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Slide 2 Volkwein- Penn State Lets Do It ! Available Strategies and Instruments for Assessing Student Learning J. Fredericks Volkwein Professor and Senior Scientist Penn State University Slide 3 Volkwein- Penn State What does he know, and how long will he know it? Our Assessment Challenge Slide 4 Volkwein- Penn State Problem #1 -- Dual Needs -- The Inspirational & The Pragmatic l Internal Needs (the inspirational) Instructional & Research quality assurance Student Educational attainment Program Improvement Constructive Change l External Needs (the pragmatic) Accreditation Public accountability Resource acquisition & competitiveness Slide 5 Volkwein- Penn State Problem #2 -- Competing Views of Quality Burke and Manassians, 2002; Volkwein, 2005) l Resource/Reputation Model emphasizes the importance of financial resources, faculty credentials, student test scores, external funding, and ratings and rankings. l Client Centered Model emphasizes good educational practices, student satisfaction, faculty availability, alumni feedback, low tuition and high aid. l Strategic Investment Model emphasizes the importance of return on investment, cost-benefit analysis, expenditure controls, regulation and compliance, and productivity measures such as admissions yield, graduation rates, time to degree, and expenditures per student. Slide 6 Volkwein- Penn State I dont understand why you gave this paper a C+. In three other classes, it got an A-. Problem #3 -- Why Not Use Course Grades for Assessment? Slide 7 Volkwein- Penn State F D B A C Aggregate Student Grades Percent distribution 1990-2005 0%10%20%30%40%50%60% Slide 8 Effective Organizations and Programs can Ask Five Questions, and Answer them Positively: 1. Are we meeting our Goals? This is a congruence question 2. Are we getting better? This is an improvement question Slide 9 Volkwein- Penn State Related Questions (The Inspirational) What should our students be learning? (The goals question) What are our students actually learning? (The measurement question) What should we be doing to facilitate student learning? (The improvement question) Slide 10 Effective Organizations and Programs can Ask Five Questions, and Answer them Positively: 3. Do we meet or exceed external standards? This is the traditional accreditation question 4. Do we compare favorably to others? This is a normative question 1. Are we meeting our Goals? This is a congruence question 2. Are we getting better? This is an improvement question 5. Are we getting the most for our investment? This is the productivity question Slide 11 Volkwein- Penn State Related Questions (The Pragmatic) Are we meeting public and professional expectations? (The accountability/accreditation question) What evidence indicates our quality? (The performance measurement question) Are we gaining on the competition? (The improvement question) Are the resources invested in us being used effectively? (The productivity question) Slide 12 Volkwein- Penn State Assessment Questions & Strategies l Comparing to Others National Comprehensive Exam Peer Assessment Program Review by External Experts Comparative Graduate School Entrance and Job Placement Information l Meeting External Standards Dept Comprehensive Exam Capstone Course Senior Thesis/Research Project External Examiners/Readers Student Performance/Exhibit Practice Teaching Competency Tests Certification Exams l Measuring Goal Attainment Senior Thesis/Research Proj. Student Portfolio Student Self-Assessment Focus Groups Alumni+Employer Surveys Exhibits and Performances Internship Performance Eval. l Improvement All of the above tracked over time, especially: Senior Essay and Interview Course Embedded Assessmt Competency/Certif. Exams Learning Portfolio Alumni+Employer Surveys External Program Reviews