Highlighting academic programs, core courses, and institutional initiatives that show evidence of seeking improvement based on analysis of assessment results 

ACTION PLANNING BOOTCAMPS EQUIP FACULTY WITH IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES

IAA hosted four in-person workshops at the Armstrong and Statesboro Faculty Center in August and September to help prepare academic program and core course assessment coordinators with strategies for developing strong action plans for using assessment results to make meaningful improvements to student learning in their 2021-2022 assessment documents. All eight colleges were represented at the workshops, with a total of 30 faculty participating.

One workshop activity focused on clarifying the difference between action items targeting assessment process improvements or student learning improvements, and faculty were encouraged to emphasize student learning improvement in future action plans. Faculty were also asked to analyze sections of an assessment document from a hypothetical academic program to identify weaknesses in student learning and then propose action items to improve either assessment processes or student learning. 

Activities were linked back to institutional peer-review criteria for Impact of Past Improvements and Changes and Use of Assessment Results for Future Program Improvement as well as to SACSCOC standard 8.2.a and 8.2.b, which addresses basing improvement of student learning outcomes on an analysis of assessment results.

IAA FACULTY FELLOWS OFFER ASSISTANCE TO STRENGTHEN ACTION PLANS

IAA Faculty Fellows contacted academic program and core course coordinators during the early part of the fall semester to offer additional assistance with drafting action plans. Closing the loop on assessment cycles is one of the most challenging phases of the assessment process, not just at Georgia Southern but nationally and often features as a topic in assessment publications and conferences. A number of faculty benefitted from individual consultations via Zoom or email exchanges with the Faculty Fellows to gain clarification and suggestions for strengthening the connections between their assessment data and their proposed action items.

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.