Effecting Consistency Across Curriculum: A Case Study

2011 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 21
Author(s):  
P. Raj Devasagayam ◽  
Thomas R. Mahaffey
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Graduate Programs ◽  
Liberal Arts College ◽  
Situational Factors ◽  
Assessment Data ◽  
Continuous Quality ◽  
Situational Assessment

Continuous quality improvement is the clarion call across all business schools which is driving the emphasis on assessing the attainment of learning outcomes. An issue that deems special attention in assurance of learning outcomes is related to consistency across courses and, more specifically, across multiple sections of the same course taught by different professors.  This paper is intended to accomplish the two objectives.  First, identify and discuss the situational factors that are driving the need for improving quality through assessment.  The expectations of students and parents, employers and graduate programs, accrediting organizations, and faculty are examined in this situational assessment.  Second, a review of the process utilized by the School of Business at a small, private, liberal arts college to address consistency issues that adversely impact quality improvement is provided.  This process, still in the early stages of evolution, has had a significant impact on the culture of the institution as it strives to meet AACSB requirements. The process described in this paper has been utilized to address concerns and fears of faculty, and has resulted in improvements in consistency among courses in the curriculum.  Concluding remarks provide general recommendations that can be used by our peers who aspire to travel down the same path of using assessment data to improve quality.

A Case Study of Authentic Assessment

2011 ◽  
pp. 213-230
Author(s):  
David A. Eubanks
Keyword(s):  
Performance Assessment ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Direct Observation ◽  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Authentic Assessment ◽  
Student Thinking ◽  
Assessment Program ◽  
Philosophical Framework

This chapter describes Coker College’s subjective performance assessment program to rate student thinking and communication skills. It uses a discussion of the epistemology of assessment to motivate an emphasis on direct observation by experts as the basis for “authentic” assessment for complex learning outcomes. Results from Coker College’s experience are given and discussed in the context of this approach. The purpose of this chapter is to give a philosophical framework and practical methods that can help institutions assess liberal arts learning outcomes. Such assessments can provide information crucial to improving programs and pedagogy and form the basis for institutional effectiveness reports to stakeholders.

Peer reference assistants in a small liberal arts college: case study

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 292-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kasia Gonnerman ◽  
Ken Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Liberal Arts College ◽  
Library Science ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mentorship Program ◽  
Reference Services ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Student Assistants

Purpose The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how to create and sustain a successful mentoring program for reference student assistants in the liberal arts environment. The study delineates student training, program assessment and the impact on reference practice in a way that can be used at other institutions considering implementing a similar initiative. Design/methodology/approach This case study is written by professionals who have been deeply engaged in initiating, running and assessing the program. It presents the value of the program in an unbiased and objective manner by including the voices of the student mentees themselves reflecting on the experience. Findings The mentorship program has proven to be worthwhile and rewarding in equal measures to both the mentees and reference librarians working with our future successors. It serves an important role in inspiring and encouraging library student workers to become interested in academic librarianship as a career choice and it prepares them to be successful students in library and information science graduate programs. Originality/value Although the discussion of training reference student assistants per se is not rare in the library literature, this particular program is unique in several ways: its main intent is to mentor students who are interested in pursuing librarianship as a career goal; it occurs in the context of a liberal arts college rather than in a larger university setting, especially those offering degrees in information and library science; and it empowers students to provide in-depth independent reference services for their peers and faculty.

scholarly journals Teaching Ancient Women Philosophers: A Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara Protasi
Keyword(s):  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Liberal Arts College ◽  
Greek Philosophy ◽  
Ancient Greek ◽  
Experience Teaching ◽  
Ancient Greek Philosophy ◽  
Women Philosophers ◽  
Ancient Women ◽  
Modern Era

In this paper I discuss in some detail my experience teaching women philosophers in the context of a survey course in ancient Greek philosophy at a small liberal arts college. My aim is to share the peculiar difficulties one may encounter when teaching this topic in a lower-level undergraduate course, difficulties stemming from a multiplicity of methodological hurdles that do not arise when teaching women philosophers in other periods, such as the modern era. In the first section, I briefly review some of what we know about ancient Greek women philosophers, which is not only very little but frustratingly uncertain and highly debated. I devote the second section to some of the scholarly debates surrounding these philosophers’ doctrines, the details of their biographies, and their very existence. The third section is about the corresponding pedagogical challenges, and the fourth and final section describes the strategies I implemented to face those challenges.

