Assessment process
March 2021
- Overall (Institution: Academic Affairs Central + Schools + CCAL)
- Approach assessment as the systematic collection, review, and use of information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning and development for all graduates of the institution
- Commit to a faculty-driven assessment process (assessment methods TBD by each School) with policy-setting, timelines, and other campus-wide oversight by CCAL and support from a campus-wide Coordinator for Assessment & Education Innovation. The Coordinator is responsible for the following institutional support:
- Offers 1:1 and group consultations on instruments, philosophies, theories, etc.
- Builds assessment capacity among faculty via optional workshops etc.
- Assists with any of the steps below upon request
- Organizes data for CCAL evaluation
- Develop schedule for implementation of the assessment plan
- Pilot process then grow it if successful while defining long & short-range goals
- Implement appropriate rewards/recognition for assessment work by faculty
- Note: Schools may choose to partner with staff-led units for assessment of particular outcomes with that process TBD by Schools while recognizing that the intent is for all graduates to achieve all campus-wide undergraduate learning goals.
- Establish the common campus-wide learning goals that each UW Bothell graduate should achieve (CCAL)
- Using the performance metrics that each School establishes for the campus-wide learning goals, determine the common campus-wide performance indicators for each of the campus-wide learning goals.
- Establish the achievement standard expected at the campus-wide level for all graduates.
- Keep goals and indicators broadly applicable across range of majors using Bloom’s Taxonomy (or other established learning framework) to consider student achievement at graduation.
- Determine sources of assessment data (Schools supported by Coordinator)
- Review syllabi & create curricular map to performance indicators for each goal and map each performance indicator to 1 or more courses
- Identify other sources (likely indirect) of assessment data e.g., exit interviews/survey, alumni surveys, portfolios, etc.
- Suggest software solutions to manage data
- Note that with Canvas, can embed assessment as part of the LMS
- Collect assessment data (Schools)
- Rely on methods already in use by faculty (and institution) and focus on flexible but systematic approaches that are sustainable given time constraints for faculty and staff
- Provide means for Coordinator to obtain data and organize for use by CCAL
- Evaluate assessment data provided by Schools for the campus-level achievement standards established in #2 (CCAL)
- Apply an approach that is equity-minded (e.g., how do students from different backgrounds demonstrate learning; what are the experiences of students from populations that the institution is not fully representing; etc.)
- Determine what assessment data tells us about student achievement level for each goal
- Combine/triangulate results from various types of assessment data to draw conclusions
- Identify successes and opportunities for continuous improvement of student learning and development and make recommendations to GFO EC, VCAA, CAD and School EFCs
- Use and share conclusions (Institution: Academic Affairs Central + Schools + CCAL)
- Use campus-wide dashboards to transparently show results and track successes
- Consider developing a Learning Impact Community website
- Consider Learning Communities centered on conclusions
- Repeat process