Assessment Newsletter & Assessment Catalog











Faculty members (usually with student representatives) have regular meetings to share student learning outcomes data. Examples include (1) the annual Faculty Retreat, (2) the annual Chairs’ and Deans’ Workshop, (3) the annual General Education Faculty Workshop, (4) monthly University Faculty Assembly meetings, (5) periodic ePortfolio faculty meetings, (6) twice-per-semester departmental ePortfolio meetings, and (7) periodic meetings of the Institutional Improvement and Student Learning Committee. Student learning outcomes are presented in the periodic publication, ORU Assessment Newsletter, and through a number of other venues.

ORU’s annual Assessment Catalog provides a record of all assessment efforts at the University, grouped by academic and service departments. The catalog fosters a cross-flow of assessment ideas between and among departments and schools. Departments can learn from what others are doing and can replicate or adapt assessment techniques. The Assessment Catalog identifies internal and external sources of assessment data, both qualitative and quantitative assessment methods, and most importantly, decisions and improvements based on assessment data. ORU also publishes a complete curriculum map listing every course taught at the University and how that course contributes to each University-wide student learning outcome.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Usefulness of ePortfolio Data

Using external accreditation criteria as benchmarks, ORU’s School of Education and Engineering Department serve as examples that the institution has begun documenting whether actual achievement levels of students are acceptable given the mission, student population, and resources available. Some majors and programs are in earlier stages of documentation, but making progress. To cite a specific example related to critical thinking, each student in the Principles of Chemistry lab course writes a 250-300 word abstract for a meat analysis lab exercise. The student’s hypothesis as to which of four types of meat is the healthiest and most cost-effective is then tested by analyzing the results of the lab experiment. The abstract is submitted electronically to a faculty member via ePortfolio under the Intellectually Alert outcome and Critical Thinking proficiency. The faculty member assesses the abstract using the Critical Thinking rubric criteria, which include a clearly identified purpose a...
Read more

Using Student Learning Outcomes for Program Improvement

As part of the process to use outcomes for improvement, ORU regularly incorporates information about success with student learning outcomes in discussions and decision-making processes at all levels. At least twice during most semesters, faculty members who serve as course coordinators meet to discuss student learning outcomes. They revise course assessment rubrics to better measure student learning, determine which assignments should be designated as ePortfolio artifacts for data analysis, and ensure that student learning outcomes further the mission of the department, school, and University. Student learning outcome results are integral to the ORU program review process. Faculty members from each major and program compile a self-study document, incorporating variables such as student learning results harvested from ePortfolio and other sources. The program review process also includes surveying students, faculty, alumni, employers, and graduate faculty of alumni who pursue graduate d...
Read more

ePortfolio Data for External Accreditation

A report from the Association of American Colleges and Universities states that a “purposeful educational program starts at the endpoint, with the desired characteristics of an institution’s graduates, and asks the faculty to reason backwards from outcomes to the implementation of an intentionally designed curriculum to cultivate the desired qualities.” This statement characterizes ORU’s process to articulate the University’s student learning outcomes with their accompanying proficiencies/capacities, as well as the development of the ePortfolio process. ORU’s School of Education has been collecting ePortfolio data since 2002. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) has heralded the ORU School of Education’s ePortfolio system as an example for all member institutions. The Oklahoma State Board of Education has done likewise. It serves as a model for other ORU programs to determine whether student learning outcomes have been achieved. Undergraduate faculty in ...
Read more