Catherine Wehlburg, Ph.D.Assistant Provost for Institutional Effectiveness

Texas Christian University

TAMU Assessment Conference 2011

Designing Meaningful Institutional Assessment

Plans: Taking the Big Picture View

Institutions with accreditation now have access to a great deal of information about developing assessment plans and many fine examples of general education assessments, academic department assessment plans, and a plethora of student affairs and student support assessment plans. But many institutions are lacking in the overall institutional level assessment planning that goes beyond general education.

Rationale For This Workshop

The Five Minute University

XXX University is a multi-campus public university providing innovative undergraduate and graduate education that contributes to the development of society and the individual. The University actively facilitates learning through the preservation, discovery, synthesis, and dissemination of knowledge.

XXX University is dedicated to the discovery, development, communication, and application of knowledge in a wide range of academic and professional fields. Its mission of providing the highest quality undergraduate and graduate programs is inseparable from its mission of developing new understandings through research and creativity. It prepares students to assume roles in leadership, responsibility, and service to society.

Mission Statements

The mission of XXX University is to educate its students and cultivate their capacity for life-long learning, to foster independent and original research, and to bring the benefits of discovery to the world.

The XXX College encourages students to respect ideas and their free expression, and to rejoice in discovery and in critical thought; to pursue excellence in a spirit of productive cooperation; and to assume responsibility for the consequences of personal actions. XXX seeks to identify and to remove restraints on students' full participation, so that individuals may explore their capabilities and interests and may develop their full intellectual and human potential. Education at XXX should liberate students to explore, to create, to challenge, and to lead.

Mission Statements

To provide a diverse and vibrant student body access to high quality educational opportunities that include a student-centered academic environment combining innovative pedagogy with experiential learning that will prepare students for professional success, responsible citizenship, life-long learning, and significant contributions to a rapidly changing world.

Mission of “Great State University”

General statements about knowledge, skills, attitudes and values expected in graduates of the program.

Broad based statements of purposeOften, these are not measurableShould cover all aspects of the mission

statementUsually written to align with the holistic “big

picture” of the mission.

Writing Goals

To provide a diverse and vibrant student body access to high quality educational opportunities that

include a student-centered academic environment combining innovative pedagogy with experiential

learning that will prepare students for professional success, responsible citizenship, life-long learning, and significant contributions to a rapidly changing

world.Write 3-5 goals that you see within this mission

statement (individually or with a partner).Compare your goals to your table’s goals. Identify

your top three goals to share with the larger group

Writing Goals – Group Work

What Were Your Goals?

Learning outcomes are clear, concise statements that describe how students can demonstrate their mastery of program goals

Outcomes are more specific than goals, and there are usually multiple learning outcomes for each goal

What are Learning Outcomes ?

Knowledge outcomes:Major or discipline contentModes of inquiry

General Education or Core Curriculum outcomes Skills outcomes:

Those required for effective practice in the discipline or in future employment

Ability to work with othersListening skillsTeamwork or leadership

Attitudes and valuesPersonalSocialEthical

Areas of Learning Outcomes

Student Learning Behavior-Knowledge, skill, or attitude to be gained

The method of assessment- conditions of performance

Criteria for achievement- the levels of acceptable performance

3 Components to a Learning Outcome

Creating -Generating new ideas, products, or ways of viewing things

Evaluating –Drawing a conclusion or deciding upon a course of action

Analysing -Breaking information into parts to explore understandings and relationships

Applying -Using information in another familiar situation

Understanding -Explaining ideas or concepts

Remembering -Recalling information

Bloom’s Taxonomy - Revised

The student will be able to (specific student behavior)  ____________________________________________________ as measured by (conditions of performance – could

include time frame)  ___________________________________________________ at the ______________________________________ level

(performance criteria).

Template for Writing SLOs

Words and Phrases to Avoid in SLOs

Appreciate Be comfortable with

Believe Enjoy

Grasp the significance of Have faith in Internalize

Know Learn

Recognize Understand

Students will name the three types of rock in order to differentiate among the three.

Students will correctly compare and contrast the characteristics of the three types of rocks on a final exam essay question in order to differentiate among the three.

Discover that Great State University offers a welcoming and helpful environment which can fulfill their educational, cultural and social needs in order to recognize the university’s role in lifelong learning.

Outcomes – Well Written?

Meaningful Ways To MeasureRubrics (a scoring strategy or tool)PortfoliosPre/Post TestingEmbedded projects or papersItems within an examCapstone ExperiencesAlumni Surveys (indirect measure)Internship Evaluation (indirect measure)Employer Survey (indirect measure)Others?

How will your data be shared? Who “owns” data?Create a collaborative system – data can

belong to everyone.Regularly schedule “data sharing” events.

Use the Results to Improve or Enhance!

The outcomes must be understood by all (and in the same way!)

Assessment is as much about teaching and learning as it is about accountability

Faculty and staff must work together to develop institutional level goals and outcomes

Institution-level support is necessary to create usable and sustainable program and university-wide assessment plans

We must assess because learning matters most!

Lessons Learned

Our students should learn more than “supply and demand”

We want our students to think critically, read, and question – so we must build this into our assessment plans

Institutional level assessment must involve the entire campus – faculty, student affairs staff, administration, etc.

College graduates should have attended more than a five minute university!!!

What Would Father Guido Say?

Questions?