I recently participated in a conference call with the Regional Assessment Coordinating Council. We regularly confer as we prepare for the April assessment conference. One agenda item during this meeting was discussion about the type of “bling” we should offer conference participants this year. In the past, we’ve provided useful items like insulated travel cups, mugs, tote bags, coasters, etc. Our call ended with all council members promising to do some further investigating with the intent of sharing their respective findings during our January conference call.
So I began to wonder, exactly what kind of “bling” is appropriate for an assessment conference? In pondering this conundrum, my mind wandered just a bit and led me to come up with more of a list of “best ever” giveaway options for assessment folks. I know I would very much like to discover the following tucked inside my conference bag:
- Magic dust that I could spread on any faculty members resistant to assessment – the dust would automatically help them see the benefits of assessment to their students and their programs.
- Elves that would enter my office each night and work on all the data dumps my office receives. These elves would make elegant charts and dutifully record insights gleaned from the data.
- Enchanted calendars that would remind faculty of due dates for assessment data, and keep reminding them—in a pleasant way, of course—until the data was turned in.
- Bewitching assessment instruments that always efficiently measured exactly what was needed.
Now, I doubt I’ll ever find a catalog containing these particular assessment accoutrements, and especially not in the volume needed for a conference, but I will allow myself to keep hoping. If I ever do locate any of these magical items, you will certainly be the first to know!
Sheri H. Barrett, Ed.D.