Marietta College Assessment Committee
Streamlining Assessment of the General Education
In keeping with recommendations offered by the Higher Learning Commission as part of Marietta College’s 2006 affirmation of accreditation, the College’s general education program assessment efforts will be streamlined and enhanced as described below.
Assessment of the general education will continue to consist of two parts, an institutional-wide assessment and individualized course-level assessment.
Institutional-wide Assessment
The College will continue to administer the Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress (MAPP) test offered by Educational Testing Service to first-year students and graduating seniors, but now too on a four-year cycle. During the 2009-2010 academic year, the test will be administered to the first-year students (baseline) and graduating seniors. The aggregate scores of the seniors will be compared to their academic year 2006-2007 first-year students’ (baseline) scores.
The MAPP test provides both criterion- and norm-referenced scores in the areas of Critical Thinking, Reading, Writing, and Mathematics.
Additional institutional-wide general education assessment data is also gathered from the results of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) which the College periodically administers to first-year and senior students. Certain questions from the NSSE have been mapped to the College’s general education cognate area student learning outcomes, as detailed below.
Writing Competency (Core Value 1) [1c,
d; 3c-e; 11c]
●
Learn to write as a process that follows
a series of steps leading to a finished product.
● Improve ability to communicate ideas through writing according to the
conventions of a particular discipline or to a wider audience.
● Develop fundamental skills of expository writing covered in
introductory-level courses.
Historical
Perspective (Core Values 1 & 9)
●
Study the causes and consequences of
events and ideas in the past.
● Develop theses explaining processes of historical change and
continuity.
● Use both primary and secondary sources to analyze events, people,
movements, and ideas over time.
● Provide an appreciation for the uniqueness of historical contexts and
for the social construction of reality.
Scientific
Inquiry (Core Values 1 & 4)
●Acquire basic content knowledge in at least one scientific discipline.
●Develop a working knowledge of the scientific method, including its
capabilities and limitations.
●Use experimentation and measurement to explore and test hypotheses.
●Connect scientific thinking and technology to societal issues.
Social
Analysis (Core Value 1)
●
Use models/theories to describe,
explain, and/or predict behavior of individuals and groups.
● Use empirical methods to evaluate models/theories, using quantitative
and/or qualitative evidence.
● Examine the interrelationship of human behavior and social
institutions.
● Examine how social analysis can be applied to further understanding of
social events, problems, and situations.
Quantitative
Reasoning (Core Value 1) [4a, b; 11f, m]
●Develop the ability to interpret data.
●Develop the skills needed for logical thinking/deductive reasoning.
[2c, d, e; 6d; 11e]
●Learn to use quantitative reasoning to make decisions.
●Apply quantitative reasoning tools to specific contexts.
●Gain a cultural appreciation for quantitative reasoning.
Leadership
and Ethics (Core Value 8) [6e; 7b; 11h, n, o]
●Recognize the way leaders and followers develop, maintain, and
articulate shared goals and values.
●Recognize major moral principles.
●Reflect upon living in a society with pluralistic values.
●Identify factors that influence the leaders and followers.
Fine
Arts (Core Value 1) [6a]
●Practice visual or performing art in a significant way.
●Develop skills in reading, observing, analyzing, and appreciating the
aesthetics of art created by others.
Literature
(Core Value 1) [1t; 3a, b]
●Learn close reading of the texts and knowledge of their historical and
cultural contexts.
●Recognize genre characteristics and critical approaches.
Global
Issues and Diversity (Core Value 9) [7e, f]
●Acquire basic knowledge of at least one culture outside the USA.
●
Learn how selected factors contribute to
an understanding of contemporary world issues.
Diversity
(Core Value 9) [1e, u, v; 10c; 11l]
●Acquire basic knowledge of at least one issue pertinent to diversity.
●Develop analytical skills suitable for understanding differences.
Comprehensive evaluation – Question 11a
Course-level Assessment
Individualized course-level assessment will continue, but reporting requirements have been modified to align general education assessment reporting with academic program assessment reporting, according to the schedule shown below. Scheduling is done according to academic divisions and cognate areas.
Assessment data are reported to and compiled by the Academic Division Coordinators and forwarded to the Assessment Committee, with the exception being the College-wide cognate areas; the Assessment Committee coordinates data gathering and analysis from these areas.
| Year | Academic Division | Cognate Areas |
|---|---|---|
| 2006-2007 |
|
|
| 2007-2008 |
|
|
| 2008-2009 |
|
|
| 2009-2010 |
|
|
| 2010- | Repeat above cycle |
The particulars:
- Instructors delivering approved general education courses are required to continue to gather and analyze assessment data as per previous practices. The General Education Assessment form may be accessed through the Assessment Committee web site. Results will be submitted every four years, rather than annually. For this streamlined approach to be effective, it is critical that all instructors recognize their assessment strategies must be in play and quality assessment data collected annually.
- The Assessment Committee is charged with oversight of the writing competency, global issues and diversity, and diversity cognate areas as they do not fall within a particular academic division. The Committee is responsible for interpreting and preparing a summative report of the findings gleaned from the data supplied by course instructors.
- Division Coordinators are charged with producing summative reports for their divisions and submitting them to the Assessment Committee per the above schedule. Reports are due at the conclusion of the academic year, or as close to then as practicable.
- A course for which ongoing, quality assessment data are not being gathered risks losing its designation as a general education course. Without such data, it is impossible to know if the course is successfully contributing to the student’s general education.
- The Assessment Committee stands ready to assist Division Coordinators and course instructors with any aspect of their assessment-related responsibilities.
Last Updated: May 17, 2008