scholarly journals Reflecting on Assessment: Strategies and Tools for Measuring the Impact of a Canadian WAC Program

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 107-132
Author(s):  
Michael Kaler ◽  
Tyler Evans-Tokaryk
Keyword(s):  
Writing Pedagogy ◽  
Writing Development ◽  
Writing Studies ◽  
Program Assessment ◽  
Development Project ◽  
First Year ◽  
Writing Program ◽  
Assessment Strategies ◽  
The Impact

This paper provides an overview of the process and tools we have developed for assessing the impact of writing development projects carried out in a wide variety of courses at our university. It begins with an overview of writing studies in Canada to provide context for our approach to writing instruction and writing program assessment. It then offers a case study of a specific writing development project in a large first-year humanities course, a detailed explanation of the methods we used to measure the efficacy of that project, and an exposition of the way in which this assessment was used to drive reflection on the project and enhancement of it. The paper concludes with summary of the lessons we have learned regarding writing program assessment that navigates between creating a standardized process and responding to the unique needs of multiple projects, as well as a discussion of the benefits of such assessment for writing pedagogy research.

A Case Study of the Integration of Self, Peer, and Group Assessment in a Core First-Year Educational Psychology Unit through Flexible Delivery Implementation

2011 ◽  
pp. 101-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rozz Albon
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Peer Group ◽  
First Year ◽  
Collective Knowledge ◽  
Flexible Delivery ◽  
Complex Forms ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Learn Collaborative

This chapter provides a case study of one lecturer’s approach to innovativeassessment in a first year unit of university study of 188 students. Manyinsights are provided into the training, preparation, and assessmentexperiences of self, peer, group, and lecturer assessments bound togetherby technology for flexible delivery. The dynamic and complex forms ofassessment support the coproduction of knowledge sharing to harness thesynergy of collective knowledge. Specifically, this chapter presents theauthor’s use of theory used to inform selected assessment strategies.General issues surrounding group assessments, and the impact of graduateattributes and technology on assessment, introduce the case study andreinforce the fact that assessment drives the learning. The author hopesthat by sharing her insights, higher-education practices can better meet theneed for students to learn collaborative and team skills required for thefuture world of work.

First-Year Community College Students' Perceptions of and Attitudes Toward Intrusive Academic Advising

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Donaldson ◽  
Lyle McKinney ◽  
Mimi Lee ◽  
Diana Pino
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Academic Advising ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Community College Student ◽  
First Year ◽  
College Student Success ◽  
Intrusive Advising ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

For this study, we analyzed the relationship between intrusive academic advising and community college student success. Utilizing a qualitative, single-case study design, we conducted interviews with 12 students who participated in an intrusive advising program at a large, urban community college in Texas. Analysis of the interview data revealed the benefits, limitations, and contributions to success of intrusive advising. This study addresses a notable gap in the extant literature, as few researchers have published empirical examinations on the impact of intrusive academic advising within the community college context. The findings can be used to improve the delivery of academic advising and student support services at community colleges.

scholarly journals Undergraduate Accounts of the Impact of Lockdown on Their Self-Managed Reflective Development of Graduate Abilities

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 54
Author(s):  
John Cowan ◽  
Ellen Doorly ◽  
Clarissa Harte ◽  
Damien Madigan ◽  
Keomea O’Connor
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Civil Engineering ◽  
First Year ◽  
First Semester ◽  
External Facilitator ◽  
Individual Contributions ◽  
Reflective Development ◽  
The Impact

This account is mostly written by students in the first year of their discipline-based study of civil engineering. It features their self-managed development of graduate abilities in the second semester of an undergraduate Irish course in problem-based civil engineering. The principal abilities were creativity, problem-solving, presentations and teamwork. The case-study paper concentrates upon four students’ reports and reflections on their experiences concerning their second (partially locked-down) semester. Their accounts complement the review of the early weeks of their first semester experience, that has already been published elsewhere. They are joined by the tutor who was an external facilitator of their early drafts of reviews. He suggested the compilation and structure of this paper, and has assisted with the assembly of the condensed individual contributions.

