KSU General Education Learning Outcomes Assessment:

Fostering a Faculty-Driven Process

Thomas J. Doleys, Ph.D.Department of Political Science & International Affairs

&KSU Faculty Coordinator for General Education Learning

Outcomes Assessment 1

Why Assess General Education?• Because We Want To:• Are students learning what we (faculty) say we want

them to learn?• We do it in our individual classes…why not for the

programs of which the classes are a part?• After all, we have nine (9) faculty-approved General Education

learning outcomes. [HERE & next slide]

• Because We Have To:• University System of Georgia-mandated General

Education Comprehensive Review (due 2015-16)• General Education Program Review for SACS

Reaccreditation (due 2016-2017)2

What Are We Assessing?General Education Learning Outcomes• Production of Written Communication: Students write appropriately

for rhetorical situation, audience, purpose and genre; demonstrate appropriate content, organization, syntax, and style; and acknowledge the use of information sources, according to convention.

• Reading Comprehension: Students articulate comprehension of written material including the author’s rhetorical purpose and the strategic use of text features.

• Quantitative Representation: Students convert information into a mathematical portrayal (e.g., equations, graphs, diagrams, tables, or words) at a level appropriate for the complexity of problems in a college-level course

• Quantitative Interpretation: Students explain information presented in mathematical forms (e.g., equations, graphs, diagrams, tables, or words) at a level appropriate for the complexity of problems in a college-level course. 3

• Social Sciences: Students analyze the complexity of human behavior and how social, historical, economic, political, or spatial relationships develop, persist, or change.

• Natural Sciences: Students apply the scientific method to analyze data related to natural phenomena found in everyday life.

• U.S. Perspectives: Students articulate the historical, political, social, or institutional developments of the United States.

• Global Perspectives: Students analyze creative works from multiple international cultures in relation to the historical, political, economic, sociocultural, aesthetic, or personal contexts in which those works emerged.

• Critical Thinking: Students articulate a position on a issue and support it by evaluating evidence relevant to the position, considering opposing positions or evidence, and documenting sources according to convention. 4

By What Process Assessment?• A Two-Year Assessment “Cycle”• Year #1: Design & Test• Year #2: Refine & Implement

• Why Two Years?• Reduce burden on faculty• Provide adequate time to craft and administer quality

instrument

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Typical Two-Year Assessment Cycle

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What Is My Role?• Faculty Coordinator for General Education Learning

Outcomes Assessment (GELOA)• I’m Here to Help You Assess the Way You Believe is Most

Appropriate for Your Discipline• Tasks & Responsibilities• Coordinate effort across Gen Ed disciplines• Liaise with Disciplinary Area Coordinators (DACs)• Provide information, advice and assistance• Represent and advocate for faculty• Oversee graduate student assessment fellows• Aggregate/analyze data & write reports 8

Discipline Area Coordinators (DACs)• (S)elected by Gen Ed departments• Tasks & Responsibilities• Work with discipline faculty to operationalize learning

outcome(s) appropriate to discipline• Help develop, refine and revise assessment

instrument(s)• Train faculty in use of instrument

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Other Resources

• Faculty Compensation• Propose financial incentive to encourage faculty to

participate in Year #2 assessment• Up to 50 faculty per assessment cycle

• Graduate Student Assistants• Alternative to faculty evaluation of assessment

instrument• Not appropriate for every instrument

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“le mieux est l’ennemi du bien” (the best is the enemy of the good)

- Voltaire

Be intentional……but, for goodness sake, be realistic.

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No Need to Reinvent the Wheel• I’m here to help you identify rubrics/instruments that are

already in use• Example: AAC&U Valid Assessment of Learning in

Undergraduate Education (VALUE) Rubrics [HERE]• Written Communication• Oral Communication• Reading• Quantitative Literacy• Information Literacy• Critical Thinking

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Eleven (11) Assessment Methods(Tebo-Messina & Prus 1995)

1) Commercial Standardized Exams2) Locally-Developed Exams/Instruments3) Simulation or Performance Appraisals4) Written Surveys and Questionnaires5) Interviews and Focus Groups6) External Examiners7) Archival Records and Transcript Analysis8) Portfolios9) Behavioral Observations10) Student Self-Evaluations11) Classroom Research

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Very Important Things to Remember• Assessment data will NOT be linked to specific course

sections• Assessment data will NOT be used to evaluate individual

faculty performance• This is about measuring student learning across the

General Education curriculum…it is NOT about judging individual faculty or courses.

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Questions?Comments?Concerns?

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