Teaching and Learning Commons West Virginia University Assessment That works Teaching and Learning Commons West Virginia University

Meaningful assessment Faculty interests or concerns Both qualitative and quantitative, direct and indirect, formative and summative Focuses on the discussion and use of the data Future program reviews will follow this lead

Manageable assessment Specific and/or universal methods NOT required Assessments should be authentic, embedded Minimize redundant paperwork The documentation paradox – document everything My office stands ready to assist in every aspect, at any time

The university assessment council assessment plan Available online here None of the particular sections are required Anything can modified to any extent Completion of assessment plan and report can be used for program review and accreditation evidence

Fundamental #1: Outcomes Learning Outcomes What specific things do we want our students to be able to do that can be measured These belong in and to your program and your course They are different at each level but MUST connect Unit Course Program What will a student tell an employer in an interview that they learned to do in your program?

Writing powerful outcomes Keep it simple, avoid Academicese like this: Interpret and analyze a literary or filmic work based on artistic merit, narrative coherence, and social commentary and for its contemporary and historical ideological, political, and/or socio-cultural bias from feminist, Marxist, psychoanalytic, and historical-medical perspectives

Writing powerful outcomes DON’T DO THIS EITHER: Understand a range of knowledge in the discipline Students will be able to verb something in a context Interpret texts in social and cultural contexts from a variety of critical perspectives

Writing powerful outcomes Limit the number of outcomes to between 3 – 6 Remember, you must assess ALL of your outcomes Write outcomes that let your faculty and your students DO a number of things under one outcome The idea is that large portions of the curriculum often support ONE single outcome

The verb matters Its what the students actually DO It should match the level of learning See Bloom’s Taxonomy and list of verbs As a guide, not a holy text Don’t get lost in the weeds in a semantic argument over the difference between ‘analyze’ and ‘evaluate’

Long Term assessment cycle Cycle Year Academic Year Learning Outcome to be Assessed 1 2017-2018 Communication 2 2018-2019 SLO 2 3 2019-2020 SLO 3 This isn’t a holy text either, it’s a plan. If you need to repeat a year because you screwed something up or saw something work a second look, do it. If you want to skip an outcome because the results have been steady for a long time, do that too.

Yearly assessment cycle Four phases 1: Planning Phase 2: Assessment Phase 3: Analysis Phase 4: Action Phase – this is the one that counts

Planning Phase You’re in it – document everything you’re working on and put it in this year’s report Review assessment plans, tools, and previous action plans Are you doing what you said you would? Is it working? What next? If it isn’t working, what next? What are we assessing this year and where? Through what ‘assignments’?

Assessment phase This is really just getting the ‘evidence’ and setting it aside until you’re ready to score it Copies of assignments, either physical or electronic Use of eCampus to do this through Goals tool

Analysis Phase Score the evidence Run simple analysis Distribute results to faculty or relevant faculty groups or committees Discuss the results Document the discussion: everything else leaves a trace

Action Phase Generate, disseminate, and implement action plans based upon discussions This is what really matters In program review, to the HLC (institution’s accreditor), as well as most specialized accreditors Just about everything you might do counts As long as it can be connected to documented policies, processes, evidence, or discussions The narrative should always be focused on improving ‘student learning’ The University’s Assessment Council has a guide to action planning here

Curriculum maps A tool that ties curriculum, degree progression, and learning outcomes together In order to make decisions about the curriculum, degree progression, and student learning

Student Learning Outcomes 1xx 1xx 2xx 2xx 2xx 3xx 3xx 3xx 4xx Capstone 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Student Learning Outcomes 1xx 1xx 2xx 2xx 2xx 3xx 3xx 3xx 4xx Capstone 1 X X X X X X X X X X 2 X X X X X X X X X X 3 X X X X X X X X X X 4 X X X X X X X X X X 5 X X X X X X X X X X 6 X X X X X X X X X X 7 X X X X X X X X X

Student Learning Outcomes 1xx 1xx 2xx 2xx 2xx 3xx 3xx 3xx 4xx Capstone 1 X X X X X 2 X X X 3 X X X X 4 5 X X 6 X X X X X 7 X X X

Student Learning Outcomes 1xx 1xx 2xx 2xx 2xx 3xx 3xx 3xx 4xx Capstone 1 K A A A A S 2 K A S 3 K K K K 4 5 K S 6 K K A A S 7 S A A S K= Knowledge/Comprehension A= Application / Analysis S= Synthesis/Evaluation

Student Learning Outcomes 1xx 1xx 2xx 2xx 2xx 3xx 3xx 3xx 4xx Capstone 1 K A A A A S 2 K A S 3 K K K K 4 5 K S 6 K K A A S 7 S A A S K= Knowledge/Comprehension A= Application / Analysis S= Synthesis/Evaluation

Student Learning Outcomes 1xx 1xx 2xx 2xx 2xx 3xx 3xx 3xx 4xx Capstone 1 K A A A A S 2 K A S 3 K K K K 4 5 K S 6 K K A A S 7 S A A S K= Knowledge/Comprehension A= Application / Analysis S= Synthesis/Evaluation

Student Learning Outcomes 1xx 1xx 2xx 2xx 2xx 3xx 3xx 3xx 4xx Capstone 1 K A A A A S 2 K A S 3 K K K K 4 5 K S 6 K K A A S 7 S A A S K= Knowledge/Comprehension A= Application / Analysis S= Synthesis/Evaluation

Student Learning Outcomes 1xx 1xx 2xx 2xx 2xx 3xx 3xx 3xx 4xx Capstone 1 K A A A A S 2 K A S 3 K K K K 4 5 K S 6 K K A A S 7 S A A S K= Knowledge/Comprehension A= Application / Analysis S= Synthesis/Evaluation

Student Learning Outcomes 1xx 1xx 2xx 2xx 2xx 3xx 3xx 3xx 4xx Capstone 1 K A A A A S Essay Portfolio 2 K A S 3 K K K K Exam 4 5 K S Content Community presentation 6 K K A A S 7 S A A S K= Knowledge/Comprehension A= Application / Analysis S= Synthesis/Evaluation