Month: March 2016

Good Ideas

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I love a good idea.  They often lead to great adventures, interesting people, or wonderful discoveries.  Sometimes a good idea just causes me to reexamine my own perceptions – which can also lead to an interesting discovery.   Institutions could sometimes benefit similarly from a good idea. Two sessions offered at the Regional Assessment Conference focus on ideas – or, in both of these cases, IDEA – Individual Development and Educational Assessment, which is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to improve learning in higher education through research, assessment and professional development. One service of IDEA is a Student Ratings of Instruction System that is designed to provide useful formative feedback. Both Park University’s Dean of the Business School, Dr. Brad Kleindl, and Independence Community College’s Director of Institutional Research, Debbie Phelps, will share how their institutions have integrated IDEA into their culture of assessment. The session by Park University features the use of programmatic competencies within a Total Quality Management Continue reading Good Ideas→

Do It Yourself

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My husband and I decided after 15 years in the same house that we were exceedingly tired of our kitchen.  The kitchen is original to the house which was built in 1964 and has gone through a few half-hearted face-lifts but truly needs to be gutted and reimagined.  The planning stage of this type of project is always the most fun.  We picked out flooring and cabinets, discussed paint colors and wall treatments.  That represents the fun part of Do-It-Yourself (DIY). The decidedly harder part is bringing these plans and choices to life. At the Assessment Conference next month, the Office of Outcomes Assessment will offer a breakout session to discuss some basic DIY strategies as they apply to assessment on campus. The tasks associated with building and then maintaining a culture of assessment necessarily change over time.  Sometimes you just need a little sprucing up with a quick touch-up here or there, and other times it is important to Continue reading Do It Yourself→

Two for the Price of One

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When I was a kid, my favorite kind of candy was anything that was a “two-fer”.  You know the kind I mean – two pieces for the price of one, like the little bitty tootsie rolls or the tiny bottles of Kool-Aid in wax bottles.  My favorite place to go for “two-fer” candy was the dime store across the street from my elementary school because they carried 5-cent caramels.  This allowed me to maximize my nickel. Similarly, you will be able to maximize your time at the upcoming Regional Community College Assessment Conference because several breakouts will feature experiences and ideas that cover multiple facets of assessment. For instance, Adam Borth from Seward County Community College will be sharing how the college has incorporated assessment activities in the classroom to embrace broad institutional goals. Adam’s session promises to be very hands-on and he encourages participants to bring their current institutional learning outcomes to the session. If you are looking to Continue reading Two for the Price of One→