Evidence

1

• Evidence
• and
• Assessment of Student Learning
• April 25, 2008
• Satellite Student Union
• Shoshone Room
• 850 a.m. to 100 p.m.

2
Todays Agenda
3
The Why and How of Assessment

• Harry Hellenbrand
• Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

4
WE HAVE HIDDEN LEARNING BEHIND METAPHOR AND
AUTHORITYA BLACK BOX.
5
ASSESSMENT DISCLOSES LEARNING OR DOES IT?
6
(No Transcript)
7
IL
W A S C
TRENDS, CHANGE CULTURE
FSL
KNOW THYSELF THY STUDENT THY TESTS
SL
DIRECT, INDIRECT TRIANGULATION OF EFFECTS, NOT
ESSENCE
8
(No Transcript)
9

1. Ns
2. TRAINING
3. GE AND MAJOR
4. NAEP, CLA, LOCAL
5. ENTRY
6. EXIT

10
(No Transcript)
11
?
?
12
More Can Be LessAssessing Academic Competencies
Common to All Undergraduates and Specific to
Programs

• Vicki Pedone
• Interim University Assessment Coordinator
• and
• Associate Dean
• College of Science and Mathematics

13
Problems with assessment of SLOs developed by
each program
Redundancy
Lack of expertise in assessment
Lack of common database
Inability to compare data across programs
14
Standardized vs. Campus-based Measures
CSU accountability measures include nationally
standardized CLA and NSSE.
These do not replace assessment of student
performance in our programs.
But we need to do it more efficiently and
effectively.
15
University Assessment Task Force
The charge of the Task Force is to identify the
abilities and intellectual traits that all
students are expected to gain through their
educational career at CSUN.
Two categories of characteristics

• academic core competencies

• personal core values

16
Can more assessment be less?
Increase faculty workload?
Replace program assessment?
common core competencies
program competencies
17
Core Competency Miracle Cure
A multidisciplinary workgroup will determine

• SLOs of a particular core competency

• assessment instruments

• student populations to assess over time

Assessment in a variety of settings

• GE Basic Skills

• Gateway courses in majors

• WPE

• Upper-division GE

• Capstone courses in majors

Program instruments of same competency include
basic components--and more.
18
Advantages making more less

• Programs can focus on SLOs fundamental to their
  discipline.

• Faculty can improve/replace homegrown assessment
  tools and strategies.

• Longitudinal measurement is facilitated.

• Differences between student groups can be used
  to focus programs.

• Student learning is evaluated holistically.

• Implementation can be slow and deliberate.

19
Challenges
Agreement to measure a subset of common SLOs
using common instruments.
Common data management system for assessment a
MUST
Who will analyze data? Who will make
recommendations to improve student learning?
Resources needed?
20
Thanks to Assessment Task Force
Tami Abourezk Kim Badrkhan Kira Bracero Kathy
Dabbour Paula DiMarco Jordan Eickman Hilda
Garcia-Putzel Melissa Giles Steve Graves Bob
Lingard Leah Marcel Renee Martinez Vicki Pedone
21
Student Engagement and Learningat Cal State
Northridge

• Bettina J. Huber
• Director of Institutional Research

22
NSSENational Survey of Student Engagement

• Engagement teaching and learning activities
  fostering intense involvement with ones studies
• Eighth annual survey Spring 2007
• Entering and exiting students at
• 523 colleges and universities participated
• 1,903 Cal State Northridge students participated
• (1,040 first time freshmen 863 graduating
  seniors)

23
NSSENational Survey of Student Engagement

• Relied on two comparison groups
• Respondents from six other participating
• CSU campuses
• (Bakersfield, Dominguez Hills, Fresno, Long
  Beach, Los Angeles, and San Francisco)
• Respondents from 51 Carnegie Peers
• (large, public, and primarily non-residential)

