Assessment & Evaluation Committee A New Road Ahead Presentation Dr. Keith M. McCoy, Vice President Professor Jennifer Jakob, English Associate Director Mary McLean, Research & Evaluation October 19, 2011

Assessment Evaluation Assessment & Evaluation A & E Committee Assessment Plan Next Steps

Assessment Process by which we measure student achievement of learning outcomes or attainment of aptitude.

Assessment Assessment Can… Answer questions about the learning of individual students Be used to determine the effectiveness of a single course, program, or institution Association of American Colleges and University. (2005). Levels of Assessment: From the Student to the Institution.

Assessment Student Learning Principles Evidence of student learning should be used for multiple levels of assessment: Classroom Level Course Level (across classroom sections of the same course) Program Level (across courses or learning units within a program) Institutional (across multiple programs within the institution) Best evidence of learning comes from direct observation of student work rather than from an input inventory (e.g., list of courses completed) or summary of self reports. Association of American Colleges and University. (2005). Levels of Assessment: From the Student to the Institution.

Assessment Evaluation Assessment & Evaluation A & E Committee Assessment Plan Next Steps

Evaluation Evaluation is a tool which can be used to help the institution judge whether a curriculum or instructional approach is being implemented as planned, and to determine the extent to which stated goals and objectives are being achieved. It allows the institution to answer the questions: Are we doing for our students what we said we would? Are students learning what we set out to teach? How can we make improvements to the curriculum and/or teaching methods? Fleischhman & Williams. (1996). Introduction to Program Evaluation for Classroom teachers.

Assessment Evaluation Assessment & Evaluation A &E Committee Assessment Plan Next Steps

Assessment & Evaluation Assessment and evaluation (program) are inevitably related. Assessment provides information about student learning and evaluation provides judgment on effectiveness. Assessment of student learning and evaluation of programs or courses are ongoing processes—not products.

Assessment & Evaluation: Levels Instructor Department & Administration Departments & Administration

Assessment & Evaluation: Challenge The difficulty of aggregating the results of student learning assessment up to the institution level presents a practical obstacle of using direct measures of student learning for institutional effectiveness. Volkwein. (September 2011). Gaining Ground: The role of institutional research in assessing student outcomes and demonstrating institutional effectiveness.

Assessment & Evaluation: Levels Class Answers questions about an individual student Is the student learning as expected? Has the student’s work improved over the semester? How well has the student achieved the learning outcomes set for the course? Are there any barriers (e.g., engagement, teacher effectiveness, curriculum, external factors) to student learning regarding the course content? Driven by an individual faculty member Association of American Colleges and University. (2005). Levels of Assessment: From the Student to the Institution.

Assessment & Evaluation: Levels Course Answers questions about groups of students in a class or across multiple-section courses Is student learning occurring as expected across multiple sections of a course? How well is the class collectively achieving the course’s content outcomes and objectives (at any one point, at the end)? Are the assignments helping students achieve the expected level of knowledge or skills? How well is the course fulfilling its purpose in a larger curriculum? Driven by faculty or the Department Association of American Colleges and University. (2005). Levels of Assessment: From the Student to the Institution.

Assessment & Evaluation: Levels Program Answers questions about programs (e.g., general education or concentration) Do the program’s courses, individually and collectively, contribute to its outcomes as planned? How well does the program fulfill its purposes in the entire curriculum? Are the courses organized in a coherent manner to allow for cumulative learning? Does the program advance institution-wide goals as planned? Driven by the Department and Administration Association of American Colleges and University. (2005). Levels of Assessment: From the Student to the Institution.

Assessment & Evaluation: Levels Institution Answers questions about the overall effectiveness of the institution to provide quality programming How well is the institution meeting the needs of its programs? Are the appropriate programs accredited or licensed? How well is student learning occurring in and evidenced from the institution’s programs? Driven by Departments and Administration.

Assessment Evaluation Assessment & Evaluation A &E Committee Assessment Plan Next Steps

A&E Committee: Responsibility Ensure that: Assessment and evaluation are occurring at all levels. Measurable and relevant learning outcomes are developed for the college’s programs. Program-level assessment and evaluation plan is created and executed. Assessment and evaluation plans address appropriate activities within the college’s annual plans. Assessment results and evaluative decisions are discussed with internal and external constituents, documented, and monitored. Decisions made about or change to curriculum or programs is further evaluated for effectiveness.

A&E Committee: Members Department: Chairs & faculty representative Program Directors (Nursing & Manufacturing Technology) Deans: Adult Education AVI Careers Continuing Education Instruction Student Services Vice President of Academic & Student Affairs President (ex-officio)

Assessment Evaluation Assessment & Evaluation A &E Committee Assessment Plan Next Steps

A & E Plan Course Level Step 1. Identify the leaders for the department (Chairs and Coordinators) Step 2. Define the mission of each department. Step 3. Define the goals of each department. Provide the basis for assessment and, therefore, should be defined adequately and clearly. Step 4. Define the student learning outcomes of each course.

A & E Plan Course Level Step 5. Inventory existing and needed assessment methods and select assessment measures and methods. Step 6. Select assessment methods and identify assessment targets. Step 7. Collect the data. Step 8. Analyze the results.

A & E Plan Course Level Step 9. Provide feedback. (Evaluation) The results and information gained should be distributed to the faculty and other appropriate parties to obtain their ideas on how to improve the program. Step 10. Implement changes. Step 11. Develop plan to monitor the changes and compare the results. Step 12. Review information. Review all of the information obtained from the assessment process and determine how this will affect the next assessment and evaluation plan. This provides the starting point for the next iteration of the assessment and evaluation cycle to continuously improve the course.

Assessment Evaluation Assessment & Evaluation A &E Committee Assessment Plan Next Steps

Next Steps Develop common vocabulary (review University of Central Florida document) Develop assessment plans for department-level (course-level) assessments Develop method for communication online (Sharepoint, Webplanner, etc.)

A&E Time Line

THANK YOU Daley on the move!