aligning culture with technology to produce better data ... filecase study culture infrastructure...
TRANSCRIPT
Aligning Culture with Technology to Produce Better Data for LearningDr. Summer DeProw, Assessment Director
HLC Conference | April 2, 2017
Who is Here?
Assessment and/or Institutional Effectiveness Staff?
Administrators? Provost Office?
Faculty?
IT Staff?
2
Case Study
Culture
Infrastructure
Assessment processes
Aligning technology to fit or improve the culture, infrastructure, and
processes for quality student-learning assessment
Disclaimer and Confession
Disclaimer:
• My observations and experiences only
• Partnered Taskstream in Fall 2015
Technology can:
• Streamline assessment processes
• Assist with documenting assessment efforts
• Allows for better oversight of efforts
Technology will not:
• Substitute for faculty analysis and conclusions
• Manage the curriculum
• Change pedagogy
Culture
Google definition: the attitudes and behavior characteristics of a particular social group
Culture Observations:
• “It’s just a report”
• Intense focus on course-level assessment
• Inconsistent assessment nomenclature
• Extreme peer-review of General Education program
• No peer-review of programs
• Everyone knew student-learning assessment was required to satisfy HLC
Infrastructure
Dictionary.com definition: the basic, underlying framework or features of
a system or organization
Established Infrastructure:
• Most faculty are on 9-month contracts
• General Education Committee was active and organized
• Every program had an assessment leader, assessment committee, or both
• One large combined program-level and co-curricular assessment committee
Assessment Processes
Dictionary.com definition #1: a systematic series of actions directed to some end
Dictionary.com definition #2: a continuous action, operation, or series of changes taking place in a definite manner
Assessment Processes:
• Specially accredited programs had established processes
• No deliberate assessment planning for non-specially accredited programs
• Assessment management system in place but data entry was centralized
• Central storage of assessment information was limited
• Annual assessment reporting was not ubiquitous
• Questionable continuity
• Assessment guidelines were not established
Aligning Technology
Assessment PlanningInitially used a paper/pencil system to plan and report assessment efforts
Assessment Reporting
Nomenclature & Continuity
Documentation, Assessment Cycles, & Central Storage
Documentation, Assessment Cycles, & Central Storage
Campus Assessment Calendar
June 15 “Assessment Findings” due
October 15 “Action Plans” due
October 15 “Status Reports” due for the previous year
Campus Assessment Calendar
Due June 15, 2017
Due October 15, 2017
Due October 15, 2017 for the 2015-16
Assessment Cycle
Who Enters the Data? Decentralized system
Assessment leaders or department chairs
Currently training campus
“Standing Requirements” and “2015-16 Assessment Cycle” established by Dr. Topeka Small, Assistant Director of Assessment
Advantages
• Less errors
• Faculty ownership
• Decisions made by faculty at time of input
Disadvantages
• Less control
• Overly zealous assessment leaders
Peer Review: The Assessment Plan
Peer Review: The Assessment Report Rubric
Peer Review
What is Next at A-State? Co-Curricular Assessment
Summary
Culture
Infrastructure
Assessment processes
Aligning technology to fit or improve the culture, infrastructure, and
processes for quality student-learning assessment
Questions & Contact Information
Summer DeProwAssessment Director
Colleen ArreyDirector, Campus Solutions