24
Figure 1. Percentage of Respondents Beginning
College Elsewhere by Respondent Group
25
Table 1. Percentage of Respondents Belonging to
Different Age Groups by Respondent Group
26
Table 2. Percentage of Respondents Belonging to
Different Racial and Ethnic Groups by Respondent
Group
27
Figure 2. Percentage of Respondents Reporting
That They A. Do Not Live Within Walking
Distance of Campus. B. Spend at Least 6 hours
per Week Commuting to Class
28
Figure 3. Percentage of Respondents Reporting
That They A. Work Off Campus for More Than 10
Hours per Week B. Care for Dependents on a
Weekly Basis
29
Figure 4. Percentage of Respondents Reporting
That They Participate in Co-Curricular Activities
on a Weekly Basis(e.g., campus organizations,
student government, sports, fraternities/sororiti
es)
30
Figure 5. Percentage of Respondents Saying A. My
entire educational experience at this institution
has been excellent or good. B. I would
definitely or probably attend the same
institution if I were starting college over again.
31
Figure 6. Percentage of Respondents Saying That,
Overall, the Quality of the Academic Advising
They Have Received Has Been Excellent or Good
32
Figure 7. Percentage of NSSE Respondents Saying
A. Contact Among Students of Differing
Socio-Cultural Backgrounds Receives Substantial
Encouragement on Their Campus B. They Frequently
Have Serious Conversations with Students
Belonging to Racial and Ethnic Groups Differing
From Their Own C. They Frequently Include
Diverse Perspectives in Coursework
33
Figure 8. Percentage of NSSE Respondents Saying
TheyA. Wrote One or More Long Papers (i.e., 20
pages or longer) in 2006-07B. Frequently
Prepared Several Drafts of a Paper Before
Submitting It
34
Figure 9. Percentage of NSSE Respondents
Frequently A. Making Class Presentations B.
Working with Others on Projects During ClassC.
Working with Others on Projects Outside of Class
35
Figure 10. Percentage of NSSE Respondents Saying
Their College Education Has Contributed
Substantially to Their Ability to A. Speak
Clearly Effectively B. Write Clearly
EffectivelyC. Solve Complex Real-World
ProblemsD. Understand People of Other Racial
Ethnic Backgrounds
36
NSSE Responses by CollegeTo Whom Do the
Respondents Belong?

• Arts, Media, Communication 112
• Business Economics 194
• Engineering Computer Science 73
• Health Human Development 131
• Humanities
  131
• Science Mathematics 80
• Social Behavioral Sciences 125

37
NSSE Responses by CollegeWhat Do The Tables
Cover?

• Table 1 Student Satisfaction with Their
  Education
• Table 2 Writing-Intensive Curriculum
• Table 3 Active and Collaborative Learning
• Table 4 Emphasis on Abstract Thinking Skills
• Table 5 Diversity
• Table 6 Job-Relevant Experiences
• Table 7 Students Self-Assessments of Their
  Learning

38
Items Discussion Might Focus On

• Aspects of diversity that we are not strong on
  (e.g., conversations with different values or
  opinions, understanding others point of view)
• Aspects of writing that we are not strong on
  (e.g., short and mid-sized papers, integrating
  ideas from several sources)
• Aspects of active and collaborative learning that
  we are not strong on (e.g., discussing ideas from
  readings, contributing to class discussion)
• Abstract thinking skills
• Analyzing the Basic Elements of Ideas or Theories
• Applying Theories or Concepts to Practical
  Problems
• Making Judgments About the Value of Arguments or
  Methods
• Synthesizing and Organizing Information or
  Experiences
• On-the-Job Experience

39
AACU Employer Survey

• Commissioned in mid-2007
• Peter D. Hart Research Associates interviewed 301
  employers in November/December period.
• respondents companies have at least 25 employees
• 25 or more of new hires have baccalaureate
  degree
• respondents included CEOs, presidents, and vice
  presidents
• Issued Report in late January 2008
• (How Should Colleges Assess and Improve Student
  Learning? Employers Views on the Accountability
  Challenge)

40
Table 3. Employers' Views of Various Forms of
Student Assessment
41
Figure 11. Percentage of NSSE Respondents
Planning to A. Acquire On-the-Job Experience
B. Do Community Service or Volunteer WorkC.
Complete a Culminating Senior ExperienceD. Work
with a Faculty Member on a Research Project
42
Table 4. 2005-06 Cross-Sectional CLA
Administration
43
At Expected Above Expected At Expected
44
Table 5. 2005-07 Longitudinal CLA Administration
45
Table 6. Two Freshmen CLA Cohorts
46
The Learning Habits Project

• Inaugurated in late Fall 2007
• Purpose to track newly enrolled students likely
  to succeed at CSUN in an effort to gain insight
  into the characteristics and practices of the
  most effective among them that is, we seek to
  find out about their learning habits.
• Initial Cohort 82 freshmen entering in Fall 2007
• High School GPA of 3.5 or higher and/or
• Fully proficient in Mathematics and English at
  entry
• Will track this cohort, and two subsequent ones,
  over a 4-6-year period

47
The Learning Habits Project Data Being Gathered

• Selected class assignments
• Course-taking patterns and performance
• Demographic information
• End-of-term responses to a brief set of
  open-ended questions (e.g., characteristics of
  courses that provided particularly good learning
  experiences)
• In-depth interviews in which participating
  students are asking to reflect on their learning

48
Assessment and WASC

• Elizabeth Say
• Dean
• College of Humanities

49
Lets Take a Break!
50
Team/Table Assignments
51
Wrap Up
52
(No Transcript)