General Education Assessment Review: A Report to the Faculty Assembly

1. General Education Assessment Review: A Report to the Faculty Assembly SUNY Canton February 13, 2007

2. What is the purpose of assessment at SUNY Canton? • Assessment is a simple method faculty can use to collect feedback on how well the students are learning what the faculty believe the students are being taught. • The purpose of assessment is to provide faculty and students with information and insights needed to improve teaching effectiveness and learning quality.

3. College instructors use feedback gleaned through assessment to inform adjustments in their teaching. • Faculty also share feedback with students, using it to help them improve their learning strategies and study habits in order to become more independent and successful learners.

4. History and Types of Assessment 1. General Education Assessment • GER 1—GER 10 • GER 11—GER 12 (Infused competencies) 2. Assessment in the Major 3. Student Opinion Survey (SOS) 4. Strengthened Campus Based Assessment • --Math    GER 1 • --Basic Communication     GER 10 • --Critical Thinking (Infused) • --NSSE

5. Other forms of Assessment at SUNY Canton: • Student Opinion Survey (SOS) • National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

6. STUDENT OPINION SURVEY (SOS): • SUNY sponsored for all state-operated schools • Comparison Group: Technology Colleges and all state-operated campuses • Purpose: determine student satisfaction with academics, student life and other services and facilities

7. (SOS cont.) • Started in 1985 and administered every three years • Most recent survey Spring 2006 • Used to help with benchmarking and to understand better how students view services offered by SUNY Canton • Results will be available on reserve in the Library, Institutional Research office, and the Provost’s office, and will be published on the SUNY Canton web site.

8. NATIONAL SURVEY OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT (NSSE): • National Survey • SUNY mandated for Strengthening Campus Based Assessment (SCBA) • SUNY pays administrative and scoring costs.

9. (NSSE cont.) • Comparison Group: Technology Colleges, all state-operated campuses, and National Comparisons • Purpose: assess student learning • Started: 2000 and offered every year but SUNY Canton has not participated • SUNY Canton will participate in Spring 2008 with other State Operated Campuses.

10. Future Plans Website • Approved courses • Assessment cycles for Gen-Ed, Assessment in the Major, SOS, and NSSE • GER requirements • SUNY Canton Rubrics • GEAR report • Resources

11. General Education Assessment GER 1—12

12. According to Barbara E. Valvord, an Ideal system for Assessment and Improvement of Student Learning includes the following characteristics: 1. Exams, assignments, and classroom participation are valid indicators of the actual learning that the teacher desires 2. Evaluations/analyses accurately reflect learning and are appropriately diagnostic and explicit for their purposes

13. 3. The system promotes healthy motivation and fair treatment at every level. • 4. Evaluations are communicated appropriately to their various audiences and serve their purposes

14. 5.The system is efficient: no valuable information is lost; no useless information is communicated 6. The system is sustainable in terms of time and resources 7. Appropriate autonomy is protected (Walvoord)

15. Specific Assessment Areas(Complete assessment plans are in the report Appendix.) (GER 1) MATHEMATICS: Students will demonstrate the ability to: • -interpret and draw inferences from mathematical models such as formulas, graphs, tables and schematics; • -represent mathematical information symbolically, visually, numerically and verbally;

16. (GER 1 cont.) • -employ quantitative methods such as, arithmetic, algebra, geometry or statistics to solve problems; • -estimate and check mathematical results for reasonableness; and • -recognize the limits of mathematical and statistical methods.

17. (GER 1 cont.) METHODS: • The learning outcomes will be assessed by course embedded questions on hourly and final exams for each of the designated math courses. The mathematics department will collect a random sample (20%) from these exams and employ the rubrics proposed by the “Discipline Panel in Mathematics – (09/08/05)” as the assessment tool. • The mathematics department assessment team will develop and pilot exam questions, conduct a training session on the use of the rubrics, and will establish guidelines for levels of competence according to the SUNY discipline panel’s rubric levels.

18. (GER 1 cont.) • The actual grading process will include at least two (2) mathematics faculty members per exam question with the introduction of additional faculty in cases of disagreement. Papers will be scored as defined by the rubric and success will be determined per outcome if 70% of participants score 2 or 3.

19. (GER 2) NATURAL SCIENCE: Students will demonstrate: • -understanding of the methods scientists use to explore natural phenomena, including observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, evaluation of evidence, and employment of mathematical analysis; and • -application of scientific data, concepts, and models in one of the natural sciences.

20. (GER 2 cont.) Methods: Student learning outcome one will be assessed by administering a fifteen-question test developed by the science faculty work group. • Student learning outcome two will be assessed by course embedded questions on hourly exams or final exams.

21. (GER 3) SOCIAL SCIENCE: • Students will demonstrate: • -understanding of the methods social scientists use to explore social phenomena, including observation, hypothesis development, measurement and data collection, experimentation, evaluation of evidence, and employment of mathematical and interpretative analysis;

22. (GER 3 cont.) And • knowledge of major concepts, models and issues of at least one discipline in the social sciences. Method: • Course embedded questions will be used to assess both objectives. All courses listed that are taught within the Social Science cycle will be assessed.

23. (GER 4) AMERICAN HISTORY: Students will demonstrate: • -knowledge of a basic narrative of American history: political, economic, social, and cultural, including knowledge of unity and diversity in American society; • -knowledge of common institutions in American society and how they have affected different groups; and • -understanding of America’s evolving relationship with the rest of the world.

