The Importance of Assessing Graduate Academic Programs

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The Importance of Assessing Graduate Academic
Programs

• Presented by
• Marilee J. Bresciani, Ph.D.
• Associate Professor, ARPE

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Process of Design

• Faculty meetings
• Drafted expected program learning outcomes based
  on community input and professional standards
• Designed curriculum
• Mapped curriculum to program learning outcomes
• Design assessment plan and evaluation methods

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Reflective Student Learning Portfolio Handbook

• The handbook has details about the portfolio and
  can be found at http//interwork.sdsu.edu/student_
  affairs/current_students/Reflective_Learning.html
• We will have workshops/seminars to assist
  students with the creation of their portfolios

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The Purpose of the Portfolio is to

• Demonstrate a reflective record of professional
  growth over time.
• Serve as a tool to help faculty advise students.
  
• Celebrates student efforts.
• Evaluates student learning with direct evidence
  while identifying needed improvements in specific
  places

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Portfolio Sections

• Title of the portfolio
• Your name and current contact information
• Table of contents to lead the reader through the
  portfolio
• Pre-Assessment of Learning
• First Year Learning Summary
• Second Year Learning Summary
• Summary of Learning/Post-Assessment

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Pre-Assessment of the Portfolio

• A copy of students
• application materials to the program, including
  your essay of why you wanted to be in this
  program
• academic transcript prior to entering the program
• resume prior to entering the program

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Pre-Assessment of the Portfolio, Cont.

• Pre-assessment sheet completed at Orientation
• Your learning goals for the program
• Your career goals
• Your personal development goals

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Pre-Assessment of the Portfolio, Cont.

• A2-4 page, double-spaced, APA formatted
  reflection paper that addresses the question How
  does my current academic and professional
  training prepare me to meet the expected learning
  outcomes of this program? (see the student
  handbook for the list of program learning
  outcomes).
• Informal academic program plan

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Optional

• Complete a self assessment of Admissions Criteria
  Rubric
• Anything else student wants to place in the
  pre-assessment section of the portfolio

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Pre-assessment is due mid-October

• Advising appointments are scheduled to review

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First Year Learning Assessment

• An artifact of learning from each class in which
  student enrolled AND an artifact from outside the
  class for each semester
• In addition, the student will draft a one page
  summary of why the artifact was selected and how
  it relates to the specific learning outcomes for
  the program (SA only).
• Answer the questions
• 1. Why did I select this artifact to demonstrate
  my learning in this class?

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First Year Learning Assessment

• Questions Continued
• 2. Which program learning outcomes,
  specifically, does this artifact demonstrate?
• 3. How does this artifact demonstrate my
  learning of the expected program learning
  outcomes?
• 4. How does this artifact demonstrate my
  learning of my personal development goals for the
  program?

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First Year Learning Assessment, Cont.

• The student will be asked to draft a 3-4 page
  summary of learning from the first year. In this
  paper, the student will be asked to reflect on 2
  key items.
• Self-Analysis of Learning
• Self-Analysis of Goal Attainment

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Self-Analysis of Learning

• Which of the program learning outcomes have I
  achieved and how have I achieved them?
• Which of the program learning outcomes have still
  not been realized?
• What types of learning opportunities do I need to
  seek out if I am to realize all of the program
  learning outcomes? (e.g., how do I plan to meet
  the unmet learning outcomes?)

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Self-Analysis of Goal Attainment

• Have my personal or professional goals changed
  because of what I am learning in this program?
  Or, am I on target to achieve my personal and
  professional goals based on the learning in this
  program thus far?
• If the answer to the latter question above is
  no, consider the following What do I need to
  do in order to realize my personal and
  professional goals?

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First Year Learning Assessment, Cont.

• A revised academic plan, if necessary, based on
  the self-evaluation of learning
• Revised personal career/learning goals, if
  necessary, based on the self-evaluation of
  learning
• An updated resume

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Optional

• Do a self assessment of Appendix A in the
  portfolio handbook
• Add additional learning outcomes for what they
  wanted to accomplish
• Anything else they wanted to place in this
  section of the portfolio

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First Assessment is due early September

• Advising appointments are scheduled to review

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Second Year is a Repeat of First Year

• If the student does not graduate in two years

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Summary of Learning

• 2-4 page reflection paper of post-graduation
  professional or academic plan.
• the location, position title, and your role in
  that position
• a description of how well you believe that the
  position or participation in graduate school will
  advance your student learning and development
• how you will contribute to the profession of
  student affairs in your planned role

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Summary of Learning, Cont.

• 2. A 2-4 page reflection paper of your readiness
  to pursue post-graduate plans
• How well and by what means did the program
  prepare me to pursue my post-graduate plans?
• What additional competencies and/or transferable
  skills does my post-graduate plan require that I
  was not able to develop during my enrollment in
  the program?
• How could the program have been more effective in
  helping me develop these skills?

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Summary of Learning, Cont.

• 3. Mastery of Program Learning Outcomes
• How well and by what means did this academic
  program prepare me to meet the programs learning
  outcomes?
• How could the program have been more effective in
  helping me meet the programs learning outcomes?

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Summary of Learning, Cont.

• 4. Mastery of Personal Development Goals
• How and by what means did this academic program
  prepare me to meet my personal goals?
• How could the program have been more effective in
  helping me meet my personal development goals?

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Summary of Learning, Cont.

• SDSU Masters academic transcript
• current resume
• A listing of the final academic program plan

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Due date is 2 weeks prior to oral exam

• Oral exam by community partners, faculty, and
  alumni
• Written portfolio is examined by community
  partners, faculty, and alumni
• Analysis of learning is completed in summer by
  graduate students supervised by Marilee

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Guided Reflection

• What portions of this case study process seem to
  align with good practice?
• What attributes from this case study would be
  applicable to your program?
• What would you recommend that this institution
  change about this model?

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Questions

• Marilee.Bresciani_at_mail.sdsu.edu
• 619-594-8318