ACADEMIC ASSESSMENT UPDATE |
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Peer review results for 2021-2022 are in for academic programs and core courses! In this issue of our Assessment Update we share the peer-review results and reflect on areas of strengths and opportunities for improvement. We share an update from the SACSCOC Student Outcomes Compliance Certification Team and celebrate GEOL 1340 - Environmental Geology as an assessment exemplar. Be sure to check out our website for all things assessment as well as updates on our journey toward Reaffirmation of Accreditation and helpful curriculum resources!
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Academic Program Student Learning Outcomes Assessment
Peer-review feedback from the Academic Assessment Steering Committee (AASC) has been returned for Academic Programs. The AASC reviews these documents based on criteria in the Academic Program Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Rubric. The following infographics show a comparison of the documents submitted and the peer-review scores by rubric trait for 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 assessment cycles. The summary of peer-review results is also posted on the IAA website.
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General Education Student Learning Outcome Assessment
General Education Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Documents are reviewed by the General Education and Core Curriculum (GECC) Committee and scored based on criteria in the General Education Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Rubric. The following infographics show a comparison of the documents submitted and the peer-review scores by rubric trait for 2018-2019, 2019-2020, 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 assessment cycles. The summary of peer review results is also posted on the IAA website.
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Where Do We Go From Here? |
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The above charts reflect the products of hard work by many across campus. From the faculty who collect the data to those who analyze the data and then write the program and core assessment documents. We also cannot forget the faculty serving on the General Education and Core Curriculum Committee (GECC) and the Academic Assessment Steering Committee (AASC) who then review and provide feedback on those documents. Assessment is truly a team effort and would not be possible without the dedication of committed faculty in every college.
Now that assessment documents have been reviewed and feedback received, it’s time to reflect on why this process is important. As we ramp up for Reaffirmation of Accreditation, campus is likely aware that assessment is required by SACSCOC, specifically standards 8.2.a and 8.2.b. These standards address student learning for academic programs and general education curriculum, respectively, and require that institutions identify “expected outcomes, assesses the extent to which they achieve these outcomes, and provide evidence of seeking improvement based on analysis of the results.”
Annual assessment documents for academic programs and core courses are the tools Georgia Southern has implemented to meaningfully reflect on student learning and the actions we take to support that learning. Documents from the last two cycles and the 2022-2023 cycle will be publically available and reviewed as part of reaffirmation of accreditation. Of course, we want strong documents to showcase our efforts for SACSCOC reaffirmation, but ultimately, this process is about how we continually seek to improve student learning in ways that best serve our students and prepare them for success after graduation. To this end, it is important to ensure a process that breeds quality results as well as emphasizes critical analysis of those results in terms of past strategies developed to support student learning. What worked? What didn’t work and why? Don’t worry if a previous initiative did not yield the results you hoped. Results, good and not so good, from past assessment cycles provide us with a wealth of information that we can use to design action plans for implementing and/or refining student learning initiatives. The more we learn and reflect, the more we can facilitate the learning of our students and promote their success.
Keep this in mind as you collect and analyze data for your next assessment document. Remember, this coming fall will be the last assessment documents from the current reaffirmation cycle to be published for SACSCOC review. Let’s use this opportunity to showcase all the amazing work we are doing to enhance student learning. Last year’s round of core assessment documents was our strongest yet. Although there were some dips in the program scores, we still have come a long way since refining this process after our last decennial reaffirmation. Let’s make next year our strongest yet!
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Excellence in Core Course Assessment:
GEOL 1340- Environmental Geology
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Core Course assessment made some significant improvements in last year’s assessment cycle. This is especially true when we look at scores connected to reflection and action: Discussion of Results, Assessing the Impacts of Past Improvements and Changes, as well as Using Results for Future Improvement. It is not a surprise that these are getting stronger as assessment practices become more refined. One area IAA is targeting is the Use of Results for Future Improvement, more commonly referred to as action plans.
Early on most action plans focused more heavily on the assessment process itself. As our assessment processes improve, more attention has been directed toward developing initiatives to support student learning, which is closer to the heart of why we engage in meaningful assessment practices.
One core course that has shown excellent improvement in their action plans is Geology 1340: Environmental Geology. As is the case for both academic program and core assessment, earlier action plans primarily focused on revising the assessment process itself. Although creating a process that generates quality data is important, it is easy to become so focused on process that the reason for that process, namely enhancing student learning, can be overshadowed. In their latest core assessment document, Geology 1340 adeptly threaded this needle. They understood and addressed how to improve the process as well as addressed student learning.
In their Action Plan, Geology 1340 created two sections: Instrument Changes and Instructional Changes. Both were prompted by the story told in the data collected for the 2021-22 assessment cycle. To improve the instrument, the department clarified the wording to a question, replacing a vague term with and more precise description. Although this change was prompted by student performance on a particular question, faculty also did not rule out that it was an opportunity to consider student learning; therefore, they also made a plan to increase coverage of the topic in class. This instructional change was targeted toward Statesboro students, while other instructional changes targeted Armstrong and online students. Their action plan also proposed modifying and increasing learning activities that address topics with which students struggle most. Overall, Geology provided a thoughtful analysis across campuses allowing them to identify campus specific issues and target instructional changes appropriately. Changes also were specific and measurable representing a solid action plan that used assessment results for future improvement.
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SACSCOC Compliance Certification Teams Student Outcomes Update |
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The Student Outcomes Compliance Certification Team met with IAA staff after spring break to discuss team progress on standards 8.1, 8.2.a & 8.2.b as well as 9.3. As some might recall, the team conducted an initial audit of standards in Fall 2021 and presented those results to other Compliance Certification Teams during rounds of Lightning Talks in Spring 2022. The team then set out to further strengthen evidence of compliance and gather additional evidence in preparation to a write narrative for each standard as part of the institution's self-study document for SACSCOC. In November 2022, the team submitted its first draft of narrative 9.3. Since then, narratives for standards 8.2.a and 8.2.b. also have been submitted. Standard 9.3 underwent review by fellow team members, and the narrative's author is currently revising the initial draft in preparation for a second draft to be submitted to an outside reviewer. Initial drafts of 8.2.a. and 8.2.b. are currently under review by the team, while the initial draft of 8.1 is being written. This phase of the process will wrap up in November 2023 when the second draft of Standard 8.1 is submitted to the outside reviewer.
Overall, IAA is happy with the team's progress. Initial drafts have been strong and have placed the team on firm grounding to fulfill their charge. As some team members have moved off the team, additional members have been added so momentum will not be lost. The team is well situated as the institution prepares for its In-Person Staff Advisory Visit in May 2024.
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Institutional Assessment and Accreditation (IAA) works collaboratively with faculty, staff, and administration to ensure the quality of the programs and educational experiences offered by the university, addressing the unique assessment needs of courses, departments, colleges, or units through individual and group consultations, professional development workshops, recommendations for technology implementation, and best practice reference materials. |
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