How to Assess Common Reading Programs 9/15/2018 How to Assess Common Reading Programs Leslie Jo Sena Suzanne Smith, PhD Karen Weathermon, PhD 37nd Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience February 11, 2018, San Antonio, Texas Template D Plain-white-dark

Participants Will Identify the goals of their Common Reading program Articulate measurable target outcomes Identify programmatic features to be used as sorting points Consider the desired uses of data

Washington State University Common Reading at Washington State University

Introductions Name and position Features of your institution Features of your program What is your need for assessment?

What are we Measuring? Programmatic Outcomes 9/15/2018 What are we Measuring? Programmatic Outcomes Framed on the survey as students’ First-Year Experience Template D Plain-white-dark

Programmatic Goals The target goals for your program for students: What do you hope that students will experience as a result of your program? What are behaviors or attitudes that you hope will result from your program? What are relevant broader first-year program goals your common reading program might address?

Sample Goals Promote connections among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the wider community. Illustrate how a complex issue can be explored from a variety of perspectives. Generate vigorous discussions and exchanges of diverse ideas. Develop a lifelong love of learning and reading. Introduce and promote the intellectual resources of campus. Draw students into reading and reflection.

Translating Goals into Outcomes How can you measure this goal? What can your respondents reliably report? What is your question really measuring? Attitude, behavior, understanding? Outcome statements should be able to be rated “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree”

Sample Outcome Statements “During my first semester / year / quarter…” I felt like part of the academic community at … I talked to faculty outside of class. I had opportunities to consider a variety of opinions. I learned how different disciplines address a common problem. Without “the book helped me to…”

Questions and Reporting In your group did you have any outcomes in common? What outcome is most particular to your program? What was an outcome that was difficult to turn into a statement? Other insights?

Points of Contact and Demographics Where the Correlations Come From

Correlation on the Survey Asking students to report demographic and situational data Asking students to rate outcome statements for their first-year experience Asking students to report their involvement with the Common Reading program Correlating students’ involvement with the CR program with how they rated their FYE statements

Features of your Program What features of your program should affect specific outcomes? (what conditions or activities do you think get students toward your outcomes?) Yes/No Questions: For example, students did or did not receive the book Quantifiable involvement: For example, students attended no events, one, two, or more than two? Student had no classes, one, or more than one class that used the book

Sample Point of Contact Questions Are you aware that WSU has a Common Reading program? Did your first-year seminar use the book? How many courses that you took addressed the book? How many Common Reading events did you attend? Did you attend the author’s lecture? Did you participate in Common Reading programs in your residence hall?

Demographic and Situational Data With points of contact as well as demographic info – ask for everything you can think of! Age range relevant to your institution Housing, commuter, other situational data Book distribution and reading progress Behavioral information, discussions, etc. Can link with ID for other correlation data

Sample Correlations Does when/how students receive their book correlate with how much they read? Do student ratings of their interest in the book correlate with how they rated their FYE items? Did a greater level of contact with the Common Reader correlate with better ratings for outcomes? Did residential students report different behaviors or contact with the program than commuters?

Linking Assessments Andersen suggests that we use “multiple measures and methods” to corroborate results. Interviews, focus groups, writing prompts Adding assessment questions to an existing survey on your campus Individual event surveys –short and simple Can gather different information Measurements at different points in the semester Hand out two different questionnaires

Use of Results To “inform, change, or confirm existing practices” (Randy Swing) Feedback for faculty and other participants Institutional reports Link with other assessments or on-campus initiatives (NSSE, EBI, BSSE, etc.) Link with common reading assessments at other institutions Gauging student attitudes around themes

Questions and take-aways What is your “One Thing?" Thank you! Please don’t hesitate to contact us as you continue on your process. We appreciate you filling out your session assessment!