Transcript Program Assessment Workshop - American University of Paris

Program Assessment
Workshop
Kathleen Harring
What is Assessment?

Assessment is the systematic gathering
and analysis of information to inform and
improve student learning in the context of
specific educational goals
Levels of Assessment
Institutional Assessment
 Program (Department) Assessment
 Course Assessment

Characteristics of Good Program
Level Assessment
Based on principles defined at the
institutional level
 Integrated with college outcomes
 Ongoing

Characteristics of Good Program
Level Assessment
Comprehensive – encompassing students,
faculty, and resources
 Valued and supported by the college
culture
 Implemented gradually in careful steps

Characteristics of Good Program
Level Assessment
Practical – with clear implications for
faculty and students
 Self-renewing – data and information
should feed back at both the department
and college level

Departmental Mission Statement
Broadly communicates the department’s
vision
 Consistent with institutional mission
 Guides departmental decision-making

Program Goals
General statements about the knowledge,
skills, or values that students will acquire
in the program
 Consistent with institutional mission

Program Goals

We want psychology students to:
 Know
the theories, models, and findings of
psychology
 Develop effective writing, speaking, and
listening skills
Learning Objectives
Objectives describe program goals in
concrete terms
 They describe observable behaviours that
can be measured

Learning Objectives
Students can master APA style writing
 Students can make an argument
supported by available evidence and
reason

Developing Mission Statements,
Goals, and Learning Objectives
Use guidelines from professional
organizations
 Look at what other departments have
done
 Teaching Goals Inventory (Angelo & Cross)

Questions for Developing Learning
Objectives
What type of knowledge, skills, and values
should the ‘ideal’ graduate of our program
have?
 What should students know, do, and
value?
 Seek input from alumni, employers,
graduate programs

Steps in Developing a Department
Assessment Plan
Agree on the mission, goals and
objectives
 Review courses and determine where
specific learning outcomes are introduced,
developed, and mastered
 Develop outcome matrix

Steps in Developing a Department
Assessment Plan
Determine what outcomes to assess
 You don’t have to assess every outcome in
each student every year
 Begin with what you think you do best

Steps in Developing a Department
Assessment Plan

Decide on appropriate measures
 Direct
vs. indirect
 Embedded Assessment
 Authentic Assessment
 Triangulation
Direct Measures

Standardized tests
 Discipline
test
 College Learning Assessment (CLA)
Locally-developed tests
 Embedded assignments
 Portfolios

Indirect Measures

Surveys
 NSSE
 Campus
student surveys
 Alumni surveys
Focus Groups
 Interviews

Sampling
Do not have to assess outcomes in every
student
 Determine sampling procedure

 Eg
survey seniors every other year
 Assess writing in a sample of majors
 Collect student work at different points in
program (English)
Steps in Developing a Department
Assessment Plan
Identify appropriate assessment methods
 Develop a plan for collecting data
 Prioritize goals, set timelines, identify
milestones

Steps in Developing a Department
Assessment Plan
Implement assessment plan
 Use data to improve processes
 “close the loop”
 Communicate results

Psychology Department
Assessment Plan

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

Senior survey
Students in required Advanced Lab course
complete statistics/research methods exam at
beginning of semester
Assess writing, research, and quantitative skills
in a sample of Advanced Lab final papers
Alumni survey
Considerations
Keep it simple
 Keep the institutional mission and goals in
mind
 Focus on one or two goals at a time
 Borrow ideas and methods from other
departments or other institutions

Assessment Cycle
Revise
Program
Develop
Plan
Review
Results
Collect
Information
To add

AUP mission
 Agree
on gen ed goals
Academic Affairs mission & goals
 More examples from diff departments
 Handout
 Working pairs

From Middle States:

“Assessment of student learning demonstrates that the
institution’s students have knowledge, skills, and
competencies consistent with institutional goals and that
students at graduation have achieved appropriate higher
education goals…In order to carry out meaningful
assessment activities, institutions must articulate
statements of expected student learning at the
institutional, program, and individual course levels…
Course syllabi or guidelines should include expected
learning outcomes…Assessment is not an event but a
process and should be an integral part of the life of the
institution