making general education assessment palatable · assessment network of new york. april 6, 2017....
TRANSCRIPT
A S S E S S M E N T N E T W O R K O F N E W Y O R KA P R I L 6 , 2 0 1 7
Making General Education Assessment Palatable Ingredients for a Healthy General Education Assessment Process
Ms. Leah BradleyAssistant Director of Educational Effectiveness Assessment
Dr. Elizabeth HaneAssociate Professor, Faculty Associate for General Education
Dr. David S. MartinsAssociate Professor, Director of the University Writing Program
People be like….
General Education Assessment
How to Get People to Eat VegetablesAnd how can we apply these tips to assessment?
Make it irresistible (add spices) Become an iron chef (develop
new recipes) Go trendy (sample new veggies
in new ways) Allow a veto (offer an option-
force feeding is not a good strategy)
Persevere (try, try again) Insist on easy (pre-cut on the go
options) Hide the veggies (in a casserole?) Share a meal (eat with family
and friends)
Recipe for a Healthy General Education Assessment Process
Ingredients:
16 Gen Ed SLOs
1,000+ courses across 9 colleges
1 First Year Writing course
16 Faculty Teams
5 international locations
Herbs and spices to taste
Cooking Instructions:
Use familiar technology
Implement a simple data collection process
Use several methods for sharing results
Serve at annual retreats and meetings, and implement every semester – make changes as needed
Ingredients
16 General Education Student Learning Outcomes
The framework includes 4 Communication, 4 Critical Thinking, and 8 Perspective student learning outcomes
Student learning outcomes are mapped to Gen Ed courses and approved by the General Education Committee
Students take a First Year Writing course, courses in all Perspectives, and a series of three related courses called an Immersion
Every outcome is assessed at least once in a 3 year cycle
1,000+ General Education Courses, 9 Colleges
Variety of courses offered across 9 colleges
Commitment to assessing all outcomes using direct methods
Approaches and sampling vary by outcome/college Course embedded (ethical,
global) Artifact collection (writing,
critical thinking) Common exams (math,
science)
1 Foundational Course (First Year Writing)
UWP Assessment Retreats
2500+ Students take FYW @ all RIT locations
FYW mapped to 3 Gen Ed SLOs: 2 Communication, 1 Critical Thinking
Direct assessment every even year; program assessment every odd year
Full assessment integration with all campus locations
16 Outcome-Specific Faculty Teams
Faculty serve as leaders and mentors on outcome specific teams
Teams develop rubrics, set benchmarks, and develop resources for faculty assessing the outcome
Teams lead improvements to curriculum and instruction
Team members share expertise with colleagues and have a vested interest in assessment results
Artistic Team
Ethical Team
Faculty Engagement Model
Faculty Teams- Closing the Loop
Curriculum & Instruction Assignment design Instructional modifications Curricular changes Faculty resources
Assessment Modify rubrics Process improvements
Developing faculty resources
Math “Toolkit”
5 International Locations
Expand faculty engagement model to include faculty at RIT’s international locations; international faculty participate the same way the RIT main campus faculty participate
Same courses and curriculum; different context What’s challenging:
Additional resources Technology (and technical difficulty) Support and follow-up
Herbs and Spices as Needed (Faculty Retreats, Workshops, and Projects)
Offer a stipend, service, or ongoing professional development opportunity
Include deliverables that improve curriculum and instruction
Provide an opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration and reflection
Cooking Instructions
Use Familiar Technology
Take advantage of technology that faculty are already using (no new logins!)
Make information easily accessible Recorded presentations Web-based and emailed
instructions
Develop on-demand faculty resources
Enhance Communication Across Oceans and Time Zones
Implement a Simple Data Collection Process
Web-based forms are emailed to faculty
Faculty submit quantitative and qualitative findings Did students meet the
benchmark? Number/percent of
students scoring in each rubric category
How will results be used to improve student learning?
Data is rolled up to the university level
Using Technology to Build Sustainable Practices: Course management software (myCourses)
Survey software (Qualtrics)
Online communication software (Blue Jeans)
Share a Meal (Eat with Family and Friends)
Technology can improve the process but these cooking instructions are still essential: Build relationships Conduct face-to-face (or
screen-to-screen) meetings
Share common experiences; interaction and conversation make the meal
Use Several Methods for Sharing Results
Gen Ed Assessment Report
Gen Ed assessment website
MyCourses pages for faculty
Semester meetings Faculty retreats Gen Ed scorecard Dashboard (coming this
summer)
Read the full results…
Or view just a snapshot
Tips From RIT’s Test Kitchen
Assessment is integrated into the work faculty are already doing
Assessment is based on what faculty value Multiple levels of participation are available Offer flexibility by discipline, college, and program
(one size does not fit all) Provide recognition for participating faculty Faculty serve as the content experts, assessment office
keeps things moving (collects and tracks data, documents process and shares findings)
Nutrient Deficiencies: How could our diet be improved?
Get the broader campus community involved (e.g., students, co-curricular opportunities)
Find opportunities to integrate Gen Ed and program assessment
Ensure course and outcome alignment
Market student learning outcomes, courses, and curriculum
Develop additional methods to acknowledge and reward faculty for supporting general education
Actual breakroom snack
How Do You Get Your People to Eat Vegetables?
Thanks for Visiting RIT’s Kitchen