Partners: California State University, Long Beach (California); California State University, Sacramento (California); Towson University (Maryland); University of Delaware (Delaware); University of Nebraska at Omaha (Nebraska).
Partners: California State University, Long Beach (California); California State University, Sacramento (California); University of Delaware (Delaware); Florida Gulf Coast University (Florida); Towson University (Maryland); University of Nebraska at Omaha (Nebraska); Brenau University (Georgia); Murray State College (Oklahoma).
One of the primary goals of academic assessment is for faculty to make informed decisions about the effectiveness of their curricula. Yet implementing effective assessment plans is proving to be a challenge to many institutions. One of the reasons for this is that we tend to perform these assessments in isolation from each other. If it is not preferable to teach in isolation, it is not preferable to assess in isolation.
To address this challenge, a consortium of institutions was formed to collaboratively assess student learning in two areas of general education: Written Communication and Diversity. This group of institutions has collaboratively developed course-embedded assessment instruments to assess authentic student work. We are using the results to examine trends, similarities, and differences in student achievement across institutions.
The first phase of the project developed an approach to assess student writing in Composition I programs at six institutions. A shared assignment prompt was developed and incorporated as a graded writing assignment into sample sections of Composition I at each institution. The second phase employed the same shared prompt approach, but instead of assessing a single piece of writing, two pieces for each student were assessed - one early in the semester and one later.
For both phases, an assessment rubric covering different aspects of the writing process was developed. This rubric had five categories: Task Responsiveness, Engagement with the Texts, Development, Organization, and Control of Language. In the second (pre/post) phase, student scores on the latter assignment were statistically significantly higher (p<.05) in all five areas and on the composite score.
To assess possible student change in diversity, two instruments have been developed. The Diversity Perspective Index (DPI) is a survey instrument that has been administered on a pre/post basis in courses at participating institutions that satisfy a diversity requirement. The items on this survey relate to perspectives of diversity in curriculum and in society. In the pilot administration (Fall 2005), student perceptions changed significantly (p<.05) in eight out of the 13 items. A second version of this instrument has been developed with 19 items and was administered in the Fall 2006 semester; we are awaiting the analysis on this instrument.
A direct measure is also in development. Similar to the writing phase, a rubric has been developed to measure demonstration of understanding of diversity. This rubric is also still in development, and we plan to pilot test its use in 2007.
ONLINE REFERENCE:
Project Home Page
http://www.colum.edu/info/assessment/FIPSE
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Neil Pagano
Project Director
Columbia College Chicago
School of Liberal Arts &
Sciences
600 South Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605
Tel: 312-344-8218
Fax: 312-344-8403
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