Survey of Assessment Practices in Political Science

Young, Candace C.

doi:10.1017/s1049096515001304

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…By 2016, an APSA survey found that fully 76% of departments used a capstone as a part of the learning outcomes assessment process. (Young 2016) In fall 2021, the political science program at my medium-sized southeastern public university received approval to launch its capstone. The decision to create a capstone course was driven in equal parts by a desire to better assess program performance and the desire to help students integrate their learning in a major where students are free to take up to 15 credit hours of unstructured electives on top of their distributional requirements (see Capstone Course Proposal, Appendix 1).…”

Section: Capstone Course For Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Raising the Stakes on a Political Science Major Field Test: Evidence From a New Capstone Course

Phillips

2024

Journal of Political Science Education

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Using a major field test (MFT) is a common method of program assessment. For accurate assessment to take place, however, students must be sufficiently motivated to perform. This paper studies a change in major requirements that associates a major field test to a grade in a capstone course, when it previously counted for nothing. After controlling for possibly confounding factors, a modest but robust treatment effect was found. Adding stakes also appears to cause MFT scores to correlate more strongly with other measures of student learning, which suggests more accurate assessment. The ETS Major Field Test in Political ScienceThe political science ETS scores student knowledge in five subfields of the discipline: international relations, American politics, comparative politics, political theory, and political methodology. Scores are reported at the individual and program-level. Both individual students and the program as a whole are scored relative to the reference group.

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Section: Capstone Course For Assessmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Raising the Stakes on a Political Science Major Field Test: Evidence From a New Capstone Course

Phillips

2024

Journal of Political Science Education

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“…Despite much initial (and some ongoing) pushback against externally mandated assessment in recent decades, political science has a history of evaluating program quality and student learning and engagement (Deardorff 2016b; Young 2016). More recent overviews of these assessment efforts include the Wahlke Report (Wahlke 1991), Assessment in Political Science (Deardorff, Hamann, and Ishiyama 2009), and the January 2016 Profession Symposium in this journal.…”

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confidence: 99%

“…More recent overviews of these assessment efforts include the Wahlke Report (Wahlke 1991), Assessment in Political Science (Deardorff, Hamann, and Ishiyama 2009), and the January 2016 Profession Symposium in this journal. As broadly construed, assessment has become a common part of the landscape in political science departments and has assumed a variety of different forms including but extending beyond assessment of student learning (Deardorff 2016b; Young 2016). Within this context, we developed curriculum-review procedures that contribute to a more general program review, which is itself a form of assessment (Deardorff 2016a).…”

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confidence: 99%

Using Alumni Views to Connect the Past, Present, and Future in Political Science

Raile

Shanahan

Wallner

et al. 2017

APSC

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This article describes the collection of views from political science alumni via a web-based survey as a central part of efforts to review and improve the curriculum and the broader political science program at a public university. Based on the literature and on interviews with faculty members and former students, we iteratively constructed a questionnaire containing five categories of items: program structure, content/knowledge, skills, outcomes, and learning environment. These categories were intended to capture curricular elements and outcomes that include but extend beyond employment and professional-skill attainment. Graduate students contributed in meaningful ways to the effort through a research-methods course. The article discusses how results of the survey fed into the curriculum-revision process specifically and program review and assessment considerations more generally. D espite much initial (and some ongoing) pushback against externally mandated assessment in recent decades, political science has a history of evaluating program quality and student learning and engagement (Deardorff 2016b;Young 2016). More recent overviews of these assessment efforts include the Wahlke Report (Wahlke 1991), Assessment in Political Science (Deardorff, Hamann, and Ishiyama 2009), and the January 2016 Profession Symposium in this journal. As broadly construed, assessment has become a common part of the landscape in political science departments and has assumed a variety of different forms including but extending beyond assessment of student learning (Deardorff 2016b;Young 2016). Within this context, we developed curriculum-review procedures that contribute to a more general program review, which is itself a form of assessment (Deardorff 2016a). Whereas others discuss models for organizing a political science curriculum (e.g., McClellan 2015), this article describes procedures for collecting data from program alumni to inform a curriculum review and for feeding this information into broader, ongoing assessment activities.We designed a questionnaire (see the online appendix) and data-collection procedure that allow for systematically gathering relatively low-cost information while also serving pedagogical goals by engaging students in a service-learning project. The questionnaire balances professional skills and outcomes (recognizing pressures to consider employment outcomes) against other benefits of higher education. This article describes the process of developing and administering the instrument as well as applying the results. This survey was only one input-albeit a vital one-in the curriculumreview process. Though others may want to modify the instrument and procedure for their own particular contexts, we hope that our discussion provides an advanced launching point for such efforts. ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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“…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).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing Undergraduate Student Learning in Political Science: Development and Implementation of the “PACKS” Survey

Sydnor

Pankiewicz

2017

APSC

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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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Survey of Assessment Practices in Political Science

Cited by 8 publications

References 3 publications

Raising the Stakes on a Political Science Major Field Test: Evidence From a New Capstone Course

Raising the Stakes on a Political Science Major Field Test: Evidence From a New Capstone Course

Using Alumni Views to Connect the Past, Present, and Future in Political Science

Assessing Undergraduate Student Learning in Political Science: Development and Implementation of the “PACKS” Survey

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