1. Tri-College Teagle Foundation Systematic Improvement Grant Retreat: Sustainable Department-Level Assessment of Student Learning
September 11, 2009

2. Assessment Primer Defining the Assessment Loop
Establishing Departmental-level learning goals and objectives
Assessment Terminology

3. A. Defining the Assessment Loop
Goal Articulation
Curricular/learning Strategies
Assessment of Learning
Using the Results

4. B. Establishing Departmental-level Learning Goals and Objectives
Step One in the Assessment Loop
Emphasis on Student Learning
Beware of INCONSISTENT terminology (& alphabet soup)
For our purposes, we are using:
Departmental Learning Goals
Departmental Learning Objectives
Learning Assessments (Step Three in the Assessment Loop)
Be AWARE of a consistent, multi-level structure/nesting:
An unmeasurable, more global concept (our “goal”)
A measurable student learning outcome (our “objective”)
The measure itself

5. Departmental Learning Goals
Already written into departmental mission statements, in catalogs, on departmental websites
“Public” information

6. Departmental Learning Objectives
TRANSFORM the departmental goals into specific student behaviors that demonstrate student learning to meet these departmental goals
Departmental Learning Objectives can be structured according to Bloom’s Taxonomy
Cognitive outcomes or what students know
Affective/attitudinal/value-based outcomes or what students care about
Skill-based/behavioral/performance outcomes or what students can do
It’s difficult to write good learning objectives that balance alignment with the overarching goal AND ease of measurability.
We are available to assist as Departments develop their two templates

7. Psychology Department Example
ONE Dept Learning GOAL (of presumably many): Students will understand and apply basic research methods in psychology, including research design, data analysis, and interpretation
MULTIPLE OBJECTIVES that translate the goal into what students do:
Identify and describe research methods…. (Cognitive domain—knowledge/comprehension)
Design and conduct…(Cognitive domain…synthesis)
Critique conclusions…(Cognitive domain…evaluation)

8. Assessment Loop Steps
Step 1 – articulation of goals/objectives– complete.
Step 2 involves the learning strategies applied by the department through curriculum and other activities
Step 3 is the assessment of the objectives articulated in the first step through multiple measures

9. Psychology Step 3: the measures
Rubric --rating scale that evaluates the learning objectives (e.g. “design & conduct,” “critique conclusions”) within the senior project; the rubric scores are summarized and evaluated by the department
Standardized questions (GRE items) related to the learning objectives are administered in a capstone course, tracked, reported longitudinally, and discussed
Alumni survey items related to learning are reviewed
One conclusion from the multiple measures: our students need help with qualitative research methods

10. Step 4: Using the results
Also referred to as “closing the loop” to address the qualitative research finding
The Department:
Revised course objectives in three core courses
Increased coverage of qualitative techniques in the research methods course
Developed a monitoring mechanism within the research methods course final exam
Continued departmental discussions of their goals regarding research methods which led to a more standardized curriculum for this course taught by a variety of faculty
Used the original senior project rubric results to evaluate the curricular change in research methods instruction over time.

11. C. Assessment Terminology

12. Collaborative Divisional Exercise: Critiquing an Assessment Loop
Evaluate a divisional example
Elect one faculty representative to report
Share your group’s analysis (10 minutes)
Follow-up activity, as time permits

13. Resources: for the Critique Exercise and Beyond…
Assessment Terminology
Direct and Indirect Assessment Summary
Assessment Loop Critique Exercise Guide
Student Learning Outcomes: A Guide for Faculty (Fresno City College)
Especially helpful in writing learning objectives
Includes summary of Bloom’s Taxonomy
Making Assessment Simple, Practical, and USEFUL: a workshop handout by Barbara Walvoord
A basic, no-frills Departmental Assessment Plan
Case studies
Sample Assessment Reports
Sample Rubric