Understanding Teaching
Effectiveness and Assessment
Projects
Learning Objectives for this Session
After completing this session you should be able to…
1. Articulate the requirements for projects to improve teaching
effectiveness and projects to assess student learning
2. Differentiate between projects to improve teaching
effectiveness and projects to assess student learning
3. Identify examples of both types of projects
4. Complete the necessary documentation for your projects
Requirements & Reporting
Projects are discussed on Pages 2 and 4 of the Memo of
Understanding
• One project to assess student learning is required each year,
regardless of whether you are doing Satisfactory Standards of
Employment or Yearly Distribution Requirements
• One project to improve teaching effectiveness is required
each year, but ONLY if you are following the Yearly
Distribution Requirements
• A title, purpose, brief description, and timeline must be
submitted as part of your FPE Plan
• A comprehensive reflection with achievements, concrete
examples, and any modifications must be submitted as part of
your FPE Report
Definitions
A Project to Assess Student Learning…
• …is an individual-level or department-level project
• …focuses on a Student Learning Outcome
• …includes all the steps of the assessment cycle, including the
documentation of the process and the data and the results
A Project to Improve Teaching Effectiveness…
• …is an individual-level project
• …involves research and implementation of a teaching strategy
• …involves reflection on the impact of the strategy on teaching and
learning
Understanding Assessment Projects
Overview Information
 Improve student learning of…
 Institutional Learning Outcomes
 Program Learning Outcomes
 Course Learning Outcomes
 Meet external accreditation requirements
 Two Options: Department Project or Individua
Project
Department Assessment Project
 Institutional, Program, Course Student Learning Outcomes
 Faculty member is taking part in an assessment project that
has been identified by the department
 Results are reported institutionally (to Curriculum Office)
 Improves student learning for all students who will take the
class or elect the program
 Focuses on improving curriculum and/or pedagogy
 May lead to systematic changes in courses or programs
 Meets HLC and program accreditation (when applicable)
requirements
Department Assessment Project
General Process
1. Decide on the learning outcome to be assessed. (Optional)
2. Participate in the creation of the assessment tool. (Optional)
3. Perform the assessment in your classroom.
4. Submit data.
5. Participate in the analysis of the data.
6. Participate in the development of an improvement plan.
7. Make the improvement change(s) in your classroom.
8. Repeat the assessment in your classroom.
9. Submit data, participate in the analysis and evaluation of the
improvement(s).
Department Assessment Project
Example
 Occupational Therapy department decides to assess a Program Learning
Outcomes at the end of a program
 Outcome: Evaluate the individual/group to determine needs and priorities
for occupation-based interventions.
 Measures: Fieldwork Evaluation, NBCOT examination
 Measurement Instruments already exist- no development necessary
1. Faculty teaching the Fieldwork courses compile data from all students in
that course for the academic year and create a data summary
2. Faculty come together to discuss the results for both measures and to
identify strengths and areas for improvement related to the outcome
3. Faculty identify and implement a common curricular or pedagogical
change within the program
4. Repeat steps 1-2
Individual Assessment Project
 Institutional, Course Student Learning Outcomes
 Faculty member identifies the assessment project
 Improves student learning for students who will take your
class
 Greater focus on individual faculty pedagogy which leads to
improved learning
Individual Assessment Project
Process
1. Decide on the Course Learning Outcome to be assessed.
2. Find or create an appropriate assessment tool.
3. Perform the assessment in your classroom.
4. Collect and analyze the data.
5. Develop an improvement plan.
6. Make the improvement changes in your classroom.
7. Repeat the assessment in your classroom.
8. Collect and analyze the data to come to a decision on the
effectiveness of the improvements.
Individual Assessment Project
Example
 You teach GE 132 Physical Geography
 Course Learning Outcome: Demonstrate understanding of the workings of
the atmosphere on local, regional, and global scales with particular
reference to weather and climate
 Measure: Lab Assignment
 Measurement Instruments already exist- no development necessary
1. Compile data from all students in your sections and create a data
summary
2. Identify strengths and areas for improvement related to the outcome
3. Identify and implement a common curricular or pedagogical change that
you expect to increase performance of your students
4. Repeat steps 1-2
Understanding Projects to Improve
Teaching Effectiveness
Process for Teaching Effectiveness
Projects
Projects to improve teaching effectiveness always occur at the
individual level. The basic process involves the following:
1. Choose an instructional strategy to focus on for the project.
2. Collect information on best practices for that strategy.
3. Reflect on your current practice related to the strategy.
4. Develop a plan for employing the strategy.
5. Implement the planned change(s) in your classroom.
6. Reflect on the results of the change(s).
7. Summarize your next step(s).
Examples of Teaching Effectiveness
Projects
There are a myriad of projects that could be developed, but
some examples might include:
• Implementing Case Study Analysis in a course
• Using Twitter in class for “backchanneling”
• Using “flipped classroom” ideas in one section
• Developing an Academic Service Learning component in one
of your classes
• Et cetera…
For more information…
…please visit the Faculty Evaluation System Training Resources
website at www.grcc.edu/facevalresources. There you will find
PowerPoint presentations, forms, copies of the signed
agreements, links to recordings of the trainings, and other
helpful information.
Learning Summary
1. Articulate the requirements for projects to improve teaching
effectiveness and projects to assess student learning
2. Differentiate between projects to improve teaching
effectiveness and projects to assess student learning
3. Identify examples of both types of projects
4. Complete the necessary documentation for your projects
Questions?