1. Assessment of Academic Advising: An Overview NACADA Executive Office Kansas State University 2323 Anderson Ave, Suite 225 Manhattan, KS 66502-2912 Phone: (785) 532-5717 Fax: (785) 532-7732 e-mail: nacada@ksu.edunacada@ksu.edu © 2012 National Academic Advising Association The contents of all material in this presentation are copyrighted by the National Academic Advising Association, unless otherwise indicated. Copyright is not claimed as to any part of an original work prepared by a U.S. or state government officer or employee as part of that person's official duties. All rights are reserved by NACADA, and content may not be reproduced, downloaded, disseminated, published, or transferred in any form or by any means, except with the prior written permission of NACADA, or as indicated below. Members of NACADA may download pages or other content for their own use, consistent with the mission and purpose of NACADA. However, no part of such content may be otherwise or subsequently be reproduced, downloaded, disseminated, published, or transferred, in any form or by any means, except with the prior written permission of, and with express attribution to NACADA. Copyright infringement is a violation of federal law and is subject to criminal and civil penalties. NACADA and National Academic Advising Association are service marks of the National Academic Advising Association. Rich Robbins, Bucknell University The presenters acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of NACADA colleagues Susan Campbell, Charlie Nutt, Mike Kirk-Kuwaye, Lynn Higa, Sharon Aiken-Wisniewski, Tom Grites, and Eric White in preparation of materials for this presentation The Global Community for Academic Advising

2. This General Session serves as an overview of the assessment process for academic advising… …a more in-depth, applied opportunity will be offered as a Workshop on Assessment of Academic Advising on Thursday from 9:00 – 11:45 The Global Community for Academic Advising

3. Understanding assessment Definitions of assessment Purposes for conducting assessment Evaluation versus assessment Key terms and concepts Engaging in assessment of academic advising Use of outcome data Agenda The Global Community for Academic Advising

4. Assessment “Assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs* undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning* and development*” (Marchese, 1993) * Advising is part of the educational process, not simply a “service” The Global Community for Academic Advising

5. Assessment “Assessment is an ongoing process of collecting information* that is aimed at understanding and improving student learning and personal development” (Angelo, 1995) * what we like to call “evidence” The Global Community for Academic Advising

6. Assessment “Assessment is a process that focuses on student learning, a process that involves reviewing and reflecting on practice as academics have always done, but in a more planned and careful way” (Ewell, 2000) The Global Community for Academic Advising

7. Assessment “Assessment is the means used to measure the outcomes of education and the achievement of students with regard to important competencies” (Pellegrino, Chudowsky, and Glaser, 2001) The Global Community for Academic Advising

8. For Academic Advising… “Assessment is the process through which we gather evidence about the claims we are making with regard to student learning and the process/delivery of academic advising in order to inform and support improvement” (Campbell, 2008) Assessment The Global Community for Academic Advising

9. What Is Assessment – The Intentions Assessment is intended to be a positive process, yet its connotations are often negative The focus has often been on activities that demonstrate accountability to the exclusion of those that are aimed at improvement The Global Community for Academic Advising

10. Program effectiveness Program improvement Program accountability Activities aimed at both improvement and accountability are important Most compelling purpose is “institutional curiosity” (Maki, 2002; 2004) –i.e, student learning and student achievement Assessment Has Multiple Purposes The Global Community for Academic Advising

11. Assessment or Evaluation? What Distinguishes Assessment from Evaluation? evaluation usually measures effectivenessevaluation usually measures effectiveness assessment usually measures outcomesassessment usually measures outcomes assessment focuses on programmatic issues while evaluation focuses on individual performances of advisorsassessment focuses on programmatic issues while evaluation focuses on individual performances of advisors assessment should be continuous and imbedded in the culture while evaluation is episodicassessment should be continuous and imbedded in the culture while evaluation is episodic evaluation of individual performance and evaluation of effectiveness of processes may be used as part of an overall assessment designed to measure program outcomesevaluation of individual performance and evaluation of effectiveness of processes may be used as part of an overall assessment designed to measure program outcomes The Global Community for Academic Advising

12. What Assessment is NOT Assessment is NOT episodic Assessment is NOT just about measurement Assessment is NOT about evaluating the performance of an individual staff / faculty / student Assessment is NOT solely an administrative process Assessment is NOT easy or quick The Global Community for Academic Advising

13. Assessment is An on-going cycle of activity A gathering of a variety of information and data Using this feedback for improvement of individual or program performance A team effort with faculty, staff, students, and administrators actively engaged A complex process of comparison The Global Community for Academic Advising

14. Goals of Assessment Improving academic advising process delivery programs Enhancing student success persistence retention The Global Community for Academic Advising

