Setting And Communicating Assessment Vision And Expectations: Discussing Barriers And Solutions

1. Setting And Communicating Assessment Vision And Expectations: Discussing Barriers And Solutions Joni E. Spurlin, Ph.D. University Director of Assessment NC State University

2. Session Outcomes • The goal of this session is to engage participants in a thoughtful dialogue. • By the end of this session, participants will be able to: • Define why a vision for assessment is useful; • Define assessment expectations; and • Discuss barriers and solutions to barriers related to communicating vision and expectations of assessment. NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

3. What is New or Different about this Session? • Probably not much • From Psychological viewpoint – if there are “problems” – first have to identify the issues, then talk about these issues and together find solutions…. • Use for your institution…from an angle you might not have considered • Help synthesize some of the ideas you may have heard over the past two days NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

4. Doing Assessment As If Learning Matters Most by Thomas A. Angelo • “Thus, in order to move beyond piecemeal and superficial change and toward transformation, we need to develop a learning community-like culture among the faculty and administrators involved in assessment. Four basic preconditions are key to this collective personal mastery. First, we need to develop shared trust; second, shared visions and goals; and third, shared language and concepts. Fourth, we need to identify research-based guidelines that can orient our assessment efforts toward the goal of creating productive learning communities.” AAHE May 1999: http://education.gsu.edu/ctl/outcomes/Doing%20Assessment%20As%20If%20Learning%20Matters%20Most.htm NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

5. Vision Of assessment process Barriers Some Solutions Examples Exercises Expectations Of assessment process Of student learning Barriers Some Solutions Examples Exercises Topics NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

6. Vision is… • Picture of the future • Inspirational • Framework for planning • Dreams & hopes balanced with reality • Feasible, attainable • “If strategic plan is a ‘blueprint’ for an organization’s work, the vision is the ‘artist’s rendering’ of the achievement of that plan.” • …scary …intimidating NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

7. Group Discussion • Why develop a “SHARED VISION” of Assessment Process within your institution? NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

8. Why Develop a “SHARED VISION” of Assessment Process? • Increases the sense of shared responsibility for student learning • Focuses direction for next few years • Pulls our sight above the day-to-day aspects of our work • Stretches us beyond our status quo… stretches expectations, aspirations, and performance • Provides an “outcome”…against which to plan and assess NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

9. Group Discussion • In your institution, what are barriers to developing a VISION? NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

10. Barriers • Differences in how assessment is valued. • Lack of understanding and lack of clear and agreed-upon definitions of accreditation, assessment, and accountability, including differences and relationships between. • Differing attitudes, knowledge, and competing needs of resources • Expectations by different parties collide: administration, faculty, students, assessment professionals, internal and external needs NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

11. Exercise • Q: How Overcome Barriers? • Worksheet – Examining list of barriers on previous slide - pick one and list a way to overcome this barrier • 5 minutes NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

12. Overcome Barriers • Defining what you are talking about • Defining and developing consensus about purposes of assessment, assessment outcomes, use of assessment findings for informing: • Individual students • Academic or student affairs programs • College or division • Institution • External agencies NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

13. Examples of Vision Statements • Continuous, ongoing assessment that is fully integrated into all units of the university • A campus culture that fully participates in and uses information from assessment initiatives to make decisions • A process that matures and grows - Assessment aligns with what faculty/staff are doing and why they are doing what they are doing • Process defines measurable learning outcomes which help reframe departments’ thinking • Annually celebrate process, success, failure NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

14. Other Vision Examples • The handout has examples from other institutions: • American Association for Higher Education • NC State University • University of Wyoming • Millersville University • Towson University • Indiana State University NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

15. Example of Definitions • NC State University: Common Language: http://www.ncsu.edu/uap/academic-standards/uapr/process/language.html • James Madison University: Dictionary of Student Outcome Assessment: http://people.jmu.edu/yangsx/ • Western Kentucky University: http://www.wku.edu/sacs/assessmentmanual.htm • “Glossaries” available on the Internet Resources list http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/assmt/resource.htm. • Adding to our vocabulary: • Transparency • Evidence of student learning NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

16. Exercises for your institution • See “Exercises” in the handout NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

17. Topic 2: Expectations NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

18. CHEA’s View on Expectations: • “Institutions and programs are responsible for establishing clear statements of student learning outcomes and for collecting, interpreting, and using evidence of student achievement.” • “Institutions and programs share responsibility with accrediting organizations for providing clear and credible information to constituents about what students learn.” from: Statement Of Mutual Responsibilities For Student Learning Outcomes: Accreditation, Institutions, And Programs: http://www.chea.org/pdf/stmntstudentlearningoutcomes9-03.pdf NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

19. Q: What are YOUR Expectations? • List expectations you have about assessment process and student learning at your institution. • What do we expect to accomplish through assessment? • “What” and “how well” do you expect students to learn? NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

20. Re-Visiting Expectations • Why revisit? When/how often revisit? • When something changes • When processes are failing NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

21. Barriers: • Assessment process designed for specific purpose or level; then changes occur; such as motivations, internal needs, external pressures • Lack of trust of motives/ use of assessment. • Fear of resistance and hostility. • Miscommunication, especially because of differences in perspectives, expectations and values. • Fatigue: We all get tired of conversations about assessment, accreditation, accountability. • Fatigue: Does one process fit all? • Despite communication, some don’t or won’t hear. • Lack of assessment momentum after an accrediting body leaves. Multiple Focuses Program & curricular decision- making Institutional decision-making What and How Well are our students learning? Regional accreditation standards/criteria Programmatic accreditation standards/criteria Accountability pressures from federal and state NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

22. Statement of Good Practice* Suskie • Expectations are discussed at program and institutional levels so that expectations are congruent and clear to all engaged in assessment processes. • Faculty, assessment professionals and leadership discuss ramification of programmatic accreditation, regional accreditation and accountability issues. • The institution promotes an atmosphere of critical reflection about teaching, learning, research and services. • Assessment reflects what stakeholders really care about. • Assessment evidence is publicly available, visible and consistent. • *For a summary, see Linda Suskie’s compilation: “What is good assessment: A synthesis of Principles of Good Practice”: From “What is ‘good’ assessment? A new model for fulfilling accreditation expectations,” presented at the First Annual International Assessment & Retention Conference, Phoenix AZ, June, 2006. See Internet Resources for Higher Education Outcomes Assessment website: http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/assmt/resource.htm NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

23. Exercise: What Issues Lead to Barriers? Program & curricular decision- making Institutional decision-making Regional accreditation standards/ criteria What and How Well are our students learning? Programmatic accreditation standards/criteria Accountability pressures from federal and state NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

24. Issues NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

25. Issue: Purpose of Assessment NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

26. Issue: Fears NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

27. Issue: Outcomes NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

28. Issue: Design of Assessment NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

29. Issue: Resources NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

30. Exercises for your institution • See “Exercises” in the handout NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

31. Final slide! • Communicate, communicate, communicate • Vision and expectations about assessment processes • Vision and expectations about what students should be learning • How well students are learning (increase transparency of evidence – across programs, internal and external to institution) NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008

32. Contact Information Joni E. Spurlin, Ph.D. University Director of Assessment University Planning and Analysis Campus Box 7002 NC State University Raleigh, NC 27695 919-515-6209 Joni_Spurlin@NCSU.EDU http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/assmt/index.htm NC State Undergraduate Assessment Symposium April, 2008