24. (GER 4 cont.) Method: • All students completing American History (HIST 103, HIST 105, ECON 105, HIST 204, HIST 205, HIST 304) will be assessed. • Mid-term and final examination questions will be evaluated by the individual instructor and another history faculty member. • A rating rubric will be used with individual student scores averaged to indicate level of performance. • The instructor will provide a point scale of 0-4 points indicating key content required for each level.

25. (GER 5) WESTERN CIVILIZATION: Students will: • -demonstrate knowledge of the development of the distinctive features of the history, institutions, economy, society, culture, etc., of Western civilization; and • -relate the development of Western civilization to that of other regions of the world.

26. (GER 5 cont.) Method: • The assessment tool for Western Civilization (HIST 101, HIST 102) will be course embedded. • A comprehensive question in the final exam will reflect the two student outcomes listed for (GER 5). • All students present at the final exam will be evaluated by the individual instructor utilizing a rubric indicating exceeding meeting, approaching, and not meeting general education outcomes. • An additional history faculty member will also evaluate the selected outcomes using the same standards.

27. (GER 6) OTHER WORLD CIVILIZATIONS: Students will demonstrate: • -knowledge of either a broad outline of world history, or • -the distinctive features of the history, institutions, economy, society, culture, etc., of one non-Western civilization.

28. (GER 6 cont.) Method: • The assessment tool for courses addressing (GER 6) will be course embedded. • For assessment key components of the stated objectives in (GER 6) will be incorporated into assigned research papers and/or examinations. • All the students evaluated on the basis of a rating rubric by the instructor responsible for the course will have an additional faculty member in the discipline also evaluate the selected outcomes using the same standards.

29. (GER 7) HUMANITIES: Students will demonstrate: • -knowledge of the conventions and methods of at least one of the humanities in addition to those encompassed by other knowledge areas required by the General Education program.

30. (GER 7 cont.) Method: • Students in all humanities courses designated as general education, ones which are not encompassed by other knowledge areas required by the General Education program, will be provided with the outcome/objectives at the start of the semester. • Students will complete at least one writing assignment that addresses the learning outcomes/objectives. • These writing products may vary from class to class but will be assessed in terms of the learning outcomes/objectives and by the same rubric. • When assessment occurs, writing samples from all departments within the humanities will be chosen randomly, an equal number of writing products from each department (on a course by course basis).

31. (GER 8) THE ARTS: Students will demonstrate: • -understanding of at least one principal form of artistic expression and the creative process inherent therein.

32. (GER 8 cont.) Methods: • General Education Arts Assessment will be accomplished by reviewing two embedded assignments designed for the student to discuss the creative process in reference to a student’s creative writing, performance, or studio piece (with one assignment as a benchmark) • OR one comprehensive exam from a random sample of students drawn from all Arts approved courses being offered during the sampling semester.

33. (GER 9) FOREIGN LANGUAGE: Students will demonstrate: • -basic proficiency in the understanding and use of a foreign language; and • -knowledge of the distinctive features of culture(s) associated with the language they are studying.

34. (GER 9 cont.) Method: • The assessment tool for Spanish I and Spanish II will be course embedded. • Questions on the Comprehensive Final Examination will be mapped to each of the two student learning outcomes listed for (GER9) Foreign Language.

35. (GER 10) BASIC COMMUNICATION: Students will: • -produce coherent texts within common college-level written forms; • -demonstrate the ability to revise and improve such texts; • -research a topic, develop an argument, and organize supporting details;

36. (GER 10 cont.) • -develop proficiency in oral discourse; and • -evaluate an oral presentation according to established criteria.

37. (GER 10 cont.) Method: • The first two student learning outcomes will be assessed using the national normed test developed and administered by ACT. The last three objectives will be measured using rubrics developed by the Humanities faculty. • The Director of Institutional Research will select classes of ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 students to be assessed for the student learning outcomes.

38. INFUSED COMPETENCIES(GER 11) CRITICAL THINKING (REASONING): Students will: • -identify, analyze, and evaluate arguments as they occur in their own or others’ work, and • -develop well-reasoned arguments.

39. (GER 11 cont.) Method: • Critical Thinking skills will be measured in the Writing Intensive courses. • All Writing Intensive Courses are subject to assessment. • The nationally normed test developed and administered by ACT will be used. This was be tried at SUNY Canton for the first time Spring semester 2006. • The courses to be tested will be selected by the Director of Institutional Research. Since this method of testing is new to the campus, there is much to learn about the reports that will be generated after the tests have been scored.

40. (GER 12) INFORMATION MANAGEMENT: Students will: • -perform the basic operations of personal computer use; • -understand and use basic research techniques; and • -locate, evaluate, and synthesize information from a variety of sources.

41. (GER 12 cont.) Method: • A forty (40) question multiple choice test will be administered in Writing Intensive sections.

42. General Education Assessment Team2006-2007 Amani Awwad Mary Bucher Nadine Jennings Raymond Krisciunas Christopher (Kit) Sweeney Christopher Nouryeh Michael Peebles Linda Pellett, Chair Alice Reed Judith Singh

43. Reference • Walvoord, Barbara E. Strengthening Campus-Based Assessment. SUNY AssessmentWorkshop handout.