INTRO CLIP:
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RNFI
Assessment: How to
Start from Scratch
BY MICHELLE GESSEL & CYNTHIA WONG
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
"The only real
stumbling
block is fear
of failure. In
cooking
you've got to
have a whatthe-heck
attitude.“
- Julia Child
Assessment Process
1. Identify opportunities for assessment
2. Decide what to assess
3. Determine how to assess it
4. Carry out assessment project
5. Interpret results
6. Share results
Assessment Process – Baking a Cake
1. Identify opportunities for assessment – what are you
hoping to get out of the experience?
◦ Produce something really good
◦ Learn about the process?
◦ Improve skills?
Assessment/Baking Process
2. Decide what to assess:
◦ What do you want it to look like?
◦ How do you want to go about it?
◦ What resources are out there?
◦ Has anyone done it before?
◦ Who are you making it for?
"Cooking well
doesn’t mean
cooking
fancy.“
- Julia Child
Assessment/Baking Process
3. Determine how to assess it:
◦ How are you going to go about the process?
◦ What tools/ingredients are you going to use?
◦ How long will it take?
◦ What level of experience are you equipped to handle?
◦ How invested are you?
Assessment/Baking Process
4.
Carry out assessment project
◦ What happens when things don’t go according to plan (find Julia
Child recipe where she messes up.)
◦ Are you flexible?
◦ Are you realistic?
◦ How far are you willing to deviate from the original recipe?
Assessment/Baking Process
5. Interpret results
◦ What did you learn?
◦ What are you going to do with what you learned?
◦ What would you do differently?
"The measure
of achievement
is not winning
awards. It’s
doing
something that
you appreciate,
something you
believe is
worthwhile.“
- Julia Child
Assessment/Baking Process
6. Share results
◦ Did we accomplish what we set out to accomplish?
◦ Did we meet expectations?
◦ What kind of feedback did we get?
◦ Did the project fulfill its purpose?
◦ Was it good?
"A party
without cake
is really just a
meeting.“
- Julia Child
Assessment Baking/Process
1. Identify opportunities for assessment
2. Decide what to assess
3. Determine how to assess it
4. Carry out assessment project
5. Interpret results
6. Share results
Preliminary Research –
Researching Baking Techniques
◦ NACADA Assessment Handbook
◦ Academic Advising Approaches
◦ Experience of other advisors
1. Identifying Opportunities –
Why are you baking?
◦ Honors Thesis
◦ Learn more about assessment
◦ Improve my advisement center
◦ Improve my skills as an advisor
2. Decide What to Assess –
What Kind of Cake
Changes in Honors Graduation Requirements
Honors Commitment Interview
◦ Statement of Intent
◦ Requirement Checklist
◦ Goals
Research questions:
◦ Is the Statement of Intent helping students reflect on their Honors
experience and find value in the program?
◦ Is the Statement of Intent helping students build rapport with the
student advisor?
◦ Do the students understand the requirements?
Process – Gathering
Ingredients
Identify Stakeholders
◦ Honors Program Administration
◦ Honors Student Advisors
◦ Honors Students
Determine
◦ Mission
◦ Vision
◦ Goals
Process – Gathering
Ingredients
Develop Outcomes - tools
◦ Process/Delivery Outcomes – Reflect the context and
content of the advising process. Anchored in advisor.
◦ Advisors are knowledgeable about Honors graduation requirements
◦ Advisors are friendly and respectful toward students
◦ Student Learning Outcomes – What do we want students
to learn as a result of completing the Commitment
Interview?
◦ Students will know what specific requirements they need to complete to
graduate with University Honors
◦ Students will value their experience in the Honors Program
Process – Planning Preparation
Map Process
◦ When gathered: end of commitment interview
◦ Where & How Often: Advisement Center, Winter
Semester
◦ From Whom: Committed Honors Students
Determine Funding
◦ Drawing for $20 gift cards to the
Bookstore for filling out survey
3. How To Assess – What Pan
to Use
Ideas:
◦ Rubric?
◦ E-mail survey to all Committed Honors Students?
◦ Focus Group?