scholarly journals A Contemplative Approach to Graduate Writing Development: Reflections from Thai Writing Classrooms

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
pp. 127-148
Author(s):  
James Burford ◽  
Adisorn Juntrasook ◽  
Wasana Sriprachya-anunt ◽  
Linda Yeh
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Writing Pedagogy ◽  
Writing Development ◽  
Writing Studies ◽  
Graduate Level ◽  
Contemplative Practices ◽  
Writing Courses ◽  
Writing Instructors ◽  
Opening Up ◽  
Education Field

This article addresses an under-researched area of writing studies: the use of contemplative pedagogies in the development of graduate writing. Drawing on reflective analysis from writing instructors, this article seeks to both contextualize the teaching and learning of writing in the Thai context, and to introduce experiments in contemplative writing pedagogy. In particular, the article reports on graduate-level writing courses that are embedded within the curricula of two education-field Masters programmes in Thailand. Four instructors involved in these courses reflect on their combined experience of integrating contemplative pedagogies, describing the steps they undertook to bring these into the classroom. The contribution of this study is its reporting on research in the under-considered area of contemplative practices, as well as opening up the consideration for graduate writing development in non-Anglophone contexts, such as Thailand. It is hoped that the documentation of the tools and strategies used by Thai instructors will assist others to bring contemplative approaches into play in their own classrooms.

scholarly journals Eco-Social Agriculture for Social Transformation and Environmental Sustainability: A Case Study of the UPAS-Project

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (14) ◽  
pp. 5510
Author(s):  
Sara Nicli ◽  
Susanne Ursula Elsen ◽  
Armin Bernhard
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Transformation ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Development Project ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Disadvantaged People

Rural areas are facing vulnerabilities and changes caused by negative social, economic and ecological externalities resulting from industrial agriculture systems. Locally embedded farms and bottom-linked approaches such as social cooperatives that act in the field of social agriculture are small, but valuable models to counteract these trends. This article is based on a case study conducted within the transdisciplinary research and development project Unlocking the Potential of Social Agriculture (UPAS), 2017–2020—financed by the Free University of Bolzano. The main focus of the case study is to determine the impact of social agriculture initiatives on social and healthcare systems, the natural environment and the communities in which they act. Data collection includes a literature review, observations and interviews carried out on 35 case studies of social agriculture initiatives, mainly located in Italy. The field research points out that actors in the sector of social agriculture predominantly aim to integrate disadvantaged people socially and in terms of their labor, base their production on organic methods, and that social agriculture has the potential to foster eco-social transformation and development of rural areas by the combination of social and ecological concerns. Thus, we use the term “eco-social” agriculture to describe these approaches. Furthermore, five components of eco-social agriculture have been defined, which, together, offer an ideal set of acting principles, namely: (1) the empowerment and integration of disadvantaged people, (2) the promotion of environmentally friendly agricultural practices, (3) the protection of nature, resources and cultural landscape, (4) support to the local community, and (5) education for sustainable development.

scholarly journals Systemic and Systematic Assessment Methodology for Technology-Based Social Enterprises

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 13-34
Author(s):  
Tara Sulewski ◽  
Rachel Dzombak ◽  
Carey Bell ◽  
Khanjan Mehta
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Assessment Methodology ◽  
Systematic Assessment ◽  
Economically Marginalized ◽  
Current Assessment ◽  
Assessment Strategies ◽  
The Impact

Social enterprises that focus on appropriate technologies for socio-economically marginalized populations in developing countries are on the rise. However, standardized methodologies to assess the success of the venture and their economic, social and environmental impact are almost non-existent. Current assessment strategies focus on tangible outputs such as customers reached and revenues generated, which creates a disconnect between an organization’s mission and the impact created by the products and services provided. An emphasis shift from outputs to outcomes requires a move away from the solely growth-based measures to include mission-based measures. A systemic and systematic assessment methodology has been developed by our team for comprehensive and efficient assessment of early-stage social enterprises. This methodology uses a hierarchical framework to assess metrics at various levels of the venture while tracing them back to the overarching objectives of the venture. Current assessment practices used by nonprofits, social enterprises and academic ventures are discussed in detail to establish the need for systemic and systematic frameworks. The principles and mechanics of our assessment framework and its operationalization are presented with a culminating case study of the application of this methodology to a telemedicine venture in East Africa over the last three years.

