Moving from assessment to institutional improvement

Abstract

This chapter describes strategies developed from the Wabash National Study of Liberal Arts Education to help institutions shift their focus from gathering assessment data to using it to improve student learning.

Toward a validational framework using student course papers from common undergraduate curricular requirements as viable outcomes evidence

“…Since accountability and accreditation focus on the direct measure of student-learning outcomes broadly defined, these adjustable levels should be made more overt. Blaich and Wise (2010) concur with Kane's adjustable levels of standards for validity evidence in their work about accreditation and accountability assessments. They argue that "most assessment arguments are about measurement.…”

STEM Faculty Instructional Data-Use Practices: Informing Teaching Practice and Students’ Reflection on Students’ Learning

“…While the above K-12-focused research provides some important insights, we need empirical evidence that examines how postsecondary educators use instructional data [4]. Limited empirical research indicates that most postsecondary educators may not consider collecting and reflecting on instructional data to be their responsibility [16]. In addition, faculty may not have access to meaningful instructional data that they feel can inform their teaching [16], including those in the STEM disciplines [4,8].…”

“…Limited empirical research indicates that most postsecondary educators may not consider collecting and reflecting on instructional data to be their responsibility [16]. In addition, faculty may not have access to meaningful instructional data that they feel can inform their teaching [16], including those in the STEM disciplines [4,8]. Faculty also may not feel confident or competent in analyzing instructional data [3,17].…”

“…Calls for research investigating instructional data-use practices that involve students reflecting on their own learning-related data are growing as faculty are encouraged to shift their instructional practices from teacher-centered to more learner-centered approaches [16]. Faculty must shift their thinking from seeing their role, primarily, as a transmitter of knowledge to one that empowers students in their own learning and provides students more meaningful feedback around their learning, beyond only results of summative assessments and final grades [21,28,29].…”

The impact of predictive analytics based advising on the selection and change of major among first-year, first-term students in engineering

“…Siemens and Long (2011) asserted that faculty, students, and administrators must clearly understand and articulate the improvements (i.e., changes) sought through data-use and remain actively involved in the process of enacting data-driven practices. Other researchers have noted the importance of shared goals and formative interactions centered on data-use (Baker, 2013;Blaich & Wise, 2010, Macfayden, Dawson, Pardo, & Gasevic, 2014. Wayman and Cho (2014) asserted that new data systems should be situated within the existing environment in order to demonstrate that they are useful in solving problems encountered by educators in their current daily practices.…”