Assessing Student Learning in Higher Education
Introduction
Section 2
Background and Rationale for Assessment
Section 3
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
Section 4
Assessment Tools and Data
Section 5
Course Assessment
Section
6
Program Assessment
Section
7
Closing the Loop
Section
8
Implementing
Assessment Training
Vehicle for Implementation
The Core Committee
Assessment Audit
Campus-wide Logistics
Training Leaders
Campus Training
Closing the Loop
Sustaining Assessment
Section
9
References & Resources
Definitions
Workbook
Using Materials from
this Website
Step 2: Steering Committee Structure and Budget
Step 2: Develop a Steering Committee Structure and Budget.
Determine whether this will be a subcommittee of another standing committee or whether an entire existing committee can reorient time and energy for the initial learning curve. (For instance, the Institutional Effectiveness or Program Review Committee might set aside one year of duties (e.g. reviews) to organize and carry out training)
*Have broad multidisciplinary representation with adequate administrative members and try to include adjunct faculty. (In addition if classified staff or students can participate this is can be helpful.)
Elect a faculty chair or create a co-chair position with a faculty member and administrator if this is a subcommittee or new committee.
Train the core team using the training material available in the workbook or online at http://online.bakersfieldcollege.edu/courseassessment/ .
Develop a budget immediately. Anticipate and fund campus-wide events, discipline (department) training events, guest speakers, a set of library resources, or books for faculty. A few examples are enumerated below.
|
Potential Budget Expenses |
Estimated Costs |
|
Library of Assessment Texts Sample texts: Classroom Assessment Techniques, Angelo and Cross, 1993 Assessment for Excellence, Astin, 1993 Learner-Centered Assessment on College Campuses, Huba and Freed, 2000 How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School, NRC, 2002 Knowing What Students Know, NRC, 2001 A Practitioner’s Handbook for Institutional Effectiveness and Student Outcomes Assessment Implementation, Nichols, 1995 A Learning College for the 21st Century, O’Banion, 1997 Assessment Essentials: Planning, Implementing, and Improving Assessment in Higher Education, Palomba and Banta, 1999 Student-Centered Classroom Assessment, Stiggens, 1994. Effective Grading, Walvoord and Anderson, 1998 Assessment Clear and Simple, Walvoord, 2004 The Art of Changing the Brain, Zull, 2002 |
$400 - $600 |
|
Outside Speakers – e.g. Tom Angelo, Virginia Anderson, Peter Ewell, Douglas Eder, Terry O’Banion, WASC representatives, local experts, RP group workshop leaders |
$1000-2000-5000 (depending on speaker) |
|
Outside Assessment Conferences – AAHE, AACU, IUPUI, and others |
$250-2000 each |
|
Training Workshops on Campus (multidisciplinary & by disciplines) |
$1000 - 3000 |
|
Remunerations, stipends, reassign time – This should be consistent with campus policy and union contracts. This is instructional work and can be used as numerator expenses for the 50% Law. |
Depends on campus and budget. |
This is not a large budget; compare it to many other budgets on campus which yield little in the way of educational improvement. The committee must have some budget to begin or they will be hobbled before they begin.
*Several key features in this plan are a result of analyzing data and feedback from over 300 faculty and administrators attending SLO and Assessment workshop training. These essential features are marked with an asterisk and represent recurring concerns or statements from community faculty and administrators throughout California.
Resources and Links
Images are linked to the publishers website.
The publisher has asked that I include a special discount code
HE04 for multiple copy purchases of any books on
their site.
National Academy Press
Effective Grading: A Tool for Learning and Assessment
Janet Fulks
Assessing Student Learning in Community Colleges (2004), Bakersfield
College
jfulks@bakersfieldcollege.edu
07/11/2006