Evaluating the Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Process in Undergraduate Parks and Recreation Academic Programs

2012 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig M. Ross ◽  
Sarah J. Young ◽  
Jill R. Sturts
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Outcomes Assessment ◽  
Student Learning Outcomes ◽  
Academic Programs ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Parks And Recreation ◽  
Learning Outcomes Assessment

scholarly journals A Simple Low-Cost Institutional Learning-Outcomes Assessment Process

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea A. Curcio
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Outcomes Assessment ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Law School ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Learning Outcomes Assessment ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Institutional Learning

Law school institutional learning outcomes require measuring nuanced skills that develop over time. Rather than look at achievement just in our own courses, institutional outcome-measures assessment requires collective faculty engagement and critical thinking about our students’ overall acquisition of the skills, knowledge, and qualities that ensure they graduate with the competencies necessary to begin life as professionals. Even for those who believe outcomes assessment is a positive move in legal education, in an era of limited budgets and already over-burdened faculty, the new mandated outcomes assessment process raises cost and workload concerns. This essay addresses those concerns. It describes a relatively simple, low-cost model to measure institutional law school learning outcomes that does not require any initial changes in individual faculty members’ pedagogical approach or assessment methods. It explains how a rubric method, used by the Association of American Colleges and Universities [AAC&U] and medical educators to assess a wide range of nuanced skills such as critical thinking and analysis, written and oral communication, problem-solving, intercultural competence, teamwork, and self-reflection, could be adapted by law schools. The essay explains a five-step institutional outcomes assessment process: 1. Develop rubrics for institutional learning outcomes that can be assessed in law school courses; 2. Identify courses that will use the rubrics; 3. Ask faculty in designated courses to assess and grade as they usually do, adding only one more step – completion of a short rubric for each student; 4. Enter the rubric data; and 5. Analyze and use the data to improve student learning. The essay appendix provides sample rubrics for a wide range of law school institutional learning outcomes. This outcomes assessment method provides an option for collecting data on institutional learning outcomes assessment in a cost-effective manner, allowing faculties to gather data that provides an overview of student learning across a wide range of learning outcomes. How faculties use that data depends upon the results as well as individual schools’ commitment to using the outcomes assessment process to help ensure their graduates have the knowledge, skills and values necessary to practice law.Citation: Andrea A. Curcio, A Simple Low-Cost Institutional Learning-Outcomes Assessment Process, 67 J. Legal Educ. 489 (2018).

An Exploration of High-quality Student Affairs Learning Outcomes Assessment Practices

NASPA Journal ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam S Green ◽  
Elizabeth Jones ◽  
Susan Aloi
Keyword(s):  
Student Affairs ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Outcomes Assessment ◽  
Student Learning Outcomes ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Learning Outcomes Assessment ◽  
Assessment Plans ◽  
Four Levels

This study was conducted because limited research has occurred in the area of co-curricular student learning outcomes assessment, which has resulted in confusion within the student affairs profession on how to develop and implement assessment plans. The purpose of this study was to examine high-quality assessment practices of student affairs divisions at three different research institutions in order to advance the value, usefulness, and understanding of learning outcomes assessment within the student affairs profession, so more student affairs divisions may begin assessing the co-curricular. Those student affairs divisions selected for this study represented assessment models with significant experience in successfully implementing assessments of student learning and development. These mature student affairs divisions who have substantial experience in successfully implementing their assessment plans were important to examine closely so that others can learn from their experiences.This study found that those student affairs divisions that participated in this study fostered a shared commitment to assessment. It became apparent that there are four levels of professional commitment to each student affairs division’s assessment initiative. Those four levels of professional commitment included: vice presidents, directors/coordinators of assessment, assessment committees, and unit-level professional staff.This research clearly indicates that successful assessment of student affairs learning outcomes requires the understanding that units are experts in their particular field; therefore, a decentralized model of assessment, facilitated by a coordinator or director, is most appropriate in student affairs. This study also explores the most commonly used assessment methods in student affairs, as well as student affairs efforts to collaborate in the assessment process. Moreover, this study investigates how student learning outcomes assessment results are used to enhance the student co-curricular experience. Finally, this study highlights the assessment successes and challenges identified by each of the three institutions that participated in this study.

A Case Study on Course-Based Outcomes Assessment to Enhance Student Learning and Course Delivery in the Engineering Sciences Core Curriculum

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Hensel ◽  
Amitabha Ghosh
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Core Curriculum ◽  
Outcomes Assessment ◽  
Course Delivery ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Engineering Science ◽  
Learning Outcomes Assessment ◽  
Engineering Sciences

A formal two-loop learning outcomes assessment process has been implemented in the mechanical engineering department at Rochester Institute of Technology. The outer loop establishes high-level outcomes and objectives for the program, while the inner loop provides assessment of achievement and feedback for improvement. Planning for the two-loop assessment process was initiated in academic year 2005–06 with the establishment of four faculty workgroups, with each group assigned responsibility for conducting outcomes assessment on a subset of the ME core curriculum. The engineering science core curriculum inner loop assessment process was initiated in AY2006–07 and continues today. Results of a three year longitudinal study of the engineering science course learning outcomes assessment and the details of the assessment and continuous improvement process are described herein. The three year study period encompassed 83 sections of five courses, with a cumulative student enrollment of 2,853 individuals. Sample data from the longitudinal study of the fluid mechanics course (reviewing 19 sections with a cumulative enrollment of 619 students) is presented, to illustrate improvement of student learning through refinement of the course delivery. A discussion of the assessment process, lessons learned, and conclusions are presented.

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