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Linking Assessment to Transform Institutions Steven F. Tello, Ed.D. & Jacqueline Moloney, Ed.D., University of Massachusetts Lowell In an earlier paper, we introduced a model for transformative assessment as: An assessment process that organizes the collection, analysis, and application of data and findings along a continuum that represents developmental stages of an institution's change or growth. [1] Over the past several years, we have refined our methods for data collection and analysis techniques to create greater linkages between student learning outcomes at the course, program and institutional level. In this article, we will discuss how existing online technologies can enhance this process by automating data collection and dissemination of findings. At the Course Level: Assessment of Student Learning - Course management systems (CMS) such as WebCT, Blackboard and others provide a set of tools which can assist faculty and students:
When course objectives, assignments and feedback are organized in a CMS, students and faculty have increased access to these materials. The electronic nature of the interaction supports the storage and later retrieval, and reporting of the data collected, a feature important across institutional levels. Quality of Student Learning Experience: In addition to assessing student learning, it is equally important to assess the quality of the learner's experience commonly referred to as 'student satisfaction.' One major tool for collecting data on student satisfaction is a course evaluation tool, typically administered to students at the conclusion of each semester, but available as a tool throughout the course cycle. In an effort to support a transformative assessment process, some institutions have redesigned their course evaluation tool to incorporate student feedback on areas such as faculty/student interaction, clarity of learning outcomes, the relationship of learning outcomes to exams and quizzes, and the quality of the curriculum. When embedded in the CMS or linked through external survey tools, these surveys provide faculty with immediate feedback that is rich with data about the students' learning experiences At the Program Level: Academic programs that hold professional accreditation have the benefit of having a clearly articulated set of learning outcomes for students and faculty. Technologies such as CMS and e-Portfolios allow faculty to consistently map learning outcomes across courses to the program level. From a program perspective, this means that all students in an MBA program can be presented with similar learning outcomes in their business courses. The use of a CMS or e-Portfolio allows programs to collect and share electronic evidence of course work mapped to specific learning outcomes from all of the courses contributing to the specific academic program. At the Institutional Level: The real power of the assessment strategies described above happens when institutions use the data to plan for institution-wide improvements. At UMass Lowell, the assessment data at the course and program level is analyzed jointly by the faculty and the administration to target institution-wide initiatives for improving student learning. For example, course-level surveys collect data regarding student attitudes such as the relevance of curriculum, quality of instruction and the supportive nature of the environment. While these course-level reports provide valuable information regarding student attitudes within a course, when combined by discipline or academic programs, the data helps inform administrative decisions regarding facilities, program expansion, faculty development and in other critical areas. 1. Moloney, J. and S. Tello. Transformative assessment of online education at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. In Janet C. Moore (Ed.), Engaging Communities, Wisdom from the Sloan Consortium, 15-29. Needham, MA: Sloan-C, 2005. (From April 12 - 24 Richard Schuttler, Jake Burdick, Jacqueline Moloney, and Steve Tello will be hosting a workshop: Transformative Curriculum Development and Assessment Practices for Online Educators )
Can Degree Programs in the Sciences Ever Really Go Online? Devon A. Cancilla (WWU) & Simon P. Albon (UBC) The Chronicle of Higher Education(1) recently reported that Congress is about to remove the "50-percent rule," which bars any college that provides more than half of its courses via distance education from participating in federal student-aid programs. Elimination of the 50-percent rule removes one more barrier to the acceptance of on-line distance education as a legitimate vehicle for the delivery of degree programs. As these barriers fall, however, and more on-line degree programs are developed, why have the sciences been so slow in joining the online community? One often-cited reason is that science is essentially a "hands-on" activity and that, "hands-on" training is the only way to teach science. This phrasing can even be found in the American Chemical Society's Undergraduate Professional Education in Chemistry Guidelines(2), which require 500 laboratory contact hours. Although the ACS guidelines support "self-instruction" programs through the use of audio, video, and computer courses, the guidelines state specifically that, "Laboratory experience is, however, an essential part of learning chemistry..." Although it is true that there are certain necessary mechanical skills that must be developed in a laboratory, this should not mean that science educators cannot take