|
 |
| Inventory of Assessment Resources |
Examples and Resources
|
||
Inventory of Assessment Guide to Creating a Departmental Assessment Plan Examples and Resources |
Terms and Definitions Assessment Terms and Definitions in Macalester's Assessment Inventory. Dictionary of Student Outcome Assessment created by James Madison University
General Resources Principles of Good Practice – These principles were developed “ under the auspices of the AAHE Assessment Forum with support from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education with additional support for publication and dissemination from the Exxon Education Foundation. Copies may be made without restriction.” This presentation by Marilee Bresciani provides very helpful insight into the purposes of assessment. Teagle Foundation – A philanthropic organization supporting liberal education. Their website includes a number of articles and resources on assessment. AAC&U – The American Association for Colleges and Universities offers assessment resources on its website, including recent initiatives on assessment, recommended publications, and specific examples of effective assessment. This AAC&U report outlines a set of outcomes that are “highly prized both by the academy and by employers, which include critical thinking, quantitative literacy, communication skills, ethical reasoning, and civic engagement.” It reports what we know and have yet to discover about student achievements in these areas. The University of Delaware has a comprehensive assessment website which includes everything from an assessment manual to presentations, tools, curriculum maps, etc.
Quick takes and summaries: Five Suggestions for a Successful Start in Assessment, excerpt from Thomas Angelo and Patricia Cross This link to the University of North Carolina, Willmington includes tips for good practices in student affairs assessment. Characteristics of a Good Departmental/Unit Assessment Plan, authored by Kansas State
More detailed background information, including links to full articles and presentations: Macalester Guide to Creating a Departmental Assessment Plan A Framework for Good Assessment Practices, presentation materials by Linda Suskie, Vice President, Middles States Commission on Higher Education. The presentation includes “Five Dimensions of Good Assessment Practices.” Outline of the Assessment Process from The Center for Assessment and Research at James Madison University Assessment guidelines from the American Psychological Association. This is just one example of the type of information that is available in a number of disciplines and student affairs areas. Please check your own professional organizations for assessment guidelines and best practices. Workshop presentation entitled: "Closing the Loop: Use of Assessment Results." Presented by Ronald L. Baker, Executive Vice President, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. The presentation reviewed the roles of assessment in:
1. Department Mission Statements Mission: "a holistic vision of the values and philosophy of the department/program" (Allen) Examples from Macalester and the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS).
2. Department Goals Goals: "general statements about knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values expected in graduates" (Allen) Program goals are often generically referred to as “learning” goals. But it’s important to point out that goals encompass both learning and development objectives.
3. Department Learning Outcomes/Indicators Outcomes/Indicators: "clear, concise statements that describe how students can demonstrate their mastery of program goals" (Allen)
4. Curriculum Alignment or “Mapping” Do your department’s learning outcomes include the ability to “communicate well both orally and in writing”? At what point are students taught oral communication skills? When do they have a chance to hone these skills? “Mapping” out your curriculum ensures that students are introduced to the material, and that they have the opportunity to refine their skills. The University of Delaware offered a training session on curriculum mapping. Training materials include a definition of curriculum mapping and its benefits. These presentation materials were developed by Ronald Baker, Executive Vice President Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Page 40 includes an example of a curriculum map for an undergraduate psychology department. The University of Connecticut website offers an Assessment Primer, including a section on curriculum mapping.
5. Department Assessment Plans This is a link to missions and goals statements at Occidental College. Some of the departments offer a link to a full assessment plan. The Bucknell University website includes links to assessment plans for several academic departments. (Note that the link to “sample” doesn’t work, but department links are operational.)
Five Suggestions for a Successful Start in Assessment: In Chapter three of their book Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers, Angleo and Cross offer Five Suggestions for a Successful Start:
Angleo, Thomas A. and Cross, K Patricia. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbood for College Teachers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993.
Techniques/Choosing the Appropriate Technique Introduction to classroom assessment techniques, from the Schreyer Institute for Teaching Excellence at Penn State. The document includes descriptions of techniques such as:
Assessment Guide from the Division of Student and Campus Life at the University of Vermont . This is a section entitles “Assessment 101” beginning on page 12. Topics covered are:
These guidelines for Evaluating Assessment Strategies from the American Psychological Association will help you to choose the appropriate assessment technique.
Searchable Database of Examples Opened Practices is a searchable database with options to search for resources to assess learning outcomes recommended by the AAC&U. For example, one could search on rubrics for civic engagement.
Example Interview Scripts from Macalester College "Exit interview" script from the Psychology Department at Macalester College, and example invitation to a group interview from the Classics Department at Macalester.
Example Survey of Graduates in a Major Survey of majors from the Pschology Department at Macalester.
Example Scoring Rubrics Advice for creating a rubric, from Mary Allen. Rubric advice begins on page 26 of these workshop materials. Includes a section with a number of links to rubrics used for general education outcomes. Example analytical writing rubric from the Assessment Office at Macalester. Peer review rubric for oral presentations from Macalester's Sociology Department. Peer review rubric for research papers from Macalester's Sociology Department. Link to the scoring criteria for the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA)
More examples to come! Check back for updates to this section. Contact the Assessment Office if you'd like to contribute material. Thank you!
Using Assessment to Make a Difference Examples to come! Check back for updates to this section. Contact the Assessment Office if you'd like to contribute material. Thank you!
|
|
|
|