Developing a Culture of Assessment Elizabeth Godfrey 14 September 2009 University of Auckland/UTS Sydney

What are our students learning? How do we know?

What is Assessment? “Systematic collection, examination and interpretation of qualitative and quantitative data about student learning and the use of that information to document and improve student learning” Cyclic process for educational improvement improve student learning, facilitate institutional improvements, validate institutional effectiveness

Shift in Focus Shift in focus to outcomes based assessment Accreditation processes in professional disciplines led, and possibly still do lead, the way Identification of generic graduate attributes Stimulated by increasing focus on quality assurance and accountability Recognising assessment is not just measuring, but entire feedback loop of changes informed by results

Scholarship of Assessment Department or Institutional Culture of Assessment Borrego, 2007

Scholarship of Assessment Scholarly assessment – informed by the literature but Scholarship of Assessment implies: Creating new methods and sharing across campus and to outside audiences Challenging the meaning, methods, results and consequences of assessment Credible and trust building systems that promote dialogue with stakeholders Ref. Mentowski & Loacker (1993, 2002) – Alverno College

What is Culture? Way we do things around here? Values, beliefs, attitudes – Something that emphasizes that we belong – we know how to act, react in this setting Dynamic not static – responsive to change both planned and unplanned

Culture in higher education “the collective, mutually shaping patterns of norms, values, practices, beliefs, and assumptions that guide the behavior of individuals and groups in an institute of higher education and provide a frame of reference within which to interpret the meaning of events and actions on and off campus” Kuh & Witt, 1988

Culture of Assessment “Culture in which the norms, values, beliefs and assumptions that guide behaviour highly value assessment as a scholarly activity that leads to new discoveries, connections, applications, improved teaching and student learning”

Culture of Assessment implies: Good assessment is integrated into department and program activities from the initial design phase Assessment is the responsibility of everyone in the organisation Organisational values, norms and policies should reflect the value of assessment and the expectations for participation

Looking for culture in teaching and learning practices is the tip of the iceberg

Behaviors Practices Observable and Tangible Cultural manifestations Shared and understood but tacitly rather than explicitly Unconsciously held - the core of the culture Cultural Values /Norms Beliefs and Assumptions Artefacts Model for Cultural Analysis

Unconsciously held – rarely discussed but recognizable by the group Senior students Faculty – shape practices and rewards Peers- role models Students enter, motivated to succeed and fit in – observe and respond to artefacts, practices and behaviors Rarely open to change by students – stable discipline with entrenched values and norms After sufficient repetition and finding what “works” develop shared cultural norms. Behaviors Practices Artefacts Beliefs and Assumptions Cultural Values / Norms Learning the Culture

Does day to day reality match vision and espoused values? Is time allocated for reflection on assessment results? Do all courses, programmes have clearly defined learning outcomes? Are assessment items explicitly aligned to learning outcomes?

Necessary Elements for a Culture of Assessment 1.Goal - Generic graduate attributes - core competencies for all students developed over time, integrated throughout the curriculum 2.Common assessment language 3.Staff ownership Committed or just compliant? Academic staff teams, across disciplines – plan, develop, implement and review data

4.Ongoing Professional Development Workshops, conferences, conversations….  assessment is achievable and engaging part of job 5.Administrative support and understanding – right from the top 6.Practical, Sustainable Assessment Plan Cost effective, realistic, integrated 7.Systematic – consistent and steady schedule

8.Student Learning Outcomes Basic L.O. for each course – measurable 9.Comprehensive Program Reviews Include assessment of student learning outcomes 10. Assessment of Co-curricular activities eg student exchanges, 11.Institutional effectiveness campus climate, academic support, library…

12. Information Sharing staff can learn from one another 13.Planning and Budgeting involve staff - 14.Celebration of Success demonstrates valuing and importance 15.H ow are New Initiatives received? automatic to think in terms of goals, objectives and method of assessment

Behaviors Practices Cultural Values /Norms Beliefs and Assumptions Artefacts Where and How intervene for Cultural Change? Unplanned Identify values ? unlikely Must reflect values to become norms

Developing a Culture of Assessment Know where we are Identify where we want to go Explicitly implement assessment practices and policies that reflect values and goals "measure what you value, rather than valuing what you measure."

References Biggs (2003) Aligning teaching and assessment to curriculum objectives (Imaginative Curriculum Project LTSN Subject Centre) Accessible at Borrego, M. (2008). Creating a Culture of Assessment Within an Engineering Academic Department. Paper presented at the IEEE/ASEE Frontiers in Education Conference, Saratoga Springs, NY. Kuh, G. D., & Whitt, E. J. (1988). The invisible tapestry: Culture in American Colleges and Universities. Vol 17 (1). Washington DC: George Washington University, Graduate School of Education and Human Development. Loacker, G., & Mentowski, M. (1993). Creating a culture where assessment improves learning. In T. W. Banta & Assoc (Ed.), Making a difference: Outcomes of a decade of assessment in higher education (pp. 5-24). San Francisco: Jossey Bass. Weiner, W. Establishing a Culture of Assessment Accessed at