Talking about Assessment: An Invitation
Dan Seward, ASC Assessment Coordinator (for more information about Dan, please visit: https://asccas.osu.edu/people/seward.65)
As ASC Assessment Coordinator, I can help with the “nuts and bolts” of assessment reporting and also suggest ways to use assessment to inform “big picture” reflection. I also expect to learn a lot from you about what your program values and how you measure student achievements. Our college includes the widest range of intellectual and pragmatic perspectives, and so it’s the perfect place to test various methods for measuring what we value. When assessment is used for this kind of disciplinary inquiry, the process and the results both tend to generate constructive dialogue among program stakeholders.
Please reach out to me if you’d like an additional perspective on how your assessment activities might further contribute to the “big picture” discussions, or if you simply want to discuss the logistics of implementing an assessment plan or reporting results.
To set up a consultation, please email: seward.65@osu.edu
Types of Consultation Available:
Guidance on entering assessment plans, results, and other details into the Nuventive.Improve system.
Given the wide range of outcomes and assessment methods used in the college, it can sometimes be difficult to determine how to translate a unit’s assessment plans and reporting into the Nuventive system. Since the Office of Academic Affairs uses Nuventive to produce aggregated reporting for university-wide assessment and planning, as well as for external reporting (e.g., for accreditation), we are asked to follow some basic guidelines for entering data. I can help you determine how to distill the assessment findings you’ve already compiled into a form accommodating the university’s aim to report on all units in a uniform manner.
Consultation on assessment methods.
Whether you’re considering new methods for a program or tweaking existing ones, I can offer suggestions based on effective practices in the college, as well as on established and emerging literature in academic assessment. Along the same lines, I can help formulate plans for conducting assessments using a variety of direct and indirect methods—altogether these mixed methods can allow you not only to meet reporting requirements for your program, but also to learn more about its students, instructors, and other program stakeholders.
Support in planning assessments.
Besides offering consultation on effective practices for measuring particular kinds of outcomes, I can offer guidance on the logistics of implementing particular methods of assessment, which can vary in the amount and type of labor, administrative expenses, and requisite technologies. For instance, there may be assessment instruments and tools that can be used virtually “out of the box”—or with adjustments to ensure the data gathered reflects your program’s particular interests. Or maybe what your program needs is a reliable process for conducting reader-rated assessments. I can share schemes for coordinating these efforts.
Collaboration in conducting research on the theory and practice of assessment in your field.
The Ohio State University seeks to be a leader in academic program assessment, which entails researching and evaluating existing and innovative assessment theory and practice to address questions like these: How can we conduct assessment ethically and effectively to learn more about our students and what they’re getting out of our programs? How can we ensure the perspectives of instructors and scholars are reflected in assessments of their programs? What are the roles and responsibilities of other stakeholders in improving the administration and assessment of higher education?