15. “…a lack of assessment data can sometimes lead to policies and practices based on intuition, prejudice, preconceived notions, or personal proclivities – none of them desirable bases for making decisions” Upcraft and Schuh (2002. p. 20) The Global Community for Academic Advising

16. The Assessment Cycle (Maki, 2002, 2004) Gather Evidence Interpret Evidence Identify Outcomes Implement Change Mission/Purposes Educational Objectives The Global Community for Academic Advising

17. The Assessment Flowchart Student Learning Outcomes Cognitive, Psychomotor, AffectiveProcess/Delivery Outcomes Mapping the Experience What experiences? When or by when? Gathering Evidence When gathered? Where gathered? How often gathered? From whom gathered? How gathered? Minimum performance criteria for success? Values Vision Mission Goals Programmatic Outcomes Sharing and Acting Upon the Results Interpret how results inform practice How and with whom to share interpretation Follow up on implemented changes Start the process all over again! (adapted from Darling, 2005) The Global Community for Academic Advising

18. The Assessment Matrix/Table Institutional Mission Statement Local Mission Statement Specific Goal or Objective Specific Process/Delivery Outcome or Student Learning Outcome Where Outcome Occurs When or By When Outcome Occurs Outcome Measure Minimum Performance Criteria for Success Data Instruments Action(s) Based on Outcome Data  Mapping of Outcomes  Adapted from Robbins, R. L. (2009). Evaluation and assessment of career advising. In K. Hughey, D. N. Burton Nelson, J. Damminger, and B. McCalla-Wriggins (Eds.) The Handbook of Career Advising (chapter 12). San Francisco: Jossey- Bass. and Robbins, R. (2011). Assessment and accountability of academic advising. In J. Joslin & N. Markee (eds.), NACADA Monograph #22: Academic Advising Administration: Essential Knowledge and Skills for the 21st Century (chapter 4). Manhattan, Kansas: NACADA. The Global Community for Academic Advising

19. Identifying Key Stakeholders: Who Should Be Involved? Colleagues, faculty, administrators, institutional researchers, staff, students, and institutional community Decide how the assessment team will interact, overlap, and/or support other institutional efforts Encourage stakeholders on and off campus Continuous communication and feedback is a must! The Global Community for Academic Advising

20. Building of a shared trust Building of a shared motivation Building of a shared language Building of support for academic advising institutionally-wide The result is a shared ownership and belief in the process Benefits of a Collective and Collaborative Process The Global Community for Academic Advising

21. Need to Involve Stakeholders at Each Step Pre-assessment Establishment of vision, mission, goals, and outcomes Planning for assessment Development of a shared definition and philosophy of academic advising and assessment Identification of assessment criteria and methodology Implementation Reporting of results Facilitating change The Global Community for Academic Advising

22. Values – What is considered important in regard to academic advising on the campus Vision – The aspirations of what academic advising can be on the campus Mission – The statement which reflects the purpose of academic advising on the campus that serves as the institution’s roadmap to reach its vision and affirm its values for academic advising Key Terms The Global Community for Academic Advising

23. Key Terms Process/Delivery Outcomes – Articulate the expectations for how academic advising is delivered and what information should be delivered through the academic advising experience Student Learning Outcomes – Articulate what students are expected to know, do, and value/appreciate as a result of involvement in the academic advising experience Mapping – The process of determining when, where and how the outcomes for advising will be accomplished over the students’ academic career and beyond The Global Community for Academic Advising

24. Process/Delivery Outcomes Typically what is evaluated via student satisfaction surveys e.g., “the advisor provided accurate information” e.g., “the setting for the advising session was appropriate” etc. Do not assess student learning, but evaluate what processes occurred during the advising interaction The Global Community for Academic Advising

25. Cognitive SLOs What do we want students to KNOW as a result of participating in academic advising? Know general education requirements Know about academic support services Know how to use the student information system to register Know how to use the catalog Etc……. The Global Community for Academic Advising

26. Behavioral/Psychomotor SLOs What do we want students to Doas a result of participating in academic advising? Generate their degree audit Make advising appointments Keep advising appointments Ask for help Access course descriptions and degree requirements using the online catalog Etc…. The Global Community for Academic Advising

27. Affective SLOs What do we want students to Value or Appreciate as a result of participating in academic advising? Value/Appreciate general education Value/Appreciate the advising relationship Value/Appreciate the process of learning Etc…. The Global Community for Academic Advising

28. Mapping of Outcomes The process of determining when, where and how the Student Learning outcomes for academic advising will be accomplished over the students’ academic career and beyond The Global Community for Academic Advising

29. Mapping the Learning Experience What should be learned: e.g., student knows the components of the institution’s General Education requirements Where it should be learned: e.g., orientation workshops, advising sessions, personal reading of catalog or curriculum guide When it should be learned: e.g., prior to first year (orientation); by end of first year (via advising sessions); by end of first year (via personal reading) The Global Community for Academic Advising

