Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons^™

A Discipline In Search Of A Voice: A Corpus Linguistic Study Of Evaluation Scholarly Literature, Aaron Wilson Kates

Dissertations

Linguists use the concept of discourse community (DC) to describe the speech of groups of people associated by some extrinsic purpose or interest (Swales, 1990). One defining feature of a DC is a shared lexicon. Scriven (1994), in his discussion of evaluation as a discipline, addresses the need for evaluation to have a “core subject” which would then allow, among other things, the development of “concepts and language to deal with core problems,” while noting that there exists a definite lack of clarity of language among evaluators (p. 147). Christie and Rose (2003) suggest that the lack of clarification around …

Academic Resilience, Student Engagement, And Academic Achievement Among Black Male Undergraduates At Predominantly White Institutions, Henry C. Mccain Iii

Dissertations

The proportion of Black men enrolled in college is representative of the Black male population in the U.S. (Toldson, 2019). However, an investigation of the 2010 college entry cohort of Black men showed that only 34% graduate within six years (National Center for Education Statistics; NCES, 2019). The disparity in Black male graduation rate is clearer when compared to other races such as White men (61%), Hispanic men (50%), and Asian men (70%) (NCES, 2019). Within-group disparities also exist in that Black women graduate at a rate of 44% (NCES, 2019). Much of the literature on Black undergraduates has been …

Three Essays On Us Phd Education And Applications Of Machine Learning Methods, Qing Zang

Dissertations

This study mainly talks about U.S. PhD education and applications of machine learning methods. On one hand, PhD education, as a way to cultivate future researchers, attracts a lot of attention. On the other hand, machine learning methods are utilized more and more often in academic research. This study, as an attempt, would like to contribute to these two fields. The first essay discusses whether education can reduce and eliminate discrimination. By using the data of PhD recipients’ earning in the U.S., we investigate if PhD education can shrink the earning gaps in three groups: Female vs male, disabled vs …

Dreamers: Stories Of Daca Recipients In Higher Education During The 2018-2021 Political Climate, Alicia Billini

Dissertations

Immigration has been a longstanding conversation, or debate, in American politics and society throughout history. Whether, or how much, to embrace immigrant populations into U.S. society has been a source of polarization over time, specifically as related to the handling or treatment of undocumented immigrants. A particularly acute dimension of this issue in the United States is the question of undocumented immigrants who were brought into this country as children illegally by their parents (Council on Foreign Relations, 2021). Efforts to address the needs of this unique population of immigrants have been caught between the historically and widely divergent values …

Journal Of Communication Pedagogy, Complete Volume 5, 2021

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

No abstract provided.

Pandemic Pedagogy: Elements Of Online Supportive Course Design, Nate Brophy, Melissa A. Broeckelman-Post, Karin Nordin, Angela D. Miller, Michelle Buehl, Jeff Vomund

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

The purpose of this study was to identify which course design elements students perceive as supporting an easier transition to emergency remote teaching due to COVID-19, as well as to use those items to develop the Online Supportive Course Design (OSCD) measure. By asking students to rate their course with the easiest transition and hardest transition to emergency remote teaching, this study identified which structural elements were most important for supporting students during the transition. Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, a seven-item measure was developed to operationalize OSCD, and initial validity was established by examining the relationships between OSCD, …

Western Michigan University Assessment Handbook: "Celebrating Student Learning", Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Assessment Publications & Presentations

Western Michigan University (WMU) is committed to the success of our students. That success is predicated on the idea that students graduate from the university having added to the knowledge they had entering WMU. Assessing student learning is crucial to ensuring and documenting that students get the added value they should expect from the institution.

This Assessment Handbook is designed to help units carry out their assessment activities. It contains information, (from both internal and external sources), on how to write good assessment outcomes, answers to frequently asked assessment questions, resources available on campus, and some sample assessment tools, among …

Journal Of Communication Pedagogy, Complete Volume 4, 2021

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

This is the complete volume 4 of the Journal of Communication Pedagogy.

Asian International Students In U.S. Higher Education: A Secondary Data Analysis Of Satisfaction Levels And Willingness To Recommend Their Institution, Soongmin Chow

Dissertations

International students are integral to U.S. higher education. They bring talent and cultural diversity to U.S. campuses, contribute immensely to the U.S. economy, and create long-lasting political and academic links that aid public diplomacy in the long run (NAFSA, 2003). The U.S. has traditionally been the largest market for international students seeking quality higher education (Institute of International Education, 2018). However, reports show that the U.S. is slowly losing its market share of international students, and the number of new international students coming to the U.S. has been on the decline since 2016/17. Higher education institutions are most concerned over …

Closing The Text Equity Gap: Using The Writing Pace Meeting To Increase Writing Practice And Performance, Brian Gogan

Assessment Grants

This project measures the impact of an intervention on the quality of WMU first-year writing students’ peer feedback practices. This project builds on research that associates peer review practice with increased student success. Further, it extends a prior assessment, which suggests that the intervention was effective in increasing the average quantity of peer-review text produced by the bottom two quartiles of first-year writers at WMU. To assess quality, the project uses an established coding scheme to analyze 1,400 student-written comments exchanged by English 1050 students. A statistical analysis of pre-invention codes and post-intervention codes provides the basis for the assessment.

