Vol 1 Issue 4
A Successful Assessment Program Requires Professional Development for All Involved
This is third in our series on developing and implementing comprehensive assessment programs in educational institutions. The first article identified four strategies to support the development and implementation of such programs. The second article described the first strategy initiating a structured process that institutions can follow to support the design and application of assessment and continuous improvement initiatives. This article focuses on the second strategy: the need to provide formal and consistent professional development for faculty, staff, and students in order for assessment efforts to be successful. We have found that in order to implement the structured assessment program, frequent seminars and workshops must be delivered to staff, faculty, and students. These developmental initiatives help to enroll everyone in the process through understanding and constructive debate. Later on, professional development activities focus on the skills required in the operation of a comprehensive assessment program. These skills range from developing a valid assessment method to providing outcome performance feedback to students in the classroom.The workshops described below support both faculty and student learning about assessment and continuous improvement. Outcomes-Driven Assessment: A Primer The purpose of this session is to provide faculty, administrators, and students with a basic understanding of outcome-driven assessment. Special attention is given to ABET Engineering Criteria 2000 and the role that assessment plays in meeting the new requirements. Participants are provided with a set of construct definitions to allow for a common vocabulary that can be used by all involved. A general framework for designing a comprehensive and integrated assessment process is presented, with each step described. Finally, various assessment strategies and alternative evaluation methods are presented. Identifying Educational Objectives, Strategies and Outcomes: Departmental Session The purpose of this session is to provide department/program chairs and faculty an opportunity to define specific program objectives and associated outcomes for each engineering program looking to meet the ABET Engineering Criteria 2000. The critical aspects of ABET Criteria 2000 will be reviewed,and general definitions of program objectives and outcomes will be discussed. Teams, comprising chairs and faculty, will spend the majority of the workshop defining their program objectives and outcomes using a structured process designed to facilitate this initial step in preparation for an ABET review.Identifying Educational Objectives, Strategies and Outcomes for the Classroom The purpose of this session is to support faculty's design and implementation of an assessment process that provides students with developmental feedback on learning outcomes. Special attention is given to the student learning outcomes identified by ABET Engineering Criteria 2000 (Criterion 3, a-k). An overview of outcome-driven assessment is provided as well as the opportunity to translate specific course objectives into measurable outcomes. The use of competency-based surveys as a method to evaluate performance and provide developmental feedback is explored. Finally, the changing role of faculty as mentor and coach to the student is discussed. Over the past year, we have conducted over 22 sessions across our seven schools. Over 200 staff, faculty, and students have attended these assessment offerings. Additionally, workshops and seminars have been delivered at several universities outside the Coalition, including Arizona State University, New York City Technical College, University of Oklahoma, and University of Pittsburgh. Future plans include offerings on such topics as Classroom Assessment Techniques, Using Technology to Support Assessment Processes, and Designing Competency-Based Surveys. ¨ For more information, contact: Jack McGourty
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Last modified: April 28th, 1998.