GENERAL EDUCATION ASSESSMENT Nathan Lindsay January 22-23,

2 What is General Education Assessment at UMKC What assessment would mean for you if you teach a Gen Ed course How to get a course approved as a Gen Ed course (the Approval Form)

Goals for Revision 3 General Education goals are: a.To increase student engagement b.To provide an opportunity to define student learning outcomes for general education c.To facilitate transfer from other higher education institutions d.To ensure alignment with state and national guidelines

Which of the following is not a UMKC Gen Ed learning outcome? 4 1.Culture and Diversity 2.Civic Engagement 3.Communication Skills 4.Technology and Information Literacy 5.Leadership 6.Scientific Reasoning and Quantitative Analysis

The Great Eight 5 General Education Learning Outcomes 1.Communication skills 2.Technology and information literacy 3.Scientific reasoning and quantitative analysis 4.Arts and humanities 5.Interdisciplinary and innovative thinking 6.Culture and diversity 7.Human values and ethical reasoning 8.Civic and community engagement learning-outcomes.pdf

Blooms Taxonomy 6 Measurement of student learning outcomes and General Education assessment across the nations higher learning institutions have focused on: Two Year outcomes – Knowledge, Comprehension, and Application Four Year outcomes – Application, Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation

Who is primarily responsible for General Education Assessment? 7 1. Faculty 2. Department Chairs 3. Assistant Vice Provost for Assessment 4. General Education Committee 5. University Assessment Committee

Measurements 8 There will be a combination of: Formative and Summative Assessments Direct and Indirect Assessments

Direct Assessments 9 Course Embedded Assessments Final papers from discourse, anchor, and platform classes, which are graded with a rubric Final projects from capstone courses, which are assessed with an evaluation form Final Exams in which test items are linked to learning outcomes Rubrics can be formulated and/or enhanced for these signature assignment evaluations at

Direct Assessment (cont.) 10 Standardized Assessment Educational Testing Service Proficiency Profile (ETS-PP) is given to all students after they have completed 70 credit hours. Completion is a requirement of graduation. Assesses student skills in: 1.Reading 2.Writing 3.Critical Thinking, and 4.Mathematics

Indirect Assessment 11 Office of Institutional Research & Planning Each year, a survey is conducted of all graduating seniors regarding their experiences at UMKC. Questions solicit students perception of their general learning that are based upon Gen Ed learning outcomes.

Measurements 12 Assessing General Education at UMKC will focus on the eight learning outcomes and will consist of: 1.Course embedded assessments 2.Standardized instruments (ETS-Proficiency Profile) 3.Student surveys/reflections (Senior Student Survey)

Curriculum Mapping 13 GEOC Model Proposed Courses Level I Courses Level II Courses Prerequisite: Discourse I Platform Courses Prerequisite: Discourse I or II Level determined by learning outcomes of the course. Level III Courses Prerequisite: Discourse II; Upper-level course required by all transfer students Assessment UMKC General Education Student Learning Outcomes Anchor I (3) Discourse I (3) Anchor II (3) Discourse II (3) Platform I (3) Platform II (3) Platform III (3) Platform IV-Elective (3) Anchor III (3) Discourse III (3) Co-Requisites Communication Skills X X X Technology & Information Literacy X X Interdisciplinary & Innovative Thinking X Human Values & Ethical Reasoning (X) X Culture & Diversity X Civic & Community Engagement X Scientific Reasoning & Quantitative Analysis (X) X Arts & Humanities X (X) As new General Education courses gain approval during 2012–2013, a curriculum map will be developed similar to the one seen here. It is important to notice that the courses will be ordered in relation to their specific learning outcomes. The Office of Assessment and the General Education Curriculum Committee will work to ensure these outcomes are properly assessed, and will continue to tweak all outcomes that need further development moving forward.

Gen Ed Course Review 14 Initially, courses will be reviewed and/or revised on a 1-3 year, rotating basis. Determination in the review process will primarily focus on the three Ws: 1.Whether and/or how learning outcomes are being assessed 2.Whether students performance is meeting expectations 3.Whether faculty are using assessment results to make improvements in their pedagogy and curriculum

Reporting 15 Each year, instructors who are teaching a Gen Ed course will submit the following details of their assessment plan in a report to the Assistant Vice Provost for Assessment: Learning outcomes Measurements Achievement targets Findings, and Action plans Assessment findings are not required for each semester, but should be collected at least once a year. Based on the individual course reports, summaries of the assessments for each of the 8 Learning Outcomes across campus will be submitted in WEAVE each year by the Assistant Vice Provost.

Course Approval Form 16 Question 1 Which of the General Education learning outcomes does this course address? You should mark no more than one, because whatever is marked, must be assessed.

Course Approval Form 17 Question 2 How will the learning outcomes be addressed? Looking for specifics about how the course meets or is related to the learning outcome listed in the previous question. How is the content of the course conceptually linked to the learning outcome? What content or activities are related to the learning outcome? Refer to and reference the language from the Eight Learning Outcomes assessment.cfm, but make the description more specific for your course. assessment.cfm Course-specific learning outcomes should be written for the course, which are related to one of the Eight Learning Outcomes.

Course Approval Form 18 Question 3 Will the course include any of the following high-impact experiences? Service Learning Undergraduate Research Learning Communities Study Abroad Internship Other

Course Approval Form 19 Questions Specific to the Anchor Courses How will the course connect or interact with the Discourse class? How will the course be interdisciplinary in nature? How will instructors interact in this course (what percentage of class time will be shared and how) and how will team-teaching be integrated into this course?

Course Approval Form 20 Question 4 How will the learning outcomes be assessed? This answer requires a description of both the means and frequency of assessment to be administered. This might include essays, quizzes, exams, group projects, portfolios, etc. Using the final test or paper in the course is the most typical means of assessing the learning outcome. A rubric or an evaluation form connected to your learning outcomes is highly recommended. If you are using a test, you should connect specific items on the test to the learning outcomes. Do NOT list course grades. The data you collect should give you insights regarding where students are stronger and weaker (in terms of specific sub-outcomes measured on your test or rubric).

Course Approval Form 21 Question 5 What is the achievement target for the students learning outcomes? Includes expectations of general performance and percentage of students expected to perform at higher levels. The achievement target is usually between 70-90%, and should be a goal to strive for.

Discuss 22 What are the next steps for you and your colleagues to address General Education course design and assessment?

23 Questions?