1. UK Office of Assessment

2. The LEARNING Initiative Dual Track Implementation Strategy Completion Dates Not actively engaged in program level assessment Actively engaged in program level assessment Sept 2009 Program level student learning outcomes revised and/or updated Dec 2009Assessment strategy in place Jan-Mar 2010Assessment strategy implemented April 2010 Assessment results available for faculty reflection and action May 2010 First cycle completed and improvement plans submitted At least one cycle completed and improvement plans submitted September 2010First annual LEARNING Improvement awards announced May 2011Two cycles completedAt least two cycles completed August 2011SACS Compliance Audit begins September 2011Second annual LEARNING Improvement awards announced

3. Assessment Inventory: Fill out Part I University of Kentucky Assessment Inventory for General Education and Degree Programs College: ___________________________________________________________________________________ Department: _______________________________________________________________________________ General Education/Degree Program: ____________________________________________________________ Undergraduate/Graduate/Professional: __________________________________________________________ Part I: Inventory of Statements and Plans 1. Is there a written mission statement or statement of purpose for this program and/or the department or unit within which the program is located?_______Yes_______No If Yes, please copy and paste, attach a copy or send a link 2. Have you articulated student learning outcomes which describe what a student should know or be able to do when they have completed this program?_______Yes_______No If Yes, please copy and paste, attach a copy or send a link 3. Have you chosen a method(s) of assessment for measuring student learning outcomes?_______Yes_______No If Yes, please copy and paste, attach a copy or send a link 4. Do you have a document (such as a curriculum map ) that links student learning outcomes to the program curriculum?_______Yes_______No If Yes, please copy and paste, attach a copy or send a link 5. Have you determined an assessment cycle and fully articulated an assessment plan?_______Yes_______No If Yes, please copy and paste, attach a copy or send a link 6. Does this program have an accreditation process(es) separate from SACS?_______Yes_______No

4.  A visual depiction of how learning outcomes and/or professional standards are translated into individual courses taught within a program ◦ i.e., Demonstrates which courses are meeting specific learning outcomes and/or standards  Used to determine assessment points in a program  Used to identify program assessment artifacts

5.  Mapping and Coordinating ◦ If the learning outcome is important, a single exposure isn’t enough ◦ Map courses/learning experiences to learning outcomes, from program entry to program exit  Determine how entry experiences are different from exit experiences  What difference is expected in student response?  Plan to assure student’s development of outcomes from program entry to exit ◦ Consider how courses, classroom instruction might be coordinated with co-curricular activities

6. Design Backward Deliver Forward Intended Learning Outcomes of the Institution Intended Learning Outcomes of the Academic Program Intended Learning Outcomes of the Course Intended Learning Outcomes of the Unit Intended Learning Outcomes of the lesson Huba, M.E. and Freed, J.E. (2000). Learner-Centered Assessment on College Campuses: Shifting the Focus from Teaching to Learning (p. 108). Allyn & Bacon, Needham Heights, MA.

7.  Mapping reveals: ◦ How learning outcomes are introduced and taught through curriculum ◦ Intentional organization of connections between outcomes and course topics, materials, assignments ◦ Content that needs to be introduced, emphasized, reinforced ◦ How assessment plans align with departmental and program curricular structure

8.  Create a visual map: ◦ Lay out program courses and learning outcomes on a grid (matrix) ◦ Identify the courses at which each outcome is:  Introduced  Reinforced  Emphasized  Applied

9. Basic Mapping Example I = Introduced (Information/concepts introduced) R = Reinforced (Information is added to introduction) E = Emphasized (Information/concepts are main theme) A = Application (Information/concepts are applied) Course #1Course #2Course #3Course #4Course #5 Learning Outcome #1 IREA Learning Outcome #2 RRE Learning Outcome #3 IER Learning Outcome #4 AA Learning Outcome #5 EIAR

10.  Conduct an inventory of the types of assignments/student work products already being used in program courses ◦ Either a list of assignments that might qualify as assessment artifacts or a list of student work products by course  Identify course assignments/work products that can be used as assessment artifacts, and map to program outcomes ◦ Identify and map program entry/exit assessment artifacts ◦ If appropriate, identify and map a mid-program artifact

11.  Take stock of the assessments the program is already conducting ◦ The Assessment Inventory  Analyze your program curriculum map to: ◦ Determine the best assessment points ◦ Map the major student work-products (artifacts) already being generated in the program  Then create or select new assignments/tasks as needed, and at strategic program assessment points

12.  Evidence that supports compliance must be: ◦ Reliable ◦ Current ◦ Verifiable ◦ Coherent ◦ Objective ◦ Relevant ◦ Representative  Entail interpretation and reflection  Represent a combination of trend and snapshot data  Draw from multiple indicators

13.  Measures must be appropriate to outcomes ◦ Avoid cumbersome data-gathering ◦ Use both indirect and direct methods ◦ Learning =  what students know (content knowledge) +  what they can do with what they know (performance)

14.  Students show achievement of learning goals through performance of knowledge, skills: ◦ Scores and pass rates of licensure/certificate exams ◦ Capstone experiences  Research projects, theses, dissertations, presentations, performances  Collaborative (group) projects/papers which tackle complex problems ◦ Score gains between program entry and exit ◦ Ratings of skills provided by internship/practicum supervisors ◦ Substantial course assignments that require performance of learning ◦ Portfolios

15.  Indirect methods measure proxies for learning ◦ Data from which you can make inferences about learning but do not demonstrate actual learning, such as perception or comparison data ◦ Surveys  Student opinion/engagement surveys  Student ratings of their knowledge and skills  Employer and alumni perceptions, national and local ◦ Focus groups/Exit interviews ◦ Aggregate analyses of course grade distributions ◦ Institutional performance indicators  Enrollment data  Retention rates, placement data  Graduate/professional school acceptance rates

16.  Assessment is only a means to an end ◦ The purpose of assessment is continuous improvement of student learning  The assessment cycle is complete when assessment results have been used successfully for evidence-based decision making

17.  Turn assessment results into evidence through reflection and interpretation ◦ Regular dissemination of assessment data results to program faculty for interpretation ◦ Should be an annual process, aligned with/part of strategic planning and budget processes  Use evidence to gather faculty suggestions for interventions / improvement action plans ◦ Consolidate and prioritize suggested improvement actions  Evidence-driven improvement action plans are basis for strategic plan, budget proposals

18.  Please fill out the Workshop Evaluation Form Thanks!