This article describes the creation and implementation of a new online assessment program ("PACKS") for the department of politics at the University of Virginia. It discusses the benefits of online assessments, including the ease of administration, minimal faculty involvement, ability to link assessment data to existing student data (e.g., GPA and courses completed), and ability to track student progress over time. The assessment can be easily adapted for use by other departments in the social sciences and by other colleges and universities. The authors discuss the drawbacks to this type of assessment, including the challenge of obtaining the highest number of respondents. They recommend using a strong incentive to ensure full participation, such as an advising hold that prevents students from registering until they complete the assessment. The authors contend that implementing survey-based assessment tools is an ideal way for departments to meet their accrediting institutions' assessment requirements. C olleges and universities are bound by their regional accrediting body to incorporate department-level assessments of student learning into their programs. Departments are required to identify specific learning objectives for their undergraduates and to develop methods for determining whether those objectives have been met. A 2013 APSA survey of political science departments indicated that various methods are used to assess student learning, including participation in a senior capstone course (76%), rubrics (77%), and performance assessment and culminating projects (60% each) (Young 2016).Each approach to assessment requires different levels of commitment from faculty and staff. The four most frequently used approaches listed previously-capstones, rubrics, performance assessment, and culminating projects-demand a heavy investment of time on the part of already-overburdened faculty. Student surveys, although used less frequently by political science departments, have relatively low administrative overhead yet provide data that allow departments to measure and track not only the effects of particular courses or programs but also individual-level learning over the course of the program. This article describes how our own political science department designed and implemented an assessment program that can be adapted for use by other departments in the social sciences. We contend that survey-based assessment tools are an ideal way for departments to meet their assessment requirements.Drawing on our experience in developing an assessment program at the University of Virginia, we demonstrate that online assessments reduce faculty and classroom time devoted to assessment, facilitate evaluation over time, and increase student participation. To further reduce the burden on faculty and to increase participation while minimizing selection bias, we encourage tying online assessment programs to registration holds, which require students to complete the assessment before they can register for courses. We found that wit...
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