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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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?

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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’

10. Long Term assessment cycle
Cycle Year
Academic Year
Learning Outcome to be Assessed 1
Communication 2
SLO 2 3
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.

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

12. 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’?

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

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

18. 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

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. 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