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FREQUENTLY ASKED
QUESTIONS
What is assessment?
Why should we
conduct assessment?
How is assessment
related to grading?
What
are learning (developmental) outcomes?
What
makes a good learning (developmental) outcome?
Is assessment
the same as research?
I’m
a busy person—how much time does it take to conduct
assessment?
Who
do I go to for help in conducting an assessment project?
Does
the Assessment Office only help with Miami Plan assessment?
What is assessment?
The systematic collection of information about student
learning, using the time, knowledge, expertise, and
resources available, in order to inform decisions about
how to improve learning. [4]
Put more simply, assessment involves deciding what
skills, knowledge, or values students should gain as
a result of your course or program, collecting information
to determine how well students develop these skills,
and then using this information to modify the course/program
in order to increase students’ learning and development.
Assessment is NOT about proving that students are doing
well, or validating your skills as an educator.
Assessment IS about using systematically collected
data in order to improve student learning and development.
Why should we conduct assessment?
[3]
There are many benefits to conducting assessment.
Students benefit because:
- Faculty expectations are clearly outlined, helping
students to better meet these expectations.
- Feedback from assessment provides students with
information about their strenghts and weaknesses.
- They have documentation of their skills, which can
be used when applying for jobs or admission to graduate
schools.
Faculty benefit because:
- Conducting assessment helps faculty to see how different
aspects of their course contribute to students' learning,
or how different courses within a program contribute
to students' overall success in the program.
- Assessment results can be used to modify course
and program design so that students better meet faculty
expectations.
- Assessment can be used as evidence of quality teaching
for promotion or tenure decisions.
Administrators benefit because:
- Assessment results can be used to document the success
of a program or institution to external constituents,
such as employers, donors, and legislators.
- Assessment information can be used to ensure that
institutional resources are being used in the most
effective manner, and where they'll have the greatest
impact on student learning.
Is assessment the same as grading?
[1, 2, 3]
Yes and no. Course or assignment grades may be unsuitable
for assessment for several reasons:
- The grading and assessment criteria may differ
- The grading standards may be vague or inconsistent
- Grades alone may give insufficient information on
student strengths and weaknesses
- Grades do not reflect all learning experiences
However, when intentionally designed to do so,
grades can be used for assessment. "Embedded assessments"
are included in regular coursework or programs. For
example, assessing students’ final papers in a
course for evidence of critical thinking, or assessing
lab reports to determine students’ demonstration
of appropriate research design.
With careful planning, grades can be used for assessment
purposes if:
- The exam or assignment measures specific learning
outcomes
- The criteria for a grade are made explicit
- The criteria are detail enough to determine students'
strengths and weaknesses
However, some experts contend that grades
cannot be used for assessment at a broader level, such
as programmatic assessment. For an additional perspective
on the place of grades in programmatic assessment, read
the article "Do
Grades Make the Grade for Program Assessment?"
by Gloria Rogers.
What are learning (developmental) outcomes?
Learning (developmental) outcomes are specific statements
that describe the skills, abilities, knowledge, or values
that students should be able to do or demonstrate as
a result of the course or program (e.g., “the
student identifies and summarizes the problem or question
at issue”).
What makes a good learning (developmental)
outcome?
When designing learning (developmental) outcomes, the
outcomes should be defined by action terms that are:
• Measurable
• Observable
• Performed by the learner
(See the “Designing
Learning (Developmental) Outcomes” page for
additional suggestions.)
Is assessment the same
as research?
Assessment is not typically considered
to be research in the traditional sense. Research is
often designed to test theories, while assessment is
conducted in order to inform practice. However, some
would consider assessment to be a form of "action
research." [3]
Assessment can sometimes lack
the rigor found in research. Assessing student learning
on concepts such as critical thinking or appreciation
of diversity can be difficult, and using an empirical
research design may not be possible when working with
students in a class or program (versus participants
in a laboratory). However, assessment is can still be
meangingful and useful.
Assessment is designed to
inform practice, not to test theories. A well-designed
assessment provides information about how well students
are achieving the learning outcome, which can then be
used to modify the course or program. Rather than attempting
to create an empirically-based research study, focus
on collecting information that can be used to modify
your course or program design. For example, it is useful
to know that students in your class demonstrate excellent
writing skills but poor critical thinking skills, even
if a lack of empirical design does not allow you to
determine how their skills compare to other students'
skills.
I’m
a busy person—how much time does it take to conduct
assessment?
Assessment is a continuous
process that should be integrated with your teaching
responsibilities, making it difficult to determine how
much time assessment "takes." Because time
is often a concern, consider using embedded
assessments, which are integrated into regular
coursework or programs. Rather than create new assignments
for assessment purposes, use assignments that are already
included in course syllabi. When grading these assignments,
use rubrics to identify the specific criteria and outcomes
that you are assessing.
For additional time-saving suggestions,
contact one of the assessment
staff members, and we would be happy to help you
design assessment activities that fit with your schedule.
Who do I go to for help in conducting an assessment
project?
There are multiple people at Miami University with the
expertise to help with assessment. If you have general
questions about assessment, Miami Plan program review,
or any of the projects described on this website, please
contact one of the assessment staff members listed under
the Staff
portion of the webiste. We would be happy to help you!
If you would like to stop by our office, we are located
in room 229, Culler Hall (within the Office of Liberal
Education). Phone: 513-529-7135
Does the Assessment Office only help with Miami
Plan assessment?
No, the assessment office staff provide assistance with
all types of assessment. Although the we are located
within the Office of Liberal Education and assist with
Miami Plan assessment, we also support assessment projects
that are not directly related to the Miami
Plan for Liberal Education. For example, the office
currently sponsors the Outcomes
in the Majors project, in which departments identify
and assess learning outcomes for all graduates of their
department.
We are happy to support Miami faculty and staff with
all types of assessment projects.
References
[1] Maki, P. L. (2004). Assessing for learning: Building
a sustainable commitment across the institution. Sterling,
VA: Stylus Publishing,
LLC.
[2] Rogers, G. (n.d.) Do grades
make the grade for program assessment?
Retrieved from http://www.abet.org/
Linked%20Documents-UPDATE/Assessment/Assessment%20Tips4.pdf
[3] Suskie, L. (2004). Assessing student learning: A
common sense guide. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Company,
Inc.
[4] Walvoord, B. E. (2004). Assessment clear and simple:
A practical guide for institutions, departments, and
general education. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
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