scholarly journals Helping Students Gain A Better Understanding of Writing

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Ulmer
Keyword(s):  
Writing Skills ◽  
Writing Pedagogy ◽  
Writing Studies ◽  
College Writing ◽  
First Year ◽  
College Level ◽  
First Year Writing ◽  
The Third ◽  
Two Year College ◽  
Course Sequence

<p>The primary purpose of this study is to develop a curriculum for first-year writing that can be taught at the two-year college to help students transfer writing skills to courses taken afterwards. The second chapter aims to define what transfer is and identify a few different approaches to teach for transfer, which led to the discovery of the Writing about Writing pedagogy as developed by Douglas Downs and Elizabeth Wardle. This research was influenced heavily by Anne Beaufort’s <em>College Writing and Beyond </em>as well. Following this, the third chapter examines the nature of the two-year college that makes it uniquely difficult to teach for longer term transfer of writing skills. Finally, chapter four features a review of the Writing about Writing pedagogy and textbook, which leads to development of a course sequence for use at a two-year college. This study supports the implementation of an introduction to writing studies course sequence at the two-year college level to aid in the transfer of writing skills. </p>

scholarly journals Culturally Conscious Assessment as Pedagogy in Study Abroad

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 168-186
Author(s):  
Jillian Martin ◽  
Candace Moore ◽  
Alex Foley ◽  
Kiyah McDermind
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
United States ◽  
Study Abroad ◽  
The United States ◽  
Program Assessment ◽  
Critical Examination ◽  
Assessment Practices ◽  
Use Of Assessment ◽  
Assessment Strategies

The Higher Education in the Ghanaian Context (HEGC!) program was created to engage participants in critical examination of concepts related to power, privilege, and oppression within higher education settings in Ghana and the United States. The course has three components: pre-immersion, immersion, and emersion that are guided by a central “big” question: What can this experience teach me about contributing to a global society through the application of culturally conscious practices in my field? To answer this question, we partner with Ghanaian higher education practitioners to co-create a collaborative, cumulative project that participants work on through the duration of the trip. We present in this paper a case study for the use of assessment as pedagogy including an overview of the HEGC! Program, assessment strategies used, and pedagogical incorporation for the course. We conclude with a list of implications for study abroad and assessment practices. 

scholarly journals Empowering Business Process Improvement of Kue Basah Ny. Anong in Cianjur, West Java

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 62-74
Author(s):  
Cynthia Yuni Luis ◽  
Winston Purnama ◽  
Hans Nicholas ◽  
Vincent Jonathan ◽  
Arvin Victor Maruli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Development ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Business Process ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Development Project ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Business Partners ◽  
Business Model Canvas ◽  
The Impact

SMEs in Indonesia have given a significant monetary contribution to the Indonesian economy. In our Community Development case study in Cianjur, some of the community members showed enthusiasm in SME business. In this study, the case was observed through Kue Basah Ny. Anong, which was the business’ brand name. In Indonesia itself, the obstacles of SME businesses were inefficient and ineffective business processes to enhance their business growth. These drawbacks were also found in Kue Basah Ny. Anong. These Community Development activities were held to improve their business process on operational, financial, marketing, and human resource aspects. Firstly, in the operational aspect, the activities were to improve food hygiene and standardization. Secondly, in the financial aspect, this Community Development project provided training and facilitation to make daily financial bookkeeping to monitor their business progress. In the marketing aspect, the assistance was to find other alternative marketing strategies to expand marketing through social media and WhatsApp. This tool was considered effective as the consumers in Cianjur possessed mobile phones. In the human resource aspect, training was provided to Mrs. Anong’s family members to promote their business and products to potential business partners and consumers. From the Community Development intervention, the impact was a better business model canvas and approach toward their customers and partners within six months of this Community Development project (one semester). The period of this Community Development project was from January to June 2020.

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