Aligning Dance Student Learning Outcomes Within A Vibrant Curriculum Through Curriculum Mapping, Megan Slayter, Jeremy Blair

Assessment Grants

The intent of this project is to investigate and articulate through curriculum mapping how specific skills associated with student learning outcomes for the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Dance are introduced, developed, and mastered through their respective curricula.

Curriculum Mapping For B.S. In Healthcare Services And Sciences, Janet Hahn

Assessment Grants

This project will build on the Healthcare Services and Sciences program competencies revised at a faculty retreat in February 2020. It will map the competencies along with a suggested student progression. WMU Essential Studies assessment data will be integrated into the curriculum map and overall program assessment plan.

Student Needs Assessment Tool, Kourtney Bakalyar, Katie Easley

Assessment Grants

The purpose for the Student Needs Assessment Tool is to develop a tool for quickly assessing the unique needs of individual students within the WMU community and connecting them with services and supports on campus. The overall goal of the Student Needs Assessment Tool is to help students thrive, complete their classes, and complete a degree at WMU. While developing this tool, the PIs would survey support programs at WMU to create a tool that is easy to use and accessible for other programs at WMU. Planning for data collection and analysis will occur while developing this tool.

Institutional Changes In Western Michigan University For Incorporation Of Education For Sustainability, Saman Khan

Dissertations

Higher Education institutions (HEIs) have the potential to be significant contributors in the pursuit of a sustainable world through the incorporation of Education for Sustainability (EFS). However, HEIs are entrenched with structures and values that are often resistant to change. The literature reveals that instructors’ beliefs and institutional contexts are the two main factors that impact the implementation of institutional change for sustainability education. Western Michigan University (WMU) has created new required curriculum “WMU Essential Studies” (WES) for undergraduate students and they have targeted sustainability as an essential learning outcome, by integrating and applying it in content courses. Using a …

2021 Western Michigan University Assessment In Action Conference, Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Assessment in Action Conference

Included here is the program from the 11th Annual Western Michigan University Assessment in Action Conference held virtually on April 9, 2021. The conference, sponsored by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, is a one-day event where those new to outcomes assessment can come and learn fundamental knowledge about the field, but it is also a place where those who have worked as leaders in outcomes assessment can come and extend their knowledge and skills and network with colleagues. Conference offerings included learning opportunities on various assessment topics for both academic and learner supports units.

Western Michigan University Assessment Fellows Grants: A Brief History, Featuring The 2019-20 Fellows Grant Recipients, Karen M. Stokes Chapo

Assessment in Action Conference

In this session, we will provide a brief overview and history of the WMU Assessment Fellows Grant Program and the 2019-20 grant recipients will share about their projects and experiences.

Connecting Assessment Practice To Equity Work, Ciji Heiser

Assessment in Action Conference

This presentation will share a series of examples that connect assessment work to equity. Examples will include embedding equity throughout the assessment cycle, incorporating diverse perspective in learning outcomes frameworks, working with a student advisory council, and using data visualization to advance equity.

Importance Of Reflective, Collaborative And Transparent Practices To Close The Assessment Loop, Vicki Wise

Assessment in Action Conference

In this session we explore the importance of closing the assessment loop and how collaboration, reflection and transparency are necessary conditions for doing so. The importance of closing the loop is to make evidence-informed decisions. This session offers up practical ways and promising practices to encourage collaboration, reflection and transparency to make assessment more meaningful.

Holistic Assessment For Continuous Improvement In Student Success Programs, Lauren Carney, Vun Doubblestein, Nate Nguyen, Sue Murray, Liliana Salas

Assessment in Action Conference

Student success programs serving diverse student populations describe how they use a holistic and qualitative approach to measuring student success and conducting program evaluation. They will discuss data collection and implementation to enhance programming and services for students served.

Reshaping The Whole Story: Using Data To Enhance The Fye Experience For Students And Instructors, Adrienne Fraaza

Assessment in Action Conference

In January 2020, the Office of Student Transitions set out to overhaul the FYE experience for students and instructors. Past data indicated there was great opportunity to evaluate and reshape multiple components of the course, including: instructor hiring and training; course consistency; learning outcomes and assessment; and the integration of CliftonStrengths for Students into all sections. This session will go over the journey of planning and implementing the changes based on previous data gathered, the pivots made due to Covid-19, lessons learned, and how data collected this year will inform changes for next fall.

