Assessment of Civic Engagement

Nathan Lindsay and Dan StroudUniversity of Missouri-Kansas City

January 17, 2014

Students in my department have an appropriate degree of civic engagement in their coursework.

0% 0% 0%0%0%0%

1. Strongly agree2. Agree3. Neither agree nor

disagree4. Disagree5. Strongly disagree6. Not applicable

Our department has done a good job of documenting the benefits and learning that occurs through civic engagement.

0% 0% 0%0%0%0%

1. Strongly agree2. Agree3. Neither agree nor

disagree4. Disagree5. Strongly disagree6. Not applicable

Quick Fact #1

More than 70 percent of all college students report participating in some form of volunteering, community service, or service learning during their time in college.

(Source: National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement. 2012. A Crucible Moment: College Learning & Democracy’s Future. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities.)

Quick Fact #2

About one-half of college students report participating in credit-bearing service learning activities during their time in college.

(Source: National Survey of Student Engagement. 2010. NSSE 2010 Grand Frequencies by Major, First-Year Students and Seniors. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research; Data from the Higher Education Research Institute cited in O’Neill, Nancy. Forthcoming. Practices that Matter: Educating Students for Personal and Social Responsibility. Washington, DC: Association of American Colleges and Universities.)

Quick Fact #3

Emerging evidence suggests that the more frequently students participate in a continuum of civic learning practices (e.g. service learning, meaningful cross-racial interactions on campus or in classrooms, or real-world problem-based learning), the more they make gains on a variety of civic outcomes. (Sources: Blaich, C. and Wise, K. 2011. “Wabash National Study findings on Personal and Social Responsibility.” Unpublished data provided by the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education; Bowen, Glenn. 2010. “Service-Learning in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: Effective Practices.” International Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. 4(2): 1-15; Eyler, Janet S., Giles, Dwight E., Stenson, Christine M., Gray, Charlene J. 2001. At a Glance: What We Know about The Effects of Service-Learning on College Students, Faculty, Institutions and Communities, 1993-2000: Third Edition. Retrieved 10/12/10 from http://www.compact.org/wp content/uploads/resources/downloads/aag.pdf); Hurtado, Sylvia and DeAngelo, Linda. Forthcoming 2012. “Linking Diversity and Civic-Minded Practices with Student Outcomes: New Evidence from CIRP National Surveys.” Liberal Education. 98 (2).)

Civic and Community Engagement –UMKC Gen Ed Outcomes

Students will be able to identify the problems, challenges, and opportunities of an urban university.

Students will understand their relationship to both a local and global community and the social, political, and cultural issues therein.

Students will develop an appreciation for the meaning and global impact of urbanization.

Students will have an understanding of the U.S. and Missouri Constitutions and their impact on issues facing these various communities.

Students will engage with the UMKC community of learners.

Examples of High Impact Experiences

Anchor III Courses (Team-taught interdisciplinary courses focused on civic engagement).

Service Learning (Service learning is a teaching method that combines community service with academic instruction as it focuses on critical, reflective thinking and civic responsibility).

Study Abroad (Study abroad consists of educational activities completed outside of the United States—these activities can include classroom study, research, internships or externships, and service learning).

Internships (An internship is an opportunity to integrate career related experience into an undergraduate education by participating in planned, supervised work).

Other???

Enhancing High-Impact Practices

What data do you have in your department on the following high-impact practices?

What recommendations do you have for collecting data (at the departmental and institutional levels)?

Service Learning

Internships

Study Abroad

Other?

Carnegie Community Engagement Classification

Describes collaboration between institutions of higher education and their larger communities on local, state, national and global levels.

Is an elective classification based on voluntary participation by an institution.

Evidenced based documentation of institutional practice to be used in a process of self-assessment and quality improvement.

Takes place on a five year cycle.

Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP)

First established in 2005, the program champions an importance placed upon a 21st century liberal education offered to individuals with the hope of greater economic creativity and a more relevant and driven democratic society.

Responds to demands for more college educated workers as well as better informed and engaged citizens.

Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP)

What Program Promotes

Essential Learning Outcomes- used as a guiding vision for college learning

High-Impact Educational Practices- aids students in achievement of elevated outcomes

Authentic Assessments- applies student learning to outside real world

expectations Inclusive Excellence

- everyone should receive engaged and practical education

Possibilities for Assessment

Student self-reflection (evaluated by a rubric that addresses the course’s civic education learning outcomes)

Student essay (also evaluated by a rubric) Exam on civic engagement principles Focus group or survey asking students about

the learning outcomes Evaluation from the community partners

AAC&U Civic Engagement Value Rubric

Definition Civic engagement is “working to make a difference in the

civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values, and motivation to make that difference.”

“It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes." (Excerpted from Civic Responsibility and Higher Education, edited by Thomas Ehrlich, published

by Oryx Press, 2000, Preface, page vi.) Consists of activities of personal and public concern that are

both individually life enriching and socially beneficial to the community.

Civic Engagement Value Rubric

General Education Assessment Report —(due October 1st each year)

Example from Pol-Sci 309: Public Opinion

Expected General Education Outcomes Students will analyze, interpret and/or reconstruct human

events, experiences, actions, and interactions. Students will examine principles of value and civic duty in

a wide range of settings and will demonstrate an understanding of personal values and the values of others.

Students will be able to identify ethical problems using their understanding of ethical theory and moral reasoning.

General Education Assessment Report Pol-Sci 309: Public Opinion

How will outcomes be addressed? Through exposure to factors such as values, media, socialization, and

those of genetic consequence. Through lectures, scholarly research, and discussion, students will

evaluate the existence and prevalence of a deep division in American Politics.

How will outcomes be assessed? Direct Assessment - Written rubrics for formal assignments

(quizzes, exams, lab assignments, and research papers) Indirect Assessment

(in-class discussion, small group problem solving, and feedback from faculty)

Learning Outcome

Indirect Assessment

Measures

Direct Assessment

Measures

 Competency

Defined Achievement Target Results Action Plan

Explain the formation of public opinion including the role of human values

Responses to in-class questions

and group activities

Midterm Exam (Essay Question)

  

Rubric Score>80 (B-)

80% Competency

87% Competency

Modify exam to maximize

student’s ability to convey

knowledge and understanding of material and

spend an additional week discussing the evidence and incorporate

lecture material

Explain the formation of public opinion including the role of human values

Responses to in-class

questions and group activities

Quiz 2

 Rubric

Score>80 (B-)80%

Competency100%

Competency Continue current

methods

Measures, Findings, and Closing the Assessment Loop

Student Learning Outcomes and Assessments Pol-Sci 309: Public Opinion

  Poor Needs Improvement Good ExcellentMechanics and Grammar 

Sentences and paragraphs are difficult to read and understand due to poor grammar or mechanics.

Contains numerous grammar and mechanical errors

Contains minimal grammar or mechanical errors

Clear and concise and contains no grammatical or mechanical errors

OrganizationOrganization and coherence of ideas

There appears to be no organization of the content.

Organization is difficult to follow, due to inadequate transitions and/or rambling format.

Can be easily followed. A combination of the following is apparent: Basic transitions and a structured format are used.

Can be easily followed. A combination of the following is apparent: Effective transitions and a structured format are used.

Define the Culture War Does not define the Culture War

Attempts to define the culture war, but does not do so effectively

Defines the culture war, but provides few details

Defines the culture war with sufficient detail

Explain and appraise the theoretical arguments 

Does not fully explain or appraise the arguments in any meaningful way

Attempts to explain and appraise the arguments but does not do so effectively

Explains the arguments, but does not appraise the arguments.

Explains and appraise the arguments with sufficient detail

Evaluate the evidence Does not fully describe or evaluate the evidence in any meaningful way

Attempts to describe and evaluate the evidence but does not do so effectively

Describes the evidence, but does not evaluate the evidence.

Describes and evaluates the evidence with sufficient detail

Specify an argument An attempt to make an argument is made, but the argument is unclear.

An argument is presented, but it requires the reader to reconstruct it from the essay.

Contains a clear argument, but provides few details or connections to the evidence.

Specifies a clear argument (i.e., it is clear exactly what the author is trying to communicate).

Essay Prompt: Do you believe a culture war exists in this country? Why or why not? In answering this question, be certain to discuss your definition of a culture war and the arguments and evidence discussed in the readings (the media readings, Fiorina, and Abramowitz and Sanders).

Grading RubricPol-Sci 309: Public Opinion

Midterm Essay

“Some men see things as they are and say why? I dream things that never were and say, why not?”

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.Quoting George Bernard Shaw

“Great Expectations” for Civic Engagement