maps, rubrics and templates a primer on their uses for assessment in student affairs
TRANSCRIPT
Maps, Rubrics and Templates
A Primer on Their Uses for Assessment in Student Affairs
Presentation Learning Objectives
• Recognize three distinct tools for documenting, reporting, and communicating program outcomes and impact;
• Gain a basic understanding of the appropriate use of each tool in assessing outcomes and impact;
• Acquire a basic knowledge of the Council for the Advancement of Standards learning domains; and
• Acquire a basic knowledge of the AAC&U VALUE Rubrics
Presentation Outline
• A Brief Overview of the CAS Standards
• Using the CAS Standards for Assessing Student Affairs Programs by Mapping the CAS Learning Domains and Outcomes
• A Brief Overview of the AAC&U VALUE Rubrics
• Using the AAC&U VALUE Rubrics for Assessing Student Learning in Student Affairs Programs
• A Model Template for Documenting, Reporting, and Communicating Assessment Activity
A Brief Overview of the CAS Standards
Founded in 1979 in response to efforts to establish specialized student affairs accreditation
programs
CAS is a consortium of about 40 professional associations representing
over 100,000 professionals.
The Council for the Advancement of Standards exists to:
promote the improvement of programs and services
promote assessment in educational practice
promote the use of standards in practice
to enhance the quality of student learning and development sponsored by student affairs professionals
CAS Mission
They are objective benchmarks developed by people who understand student affairs work.
They promote the development of a shared vision for excellence.
Why I advocate for the use of the CAS Standards
CAS has developed41 Standards and Guidelines
for student affairs functional areas
Ranging from A
Academic Advising Admissions Alcohol, Tobacco, and other Drugs
to W Women’s Programs
and 37 areas in between
represent indispensible requirements of practice
are reasonably achievable by any and all programs of quality within all institutions of higher education
The Standards:
Each standard covers 13 topics:
• Mission• Program• Leadership• Human Resources• Ethics• Legal
Responsibilities• Equity• Diversity
• Organization and Management
• Campus and External Relations
• Financial Resources• Technology• Facilities and
Equipment• Assessment and
Evaluation
CAS Outcomes Domains
Knowledge acquisition, construction, integration and application
Cognitive complexityIntrapersonal developmentInterpersonal competenceHumanitarianism and civic engagementPractical competence
Using the CAS Standards forAssessing Student Affairs Programs
by Mapping the CAS Standards Learning Domains and Outcomes
A Brief Overview of the AAC&U VALUE Rubrics
Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education
A rubric is a guide that describes levels of student achievement along a continuum. It includes concrete descriptions for different levels of performance and a rating scale for measuring progress in attaining each level.
What is a rubric?
Well-designed rubrics increase reliability in assessment by setting criteria that raters can
apply consistently and objectively.
Why I advocate for the use of rubrics:
AAC&U Essential Learning Outcomes
Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical
and Natural World
Inquiry and analysis Critical and creative thinking Written and oral communication Quantitative literacy Information literacy Teamwork and problem solving
Intellectual and Practical Skills, including:
Civic knowledge and engagement—local and global
Intercultural knowledge and competence Ethical reasoning and action Foundations and skills for lifelong learning
Personal and Social Responsibility,including:
Synthesis and advanced accomplishment across general and specialized studies
Integrative and Applied Learning, including:
The Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education
VALUE Rubrics
Benchmark Level
Milestone Levels
Capstone Level
Using the AAC&U VALUE Rubrics for Assessing Learning
in Student Affairs Programs
A Model Template for Documenting, Reporting, and
Communicating Assessment Activity
the name of the department the name of the program or service assessed a brief summary of the findings the action that will be taken in the next academic year
based on the findings the potential obstacles to completing the action an evaluation of the action taken (once the next
academic year has been completed)
The National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment
From Gathering to Using Assessment Results: Lessons from the Wabash National Study
Charles Blaich and Kathleen Wise
NILOA
“Excellence … entails an ethical and moral
commitment. Teachers (and I want to say here
that we are all teachers) with integrity inquire
into the consequences of their work with
students” (p.7).
“Educators with integrity inquire into the
consequences of their work with students.”
-- Lee Shulman
“most institutions already had more than enough actionable assessment evidence – not only in terms of national surveys and standardized outcome measures but also from information in institutional databases, student interviews, reports from external reviewers, and many other sources of information about student learning…
Most institutions have routinized data collection, but they have little experience in reviewing and making sense of data…Most of us behave as through the data in the reports will speak loudly enough to prompt action…But this denies reality on most of our campuses.”