Marietta College Assessment Committee
Streamlining and Enhancing Assessment of the General Education
2006-2007 Academic Year
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, effective immediately.
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 TM) test from ETS (formerly know as the Academic Profile test) to first-year students and graduating seniors. Early this spring, meetings will be held between members of the Assessment Committee and representatives from the Teagle Assessment Grant, Center of Inquiry in the Liberal Arts, Wabash College to better understand how meaningful findings ultimately resulting in improvements to the College’s general education program can be gleaned from the MAPP test.
Course-level Assessment
Individualized course-level assessment will continue, but reporting requirements are being 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.
| Year | Academic Division | Cognate Areas |
|---|---|---|
| 2006-2007 |
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| 2007-2008 |
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| 2008-2009 |
|
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| 2009-2010 |
|
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| 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.
Spring 2007 Gen Ed Assessment Report
Global Issues/Diversity and Diversity Courses
Of the 34 sections of Global Issues and Diversity and Diversity courses offered in the spring 2007 term, 21 (or 62%) filed assessment reports. This is an unacceptably low participation rate for an institution that represents itself as having a robust academic assessment program.
The two Global Issues and Diversity student learning outcomes were the focus of assessment eight and six times, respectively. Extrapolating that data over the four-year reporting cycle would suggest that adequate attention is being given to each of the outcomes.
The two Diversity student learning outcomes were the focus of assessment six and seven times, respectively, again suggesting that over the four-year reporting cycle adequate attention is being given to each of the outcomes.
There is a nice mix of assessment methods being employed with student perception and embedded questions techniques being the methods most often employed. This provides for both indirect and direct evidence, which is desirable.
The targeted learning outcomes were achieved in all cases. This implies faculty are achieving the goals they have set forth. In some cases the goals are aggressive, in other cases the goals are modest. It is recommended that after collecting 1-2 years of data, goals should be revisited and modified if warranted.
Is effective assessment taking place? In most cases, yes, meaning quality assessment techniques are being employed, and employed correctly. It is important to note that in nearly all, if not all, cases, quality assessment can take place without the introduction of any activities artificial to the normal day-to-day workings of a general education course.
Writing Proficiency Courses
Of the 28 sections of Writing Proficiency courses offered in the spring 2007 term, 24 (or 86%) filed assessment reports. This is an encouraging participation rate, but 100% participation remains the goal.
The three Writing Proficiency student learning outcomes were the focus of assessment thirteen, nine, and eight times, respectively. This is a very nice balance and suggests the over the four-year cycle, adequate attention would be given to each of the outcomes.
In most cases, writing exercises are being employed as the assessment method, which makes sense given the cognate area being addressed. It is important to note that simply having the students participate in writing exercises does not adequately assess the degree to which any of the Writing Proficiency student learning outcomes are being achieved. Faculty evaluations were used by a number of faculty as well to gather indirect evidence.
The targeted learning outcomes were achieved in 87% of the cases. This implies faculty are achieving the goals they have set forth. In some cases the goals are aggressive, in other cases the goals are modest. It is recommended that after collecting 1-2 years of data, goals should be revisited and modified if warranted.
Is effective assessment taking place? In most cases, yes, meaning quality assessment techniques are being employed, and employed correctly. It is again important to note that in nearly all, if not all, cases, quality assessment can take place without the introduction of any activities artificial to the normal day-to-day workings of a general education course.
Last Updated: October 11, 2007