A S S E S S M E N T N E T W O R K O F N E W Y O R KA P R I L 6 , 2 0 1 7

Making General Education Assessment Palatable Ingredients for a Healthy General Education Assessment Process

Ms. Leah BradleyAssistant Director of Educational Effectiveness Assessment

Dr. Elizabeth HaneAssociate Professor, Faculty Associate for General Education

Dr. David S. MartinsAssociate Professor, Director of the University Writing Program

People be like….

General Education Assessment

How to Get People to Eat VegetablesAnd how can we apply these tips to assessment?

Make it irresistible (add spices) Become an iron chef (develop

new recipes) Go trendy (sample new veggies

in new ways) Allow a veto (offer an option-

force feeding is not a good strategy)

Persevere (try, try again) Insist on easy (pre-cut on the go

options) Hide the veggies (in a casserole?) Share a meal (eat with family

and friends)

Recipe for a Healthy General Education Assessment Process

Ingredients:

16 Gen Ed SLOs

1,000+ courses across 9 colleges

1 First Year Writing course

16 Faculty Teams

5 international locations

Herbs and spices to taste

Cooking Instructions:

Use familiar technology

Implement a simple data collection process

Use several methods for sharing results

Serve at annual retreats and meetings, and implement every semester – make changes as needed

Ingredients

16 General Education Student Learning Outcomes

The framework includes 4 Communication, 4 Critical Thinking, and 8 Perspective student learning outcomes

Student learning outcomes are mapped to Gen Ed courses and approved by the General Education Committee

Students take a First Year Writing course, courses in all Perspectives, and a series of three related courses called an Immersion

Every outcome is assessed at least once in a 3 year cycle

1,000+ General Education Courses, 9 Colleges

Variety of courses offered across 9 colleges

Commitment to assessing all outcomes using direct methods

Approaches and sampling vary by outcome/college Course embedded (ethical,

global) Artifact collection (writing,

critical thinking) Common exams (math,

science)

1 Foundational Course (First Year Writing)

UWP Assessment Retreats

2500+ Students take FYW @ all RIT locations

FYW mapped to 3 Gen Ed SLOs: 2 Communication, 1 Critical Thinking

Direct assessment every even year; program assessment every odd year

Full assessment integration with all campus locations

16 Outcome-Specific Faculty Teams

Faculty serve as leaders and mentors on outcome specific teams

Teams develop rubrics, set benchmarks, and develop resources for faculty assessing the outcome

Teams lead improvements to curriculum and instruction

Team members share expertise with colleagues and have a vested interest in assessment results

Artistic Team

Ethical Team

Faculty Engagement Model

Faculty Teams- Closing the Loop

Curriculum & Instruction Assignment design Instructional modifications Curricular changes Faculty resources

Assessment Modify rubrics Process improvements

Developing faculty resources

Math “Toolkit”

5 International Locations

Expand faculty engagement model to include faculty at RIT’s international locations; international faculty participate the same way the RIT main campus faculty participate

Same courses and curriculum; different context What’s challenging:

Additional resources Technology (and technical difficulty) Support and follow-up

Herbs and Spices as Needed (Faculty Retreats, Workshops, and Projects)

Offer a stipend, service, or ongoing professional development opportunity

Include deliverables that improve curriculum and instruction

Provide an opportunity for interdisciplinary collaboration and reflection

Cooking Instructions

Use Familiar Technology

Take advantage of technology that faculty are already using (no new logins!)

Make information easily accessible Recorded presentations Web-based and emailed

instructions

Develop on-demand faculty resources

Enhance Communication Across Oceans and Time Zones

Implement a Simple Data Collection Process

Web-based forms are emailed to faculty

Faculty submit quantitative and qualitative findings Did students meet the

benchmark? Number/percent of

students scoring in each rubric category

How will results be used to improve student learning?

Data is rolled up to the university level

Using Technology to Build Sustainable Practices: Course management software (myCourses)

Survey software (Qualtrics)

Online communication software (Blue Jeans)

Share a Meal (Eat with Family and Friends)

Technology can improve the process but these cooking instructions are still essential: Build relationships Conduct face-to-face (or

screen-to-screen) meetings

Share common experiences; interaction and conversation make the meal

Use Several Methods for Sharing Results

Gen Ed Assessment Report

Gen Ed assessment website

MyCourses pages for faculty

Semester meetings Faculty retreats Gen Ed scorecard Dashboard (coming this

summer)

Read the full results…

Or view just a snapshot

Tips From RIT’s Test Kitchen

Assessment is integrated into the work faculty are already doing

Assessment is based on what faculty value Multiple levels of participation are available Offer flexibility by discipline, college, and program

(one size does not fit all) Provide recognition for participating faculty Faculty serve as the content experts, assessment office

keeps things moving (collects and tracks data, documents process and shares findings)

Nutrient Deficiencies: How could our diet be improved?

Get the broader campus community involved (e.g., students, co-curricular opportunities)

Find opportunities to integrate Gen Ed and program assessment

Ensure course and outcome alignment

Market student learning outcomes, courses, and curriculum

Develop additional methods to acknowledge and reward faculty for supporting general education

Actual breakroom snack

How Do You Get Your People to Eat Vegetables?

Thanks for Visiting RIT’s Kitchen