#1 Kick Starter Event

#2 Program Review

Preparation: Learning

Outcomes

#3 Program Review

Preparation: Assessment Strategies

#4 Program Review

Site Visit

#5 Post Site Visit: Evidence-

Based Practice

#6 Post Site Visit: Evidence-

Based Practice

Improving Assessment in Program Review Through Learning Communities

Laura E. DeWald1, David Onder2, Martha Diede3, Stephen LeBeau3

1Professor and Assessment Fellow, 2Director of Assessment, 3Coulter Faculty Center

The Problems

• Program review documents often

prepared by only a few faculty Workload and knowledge

remains among a few faculty

• Program review is rarely viewed as

an opportunity to learn or improve Key issue is faculty engagement

• Assessment components within

program review documents are

often only descriptive Essential reflection that would

identify most and least effective

program components are lacking

• Culture of program assessment is

negative

The Approach

• Cohort created of faculty from all

programs undergoing review during

the same academic year

Cohort = Program Assessment

Learning Community

Shared experiences and learning

promotes “Esprit De Corp” to

foster enthusiasm, motivation

and knowledge related to

program review and assessment

• Workshops occurring during 5-year

review cycle designed to support:

Writing the self study

Assessment program

development

Implementation of assessment

strategies

Using assessment results to

inform curriculum/program

changes

• Faculty guide and teach faculty!

• Keep workshops short (1/2 day), motivating and interactive

• Keep the process simple!

• Faculty leave with products to help them get started

• Provide great food

• Don’t ask for 5-year commitment from faculty

• Follow up!

• Create interactive tools and resource libraries via Learning

Management Systems (e.g., Blackboard) to facilitate

interaction among cohorts between workshop time periods

The Keys To Success

5-year

Program

Review

Cycle

The Process

Years

4 & 5 Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

1. Kick-Starter Event Assessment Success Stories and processes

presented by fellow faculty in other campus

programs

KISS = Keep It Super Simple!

Faculty leave event energized and with

strategies for developing and assessing program

learning outcomes

2. & 3. Program Review Preparation Workshops

Faculty develop learning outcomes and

assessment strategies

Interactive KISS workshops (facilitated by

fellow faculty from campus programs) bring

the cohort together to provide shared

experiences and help each other

4. Program Review Site Visit Workshop

Shared site visit experiences

Discussion of strategies to implement program

development plans

5. & 6. Evidence Based Practices Workshops

Interactive KISS workshops to develop

strategies for using assessment feedback to

inform and implement curriculum changes

• Crisp, G. 2010. Integrative assessment: Reframing assessment

practice for current and future learning. Assessment and Evaluation in

Higher Education 37:33-43

• Diamond, RM. 2008. Designing and assessing course and curricula. 3rd

ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

• Emil, S & C Cress. 2014. Faculty perspectives on programme curricular

assessment: individual and institutional characteristics that influence

participation engagement. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher

Education 39: 531-552

• Grunwald, S & MW Peterson. 2003. Factors that promote faculty

involvement in and satisfaction with institutional and classroom student

assessment. Research in Higher Education 44:173-204

• Kuh, GD, et al. 2015. Using Evidence of Student Learning to Improve

Higher Education. Jossey-Bass/John Wiley & Sons Inc.

Bibliography

Acknowledgements

• Annette Parris and WCU Coulter Faculty Center

• WCU Office of Institutional Planning and Effectiveness

• Carol Burton and WCU Provost’s Office