What are the desired outcomes of an undergraduate education in psychology? It is vital to identify the desired outcomes that benefit departments, students, and society, because the pursuit of these goals helps psychology educators achieve the best possible learning experience for their students. When psychology educators meet their instructional and educational goals in a high school, community college, college or university setting, knowledge of psychology and human behavior adds richness to the fabric of society. Psychology educators invest daily in the development of intellectual capital and professional abilities of their students while simultaneously fostering personal development through enrichment and growth. Their current knowledge of human behavior places them in a formidable position to harness psychology to anticipate and resolve problems for the greater good of all. Psy-145
Departments should maintain a dynamic assessment plan and actively engage in assessment practices throughout the educational process. Inherent in this plan is the need to evaluate student progress toward the learning goals and outcomes established in the APA Guidelines for the Undergraduate Major in Psychology (2007). Assessment of progress toward these goals includes evaluation of student learning both developmentally and at the end of the major. A viable assessment plan also includes student self-report data, student perceptions and archival records. We describe and evaluate each of these assessment categories and we make specific recommendations for using these methods for maximizing the assessment plan. First, we consider several important questions in assessment. Why are you doing assessment? You have to. Accreditation in higher education requires evidence. Departments now routinely face requirements for verifying that the institution can live up to its mission statement. An external mandate for assessment will not produce the best conditions for assessment practices, but required assessment planning has become an operational reality in higher education. You want to. Faculty recognize that sound assessment practices will provide appropriate feedback about the quality of the education they offer. The results can influence changes in curriculum practices and lead to improvement in student learning. Who is the target of assessment? Students. We can assess the attitudes and performance of students at various stages throughout the curriculum and after graduation as alumni. Faculty. Faculty quality can be assessed through peer review, student evaluations, administrator critique, or external review. Program Quality. Although students provide the data source, the target for improvement will often be the program itself. When and where do you assess? Classroom Grading. Course performance judged by the instructor of record for a course does provide a measure of student learning. However, uncorroborated judgment within a class does not typically meet the more strenuous requirements advocated by accrediting agencies. Embedded Assessment. Departments demonstrate efficient planning when they embed assessment practices in existing coursework. The department agrees in which courses this data collection should occur and collectively designs the strategy and uses the data to provide feedback about student progress within the program. Milestone. Some programs may designate certain gate-keeping courses as opportunities to capture specific skills levels. An example of embedded assessment is the acceptable production of an APA-style experimental paper as a benchmark of learning experimental psychology. Capstone courses may routinely provide an assessment opportunity that reflects development up to that point. Pre-post Comparisons. Departments may measure knowledge and abilities on the front end of a program to establish baseline for their students. They may re-administer the same instrument at the conclusion of the program to dete...
Goal 3 of the APA Goals for Undergraduate Major in Psychology specifies three dimensions of character development deemed central to the major. The purpose of this article is to review the current state of practice that addresses how we measure student learning in ethical reasoning, interpersonal relationship-building, and diversity-related skills, including globally. Deemed the most difficult goal to measure by the organizers of the Summit on National Assessment in Psychology, Goal 3 still generated a variety of strategies to assist in teaching and assessing aspects of the major dedicated to character development; however, this category remains one of significant untapped potential. We conclude by evaluating what gaps in assessing these goals exist and still need to be addressed.
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