Ling Hwey Jeng, Director
School of Library and Information Studies
Ljeng@twu.edu
June 27, 2011

Operational Assumptions
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Every program is unique, but it is still possible to have common process for quality assessment.
Data used to inform decisions must be open, consistent, and continuous.
Evidence of student academic attainment must be explicit, clear and understandable.
No assessment can be good without direct measures on student learning outcomes.
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Paradigm shift
– from “what faculty teach” to “what students learn”
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Focus shift
– from structure “input, process, output” to outcomes
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Input (e.g., enrollment, faculty recruitment, facility)
Process (e.g., curriculum, services, advising)
Output (e.g., grades, graduation, placement)
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Outcome
– Goal oriented planning, support, teaching, as shown in evidence of learning
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Example: Structure and Outcomes
Input Process Outputs Outcomes
Students backgrounds, enrollment
Student services and programs grades, graduation, placement
Skills gained, attitudes changes
Faculty backgrounds, recruitment teaching assignment, class size work units, publications, conference presentations citations, impacts
Program history, budget, resources allocated policies, procedures, governance participation rates, resources utilization program objectives achieved
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Output > Outcome
Course grades > Skills learned
Faculty publications
Enrollment growth
> Citation impacts
> Objective achieved
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Program level assessment
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Course level assessment
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is the expectation that assessment is
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Explicit and in writing
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Integrated in the program’s planning process
Done at both program level and course level
Accessible to those affected by the assessment
Implemented and used as feedback by the program
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The Guiding Principles of Assessment
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Backward planning
– Start with where we want to end
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Triangulation
– Multiple measures, both direct and indirect
Gap analysis
– Inventory of what has been done
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Identify standards, sources of evidence and constituent inputs
Define student learning objectives
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Develop outcome measures
– Direct and indirect measure
Collect and analyze data
– Methods, frequency, patterns
Review and use data as feedback
– Impacts on decisions made
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Faculty Expectations as the Basis
The really important things faculty think students should know, believe, or be able to do when they receive their degrees
Approaches to establishing faculty expectations
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Top down:
– use external standards to define faculty expectations
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Bottom up:
– identify recurring faculty expectations among courses, and use the list to develop overarching program level expectations
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Take all course syllabi
Examine what expectations (i.e., course objectives) are included in individual courses
Make a list of recurring ones as the basis for program level expectations
Ask what else need to be at program level
State the expectations in program objectives
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(e.g.)
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 written exams oral exams performance assessments standardized testing licensure exams oral presentations projects demonstrations case studies simulation portfolios juried activities with outside panel
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 questionnaire surveys
 interviews
 focus groups
 employer satisfaction studies
 advisory board
 job/placement data
(examples only)
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Program objectives aligned with mission and goals
Multiple inputs in developing program objectives (both constituents and disciplinary standards)
Program objectives stated in terms of student learning outcomes
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(Cont.)
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Student learning outcome assessment addressed at both course level and program level
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Triangulation with both direct and indirect measures
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A formal, systematic process to integrate results of assessment into continuous planning
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Assessment of input and process (i.e., structure) only determines capacity. It does not determine what students learn.
Don’t confuse “better teaching” with “better learning.” One is the means and the other is the outcome.
Everything we do in the classroom is about something outside the classroom.
It’s what the learners do that determines what and how much is learned.
If I taught something and no one learned it, does it count?
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Map the objectives with professional standards
Make visible the invisible expectations
Make sure what we measure is what we value
Begin with what could be agreed upon
Include both program measures and course embedded measures
Make use of assessment in grading
Harness the accreditation process to make it happen
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