Accountability, Assessment and Student Learning Outcomes at FSU

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Accountability, Assessment and Student Learning
Outcomes at FSU

• New Faculty Presentation
• August 2006

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Maybe youll feel better once you have looked
inside
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Accountability

• The ability to demonstrate to key stakeholders
  that a program or organization works and that it
  uses its resources effectively to achieve and
  sustain project goals and outcomes

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To State Officials, University Accountability
Often Seems Missing
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It Can Appear Different to University Officials,
Especially Department Chairs
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Still, the Move to Increased Accountability Is
Widespread

• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
  Requirements for all Programs
• Most Professional Disciplines have Requirements
• Florida Board of Governors Requirements for
  Undergraduate Programs State Mandated Academic
  Learning Compacts SMALCs
• The US Secretary of Education's Commission on the
  Future of Higher Education proposes even more
  accountability

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Assessment is Fundamental to Accountability

• Assessment is the systematic collection, review
  and use of information about programs undertaken
  for the purpose of improving them

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Assessment Has a Long Tradition Within Higher
Education

• Assessment is Used for More Than Accountability
• Assessment is at the Center of University Life
  e.g. Tenure Reviews, Qualifying Exams, Peer
  Review

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But New Demands For Accountability Can Clash
With Traditional Means of Assessment Student
Learning Outcomes

• A Student Learning Outcome is the knowledge,
  skills, and abilities that a student has attained
  at the end (or as a result) of his or her
  engagement in a particular set of higher
  education experiences.

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For Many, The Nature of the University is at Issue
Were done theres nothing left in the world
to bastardize.
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In This Atmosphere, Convincing the Faculty of
the Value of Student Learning Outcomes Can Be a
Challenge
No one is making you do anything you dont want.
Im just saying were all headed for Dodge City
and we think you should come along.
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Is It Possible to Link Traditional Sensibilities
to Newer Assessment Approaches that Emphasize
Outcomes?

• Define Outcomes
• State Assessment Procedure
• Collect and Analyze Results
• Formulate Action Plans
• Implement Improvements
• Link to Other Processes and Budgeting
• Continue to Improve

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As Always, Assessment Begins with Student Learning
What does he know, and how long will he know it?
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Learning Outcomes Must Be Specific

• A Student Learning Outcome must be framed as a
  specific, measurable results whose attainment can
  be assessed after undertaking a set of education
  experiences.

Way too General Practitioner
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Indicate Who Is to Conduct and Report on the
Assessment
It will be your job to create major delays.
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Understand Up Front What the Assessment Involves
Special assignment, Chaswick I need you to test
our severance package.
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Validity is Fundamental But Can Be Threatening

• Evaluations should not rely solely on personal
  evaluations and should involve external
  assessment in order to achieve some
  intersubjective validity
• Skepticism though is at the center of academic
  discourse

Youre doing it wrong.
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Measurement is Not Enough
Its ten oclock, and seventy-seven per cent of
the people think all is well!
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You Must Set a Standard

• State the specific expectation or standard level
  of performance that the program has for
  establishing that the student learning has been
  successful
• The Standards are the point of comparison against
  which evidence of student learning will be judged
  once it is collected

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The Established Standard should be Feasible
Maybe zero tolerance is setting the bar too
high.
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Results Statement

• Your Results Statement Should Contain Enough
  Detail to Corroborate Your Assessment Statement

Gee, thats funny-I thought I heard a knock.
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There Must Be Analysis of Your Results

• Analysis should be considered against the
  standards you have set.
• It should be used to identify ways in which
  performance could be improved or other assessment
  conducted.

Look, Mother this section should interest you.
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Action and Improvement Statements

• The Results and Analysis Statement Should Spur
  Some Action to continue improvement, such as
  changes in the student learning program

Fetch and roll over werent enough-then they
sent me to philosophy classes.
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Your Actions Should be Based on Your Analysis
We just havent been flapping them hard enough.
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Institutional Effectiveness at FSU

• Annual assessments are collected and maintained
  in an Institutional Effectiveness Portal
• Chairs are responsible for gathering, entering
  and checking entries into the Portal
• Each program undergoes a Quality Enhancement
  Review every 7 years

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Faculty Curriculum or Assessment Committees Must
Be Involved
I dont think its a posse-it looks more like a
subcommittee.
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While The Assessment Process May Be Run
Centrally, It Must be the Responsibility of the
Faculty
No. Now all of our pillaging is done
electronically from a centralized office.
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External Groups Are Eager to Offer Advice
Shows you how much I know.
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We Must Work Together to Maintain Critical
Autonomy
But why cant we question authority together?
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