Survey at end of commitment interview
◦ Student
◦ Advisor
4. Carry Out Assessment
Project – Baking the Cake
Train advisors
Survey at end of commitment interview
◦ both student and advisor fill out a survey
Input survey data into Qualtrics
5. Interpret Results – Deciding
how to Serve
Our strong points:
◦ Credit Requirement
5. How many Honors credits do you need to take to graduate
with Honors?
#
1
2
3
4
Answer
22
11
14
20
Total
Response
0
19
1
0
20
%
0%
95%
5%
0%
100%
◦ Thesis Requirement:
9. True or False: An Honors Thesis can either be original
research OR a creative project.
#
1
2
Answer
True
False
Total
Response
18
2
20
%
90%
10%
100%
5. Interpret Results, Continued
Opportunities for Improvement
◦ Great Questions Essay Requirement
8. The following assesses how well you understand the Great Questions Essay.
Please check all that apply. The Great Questions Essay is:
#
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Answer
Broader than the thesis
As deep and specific as the thesis
10-15 pages long
15-25 pages long
Incorporates 5 different areas of study
Incorporates 3 different areas of study
The Great Question is assigned to the student
The Great Question is of the student's choice
You must provide a complete answer to your question
Great Question Essays should be left open ended
◦ Only 40% of students got all of them correct
Response
14
4
1
18
1
15
0
19
3
9
%
70%
20%
5%
90%
5%
75%
0%
95%
15%
45%
5. Interpret Results, Continued
What we can change:
◦ Make sure advisors understand the Great Questions Essay
Requirement (quiz, ongoing training)
◦ Ensure that there is clear communication between
administration and advisors on changes
◦ Explain it more clearly to students
◦ Develop advisement tools (handout) to simply and clearly
explain what is expected
6. Share Results – Sharing the
Cake
•
Advisement Manager, fellow Student Advisors
•
Honors Administration
•
Honors Thesis
•
Advisement Assessment Resources Group
•
Utah Advising Association Conference
•
NACADA Region 10 & NACADA National Conference
Challenges
• Full time student, part time employee
• Didn’t start data collection early enough
• First time doing assessment
• Major changes in program
• Advisor turnover
Next Time I Bake
• Do more preliminary research
• Start sooner
• Get more data
• Change questions
• Keep track of advisor’s scores
Questions &
Discussion
Contact info:
Michelle Gessel
Student Advisor
BYU Honors Program
michelle.gessel@gmail.com
Cynthia Wong
Assistant Clinical
Professor
Academic Support Office
cynthia_wong@byu.edu
Bon Appétit!
Ingredients:
Recipe for
Assessment
3-4 Stakeholders
1 Mission statement
1 Vision
Handful of goals
2/3 cup Student learning outcomes
1/3 cup Process and Delivery outcomes
Pinch of creativity
1 lb. of determination
Appropriate assessment tools
Instructions:
Add ingredients in order and stir with assessment tool
until ready to bake. Bake for at least one assessment cycle
or until enough data is gathered. Let data cool until it can
be interpreted effectively. For best results, serve to
colleagues soon after assessment outcomes are analyzed.
Recipe for Julia Child’s
Chocolate Almond Cake
Ingredients:
4 ounces or squares semisweet chocolate melted
2 Tb vanilla extract
1/4 lb. or 1 stick softened butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 egg yolks
3 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1 Tb granulated sugar
2/3 cup pulverized almonds
1/4 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup cake flour
Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch round cake
pan and line with parchment paper.
2. Combine the chopped chocolate and coffee or run in a small bowl
placed over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir as the chocolate melts
and remove from heat as soon as it's smooth. Set aside to cool.
3. Beat the butter and 2/3 cup sugar until creamy. Add the 3 egg yolks and
beat until thick. Add the cooled melted chocolate. Stir in the almond
extract and almond meal/flour and mix until just combined.
4. In a separate bowl, whip the 3 egg whites and salt on high speed until
foamy. Slowly add the tablespoon of sugar and whip to stiff peaks.
5. Add 1/4 of the whipped egg whites to the batter and fold gently. Add
and fold in the remaining whites and the sifted cake flour.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake about 25 minutes.
7. Let cool 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool on wire racks