An automated continuous quality improvement framework for failing student outcomes based on mathematics weaknesses

2020 ◽  
pp. 002072092095656
Author(s):  
HA Wajid ◽  
Hassan Tariq Chattha ◽  
Bilal A Khawaja ◽  
Saleh Al Ahmadi
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Continuous Quality Improvement ◽  
Student Outcomes ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Student Learning Outcomes ◽  
Mathematical Concepts ◽  
Continuous Quality ◽  
High Level ◽  
Outcomes Based Education

In this paper, we present a detailed action plan under continuous quality improvement (CQI) exercise of outcomes based education framework related to Mathematics concerns highlighted by the Electrical Engineering (EE) Department. Failing and low performed student learning outcomes (SOs) and course learning outcomes (COs) in range of core EE courses were observed to be linked with weak Mathematics basis of students. This feedback was achieved through an automated CQI system in EvalTools under Faculty Class Assessment Report (FCAR) tab, where each instructor is required to make reflections about failing as well as low performed SOs and COs. Feedback was reviewed comprehensively, and mathematical concepts which significantly affect the performance of students in the core EE courses were derived. Moreover, a high level of Mathematics pre-requisite covering required mathematical concepts is identified for the range of core EE courses. Consequently, well-defined tasks were assigned to continuously evaluate and monitor improvement in required Mathematics concepts to ensure SOs and COs achieved in core EE courses. Results are given to exhibit the effectiveness of continuous improvement management system (CIMS).

scholarly journals Practical Application of Plan–Do–Check–Act Cycle for Quality Improvement of Sustainable Packaging: A Case Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (18) ◽  
pp. 6332
Author(s):  
Vi Nguyen ◽  
Nam Nguyen ◽  
Bastian Schumacher ◽  
Thanh Tran
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Packaging Material ◽  
Product Packaging ◽  
Continuous Quality ◽  
Pdca Cycle ◽  
Sustainable Packaging ◽  
Packaging Cost ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Quality Tools

The research aims to give practical instructions for applying Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA) cycle in a packaging process. Eco-friendly, recycled material and a new packaging method for quality improvement and cost efficiency of heavily fragile product packaging are studied in this paper. A case study was conducted at GPEM laboratory, Vietnamese German University, Vietnam. In this case study, the current packaging style with Styrofoam material was analyzed and replaced by new packaging material and methods after applying the PDCA cycle for continuous quality improvement. Targets of the research were to find the new packaging method using friendly environment materials, to improve the quality, and to reduce the defect ratio due to packaging for fine-stone round surface fountains. Moreover, the extra cost should not be higher than 20% compared with the current packaging cost. The article proposes a simplified way that focuses on the combination of quality tools in the PDCA multiple phases to solve these problems. The quality tools are applied effectively through the PDCA cycle from collecting data, defining, analysis, testing, evaluation, and making decisions. New packaging design was been produced and tested successfully. One hundred percent of new packaging boxes for the mid-weight fountains (under 15 kg) passed the dropping test condition. Nearly 10% of the heavier weight products (above 15 kg) still had some small cracks on their top and bottom due to drop tests. Another PDCA cycle is recommended to continue applying for achieving a thorough solution. The conducted results show that PDCA is an effective method to tackle the damage product issue due to inappropriate packaging material and technique. It also brings good solutions for balancing sustainable packaging improvement and reducing the cost to ensure profit for companies. Besides contributing a guide reference for PDCA deployment, the authors intend to inspire practitioners and researchers to broaden exploration of the PDCA applications for sustainable packaging methodology. The research analysis shows that the PDCA methodology should be applied for defect reduction and quality enhancement in the packaging field. The field currently lacks systematic guidance for continuous improvement.

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