Bryn Mawr College Mark Freeman , Director of IR, Planning, and Assessment

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Lessons Learned from a Consortium Approach to Assessing StudentLearning at the Department Level: A Teagle-Funded Collaboration

BRYN MAWR COLLEGEMark Freeman, Director of IR, Planning, and Assessment

Nathan Wright, Assistant Professor of Sociology

HAVERFORD COLLEGECathy Fennell, Director of IR

SWARTHMORE COLLEGERobin Huntington Shores, Director of IR

AICUP Assessment Workshop August 7, 2012

www.brynmawr.edu/institutionalresearch/teagle/Project website:

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Similar to many other Teagle Systematic Improvement projectsInstitutional

collaboration is central.Emphasis is on closing

the loop: using assessment results for institutional improvement.

Dissemination of findings is key: changing institutional cultures around assessment, both internally and externally.

Articulating Learning Goals & Objectives

Applying Teaching & Learning

Strategies

Assessment of Learning

(measures/data gathering/analysis)

Using the results for pedagogical or

curricular improvement

www.brynmawr.edu/institutionalresearch/teagle/


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Dual focus of the grant: Effective and Sustainable assessment

Organic, growing,

Culture of Assessment

Leadership decisions in support of sustained

assessment


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' 09 Sep2009

Feb2010 Jul Dec May

2011 Oct Mar2012 ' 12

Retreat VI: Disseminating results

Retreat V: Closing the loop

Retreat IV: Evaluating assessment results

Retreat III: Organizational supports for assessment

Retreat II: Developing measures

Retreat I: Defining goals

Developing learning goals

Developing measures

Gathering data

Analyzing results

Closing the loop

Tri-College Teagle grant timeline


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Initial Teagle grant, now extended!Round One Departments

Round Two Departments

Humanities English, BMC English Literature, SC History, HC

Natural Sciences Chemistry, HC Computer Science, SC Geology, BMC

Social Sciences Educational Studies, SC Psychology, HC Sociology, BMC (attending)

Humanities French, BMC Philosophy, SC Spanish, HC

Natural Sciences Computer Science, HC Physics & Astronomy, SC Psychology, BMC

Social Sciences Economics, BMC Economics, HC Political Science, SC


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Stakeholders and sustainability

Organic, growing,

Culture of Assessment

Leadership decisions in support of sustained

assessment


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Stakeholder Relationships: Multilateral Leadership Issues

Provosts

DeferenceFacultyExperti

seIR

Sust

aina

bilit

y Fo

cus

Questions requiring Provost action1. What are the preferred

moments to institutionalize department-level assessment of student learning?

2. Where does accountability for department-level assessment of student learning reside?

3. Who is responsible for sustaining support?• Leadership• Expertise• Coordination


8

Stakeholder Relationships: Multilateral Leadership Issues

Provosts

DeferenceFacultyExperti

seIR

Sust

aina

bilit

y Fo

cus

Questions requiring Provost action1. What are the preferred

moments to institutionalize department-level assessment of student learning?

2. Where does accountability for department-level assessment of student learning reside?

3. Who is responsible for sustaining support?• Leadership• Expertise• Coordination


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Lessons learned in navigating the IR role in assessment


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Faculty flexibility trumps efficiency


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Take what we can get


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Doesn’t quite fit the model suggested by our accrediting agency


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Creating time and space for assessment is a non-trivial consideration

(ASSESSMENT AS AN ADD-ON) (ORGANIC CULTURE OF EVIDENCE)


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Emphasize inter-DEPARTMENTAL over inter-INSTITUTIONAL collaboration among faculty

(assessment)


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Raising the stakes may not yield better results

Documents

Bryn Mawr College Mark Freeman , Director of IR, Planning, and Assessment