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Robert T. MundhenkAAACL Conference
9 April 2009
Internal Structures Coordination Faculty and Staff Involvement Instruments Reporting Mechanisms Integration into Governance and Decision-
making
BUT WHERE’S THE STUDENT IN ALL THIS?
We assume: A large degree of homogeneity among students Student cooperation in assessment processes Students fit traditional, decades-old models Learning skills fit traditional, centuries-old models Aggregated information is meaningful for planning Our control of the process of assessment
Standardized instruments like NSSE and CAAP: extra commitment of time with no “reward”
Internal assessments and surveys: extra commitment of time with no “reward”
Student performance on SLOs is center of all assessment practice, yet we assume students are simply data points
To some degree, in embedded assessments, capstone courses, internships, clinical experiences, and the like—because students see the work as meaningful
In other areas, the extent of our control of student effort and student work in demonstrating their achievement of student learning outcomes is dubious at best
Effective assessment needs both understanding of and participation by the students who will demonstrate their achievement of SLOs
Understanding learning and assessment from the student’s perspective leads to more meaningful and usable assessment data
Meaningful assessment strategies have to be important to both student and institution
Student performance depends on student engagement, so assessment processes should see the student as a collaborator in improving learning
HOW DO OUR STUDENTS DIFFER FROM THE STUDENTS WE WERE?
HOW DO OUR INSTITUTIONS DIFFER FROM THE INSTITUTIONS WE ATTENDED?
HOW HAS THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT CHANGED?
Students learn—and think about learning—differently
Blame Bert and Ernie for part of the difference Early learning patterns value:
Immediacy Brevity Interactivity Reactivity Learning as Gratification
Accommodating learning “styles” is less the issue than understanding new ways of thinking and communicating
Internet research replaces the stacks Wikipedia replaces Britannica Facebook and Twitter partially replace conventional
social interaction and engagement
Ours is a world of digital natives
Students are increasingly diverse: Race and ethnicity Gender Class Age Academic context Preparedness Employment status External pressures
Students are consumers, more likely to see the college experience as a transaction than as a transformation
Students are likely to concentrate solely on college less than in the past because of jobs, families, and other obligations
Much less autonomy: accountability to various stakeholders, including parents, boards, and legislators
Many more reporting requirements: transparency requires communication
Much more variable “subjects” (students)
Technology Multiplicity of goals and outcomes,
determined by students and stakeholders rather than institutions
Wide range of academic ability and interest
Discipline-based learning Traditional formats Implicit valorizing of traditional student life
ways Traditional assessment assumptions and
strategies Reductiveness of data-collection processes Relative meaninglessness of criteria used to
judge institutional effectiveness
Stop pretending that learning occurs in a closed, controllable environment—but establish systems that work across the institution
Plan to deal with variability of data and sources—but aim at consistency as well
Engage students not only in the process of learning but also in the process of assessment
Informing them of outcomes and expectations
Incorporating their strategies for learning and communicating in our work with them
Aiming at “deep learning” Incorporating assessments in student
assignments frequently, deliberately, and openly
Showing them that their engagement has an effect, beyond vague promises of improvement
Making them active elements in the process rather than passive subjects of institutional research
Helping them understand the connection between their learning in a course or activity and institutional goals for them
