Education Commons^™

Designing An Outcomes-Based Student Affairs Assessment Program, Lynn D. Akey, Rene Hersrud

Lynn D. Akey, Ph.D.

No abstract provided.

The Promises And Realities Of Evidence-Based Practices: Perceptions From Assessment Personnel, Jessica A. Rueter, Cynthia G. Simpson

Jessica Rueter

Assessment personnel are those individuals who work in the capacity of evaluation of students with disabilities, including, but not limited to, educational diagnosticians, educational examiners, psychometrists, and instructional specialists. These professionals are responsible for identifying strengths and weaknesses and for providing teachers with evidence-based recommendations that can be implemented in the classroom to improve performance of students with learning deficits. This qualitative study examines 19 educational diagnosticians’ perceptions related to the barriers and supports that impacted their ability to provide evidence-based recommendations for students who are learning disabled. Three categories of barriers to issuing successful evidence-based recommendations emerged as a …

Building Support For The Introductory Oral Communication Course: Strategies For Widespread And Enduring Support On Campus, Jon A. Hess

Jonathan A. Hess

A strong introductory course is important for many communication departments, for the discipline, and for meeting our obligation to society. This paper utilizes the example of a recent curricular reform that threatened to eliminate a required oral communication course to reflect on strategies departments can use to build widespread and lasting support for the course. The paper reviews the events that led to the challenge and details the department’s response, which offers lessons that may be useful for other institutions. Four lessons include: * Tailoring the introductory course to the institution’s needs and mission * Involvement in university work * …

Strategies To Assess Large Classes, Carol Kominski

Carol A Kominski

No abstract provided.

The Foundations Of Student Affairs: A Guide To The Profession, Dallas Long

Dallas Long

Student affairs is a large, complex area of campus operations and is comprised of many departments with professionals from a wide variety of educational backgrounds. Long provides a short history of the student affairs profession, followed by an overview of the departments in a typical student affairs division and the responsibilities and goals of the professionals in those departments. Long also describes the values that guide the work of student affairs professionals and the contemporary challenges they face.

The Role Of Assessment And Accountability In Higher Education Doctoral Programs: A Presidential Perspective, Sydney Freeman Jr., Frances K. Kochan

Sydney Freeman Jr., PhD, CFD

The accountability movement in higher education is gaining momentum in the United States

and around the world. In recent years, there has been growing pressure on higher education

institutions to demonstrate their value through various accountability measures, with a strong focus upon

the assessment of student progress and success. In the U.S., this pressure has come from

state and federal government , accrediting agencies, parents, and the general public. Additionally, the

changing environment within the teaching and learning process is impacting the manner in which students

will be assessed and the purposes of this assessment . Thus, there is a …

Between The Ideal And The Practical: Using Assessment To Find The Balance, Rishi Sriram, Laine Scales, Meghan Oster

Rishi Sriram, Ph.D.

Rishi Sriram, T. Laine Scales, and Meghan Oster share how the assessment efforts of Baylor University’s Engaged Learning Groups have led to effective advocating for program improvement as well as increased administrative support.

Interaction Online: Above And Beyond The Requirements Of Assessment, Meg O'Reilly, Diane Newton

Dr Meg O'Reilly

Today’s literature is filled with new paradigms for learning, specifically in relation to the increasing adoption of computer-mediated techniques for interactive learning. In many cases, learning may now be enhanced through the experience of a shared online environment for critical discussion, knowledge building and the establishment of supportive social communities. Research data obtained from social science students at Southern Cross University over two semesters reveals students’ perceptions of the importance of online discussion whether these are assessable or not. This paper presents some findings and explores the impact of the emergence of a student-centred social learning environment.

Case Studies Of Online Assessment, Meg O'Reilly, Sue Bennett, Michael J. Keppell

Dr Meg O'Reilly

This paper outlines the progress to date of a project to compile, analyse and share examples of innovative online assessment activities using; online testing; teamwork and collaboration; simulations and role plays, and dialogue with experts and across cultures. The aim of this research is to provide teaching academics and educational developers with examples of assessment strategies that have been successfully applied in higher education, and to derive a number of key principles about online assessment that will be useful for future research. The project involves case studies from two Australian universities, which have been used to develop an initial set …

Interaction Online: Above And Beyond The Requirements Of Assessment, Meg O'Reilly, Diane Newton

Dr Meg O'Reilly

Today’s literature is filled with new paradigms for learning, specifically in relation to the increasing adoption of computer-mediated techniques for interactive learning. In many cases, learning may now be enhanced through the experience of a shared online environment for critical discussion, knowledge building and the establishment of supportive social communities. Research data obtained from social science students at Southern Cross University over two semesters reveals students’ perceptions of the importance of online discussion whether these are assessable or not. This paper presents some findings and explores the impact of the emergence of a student-centred social learning environment.

Shaping The Future: Strategic Planning For Small Colleges And Universities., Jamie Comstock, Rand Ziegler

Jayne Marie Comstock

This paper addresses the importance of strategic planning as a precursor to assessing organizational performance and outlines a change model that has been used successfully at a small college with limited resources. Grounded in extant executive planning processes, this new model demystifies the strategic planning process and establishes procedures that address the practical and logistical issues associated with facilitating a planning process and ensuring that the plan becomes a document that espouses realistic goals, inspires and motivates members of the campus community, and actually provides direction for departments as they create their work plans and allocate resources.

Conceptualizing Identity Development: Unmasking The Assumptions Within Inventories Measuring Identity Development, Christy D. Moran

Christy Moran Craft

The purpose of this qualitative research was to analyze the dimensions and manifestations of identity development embedded within commonly used instruments measuring student identity development. To this end, a content analysis of ten identity assessment tools was conducted to determine the assumptions about identity development contained therein. Findings suggest the importance of determining and assessing all dimensions and manifestations of identity development.

Assessment Issues And Practice In Residential Education., Deborah Grandner, John D. Foubert

John D. Foubert

Issues and ideas on how to conduct assessment in college and university residence life programs are reviewed.