30.  Mapping of Outcomes  The Assessment Matrix/Table Institutional Mission Statement Local Mission Statement Specific Goal or Objective Specific Process/Delivery Outcome or Student Learning Outcome Where Outcome Occurs When or By When Outcome Occurs Outcome Measure Minimum Performance Criteria for Success Data Instruments Action(s) Based on Outcome Data The Global Community for Academic Advising

31. Measuring Outcomes Once the desired Process/Delivery outcomes and Student Learning outcomes have been identified, as well as when and where they will occur, the next step is to determine who or what will be measured and how the data will be gathered… …using multiple measures of varying types The Global Community for Academic Advising

32. Multiple Measures The multiple measures utilized should vary in type – Qualitative – Quantitative – Direct – Indirect This will help to insure the validity of the results of any single measure The Global Community for Academic Advising

33. Examples of Existing Instruments To be used as just one measure among multiple measures – ACT Survey of Academic Advising – Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) – Winston and Sandor’s Academic Advising Inventory (AAI) – NACADA Assessment of Advising Commission www.nacada.ksu.edu/Commissions/C32/index.htm The Global Community for Academic Advising

34. Other Sources To be used as just one measure among multiple measures –Data from National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) –Data from other nationally normed, standardized instruments -Existing institutional data The Global Community for Academic Advising

35. Dangers of Satisfaction Surveys there is often a difference between an advisee receiving good, effective academic advising and being satisfied with the advising process: –if any negative information is exchanged during the advising interaction, the student may respond negatively to the survey items even though the information provided was correct and the process of the interaction was appropriate –the student will likely rate the advising provided based on the type of interaction desired (e.g., informational, relational) The Global Community for Academic Advising

36. Measures can (and should) include existing institutional data Information from Institutional Research, Admissions, Registrar, etc. can provide tracking data, GPAs, retention rates, and other information you can utilize as assessment data – this can be a source of some of the multiple measures utilized (in addition to formal instruments, satisfaction inventories, and others) The Global Community for Academic Advising

37. For both process/delivery and student learning outcomes, you need to identify the minimum criteria for success of the outcome measure, e. g., number of students exhibiting a specific learning performance percentage of students exhibiting a specific learning performance advisor rating of student performance student rating of specific aspect of advising process advisor rating of specific aspect of advising process etc. The Global Community for Academic Advising

38. In the absence of any existing relevant measures of the identified student learning outcomes for academic advising, the initial cycle of assessment for any given desired student learning outcome should be considered a baseline data gathering effort Suggestion The Global Community for Academic Advising

39.  Mapping of Outcomes  The Assessment Matrix/Table Institutional Mission Statement Local Mission Statement Specific Goal or Objective Specific Process/Delivery Outcome or Student Learning Outcome Where Outcome Occurs When or By When Outcome Occurs Outcome Measure Minimum Perfor- mance Criteria for Success Data Instru- ments Action(s) Based on Outcome Data The Global Community for Academic Advising

40. So I Have The Data – Now What? Sharing and Acting Upon Results –Interpret results regarding how they inform the advising process/delivery, student learning, and decision-making – Determine with whom and how the results are reported – Decide how you will implement changes based on the results – Start assessment cycle again… The Global Community for Academic Advising

41. At the end of the day, assessment of academic advising is all about… developing consensus around collective expectations about student learning that should occur in advising gathering evidence in order to understand student learning resulting from academic advising using this evidence to support improvements in academic advising that will contribute to improvements in student learning The Global Community for Academic Advising

42. assessment is much more than just a single evaluation Remember: The Global Community for Academic Advising

43. Assessment as Research The Global Community for Academic Advising

44. NACADA View of Research NACADA views research as scholarly inquiry into all aspects of the advising interaction, the role of advising in higher education, and the effects that advising can have on students. It regards consuming and producing research as the collective responsibility of all members of the higher education advising community, including advisors, faculty, administrators, and students. NACADA Task Force on Infusion of Research, 2008 The Global Community for Academic Advising

45. Scholarly Inquiry May Include… Hypothesis testing Replication of existing knowledge in new setting Discovery of a novel phenomenon Development of a new theory Creation of new knowledge Evaluation of effectiveness of new implementation or approach The Global Community for Academic Advising

46. Methods of Inquiry Experimental Quasi-experimental Ex-post facto (after-the-fact) Correlational Historical Ethnographic (cultural interpretation) Phenomenological (description of experience) Case study Longitudinal Program Assessment The Global Community for Academic Advising

47. Remember… …a more in-depth, applied opportunity will be offered as a Workshop on Assessment of Academic Advising on Thursday from 9:00 – 11:45 The Global Community for Academic Advising

48. THANK YOU! The Global Community for Academic Advising