Assessment of Space Studies Program

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Assessment of Space Studies Program

• Lynette Krenelka, M.S.
• Director, Distance Degree Programs
• Division of Continuing Education
• University of North Dakota

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Space Studies Program Background

• MS in Space Studies
• One of few international programs
• 32 credit hours for degree
• Interdisciplinary programin-depth study of the
  implications of humankind's entry into space the
  scientific, technical, political, and legal
  impacts, on a national and international level,
  that are associated with the evolutionary
  development of a new frontier away from Earth
• All courses completed via distance learningvideo
  tape or CD Rom and weekly live chats
• One Week Capstoneface-to-face

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Capstone Experience

• Begins in the Spring and ends in Summer
• Team of 5 studentsmultidisciplinary
• 30-35 students in Capstone, each student develops
  a capstone proposal idea in Spring, faculty
  committee meets and chooses one project, all
  students work on the same project idea (goals,
  support systems, policy and legal issues,
  economics and politics)
• Instructor of record
• Team facilitators
• Individual grade and team grade

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Students

• Professional students
• Average age 34
• 77 male
• 13 different countries
• Average unduplicated headcount398/year, average
  enrollment 502/year

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Assessment ProcessSpace Studies

• Initially, process was a face-to-face focus group
  by facultyCapstone Experience
• Asked Continuing Education to get involved and an
  online component was added
• Assess the Space Studies Program and the Space
  Studies Capstone

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Assessment ProcessSpace Studies Program

• Every other yearoverall program assessment
• Took program outcomes and goals and developed
  questions, reviewed them with the faculty to
  ensure we were capturing what they wanted
• Program goals, cost, technical aspects, support
  services online assessment done in July
• Let faculty member know the assessment will be
  ready, send students URL, faculty also post URL
  on course site

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Program Assessment

• 93 Online Questions
• 1-7 if curriculum met students expectations
• 8-14 chats and technical problems
• 15-22 advising and communication with faculty
• 23-29 rigor and expectations outlined
• 30-37 current events, group work, grades

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Program Assessment

• 38 suggestions for improvement
• 39 value and impact has the program had on
  education and career goals
• 40-55 technology logistics
• 56-65 library support
• 66-92 support services (admission, registration,
  payment, book ordering, financial aid
• 93 overall comments

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Results

• Curriculum is strong and meets students
  expectations
• Chats were considered worthwhile, only if they
  had structure (free for all question and answer
  sessionnot helpful)
• Chats had technical problems
• Web siteneed to look at it from a student
  perspective

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Program Assessment Results

• Students need to know which courses will be
  offered in which semester when they register
  (develop course offering plan)
• Students wanted a change in delivery formatvideo
  tape to CD Rom

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Capstone Assessment

• Online assessment
• 30-35 students complete the capstone assessment
  online in a computer lab while on campus for
  week-long capstone (August)
• Results go into data base and are ready for
  analysis immediately

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Capstone Assessment

• 23 questions
• Expectations met
• Real life insight into dealing with space
  related issues
• Interdisciplinary solutions
• Effective group
• Communication with faculty
• Advising
• Grading (individual and team)
• On-campus (equipment, food, fun, UND facilities,
  housing)
• Most valuable aspects
• Suggestions for improvement

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Capstone Results

• Extremely valuable closure to program
• It is a competitive process (should it be?)
• Valuable to meet professors, fellow students (may
  be beneficial to meet face-to-face earlier in
  program also)
• Valuable to work in a multidisciplinary group
• Structure of Spring (independent study and
  capstone)too much

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Additional AssessmentFocus Group

• In addition to online assessments, one hour focus
  group is held with the 30-35 students in the
  capstone course to meet the students and obtain
  clarification on answers to online assessment

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What Do We Do With Data

• Summarize results from focus groups and online
  assessments
• Write up report
• Present to Space Studies Department
• Department has made changes
• Video tape to CD Rom
• Student review of web page
• Library access

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Lessons Learned

• Online assessment is effective and efficient
  (take time for planning, good tool is important)
• Involve faculty, chair, others to get input on
  the assessment
• Develop a report showing results and provide to
  department

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Lessons Learned

• Tell students that the department will get the
  report of findings
• Budget for assessment
• Collaborative relationship between department and
  Continuing Education benefited all involved

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Formative Evaluation

• Mid-semester online evaluation (3 questions)
• Low response rate
• E-mail faculty one week before sending to
  students
• Faculty announces mid-term evaluation coming up
  (weekly chat, e-mail, post on announcement page)
• E-mail sent to students with evaluation URL
• Increased response rate
• Results go into data base
• Results distributed to faculty member
• Same process for end of semester evaluation
  (follow on-campus rulescopy to chairperson and
  faculty member)

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Other Online Distance Degree Programs

• BS in Chemical, Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical
  (ABET Accredited Programs)
• RN to BSN
• BBA in Information Systems
• MS Technology Education
• MS in NursingEducation Specialization

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Web Address

• www.conted.und.edu/ddp