advantage of the online tools available within the distance education community to teach science. This institutionalized mode of thinking, prevalent across all of the sciences, has created a significant cultural barrier that must be overcome if the sciences are to effectively move into the online environment. But is there hope for such a large cultural transformation within the sciences? Perhaps if it's called Cyberinfastructure rather than distance education. As described in the report, "Revolutionizing Science and Engineering Through Cyberinfrastructure: Report of the NSF Blue-Ribbon Advisory Panel on Cyberinfrastructure(3)," the manner in which scientific and engineering research and education is conducted will be radically transformed by cyberinfrastructure. The Panel goes on to state that "Advances in information technologies have made it possible to access and control scientific instruments in real-time from computers anywhere on the Internet. Technologies such as web-controlled laboratory cameras, electronic notebooks, and videoconferencing provide a sense of virtual presence in a laboratory that partially duplicates the experience of being there..." The Panel further suggests the need for educational-material centers to "accelerate development and deployment of useful educational materials from ideas generated by individuals from any of the chemistry sub disciplines." The techno-buzz, however, should not obscure the fact that the success of this movement will depend on the "development and deployment of useful educational materials" by science educators. 1. http://chronicle.com, Section: Information Technology, (2006) Volume 52, Issue 22, Page A1 (From April 19 - 27 Devon A. Cancilla and Simon P. Albon will be hosting a workshop: Moving the Laboratory Online: Practical Techniques for Utilizing Remote Instrumentation to Enhance Science Education ) Take advantage of four innovative workshops. The topics cover issues such as closing the gap between intended curricular outcomes and actual instruction, utilizing remote instrumentation in online education, indentifying opportunities for growth in online education, and using certain business strategies to help the success of your online programs. Transformative Curriculum Development and Assessment Practices for Online Educators - April 12-24 This workshop focuses on transformative curriculum development and assessment practices for online educators. In the virtual classroom environment, the potential gap between intended curricular outcomes and actual instruction/assessment widens, requiring that approaches to curriculum design become more articulate and aligned to a program or institution's learning goals. Further, when crafting an assessment, it is all too easy to take the path of least resistance; with many instructors relying on easily designed and administered assessment methods. This workshop guides you through some non-traditional design and assessment models that you and your colleagues can employ when preparing, delivering, and evaluating your online courses. Is it possible to create authentic and engaging "hands-on" scientific experiments over the internet using remote instrumentation? Can the internet be used to overcome some of the traditional approaches to lecture and laboratory teaching practice? How can we provide educators and students with shared access to instructional materials, expertise and modern scientific instrumentation to enhance the science learning experience? What are the implications of using remote instrumentation for research? The use of remote instrumentation is emerging as a legitimate alternative to the traditional "hands-on" laboratory learning experiences for teaching and learning in the basic and instrumental sciences. Advances in scientific instrumentation and web-based technologies are being used in a number of exciting initiatives to share instructional materials, expertise and sophisticated instrumentation across time and place. The use of remote instrumentation has provided new curricular opportunities for engaging educators and students in authentic learning opportunities in the lecture and laboratory environments, and has opened the door for the development of online courses in the basic and instrumental sciences. Opportunities for Growth in Online Education - May 17-26 In 2005, a team of Sloan-C researchers set out to identify opportunities for growth in online education and asynchronous learning networks. This set of workshops outlines the areas found. Each market is described in terms of size of opportunity, underlying trends driving each market and examples of how institutions are already taking advantage of each market. Markets include: baby-boomers, K-12 - AP courses, international, corporate/industry partnerships, underserved undergraduate degrees with high demand, blended learning. Identifying Successful Business Strategies for Online Programs - May 24- June 9 This workshop marks our most ambitious effort to date to map the business models of the online industry and present them in a context that will actually help to improve the success of your online programs. This workshop includes ongoing research that has been collected over the course of the past two years from top institutions and has included the input and work of several top researchers in this area. And as with all of our workshops, it is provided in a way that adapts to your busy schedule. If you are a top level administrator in an online program, you don't want to miss this workshop.
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