1. Motivating the Team to Focus on Assessment and Student Learning Outcomes
Kimberly Allen-Stuck, Ph.D.
Saint Joseph’s University
Philadelphia, PA

2. Assessment History at Saint Joseph’s University
2001 Team of 8 people attended an Assessment Conference
2001 – 2004 – Assessment Committee (grass roots)
2005 – Focus on writing student learning plans (via committee)
2006 – Program Review Process for the Division

3. Observations of our colleagues
Performers
Planners
Avoiders
The Unaffected

4. Qualities of Performers
Have relevant data on hand at all times
Have set assessment protocols
Know what they are tracking
Regularly share their results
Respond to the data they receive with continual improvement

5. Why the Performers succeed
Designated person for each assessment project
Combination of short automated surveys, on-line/telephone surveys and focus groups
Programmatic changes to meet student needs
Data is integrated into every report, presentation, and the website

6. Qualities of Planners Have lots of anecdotal data
Talk about surveys they have heard of or plan to develop
They find data that others have interesting
Know they either need to get started or need to analyze the data they have
Have very limited data available when it is needed

7. Motivating Planners Provide them with a base line of data
Assist them to define the goal of their assessment
Offer to assist with the administration of the instrument
Set a deadline for sharing analysis

8. Qualities of Avoiders Too busy for assessment
Designate the newest employee to oversee assessment
First to cite survey fatigue
Realize that there are no repercussions for not having data

9. Motivating Avoiders Start with benchmarking
Focus on 2 – 3 areas where the department dedicates the most energy
Work with them to set a plan for who, how and when
Discuss “What could be the best and worst outcomes of assessment?”

10. Qualities of the Unaffected
Have longitudinal data for the students they serve (headcount, gender, GPA)
Have data when asked, but it is not integrated into decision making
No mechanism for sharing data beyond the supervisor
Unlikely to have future plans

11. Motivating the Unaffected
Make connections between the unaffected and other departments that could benefit from their data
Ask deeper questions about the data trend
Probe about learning outcomes
Develop a sharing mechanism for assessment

12. Assessment Basics Buy in from the top
Provide a starting point (old surveys, trend data, tracking data, etc.)
Offer training sessions / discussion groups
Teams working on the bigger projects

13. An Assessment Team Pros Cons Sharing resources
Setting a calendar
Supportive Environment
Bigger picture opportunities
Cons
Varying levels of contribution
Lack of synergy
Lack to collaboration
Meetings are easy to skip

14. Individual Consulting
Pros
Focused discussion
Goal setting
Plans developed
Opportunity to challenge and support
Cons
Getting access
Time Consuming
Boundary blurring

15. Required Assessment Sharing
Annual Reports
Budget request justifications
Assessment sharing sessions (all staff meetings)
Populating an Assessment website – department designated areas

16. What do you already have…
In house data from the Registrar, etc.
Data already collected from national surveys (CIRP, CSS, NSSE, etc.)
Professional Association assessment tools
Old surveys that can be revised
Tools from Assessment companies

17. What assistance is available?
Professional association instruments
Contacting colleagues to view their instruments and outcomes
Attending Conferences
Working with Graduate assistants
Literature Review

18. Getting on the Same Page
Learning
Reconsidered
Frameworks for
Assessing Learning
and Developmental
Outcomes
CAS Standards

19. Learning Reconsidered 2
“A practical guide …”
Places student learning at the center
Clear explanation of student learning outcomes
Bloom’s Cognitive Development model
Implementing promising practices of collaboration

20. FALDOS Provides an overview of the Outcome Theoretical Context
Variables to investigate
Available instruments
On-line resources
Bibliography

21. CAS Standards Great starting point
Developed by professional associations
Provide an opportunity to look into functional area and make comparisons to industry standards
The departmental musts

22. Cycle of Continuous Improvement

23. Student Learning Outcomes
As a result of
[insert course, program or involvement],
students will
[differentiate, compare, summarize]
[the desired outcome].
And then say how you will know.

24. Components of the Learning Plan adapted from the California State University, Northridge
Program Mission Statement
Program Goal
Tie to University Goal
Program Objectives
Strategies
Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment Instrument and analysis

25. Creating the environment
Values Assessment
Sharing results
Continuous Improvement