Student Learning Issues on Campus

November 1996 Newsletter, Vol. 1, No. 2
Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Bowling Green State University

What is assessment?

Assessment is a continuing process through which the University collects and analyzes data about the outcomes of its interactions with students and uses the resulting information for the improvement of its activities. Examples of educational outcomes include the acquisition of subject matter knowledge and skills, degree attainment, vocational achievement, gains in communicating, thinking, and interpersonal relations skills, and satisfaction with the learning environment.

Sometimes the appropriate focus of assessment is incremental learning and growth (e.g., "value added" in communications skills). At times, an absolute level of students' proficiency must necessarily be assessed (for example, subject matter knowledge and skill acquisition at a sufficient level to permit certification in the health professions, teaching, etc.).

Assessment occurs at many levels. One important level is that of students' academic major programs of study. Many, if not all, faculty probably feel a greater sense of ownership at this level and we believe that it is useful to focus at the program level in order to get assessment "off the ground." Other critical levels for assessment efforts include both the more broad university level, involving students' experiences and satisfaction with a variety of offices, programs, and facilities throughout the institution (how these experiences contribute to student learning outcomes) and the level of specific courses. Whatever the focal level, the purpose is to learn from systematic feedback about how to enhance students' learning.

Association for Institutional Research Conference. May 18-21, 1997--Disney's Contemporary Resort in Orlando, FL Full details will be available in February. For preliminary information, contact Dr. William Knight.

Teaching and Assessing Student Abilities. A Day at Alverno College. April 10, 1997--Milwaukee, WI. For more information or to register, call 414-382-6087.

The University's Student Achievement Assessment Committee (SAAC) recently completed a review of first cycle proposals requesting funding for pilot assessment activities. Proposals were submitted by units all across campus. Following review of the proposals, SAAC recommended funding 11 projects, each receiving between $300 and $600 to match funding available from unit and/or college resources. Though the monies available from SAAC may not be sufficient to totally fund a request, these monies do provide an incentive to those departments, programs, or units that engage in assessment initiatives that would be difficult without some form of matching support for existing resources. As indicated in our earlier communications regarding this funding opportunity, we firmly believe that the allocation of these funds to support assessment activity affirms the commitment of the institution to establish and maintain assessment as a means for improving student learning outcomes.

Several programs, departments or units received approval for funds that will be used to support consultation regarding survey development; the actual development of survey instruments; or, the implementation of a survey to students, alumni, and/or employers (i.e., Chemistry, English, the Environmental Health Science Program; Finance; Libraries and Learning Resources). Papers written by last semester seniors will be evaluated by outside consultants, and a GRE-type examination will be developed in a pilot assessment project funded for Sociology. Both Romance Languages and Psychology received funding for projects involving the purchase of existing test materials, and/or the development of test materials, as well as survey instrument development. Data analysis and interpretation was supported in the pilot assessment project proposed by the Center for Environmental Programs.

Theatre received support for a pilot assessment activity that will require majors to obtain professional assessment of job interview skills through the use of consultants. These interviews will be action oriented in that students will present acting, technical, or directorial materials which will be evaluated by the consultants through written feedback on ways to improve the presentation, and recommendations to the department on how to improve training. The presentation of materials will be videotaped allowing subsequent review by the students as well as allowing the development of portfolios.

Funding for pre- and post-testing of student motor skills and health-related physical fitness through assessment at the freshman-level and the senior-level; and, the development of diagnostic-prescriptive pre-tests for selected foundation courses to allow the evaluation of the retention of prerequisite knowledge and skills for later courses were supported for pilot assessment projects in Kinesiology. Furthermore, the development of a personal movement observations/analysis portfolio across the student's undergraduate learning experience through videotape plays a significant role in the proposal funded for Kinesiology.

Two additional funding cycles for pilot assessment activities have been scheduled. The first has a deadline of December 3, 1996, while the second funding cycle is scheduled with a deadline of February 4, 1997. Those units that have not participated are especially encouraged to seek funding in one of these cycles. For more information, please contact Milt Hakel, or your representative to the Student Achievement Assessment Committee.

In many academic fields, the importance of co-ops and other internship opportunities for students are becoming increasingly common place in higher education curricula. Co-ops and internships provide valuable opportunities for students to integrate real life experiences from the work-place to their academic studies.

But what about faculty? Students who have asked the question, "How can my professor teach us about the real world without experiencing it?" may now be saying in light of rapidly changing technologies, "How can my professor teach us about the real world without staying current in it?" Faculty continually face the on-going challenge of updating their knowledge and skills as new technologies emerge.

Student learning is greatly enhanced when faculty are able to stay abreast of changing trends in their respective fields. Faculty/Work-place "bridge" programs may provide an avenue for faculty to update and refine their skills. These bridge programs could range from an exchange program between a university and work-place involving a professor and an employee. The time committed to a bridge program could conceivably range from several hours per week to a one-year sabbatical depending on the needs and available resources.

Bridge programs allow faculty to stay current with the work-place. This process will allow faculty to integrate relevant work-place experience into the academic environment. Bridge programs also permit faculty to design student achievement assessment that more directly reflects work-place demands.

--Reference: Jeffrey A. Johnson, "Faculty Professional Development Imperatives in Collegiate Aviation." Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education and Research, 6:3, Spring 1996: 9-15.

Nick Kadel, a USG Senator and Political Science Major, has been appointed to membership on SAAC!

Articles published in The Student Learner in Focus are occasionally reproduced from The Teaching Professor by permission from Magna Publications. A copy of The Teaching Professor is available in each academic unit for use by all faculty, graduate students, staff, and administrators. The Teaching Professor is published monthly, except July and August by Magna Publications, Inc., 2718 Dryden Dr., Madison, WI 53704-3086.

The Jerome Library has a comprehensive list of materials related to assessment on reserve. The following resources represent just a sample of recommended readings:

• Assessment for Excellence by Alexander Astin
  
• Assessing Educational Outcomes by Peter Ewel
  
• Student Outcomes Assessment by Serbrenia Sims
  
• Miami University Self-Study Report by Beth Basola, et al.

The Student Learner in Focus is a newsletter published by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The newsletter serves to inform the academic community at Bowling Green State University of new and innovative learning strategies at the programmatic and classroom levels. The Student Learner in Focus also summarizes ongoing assessment programs on campus. Comments, suggestions, and questions are welcome and may be directed to Dr. Steven Russell, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, College of Education and Allied Professions at 372-7401

Editor : Steven C. Russell
Associate Editor : Jeffrey A. Johnson

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