COURSE ASSESSMENT RECORD DATABASE (CARD) WORKSHOP Wendy Marley, Ph.D. Research Analyst Institutional Effectiveness and Planning Spring 2007

Why is the CARD important? The CARD provides valuable information that is used in a number of ways: Data from CARDs provided by all academic divisions is entered into a centralized database (also called the CARD) that provides an institutional perspective on the assessment of student learning. The CARD serves as the basis for an annual report with longitudinal comparisons including The number of assessments of each general education outcome, and The percent of assessments where the criteria for success was achieved. This information is shared with LCCCs AQIP-Assessment Design Team, faculty, administration, and program review committees as well as the Colleges regional accreditation and state quality award committees. For a copy of the CARD report, go to CampusNet, select IEP under Departments and then click on Reports.

When is the CARD due and to whom does it go? Each year, CARDs completed by the various Divisions are due June 15. They are to be sent as an attachment to Wendy Marley in Institutional Research and Planning

What semesters/terms are included in the annual CARD? All terms comprising a single academic year are included in a Divisions annual CARD. Note: an academic year begins with the summer terms and includes the following fall and spring semesters. For example, the 2006 academic year includes summer 2006 (CMDS code ), fall 2006 ( ), and spring 2007 ( ).

Changes in the CAR and CARD Forms The Course Assessment Record (CAR) and CARD forms have been revised for spring The revised forms can be accessed at Please remind your faculty to use the revised forms.

Why revisions? To Close the Assessment Loop The revised CAR and CARD forms ask faculty members to indicate whether they made the changes they suggested for continuous improvement and, if yes, what the results were. This information will allow us to better assess the extent of student progress and then develop strategies to further improve student learning.

The Revised CAR

The Revised CARD

ColumnEntry #1:DivisionDivision code (see column header) #2:CourseCourse prefix and number; add I after the number for Internet courses #3: Faculty MemberFaculty members first and last name #4: F/T P/T Status1 = Full Time, 2 = Part Time (see next page)

When an instructor is emeritus or does not teach a full load in your division: When completing the CARD, faculty who are not teaching a full load in your Division should be considered adjunct, even if they are full-time in another Division or are emeriti. Note: this is for purposes of the CARD only.

ColumnEntry #5:CMDS CMDS year and term code Year & TermNote: an academic year begins with the summer term and includes the following fall and spring semesters. #6:Course From the Course Description & Specific OutcomeOutcomes document; place an X in the column if a course specific outcome is assessed on the CAR #7-17: Gen EdsPlace an X in the appropriate column(s)

A Practical Suggestion The Challenge: As you complete more rows and move down the CARD form, the column headings disappear. One possible solution: Freeze the headings by clicking on the cell in the first column below the listing of the Division codes (i.e., click on cell A8) and then, from your Excel toolbar, select Freeze Panes under Windows.

ColumnEntry #18: Performance1=yes, 2=no, 3=partially Criteria Achieved?achieved (see next page)

How do you determine if the performance criteria was achieved? You must make the judgment by comparing entries in the CARs Expected Outcomes/Performance Evaluation Criteria column with the Assessment Data Analyses column. Often more than one assessment method will have been used and you must decide if, overall, the criteria were achieved (i.e., success), partially achieved, or not achieved. (See next page.)

Example of CAR with Multiple Assessment Methods

ColumnEntry #19-26:Assessment Enter an X under every method used Methods/Tools Used(e.g., ) #27:Summary of Summarize the faculty members Faculty Recommendationsrecommendation(s) for continuous improvement #28: Summary ofSummarize changes resulting from Results of Implementingimplementation of recommendation(s) Recommendationsin column #27 (if available) #29: Division(Optional) Director Comments

When there are multiple entries on the CAR, how should they entered on the CARD?

Each line on the CARD corresponds to one line on a CAR form. The first two lines on this CARD illustrate how to complete the form when two lines are reported on a single CAR. Please note that the first line corresponds to a new CAR and the following line is indented to indicate that these assessments are reported on the same CAR. When a single CAR lists assessments of two or more different course outcomes (i.e., two or more lines on the CAR):

When a CAR reports assessments of the same outcome in several sections of the same course, how are they recorded? When a CAR reports assessments of the same outcome in several sections of the same course, each of these assessments should be reported on a separate line of the CARD.

Example of a Completed CARD from 2005/06

Questions or Concerns? Contact Wendy Marley at x7743 or This presentation will be available as a Power Point tutorial on CampusNet at