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University of Wyoming

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

 

Who is responsible for program/departmental assessment within a department?

Program assessment belongs to the department. The first step is meeting together to talk about student learning in relation to Academic Planning. Program assessment is not done by one person -- the department head, for example -- in isolation from the department members.


What is assessment of student learning?

Assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning and development. The purpose of assessment is to understand how educational programs are working and whether they contribute to student learning, growth, and development. Thus, the emphasis of assessment is on programs rather than individual students, but assessment should take place at all levels—institutional, program, and course. 

The assessment process begins with the formulation of statements of intended learning outcomes. That is, what students should know, understand, and be able to do with their knowledge. The second step in the assessment process is to design and/or select data gathering methods to determine whether the intended learning outcomes have been achieved.  These measures should include both direct and indirect assessments of student learning such as projects, papers, performances as well as surveys. The third step is ensuring that students have experiences within and outside their courses that help them achieve the desired learning outcomes. Coursework, internships, and co-curricular activities provide students opportunities for growth and development. Lastly, assessment results must be discussed and used to improve student learning. 

The assessment of student learning begins with educational values and clear, explicit purposes. Assessment is most effective when it reflects an understanding of learning as multidimensional, integrated, and revealed in performance over time. Thus, assessment is ongoing, not episodic.


If our program /department/college is accredited, do we still have to do other assessment? 

Programs that are accredited are traveling in the right direction and have initiated forms of assessment to meet the accreditation standards. However, some programs that are accredited do not have a culture of student assessment. Theirs is a climate of assessment. It is accreditation driven and traditional. To develop a culture of assessment, the assessment must be ongoing, embedded in the program curricula, and internal with a philosophy of improvement. All informed decisions concerning courses, curriculum, and program outcomes are driven by assessment data. The assessment of student learning becomes a core value of the program with learning as the driver and the curricula leads the students to achievement of outcomes. This is a learning paradigm and a culture of ongoing assessment of student learning. Other forms of assessment may include exams, demonstrated competencies, use of rubrics, and portfolios. By developing a culture of assessment of student learning, the accreditation process will be a celebration of the program's success.


We know what our students need to know. Isn't that enough?

The bottom-line of any assessment endeavor is the improvement of teaching and learning. Program or department assessment could focus on examining student learning in multi-section courses or on the overall improvement of teaching and learning relative to department/program goals. Programs and departments might work together to define areas of instructional concern, formulate and implement strategies to address those concerns, and then gather data to measure how well the strategies are working. Information gathered about students' performances could be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a given program, to establish grading norms, and to identify topics that are particularly difficult for students to grasp. Changing the course design or pedagogical method could improve student learning and better prepare students for future courses within a program. Departments and programs should be able to determine, not only what their students are supposed to know, but what they are actually learning.


How does outcomes assessment differ from setting a curriculum and making sure students meet the requirements before they graduate?

A successful assessment program must consider inputs, environment, and outcomes.Outcomes assessment is complementary to curriculum/pedagogy assessment. If we examine only environment (curriculum/pedagogy) we assume that what is taught is what is learned. This may or may not be true. If we examine only outcomes, we cannot know if what has been learned is a result of the environment because there is no input information. Assessment requires attention to outcomes and equally to the experiences that lead to those outcomes.

Outcomes assessment focuses on the knowledge that students have and what they can do with that knowledge. Outcomes assessment begins with intended learning outcomes. We can determine intended learning outcomes for a course, a program, and/or the institution. These intended learning outcomes describe the things that students know or can do after instruction that they didn’t know or couldn’t do before. Effective learning outcomes are student-focused rather than instructor focused. They focus on the learning resulting from the activity rather than on the activity itself.  Intended learning outcomes should be general enough to capture important learning but clear and specific enough to be measurable. 

There are three primary benefits to formulating intended learning outcomes. First, intended learning outcomes form the basis for assessment of a course, a program, or an institution.  Second, intended learning outcomes provide direction for instructional activity. Finally, intended learning outcomes inform students about the intentions and expectations of faculty. We should consider both cognitive and affective outcomes and develop measures for each. For example, we might develop assessments for specific skills, general education, and/or discipline specific subject matter. Likewise, we can develop measures for leadership, cultural/ethnic sensitivity, and student satisfaction.


What's in it for me?

We believe that assessment of student learning is the right thing to do for our students and it is the right thing for a university. As educators we have the responsibility to assess learning in the deepest and most meaningful ways. It may be a struggle but it is incumbent upon us to do so if we are going to serve students. If you are still asking, "What’s in it for me?" then the optimistic answer is a stimulating challenge, a chance to learn, and a professional development opportunity.


As a faculty member, will poor student assessment outcomes be used against me?

No. It is inappropriate to use information gathered to assess outcomes at any level -- program, college or university -- to evaluate the performance of individual faculty members or students. In addition, assessment data should not be used to make comparisons among programs, departments, or colleges.