1. Assessing General Education Programs GE Fall Retreat 2010 Kathleen Thatcher

2. GE P ROGRAMS Common General Education Models: 1.Distribution model 2.Core Liberal Arts model 3.Individual Student Development model 4.Mixed models

3. T EACHING & L EARNING

4. Assessment: GE Programs Assessment is an ongoing process designed to monitor and improve student learning by identifying: – What is working well – What requires improvement or changes *Assessment Vocabulary (pg. 13)*

5. Assessment: GE Programs Assessment Steps 1. Develop learning outcomes 2. Check for alignment between curriculum and the outcomes 3. Develop an assessment plan 4. Collect assessment data 5. Use results to improve the program 6. Routinely examine the assessment process Accreditation

6. GE Programs What do we want our students to learn (pg 25 – 33)? Greater expectations Other recommendations Preparation for the workplace

7. GE M ISSION, G OALS, AND O UTCOMES * Mission Goals Outcomes* A description of the overall vision or purpose of general education within the institution. Broad statements about the types of learning that are fostered within a program, such as communication and problem-solving skills. Associated with each goal, they describe, in behavioral terms, how students can demonstrate that each goal has been met. *Sometimes called objectives

8. GE L EARNING O UTCOMES Outcomes Associated with each goal, they describe, in behavioral terms, how students can demonstrate that each goal has been met. Examples: Organize information coherently (written communication) Identify a problem or argument (critical thinking/problem solving) Differentiate facts from opinions or emotional responses (critical thinking/problem solving)

9. GE L EARNING O UTCOMES Define clear and measureable learning outcomes Be sure your outcomes are clear and measureable Outcomes should be aligned with: curriculum courses institution

10. GE L EARNING O UTCOMES D EFINE CLEAR AND MEASUREABLE LEARNING OUTCOMES Students will be able to synthesize information from different disciplines or perspectives to solve problems, gain new experiences, or create new things. Students will understand how concepts of sustainability are connected to issues of social justice, the environment, and the economy.

11. GE L EARNING O UTCOMES Examples found on pages 39 – 81 Additional Outcomes Resources pages 82 – 90

12. CourseGE Outcome 1GE Outcome 2GE Outcome 3 Freshmen Basic Skills Course 1 I Freshmen Basic Skills Course 2 I Freshmen Basic Skills Course 3 I Freshmen Basic Skills Course 4 Sophomore-Level courses DDD Capstone/Upper Division Course(s) MMM I=Introduce—outcomes are introduced at the basic level. D=Develop—students are given opportunities to practice, learn more about, and receive feedback to develop more sophistication. M=Mastery—students demonstrate mastery at a level appropriate for graduation. A LIGNMENT M ATRIX E XAMPLE

13. CourseGE Outcome 1GE Outcome 2GE Outcome 3GE Outcome 4GE Outcome 5 A I, D B DD C DI D D,M M I=Introduce—outcomes are introduced at the basic level. D=Develop—students are given opportunities to practice, learn more about, and receive feedback to develop more sophistication. M=Mastery—students demonstrate mastery at a level appropriate for graduation. *See also: pages 101 – 120 for the Grading Alignment Matrix and additional alignment resources*

14. L EVELS OF GE A SSESSMENT Course Level: Places power in the hands of the faculty. Strong potential for course improvement. Leadership and coordination is critical to assure valid and reliable data. Program Level: Identifies connections between courses. Promote multi-disciplinary conversations. Efficient and cost effective. Institutional Level: Most likely to results in campus-wide multi- disciplinary conversations. Valid and reliable data. Central coordination is critical. Closing the loop can be a challenge. *More detailed information on pages 125 – 132.

15. C RITERIA FOR S ELECTING A SSESSMENT T ECHNIQUES Validity Reliability Actionable Results Efficiency and Cost Effectiveness Engaging Procedures *See pages 121 – 125 for more specific information regarding the above list.*

16. W ARNING : Don’t let this happen to you GE program!!!

17. A LIGNED O UTCOMES  A SSESSMENT P LAN 1.Where are they learned? a)Which courses? 2.How are they learned? a)By what types of activities? 3.How are they being assessed? a)Which techniques? b)Frequency? (timeline) 4.How is the assessment data being used? a)Improvement b)Proving GE A SSESSMENT P LAN

18. G EN. E D. A SSESSMENT P LAN : W HO ? W HAT ? W HEN ? W HERE ? H OW ? How will the outcomes be assessed? Who will collect and analyze the data? Where and how data will be collected? When and how often each outcome will be assessed? Who will reflect on the results and close the loop, when needed, by implementing appropriate changes? How will results and implications be documented?

19. GE A SSESSMENT P LAN Multiple Measures  Direct measures  Indirect measures Data triangulation If results are consistent across multiple measures, they triangulate. Helpful tips:  It is not necessary to assess every outcome every year.  Plans should be flexible.  Use appropriate sample sizes: do not try and assess all students.

20. GE D IRECT M EASURES Assessment Technique AdvantagesDisadvantages Standardized Tests (CAAP) Professionally developed; reliable; valid; allow for comparison groups Alignment with outcomes; Student/faculty motivation Locally Developed Tests Alignment with outcomes; Authentic assessment Reliability and validity; Lack norm groups Embedded Assessment Authentic assessment; Performance assessment; Faculty/student motivation; Data collection is fair Reliability and validity; Faculty must agree; Safeguards for faculty Portfolios Student responsibility; Metacognition; Advising uses Time intensive; Student motivation Rubrics Learning criteria are clear; Valid, reliable, and actionable Inter-rater reliability; Establishing standards; Pages 146 - 179

21. GE I NDIRECT M EASURES Assessment TechniqueAdvantagesDisadvantages Surveys (CCSSE, Course Evals) Flexible; Efficient and cost effective Response rate; Valid responses; Motivation issues Interviews Flexible; Interaction/follow-up questions Scheduling issues; Small sample size; Validity Focus Groups Collect in-depth perspectives; Extremely time intensive; Validity Student self-assessment Students develop metacognitive skills Data can be difficult to interpret Pages 180 - 207

22. Three Helpful Questions Is the assessment: 1. Meaningful? 2. Manageable? 3. Sustainable?