Making the Connection between

Assessment and Learning

More IntentionalCarol Rovello, Director of Employee & Organization Development

Sherian Howard, CAD Technology Chair

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

Welcome

Today’s Agenda:

1. Overview of A-B Tech’s AFL Project

2. A-B Tech’s Assessment Model

3. Summary and Future Plans

4. Final Questions

AFL Project Overview

• Project Objectives

• Participant Objectives

• Our Team

• Our Approach

Assessment Flow Chart

1. Conduct the Occupational Analysis

• Develop the occupational definition– Brief summary of the position– Tells who, what, how, and why

• Confirm and prioritize the primary duties– A duty is a general area of competence that

successful workers in the occupation must demonstrate or perform on an ongoing basis.

– A duty must have at least two tasks.

1. Conduct the Occupational Analysis

• Confirm the primary tasks

– A task is a work activity that has a definite beginning and ending, is observable, consists of two or more definite steps, and leads to a product, service, or decision.

– Frequency

– Criticality

– New employee

1. Conduct the Occupational Analysis

• Review the knowledge, skills, and traits needed to perform the job successfully and suggest changes, additions, deletions

– Knowledge is an understanding of and/or familiarity with facts and information.

– A skill is the ability to perform occupational tasks with a high degree of proficiency.

– A trait is an innate ability or distinguishing quality that allows an individual to complete a job.

2. Develop Program Competencies

• Broad areas of student learning that correspond to the occupation’s knowledge and skill requirements

• Traits are inherent, but instructor should know what they are

– To best advise students regarding their suitability for the occupation

– To develop learning activities that enhance those traits

3. Identify Student Learning Outcomes and Determine How

Student Learning Will Be Assessed

• Learning outcomes and assessment methods should be identified concurrently

• Learning outcomes correlate to one or more of the program competencies-identify for new programs-update/enhance for existing programs

4. Plan Student Learning & Assessment Activities

• At this level, assessment is concurrent with teaching and learning

• Activities provide…

-Information to the student

-Information to the instructor so s/he can make course/teaching adjustments

4. Plan Student Learning & Assessment Activities

• Examples include:

– Instructor lectures– Audio/visual/technology– Class activities– Lab projects– Assignments– Field trips– Prompts

5. Utilize Formal Assessment Tools to…

• Measure the extent to which the student mastered the knowledge and/or skills

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching

• Evaluate the effectiveness of the course

5. Utilize Formal Assessment Tools

• Assessment tools that we explored– Grading rubric – scoring guide for written

work, performance, or presentation

– Written tests, i.e. multiple choice – demonstrate knowledge

– Performance tests – demonstrate skill(s)

– Interpretive exercise – apply knowledge to new situation

– Reflective writing – students think and write about what they have learned and how they will use this information

5. Utilize Formal Assessment Tools

• If overall assessment results are poor for a particular topic, examine the…

- assessment tools- teaching delivery- activities

6. Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Program

• Consolidate and Compare assessment results for all courses

• Review capstone course outcomes and student portfolios

6. Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Program

(continued)

• Compare results with program competencies

• Re-evaluate program competencies and adjust as needed

– Advisory committee input– Occupational analysis

6. Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Program

• Use assessment results to make course and program improvements.

• An intentional process

Summary and Future Plans

• What we have learned

• Next steps

• How we will share this information

• Questions?