1) Introduction/ Context:

a) What information about your program/unit is important for the reviewers of your assessment report to understand?an>

a)Writing an introduction or describing the context of your program/unit is very helpful to the reviewers of assessment reports, as Associate Deans, faculty, and staff do not review assessment reports in their own colleges, divisions, units, or programs. This means that presenting some background information about your program/unit will help reviewers situate your assessment efforts, both in terms of achievements and improvable areas.

c) Has the current assessment report included any of the recommendations made by review teams based on preview year report?

c) Provide review teams with a general idea related to the implementation of recommendations or suggestions for improvement previously made based on your student learning assessment report submitted last year. The general statements made in this section should be elaborated upon in subsequent sections, wherever you have details to offer about the integrationof previous review recommendations.

2) Goals:

a) What are the goals of your program/unit in terms of leading to or supporting student learning?

a)The first question deals with the set of goals (sometimes called objectives) each program/unit has in terms of what students are expected to learn in that particular program/unit.

3) Outcomes:

a)What are the intended outcomes of your program/unit in terms of leading to or supporting student learning?

a) In this case, the first question relates to the evidence students in your program/unit could produce to demonstrate their learning or needs being met through services provided. In other words, at the end of a cycle of instruction or service providing, what proof do you have that students learned what they were expected to learn? For academic programs, the outcomes should be stated in terms of what students will know, be able to do, and/or demonstrate as dispositions deriving from the teaching and learning process. For student service units, the outcomes should be stated in terms of what students will know, be able to do, and/or demonstrate as dispositions deriving from the services provided and/or participation in sponsored activities.

b)How and when were these student learning outcomes developed for each goal listed in the section above? Who was involved?

b)Focusing on the community each program/unit represents, these two questions help reviewers determine the collaborative effort in developing, implementing, and evaluating these intended student learning outcomes.

4)Data collection:

a)What direct and indirect methods did you use to measure the degree to which the learning (outcomes) of your students meets the goals of your program/unit? What assessment instruments/tools, methods, and processes did you use to collect student learning-related data?

a)As a program/unit, you determine how the evidence of your students’ learning matches the goals of the program/unit. In other words, you will be emphasizing what it is that these students were actually supposed to learn from the cycle of instruction or expect as a result of the support services provided. To this effect, your program/unit utilizes a range of direct methods of assessing student learning (such as standardized or instructor-created tests, projects, portfolios, performances, etc.). Additionally, your program/unit uses several indirect methods of assessing student learning, among which we mention surveys, questionnaires, individual student or focus group interviews, etc.

b) Were these instruments/tools, methods, and/or processes modified over the course of the previous academic year? If so, what are the actual change and the rationale behind it? Also, have the reviewers’ recommendations from the previous year report been addressed?

b)The last two questions emphasize any changes your program/unit may have made to the range of direct and/or indirect methods used to assess student learning. The reviewers would also benefit from an explanation describing how and why the change was made. If there are no changes in the data collection methods and procedures, this section will be the same as the last report. Also, if the case, specify how your program/unit has addressed the recommendations made by the review team based on your previous report.

- For more information on direct and indirect methods of assessing student learning,  see the following Web site: http://www.csuohio.edu/offices/assessment/exmeasures.html

5) Data analysis & findings:

a) How did your program/unit analyze the student learning assessment data collected? What are your findings/results? How do they compare to the findings/results from the previous academic year?

a) Every program/unit is expected to have new data so this section should be updated each academic year. Comparing the most recent results to previous years is important in determining if improvements are being made or could be made.

b) Have the reviewers’ recommendations from the previous year report been addressed?

b) If the case, specify how your program/unit has addressed the recommendations made by the review team based on your previous report.

6) Review of findings:  

a) How were faculty/staff/students in your program/unit involved in the process of reviewing the findings of your analysis of student learning assessment data? Who was involved (e.g. curriculum committee, department, unit, etc.)? When did the review process take place?

a) Every program is expected to review student learning assessment data at least once a year, so this section should be updated each year.

b) Have the reviewers’ recommendations from the previous year report been addressed?

b) If the case, specify how your program/unit has addressed the recommendations made by the review team based on your previous report.

7) Follow-up actions:

a)Based on your review of findings, what changes have been made to the curriculum, activities, services, goals, and/or student learning outcomes in your program/unit? Also, include references to any changed made in terms of the student learning assessment activities, such as the kinds of student learning-related evidence collected, or the review process itself

a)This is one of the most important sections of the report and should be updated each year.Assessment of student learning is a form of data-driven decision making that impacts our curricula, instructional practices, and quality of support services provided. With this in mind, elaborate on the actions taken during 2008-2009 as a follow-up to the analysis of the student-learning assessment data analysis.  If no actions were taken, what was the rationale behind that decision

b)Have the reviewers’ recommendations from the previous year report been addressed?

b) If the case, specify how your program/unit has addressed the recommendations made by the review team based on your previous report.