Assessment and evaluation of learning plan

Anise Land

Capella University

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF LEARNING PLAN

WHAT IS AN ASSESSMENT?• “ an ongoing process of establishing clear, measurable expected outcomes of student

learning, ensuring that students have sufficient opportunities to achieve those outcomes, systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determining how well student learning matches our expectations, and using the resulting information to understand and improve student learning”

ASSESSING THE PROGRAM• Created to assess the current program, The Freshman Engagement Program, here at Rowan

University

• Identifying the stakeholders of the assessment plan

• How students and program objectives are assessed

• Delivery of assessment results

• What will be done with the results from assessments

ACTION PLAN• How do we assess a program?

• What are the steps of assessment?

• Who is being assessed?

• What are the goals of the program ?

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES • #1 By the start of their first fall semester, students will be able to demonstrate their readiness

through above average scoring on the college entrance exam.

• Objectives: SWBAT (Students will be able to)

• Complete pre-writing workshops to strengthen writing abilities

• Identify academic challenges and apply techniques to strengthen their academics by visiting the tutoring center bi-weekly

• Demonstrate their college readiness by finishing the summer preparation program with full attendance and completion of all assignments

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES • #2 By the end of the first semester, students will be able to locate various campus programs

and associations and participate in at least one

• Objectives : SWBAT

• Identify all campus activities by attending the annual campus fair

• Select three clubs, programs, or sport clubs that they might be interested in completing the campus fair

• Recognize which activity they are interested in and begin to participate

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES • #3 By the end of the first year, students will be able to analyze their academic growth through

peer review with other students

• Objectives: SWBAT

• List what they have learned academically through E-portfolios

• Identify any services they used on campus and how it helped them transition through end of the year survey

• Summarize the transition program in their own presentations to present to future students of the program; this leading to a peer to peer support system on campus

INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS

Admissions officers Used to create criteria for students wanting to join program

Faculty members Most important Responsible for individual learning objectives and program objectives

Program directors The connection to the institution’s leadership Publishes assessment results

Program assistants Ensure that faculty and students are working well together

EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS

High school guidance counselors Use assessment results to push program to at-risk students within schools

Financial aid officers Use results to present to federal and state funding to gain more aid for program

Field experience leaders Create an assessment that demonstrates student’s meeting objectives for field experience

TIME FRAME • Goal # 1 : summer before first fall semester

• Six-week, intensive preparation course

• Goal # 2: by the end of the fall semester

• 16 weeks

• Goal #3: end of freshman year

• 32 week, consecutive

MEASURING THE ASSESSMENT• “How can we assess appreciation of a subject, an openness to new ideas, integrity,

commitment to serving others, or self understanding?

• Assessment measures vary

• Rubrics

• Standardized tests

• Portfolios

• Two-minute papers

GOAL #1 • By the start of their first fall semester, students will be able to demonstrate their college

readiness through above average scoring on the college entrance exam.

• Rubric : “a scoring guide: a list or chart that describes criteria that you and perhaps your colleagues will use to evaluate or grade completed student assignments”

GOAL # 2 • By the end of the first semester, students will be able to locate various campus programs and

associations and participate in at least one.

• Reflection

• “some traits are not teachable; don’t hold faculty accountable for things they cannot teach”

GOAL #3 • By the end of the first year, students will be able to analyze their academic growth through

peer review with other students.

• Portfolios

• Gives evidence of clear purpose, student participation, illustration of growth, and student reflection

CLOSING THE LOOP• Using assessment to improve teaching and learning

BENCHMARKS • Internal : “an internal peer benchmark allows for students to gage their success by comparing

their results to those of their in-class peers or programs”

• Value-added benchmarks: continuous assessment through the first year of students of the program

SHARING THE RESULTS • Benchmarks display meeting of objectives

• Faculty use results of assessment to create a data chart comparing scores of program participants and their peers

• Faculty members share results with program directors

“TARGETING THE NEEDS OF TRANSITION STUDENTS”• Example title of data report

• Published, finalized copy of all assessments

• Program Director gives hard copy to the Dean of Academic Affairs

• Dean of Academic Affairs gives copy to university president

REFERENCES • American Association for Higher Education. (1996). Nine principles of good practice for assessing student learning. Retrieved from

http://teaching.uncc.edu/articles-books/best-practice-articles/assessment-grading/nine-principles

• Banta, T. W., Jones, E. A., & Black, K. E. (2009). Designing effective assessment: Principles and profiles of good practice . San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 9780470393345.

• Bresciani, M. J. (2011). Making assessment meaningful: What new student affairs professionals and those new to assessment need to know. National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.learningoutcomesassessment.org/ABstudentaffairs.htm

• Goldman, G. K., & Zakel, L. E. (2009). Clarification of assessment and evaluation. Assessment Update, 21(3), 8–9.

• Kinzie, J. (2010). Perspectives from campus leaders on the current state of student learning outcomes assessment. Assessment Update, 22(5), 1–15.

• Provezis, S. (2010). Regional accreditation and student learning outcomes: Mapping the territory. National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.learningoutcomeassessment.org/documents/Provezis.pdf

• Schuh, J. H., & Gansemer-Topf, A. M. (2010). The role of student affairs in student learning assessment. National Institute of Learning Outcomes Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.learningoutcomeassessment.org/documents/StudentAffairsRole.pdf

• Suskie, L. (2009). Assessing student learning: A common sense guide (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 9780470289648.

• The New Leadership Alliance for Student Learning and Accountability. (2012). Committing to quality: Guidelines for assessment and accountability in higher education. Retrieved from http://www.newleadershipalliance.org/what_we_do/committing_to_quality/download/