Envisioning Ourselves As Educators: Practices For Student Affairs, Vicki Wise

Assessment in Action Conference

NASPA and ACPA collectively created seven Principles of Good Practice for Student Affairs (1997) as a framework for how student affairs can put student learning at the heart of its work. In this session, we will explore these seven principles for student affairs and uncover ways to move from theory to action through learning about backward design and development of a learning syllabus.

How To Engage And Assess Learning Through Discussion In Any Modality, Jef Fisher, Megan Hess, Alyssa Moon, Matt Strock, Wendy Swalla

Assessment in Action Conference

Discussion is not just sharing ideas and answering questions. It can assist students in developing deeper understanding while honing their communication skills. A form of experiential learning, discussions empower students to communicate and vocalize their thinking, internalize experiences, and encourages them to more aptly reflect on and apply what they learn. In this interactive session, we will explore examples and exercises that you can use in any course to facilitate discussion and gauge student comprehension.

This Is Not A Quiz: How Do We Create And Evaluate Authentic Assessments?, Jef Fisher, Megan Hess, Alyssa Moon, Matt Strock, Wendy Swalla

Assessment in Action Conference

This hands-on workshop will cover the basic principles of designing and evaluating authentic assessment of learning. In this session, you will work in small groups to create an authentic assessment and will walk away with rubrics that can be modified to suit your purpose.

Opening Panel Discussion: Using Data For Continuous Improvement, Office Of Institutional Effectiveness

Assessment in Action Conference

At the 2021 WMU Assessment in Action Conference, Dr. Zebulun Davenport (West Chester University), Dr. Sara Finney (James Madison University), Dr. Ciji Heiser (panel moderator, Western Michigan University) and Dr. Vicki Wise (Oregon State University), participated in a discussion around the topic of learning assessment and using data for continuous improvement. Here you will find a list of resources that the panelists shared for your reference and further discovery about the topics they discussed in the panel.

Using Data Visualization For Continuous Improvement, Ciji Heiser, Evan Heiser, Ewa Urban

Assessment in Action Conference

This session will identify key principles and recommendations for building effective visualizations and dashboards in higher education. Presenters will address the core aspects of the process for dashboard development, the benefits of using dashboards, and the ways in which dashboards support continuous improvement. Participants will engage in conversations about metrics they can focus on while building department and/or institutional dashboards. Presenters will share examples of several dashboards used for continuous improvement at WMU, including a dashboard for advancing equity, student success services, WMU Signature, and post-graduation outcomes reporting.

Building And Maintaining Sanctuary Spaces Through Face To Face Writing Assessment, Jeffrey Austin, Ann Burke, Ellen Foley, Gretchen Rumohr

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

Seasoned secondary and college instructors discuss successful face-to-face assessment, especially in virtual settings. F2F assessment frees educators to co-create equitable literacy learning experiences with students, encourages agency, demystifies the grading process, develops the classroom community, and brings meaningful inquiry about writers’ own skills and practices, ultimately disrupting inequities and inequalities of traditional grading and creating “sanctuary spaces” for all writers.

Stem Online Course Auto-Report, Brian Horvitz, Whitney Decamp, Megan Grunert Kowalske, Regina L. Garza Mitchell

Instruments for Measuring Online Teaching Practices

No abstract provided.

Online Observation Protocol Sheet, Brian Horvitz, Whitney Decamp, Megan Grunert Kowalske, Regina L. Garza Mitchell

Instruments for Measuring Online Teaching Practices

No abstract provided.

Online Observation Protocol Sheet: User Guide, Brian Horvitz, Whitney Decamp, Megan Grunert Kowalske, Regina L. Garza Mitchell

Instruments for Measuring Online Teaching Practices

No abstract provided.

Building Institutional Support For Undocumented And Daca-Eligible College Students In Michigan, John A. Vasquez, Alejandra Acosta, Rosario Torres, Melissa Hernandez

Journal of College Access

In 2017, the state of Michigan operated, and continues to operate, in an unstipulated policy environment related to undocumented students. There is no higher education commission or policy coordinating body in Michigan nor has the state legislature passed any legislation related to undocumented students or students who are DACA-eligible. Under this unstipulated policy environment, postsecondary institutions have the discretion to establish their own admissions policies and practices, including tuition and financial aid guidelines for undocumented students. Some institutions have stated their public support of these students through what they identify as inclusive and supportive institutional practices via their websites. However, …