The College Outcomes Assessment Task Force

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Assessing Effective Interpersonal
Communication Skills Dr. Tim
Vierheller and Dr. Paulette
Popovich The University of Akron
Wayne College OATYC
Annual Conference October 21, 2005

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• Wayne College
• Regional branch campus
• 1700 students, 30 full-time faculty
• Technical associate degrees and general studies
• Accredited by HLC to 2010
• Assessment plan 1997

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Background1

• Assessment of College Learning Outcomes
• Assessing Effective Interpersonal Communication
  Skills
• Writing
• Oral Communication
• 1Popovich Vierheller, Assessment Update, Wiley
  Interscience, May-June 2005, 17(3), 9-11.

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The College Outcomes Assessment Task Force

• Composed of faculty, instructional contract
  professionals, and an administrator
• Formed to establish a system to specifically
  assess college-level learning outcomes

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Wayne Colleges College-level Learning Outcomes

• Critical analysis and independent thought.
• Problem-solving ability.
• Effective interpersonal communication skills.
• Effective use of technology.
• Respect for individual differences and personal
  rights.
• Responsible and effective citizenship.

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Whom to assess?

• Seems like an easy question, but

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General Studies Students at Wayne College

• The Task Force considered whether it was
  reasonable or appropriate to assess student
  learning relevant to institutional-level learning
  outcomes when these students may not have
  adequate exposure to Wayne College instruction to
  allow that learning.

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Technical Associate Degree Programs

• The faculty agreed to revise the assessment plan
  to include assessment of college-level learning
  outcomes only for those students engaged in Wayne
  College technical associate degree programs.

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Other Aspects of Assessment Continue

• Course outcomes assessment would continue,
  however, in all Wayne College courses, including
  baccalaureate general education courses.

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First Outcome Addressed was Effective
Interpersonal Communication Skills.

• The Task Force determined that students written
  work and oral presentations would be sampled for
  assessment of this outcome.

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Oral Communication

• More to say

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• Assessing Written Communication
• Work began in 2002 with a few false starts
• Rubric developed and tested faculty approval
• Capstone writing artifacts collected and assessed
  by team in Summer 2005
• Results

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Assessing Effective Oral Communication
Selecting an Instrument

• Virginia Commonwealth University General Studies
• North Carolina State Department of Public
  Instruction
• Krizek Turner Feedback for Presentations
• The Competent Speaker

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The Competent Speaker

• The Competent Speaker was developed by the
  National Communication Association (formerly
  Speech Communication Association) Committee for
  Assessment and Testing and representatives of 12
  academic institutions.

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The Competent Speaker

• Determined to be a psychometrically reliable and
  valid instrument. Used to assess public speaking
  competency at the higher education level for
  purposes of (1) in-class speech evaluation, (2)
  entrance/exit placement and assessment, (3) as an
  instructional strategy or advising tool, and/or
  (4) to generate assessment data for institutional
  or departmental accountability.

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The Competent Speaker

• The National Communication Association makes
  available a training manual and accompanying
  videotape for training one or more speech
  evaluators/raters.

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Pilot Project Results - Sharing Information with
Students

• The intent is to make sure students are
• fully knowable about the process and the rubric
• fully aware that the observations do not affect
  their grades

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Pilot Project Results Anonymity

• Speakers Name ______
• removed from the rubric.
• Video taping the presentations
• Logistically advantages for evaluators
• Loss of student anonymity.

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Other College Learning Outcome Assessment Tools

• Student Honors Project
• Respect for individual differences and personal
  rights.
• Graduate Follow-up Survey
• Effective interpersonal communication skills.
• Problem-solving ability.
• Effective use of technology.

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An Assessment Experience