Valuing Learning
Vol. 2 No. 1 |
The Missouri State University-West Plains Assessment Committee |
December 2004 |
Progress Report on Assessment
by Jay Dee Martin Ph.D.
Faculty Assessment Coordinator
The Higher Learning Commission Report on a Comprehensive Evaluation Visit to Missouri State University-West Plains November 2003 stated: "The institution does not have in place the leadership that is needed to implement a viable assessment program at the course, program, and institution levels." The report called for:
- A faculty coordinator with partial release time to develop the assessment program;
- The linking of the assessment process to the Long-range Plan and Budgeting process;
- The revision of the assessment process to focus on "the assessment of student learning at the course, program, and institution levels with emphasis placed on documented use of multiple direct and indirect measures to assess student learning."
The Faculty Senate, on April 6, 2004 in a resolution, recommended that a Faculty Coordinator be identified, that a budget for assessment be created and that the assessment process be linked to the long-range plan and budget. The Senate also resolved that the Faculty Senate direct its members to identify appropriate direct and indirect measures being successfully implemented in their disciplines at other institutions; implement and document direct and indirect measures appropriate for their disciplines in cooperation with the Faculty Assessment Coordinator and Assessment Committee; and review the results of assessment measures with the intent to apply appropriate recommendations to improve learning outcomes.
The Faculty Senate, on May 4, 2004, at the request of the Assessment Committee, passed a motion that the learning assessment plan should be focused around the following four components : Communicating to Learn, Capstone Course, Standardized Testing, and Course Imbedded Assessment (Direct/Indirect Assessment). This motion represents the Assessment Committee's preliminary plan for learning assessment which will have multiple measures of assessing student learning.
Progress:
- May 2004 – Missouri State University-West Plains Budget incorporates a line item for $5,000 for assessment;
- May 2004 – Sixteen Faculty members (8 full-time) submitted direct and indirect assessment measures that they employ in their courses;
- May 2004 – Assessment Committee develops the Assessment Timeline to guide the assessment process.
- May 2004 – The Assessment Committee brings the outline of the Assessment Plan to the Faculty Senate and it is approved;
- June 2004 – Dr. Jay Dee Martin selected as Faculty Assessment Coordinator (FAC);
- June 2004 – Leigh Adams researches Communicating Across the Curriculum (CAC) program (Communicating to Learn mentioned above) to develop Missouri State University-West Plains's program;
- July 2004 – FAC develops a plan for Course Imbedded Assessment using Critical Traits Analysis of learning outcomes (direct measures) and course based assessment techniques such as the minute paper.
- August 2004 – CAC program is finalized and Committee to develop the program is impaneled;
- August 2004 – FAC presents the Course Imbedded Assessment Plan to the Fall Faculty Workshop (and the Per-course Faculty Workshop) and requests that faculty use the assessment reporting matrix to report their course assessment plan for all of the courses they teach by the end of Fall semester 2004. The plan also requires a statement about how the results of assessment will be used to improve learning. Faculty are told that they are not required to use the Critical Traits Analysis, but they do need to submit a plan for their courses which includes direct and indirect measures of learning.
- September 2004 – Assessment Web Page developed providing assessment resources, information and ideas;
- September 2004 – Departments and faculty members start work developing their learning assessment plans;
- September 2004 – FAC makes a brief report to the Faculty Senate and tells faculty he is available to help with the development of departmental or course assessment plans.
- September 2004 – Assessment Committee reviews the CAAP test results and comparisons of CAAP to ACT entry exams;
- September 2004 – Nursing Department faculty review NCLEX exam outcomes to assess graduate performance;
- October 2004 – Kristen Dallavis is hired to be the Coordinator of CAC program her duties to start January 1, 2005;
- October 2004 – Long-Range Planning Process begins;
- October 2004 – FAC makes a brief report to the Faculty Senate and tells faculty he is available to help with the development of departmental or course assessment plans;
- October 2004 – PEEL Learning Assessment Workshop in Course Based Assessment Techniques;
- November 2004 – FAC makes a brief report to the Faculty Senate and tells faculty he is available to help with the development of departmental or course assessment plans.
- November 2004 – Assessment Newsletter reviews assessment progress;
- November 2004 – Capstone Course "Topics in Globalization" approved by the Curriculum Committee (this class will collect CAC portfolios for assessment );
- November 2004 – FAC sends out a Guide for Writing Learning Objectives and Assessing Them; this guide gives a detailed rubric for the assessment of a single learning objective.
Planned:
- December 2004 – Faculty to return course/discipline Assessment Plans to FAC;
- December 2004 – Assessment Committee approves plan for portions of CAAP test to be taken by random samples of graduates (each student taking 2 portions);
- December 2004 – FAC presents Progress Report on Assessment to Faculty Senate;
- December 2004 – Faculty Senate approves Capstone Course;
- January 2005 – Faculty start implementation of Learning Assessment Plans and collecting documentation (minute papers etc.);
- January 2005 – Assessment Workshop planned;
- January 2005 – CAC Coordinator begins training of faculty for CAC – CAC portfolios will be used to assess Writing, Oral Communication, Higher Order Thinking, Information Management (Literacy) and Valuing;
- January 2005 – Capstone Class Piloting begins;
- January 2005 – Assessment Committee Subcommittee begins review of General Education Goals for the 42 hour transfer block focusing on assessment;
I want to thank you all for your continued cooperation,