1. + Assessing Student Staff Learning: Getting Started Amy White Norris University Center Northwestern University

2. + Learning Objectives As a result of attending this program, participants will know about: The value of learning assessment for student employees Types of assessments that measure learning Challenges encountered while learning how to assess student learning As a result of attending this program, participants will be able to: Translate methods of assessment to fit their own unions’ needs Describe how data is used to implement changes to training and development programs for student employees.

3. + NU Student Affairs Assessment Strategy

4. + Why assess student learning? Students learn through employment Student learning matters ■ Demonstrable outcomes ■ Funding, staffing, program support ■ Student Affairs is an equal partner in the learning process, and supports learning outside of the classroom ■ We want our students to learn, grow, and succeed in current roles and their professional future.

5. + Norris Student Employee Learning Assessment Why and How? In 2012, 42 Fourth-year students worked at Norris for all four years at NU ■Students are gaining knowledge/skills ■We want to quantify this learning to improve their experience Assessed the learning of first-year employees ■What do students come to Norris already knowing? ■What gaps in knowledge exist? How? ■In person interviews at the beginning of the year ■Quasi pre-, post- survey at end of year ■The Longitudinal Plan

6. + Baseline (StudentVoice) Assessment Cycle

7. + Step 1: Define the goals, objectives, and activities to achieve those goals Goals can come from many places: ■The overarching institutional mission ■Divisional goals ■Your union’s goals that are derived from division ■Your department’s goals, based on union goals. ■Break down larger goals into easier to manage objectives focused on student learning

8. + Norris Learning Outcomes Divisional Learning Outcome: Students who participate in Student Affairs programs, activities and services will acquire and use cognitive and practical skills that will enable them to live healthy, productive and purposeful lives. Department LO: Students who are employed by Norris University Center will demonstrate transferable work- related skills such as customer service, time management, problem solving, and conflict management, to be effective in student employment positions and future professional roles. Program LO: Students employed by the Norris University Center will gain and use job skills to perform their job responsibilities satisfactorily.

9. + But wait… What if I don’t have any of these?

10. + Step 2: Provide programs, services, and activities to achieve goals ■Identify programs, services, and activities that are already set in place to achieve the objective ■If there is no established program, think about creating one ■You may want to start with an objective that already has an established program for your first learning assessment project ■This eliminates the need to create and assess the program simultaneously ■Gives you a starting point to build and grow upon ■Narrow, narrow, narrow

11. + Step 3: Select assessment methods and create assessment measures ■There are many assessment methods to choose from ■Think about timing- stagger assessment methods to create data sets at different time intervals of the program to show growth and comparisons ■Combine multiple assessment methods to better pinpoint information through the employment of both quantitative and qualitative assessment methods, direct vs. indirect measures ■Look at information/data sets that already exist within your organization

12. + Different Methods ■Written reflections ■What was the most important thing you learned today? ■What was the most confusing topic today? ■What important questions remain unanswered? ■Checks for knowledge ■One sentence summary ■Concept Maps ■Final exam or paper ■Portfolio ■Reflection on how/what one learned ■Proposal for, and justification of a solution to a problem ■Survey ■Presentation or demonstration Formative Assessment Techniques Summative Assessment Techniques

13. + Why we chose our methods ■Created a baseline early in a student’s experience ■Rich qualitative data ■Engaged students with an assessment project they will interact with for 4 years ■We know that pre-test surveys don’t work well with our students ■But we wanted students to compare skill and knowledge ■Quantitative and qualitative data InterviewsQuasi pre-post Survey

14. + Step 4: Collect Data ■IRB? ■Use good research methods ■You aren’t going to do it perfectly the first time around, think optimistically but keep your expectations practical ■Be realistic about your scope ■Don’t reinvent the wheel

15. + Step 5: Review Assessment Results Ask yourself and your assessment partners: ■How did the results inform the questions I originally posed? ■What was significant in the findings? ■Was there a gap between what was intended and what was achieved? ■What improvements should be made based on the assessment findings? ■What are the implications for practice?

16. + Step 6: Use Results and Document Change How Norris did this… ■Create onboarding of student employees (centralized) ■Develop a student employee program that aligns with mission of the union and teaches employees work skills over four years of time ■4 Rotating themes, 1 each year ■Components for new employees, veteran employees, and student managers ■Assess your program the following year to see if your changes increased learning!

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18. + Step 7: Share the Results Share with anyone who will listen! ■Formal Settings ■Informally ■Bring learning into all conversations

19. + Comments about learning on the job “Before working at Norris I didn't have much experience with direct customer service. Now, I am a lot better at gauging the tone of a conversation and 'reading' the person I'm communicating with in order to establish the most effective way to communicate.” “Having a real job with expectations and people relying on me has definitely pushed me to be more organizational and responsible. I definitely have gained more of a professional mindset after working at Norris.”

20. + Comments about learning on the job “It has taught me the importance of Norris within the campus community and how the various departments of Norris work together to support the Norris mission.” “I've learned that good communication is just as important as good work. Also, being upfront, clear, and prompt is always better than guessing, sugarcoating, and beating around the bush.”

21. + Comments about learning on the job “I have become very conscientious about my office‘s work. I work very hard to help ensure that everything we produce comes out well because while my name is not on every project, my department's success is my success.” “I've basically learned how to combine efficiency, creativity, and good communication -- skills that I've been able to use outside of work”

22. + Challenges faced ■Data collection methods ■Observed vs. reported data ■Finding time to analyze ■Sharing the data ■Data storage (interview footage) ■A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing….

23. + The Longitudinal Plan: Year 2 ■Pre-test with Cohort 2 (this year’s freshmen) to check our assumptions of pre-test over-estimation ■ End of year survey with Cohort 1 and 2 (and the rest of the student staff) that mirrors last year’s survey ■End of year individual interviews with Cohort 1

24. + NU Student Affairs Assessment Strategy

25. + Baseline (StudentVoice) Assessment Cycle

26. + Let’s discuss Thank you! Contact me: Amy White Director, Norris University Center Northwestern University amy-white@northwestern.edu 847-491-2332