Basic, Nofrills Assessment Plans

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Basic, No-frills Assessment Plans

• Mary Kate Quinlan
• Planning and Institutional Research
• December 9, 2005

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Basic, No-frills Program Discipline Plans

• Start with learning goals, pick one
• Pick two measures
• One direct measure
• One indirect measure
• Have an annual meeting to discuss data and
  identify action items

Source Barbara Walvoord, University of Notre Dame
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Direct Measures

• Tangible evidence of what students have and have
  not learned
• Typically an endpoint measure such as
• Student work compared to a rubric
• Classroom work from a capstone course
• Capstone project
• Portfolio
• Licensure and certification results
• Field experience ratings by supervisors

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Indirect Measures

• Reveals students are learning but evidence of
  what students have learned is less clear
• Student self-reflection or focus group
  interviews
• How well did you achieve the learning goal?
• Course grades
• Graduation rates
• Job placement rates
• Employer or alumni surveys

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Analysis of Data

• Rely on faculty expertise
• Identify student strengths and weaknesses during
  discussion of results
• Results of indirect measures are used to support
  direct evidence
• Example The single most frequently mentioned
  weakness is
• Celebrate strengths!
• Identify actions to address weaknesses

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Example

• Goal Students will exhibit fluency in a foreign
  language
• Direct measure Scores on faculty developed
  rubric for oral presentation at the end of an
  intermediate-level course
• Indirect measure Course grades
• Discussion of data Students exhibit low levels
  of fluency in the language after taking several
  courses
• Conclusion Students have few opportunities for
  sustained practice in target language

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Incorporating Assessment Into Program Review
Program Review
Report
Report
Year 1
Year 2
Year 5
Year 4
Year 3
Source Allan Aycock, University of Georgia
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The Report

• Identify goals assessed
• Explain direct and indirect measures selected and
  results of data analysis
• Explain actions taken as a result of identified
  weaknesses
• Explain how actions will lead to improvement
• Identify plans for improving assessment process

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Contact Information

• Mary Kate Quinlan
• Learning Assessment Analyst
• Planning and Institutional Research
• mquinlan_at_ccac.edu
• 412-237-8191