1. How to Assess Common Reading Programs
9/15/2018
How to Assess Common Reading Programs
Leslie Jo Sena
Suzanne Smith, PhD
Karen Weathermon, PhD
37nd Annual Conference on the First-Year Experience
February 11, 2018, San Antonio, Texas
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2. Participants Will Identify the goals of their Common Reading program
Articulate measurable target outcomes
Identify programmatic features to be used as sorting points
Consider the desired uses of data

3. Washington State University
Common Reading at
Washington State University

4. Introductions Name and position Features of your institution
Features of your program
What is your need for assessment?

5. What are we Measuring? Programmatic Outcomes
9/15/2018
What are we Measuring? Programmatic Outcomes
Framed on the survey as students’ First-Year Experience
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6. Programmatic Goals The target goals for your program for students:
What do you hope that students will experience as a result of your program?
What are behaviors or attitudes that you hope will result from your program?
What are relevant broader first-year program goals your common reading program might address?

7. Sample Goals
Promote connections among students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the wider community.
Illustrate how a complex issue can be explored from a variety of perspectives.
Generate vigorous discussions and exchanges of diverse ideas.
Develop a lifelong love of learning and reading.
Introduce and promote the intellectual resources of campus.
Draw students into reading and reflection.

8. Translating Goals into Outcomes
How can you measure this goal?
What can your respondents reliably report?
What is your question really measuring? Attitude, behavior, understanding?
Outcome statements should be able to be rated “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree”

9. Sample Outcome Statements
“During my first semester / year / quarter…”
I felt like part of the academic community at …
I talked to faculty outside of class.
I had opportunities to consider a variety of opinions.
I learned how different disciplines address a common problem.
Without “the book helped me to…”

10. Questions and Reporting
In your group did you have any outcomes in common?
What outcome is most particular to your program?
What was an outcome that was difficult to turn into a statement?
Other insights?

11. Points of Contact and Demographics
Where the Correlations Come From

12. Correlation on the Survey
Asking students to report demographic and situational data
Asking students to rate outcome statements for their first-year experience
Asking students to report their involvement with the Common Reading program
Correlating students’ involvement with the CR program with how they rated their FYE statements

13. Features of your Program
What features of your program should affect specific outcomes? (what conditions or activities do you think get students toward your outcomes?)
Yes/No Questions: For example, students did or did not receive the book
Quantifiable involvement: For example, students attended no events, one, two, or more than two? Student had no classes, one, or more than one class that used the book

14. Sample Point of Contact Questions
Are you aware that WSU has a Common Reading program?
Did your first-year seminar use the book?
How many courses that you took addressed the book?
How many Common Reading events did you attend?
Did you attend the author’s lecture?
Did you participate in Common Reading programs in your residence hall?

15. Demographic and Situational Data
With points of contact as well as demographic info – ask for everything you can think of!
Age range relevant to your institution
Housing, commuter, other situational data
Book distribution and reading progress
Behavioral information, discussions, etc.
Can link with ID for other correlation data

16. Sample Correlations
Does when/how students receive their book correlate with how much they read?
Do student ratings of their interest in the book correlate with how they rated their FYE items?
Did a greater level of contact with the Common Reader correlate with better ratings for outcomes?
Did residential students report different behaviors or contact with the program than commuters?

17. Linking Assessments
Andersen suggests that we use “multiple measures and methods” to corroborate results.
Interviews, focus groups, writing prompts
Adding assessment questions to an existing survey on your campus
Individual event surveys –short and simple
Can gather different information
Measurements at different points in the semester
Hand out two different questionnaires

18. Use of Results
To “inform, change, or confirm existing practices” (Randy Swing)
Feedback for faculty and other participants
Institutional reports
Link with other assessments or on-campus initiatives (NSSE, EBI, BSSE, etc.)
Link with common reading assessments at other institutions
Gauging student attitudes around themes

19. Questions and take-aways
What is your “One Thing?"
Thank you!
Please don’t hesitate to contact us as you continue on your process.
We appreciate you filling out your session assessment!