Levels & Sources of Assessment
We assess both individuals and groups and we engage in formative and summative assessment. The U-Matter Assessment Team is comprised of a variety of key stakeholders including administration, faculty, staff, local employers, and staff. The diagram below is the model of assessment that U-Matter CC ascribes to.
Grades from courses are only one means of student assessment. Students at U-Matter CC must also demonstrate their knowledge, skills, abilities, values, and behaviors. Each student at U-matter CC creates an e-portfolio that provides direct evidence and artifacts of their performance on each of the learning outcomes. Students begin discussing the e-portfolio in new student orientation and their First-Year Seminar course. Students will update their e-portfolio and discuss their progress toward demonstrating each of the learning outcomes in the integration seminar (I-Seminar) that they are enrolled in each semester all the way through their final capstone seminar.
Assessment of programs and services at U-Matter Community College is ongoing and continuous and faculty and student affairs staff work collaboratively to assess students in and out-of-class experiences.
We gather evidence in the following ways:
Grades from courses are only one means of student assessment. Students at U-Matter CC must also demonstrate their knowledge, skills, abilities, values, and behaviors. Each student at U-matter CC creates an e-portfolio that provides direct evidence and artifacts of their performance on each of the learning outcomes. Students begin discussing the e-portfolio in new student orientation and their First-Year Seminar course. Students will update their e-portfolio and discuss their progress toward demonstrating each of the learning outcomes in the integration seminar (I-Seminar) that they are enrolled in each semester all the way through their final capstone seminar.
Assessment of programs and services at U-Matter Community College is ongoing and continuous and faculty and student affairs staff work collaboratively to assess students in and out-of-class experiences.
We gather evidence in the following ways:
- Formative – undertaken while student learning is taking place; the purpose or which is to improve teaching and learning
- Summative – assessment obtained at the end of a course or program; the purpose of which is to document student learning for transcripts and for employers, donors, legislators, etc.
- Direct – evidence of student learning which is tangible, visible, self-explanatory
- Indirect – evidence which provides signs that students are probably learning, but the evidence of exactly what they are learning is less clear and less convincing; capture students' perceptions of their learning
- Objective – one that needs no professional judgment to score correctly (although interpretation of the scores requires professional judgment); examples: multiple-choice, true-false exams
- Subjective – yield many possible answers of varying quality and require professional judgment to score
- Traditional – the kinds of tests that have been around for decades; e.g., objective tests, ‘blue book' essay questions, and oral examinations
- Performance – ask students to demonstrate their skills rather than relate what they have learned through traditional tests; e.g., field experiences, laboratory and studio assignments, projects. Also called authentic assessments when asking students to do a real-life task. Have two components: (i) the assignment or prompt that tells students what is expected of them and (ii) a scoring guide or rubric used to evaluate completed work.
- Embedded – program assessments which are embedded into course work
- Add-on – assessments which are in addition to course requirements; e.g., assemble a portfolio, take a standardized test, participate in a survey
- Quantitative – use structured, predetermined response options that can be summarized into meaningful numbers and analyzed statistically
- Qualitative – usually analyzed by looking for recurring patterns and themes; e.g., reflective writing, notes from interviews and focus groups
The Assessment Learning Cycle- Promoting Institutional Effectiveness
To promote institutional effectiveness at U-Matter CC we focus on the mission of our institution and ask ourselves the following questions:
What are we trying to do?
How are we doing it?
How do we know we are succeeding?
How can we do better?
We formulate goals and create learning objectives and learning outcomes, Then, we measure learning through various assessment methods and analyze the results. Lastly, we create an action plan for continuous improvement of student learning and development and ask ourselves if we are aligned with our mission.
What are we trying to do?
How are we doing it?
How do we know we are succeeding?
How can we do better?
We formulate goals and create learning objectives and learning outcomes, Then, we measure learning through various assessment methods and analyze the results. Lastly, we create an action plan for continuous improvement of student learning and development and ask ourselves if we are aligned with our mission.