Program Assessment – an overview

1. Program Assessment – an overview Karen E. Denniskdennis@sas.rutgers.eduO: 848-932-2278 sasoue.rutgers.edu

2. My goals today… You’ll have a clear outline of the program assessment process. You’ll know of resources that can clarify and expand on this information. You’ll be ready to launch the next steps in a sustainable assessment cycle for your programs.

3. We want to encourage • the use of authentic assessments that are minimally invasive, • efficient for you, and • provide valid formative information • that will allow you to improve • student learning in your courses. • I’m here to help you accomplish that.

4. You may already be doing much of what needs to be done – but perhaps not in a way that puts the results to work for you. • You may not know all the sources of assessment information you already have at hand.

5. Assessment is a process, and its parts can be put into place over time. • That process should have “sufficient simplicity, practicality, detail, and ownership to be sustainable.”

6. A basic map of the way forward… • Determine your program goals for student learning. • Select the goal(s) to focus on first. • Identify measures that will generate information. • Implement assessment; observe and analyze results. • Decide how to use this information. • Summarize and report… • …repeat.

7. learning goals example –Cell Biology & Neuroscience major Students will: • master factual and conceptual knowledge in cell biology and neuroscience that will provide a solid foundation for success in advanced training and professional careers, • develop an ability to summarize, integrate and organize information, and • use scientific reasoning to evaluate the potential for current research and new discoveries to improve our understanding of cell biology and neuroscience and its relevance to human health and to our society.

8. How and where do they assess these learning goals? • Direct assessment of students in the major’s Capstone: • Rubrics with criteria for student performance - achievement of learning goals for major. • S-10 pilot study: rubrics applied to student work in Honors capstones. • Decision: expand this assessment to all capstone classes as of F-10. • Indirect assessment: • Student survey on learning goals, curriculum, course effectiveness & availability. • “Town hall” meeting of CBN majors and Curriculum Committee. • Decision: launch Entrance and Exit surveys for all majors.

9. Steps to creating a simple, practical & sustainable assessment cycle for your programs (I’m here to work with you through them all!)

10. Charge an assessment working group… …with responsibility for: • priorities - which goal(s) to assess, and… • how and where to assess. • setting a timeline that allows for analysis and decision-making. • reporting results and recommendations. • ensuring continuity of your process.

11. implement the first round of assessment… Your working group will lead your faculty in: • defining criteria for successful performancein achieving the learning goal(s). • deciding how to measure these effectively (what tools to use). • running this round of assessments (how & where?)

12. …a note on assessment measures, and especially rubrics • Embedded assignment(s) scored with a rubric • Portfolio(s) scored with a rubric • Pre-Test/Post-Test assessments • Concept Map Tests

13. Once you have results… The assessment team will take the lead to: • decide if changes are indicated - in your program or the assessment process. • develop an implementation plan, and a timeline for re-visiting this goal. • report to your colleagues.

14. … and process continues. Once you review the recommendations, the assessment working group will: • encourage implementation of agreed-upon changes in the process or the program. • Develop a timeline for assessment of your remaining goals, and • keep this cycle going.

15. Reporting to the SAS Dean SAS Program Assessment Report (form) Keeping it simple and flexible… • A one-page summary , based on the reporting format for MSCHE. • Attachments: rubrics, survey instruments, other tools used in your assessment. • A narrative –long or short – describing the process, the results, and your plans.

18. a few final notes… • Make this process as visible as possible to your graduate students. • Faculty Guide To Submitting Courses For The Core (on the SAS Office of Undergraduate Education webpage) • …and coming soon: the SAS assessment webpage. • Don’t hesitate to contact me – I’m here to help.

19. Questions, comments? …to contact me: Karen E. Denniskdennis@sas.rutgers.eduphone: 848-932-2278