assessment_/index.dot • Enhancement in quantity and quality of assessments

  10. Challenges (1) • Co-curricular areas were doing assessment prior to implementation of plan, however, they: • Lacked common goals, uniformity • Had no standard or organized reporting method • Small privates typically do not typically link assessment/performance to budgets and planning in the same fashion larger publics may (less pressure, urgency) • Assessment is often a low institutional and departmental priority • Plan and reaccreditation assisted in moving it up the list, both institutionally and departmentally

  11. Challenges (2) • Department heads may be reluctant to make changes and add tasks such as assessment • Assessment culture: Institutional cultures may contain barrier • The sample challenge at a small college: How small is too small (for quantitative assessment)? • Workload for IR

  12. Thank you! • Questions & Comments? • Want to share more information? Contact us at jfoster@gettysburg.edusdong@gettysburg.edu

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