Month: April 2017

As April quickly draws to an end, let us reminisce: it was Autism Awareness month, it rained, it was National Poetry month, and it rained some more, the professional baseball season started, and now only 10 days until the Assessment Matters Conference. I’m so excited! Just think, you can enjoy presentations like Assessing Course Assignments to Allow for Quantitative Evidence-Based Decisions about Teaching Methods presented by Dr. Jamie Dyer of Rockhurst University during the day and a Kansas City Royals baseball game at night. In order to make informed, evidence-based decisions about pedagogical methods that increase learning and retention in a General Biology I course, quantitative assessment analyses were performed to determine the effectiveness of using creative 3-dimensional simulation assignments to improve understanding and learning of specific basic biological topics. Comparisons of student learning and retention with and without the simulation assignments were performed for same student populations to control for differences among student populations and across semesters. Overall, this Continue reading I’m So Excited and I Just Can’t Hide It→

In Kansas its more likely April thunderstorms bring May mosquitoes flowers. Although April in Johnson County is historically wet and windy with unpredictable temperatures; May is sunny with mild temperatures and is all-around a beautiful month. May 5 is anticipated to be sunny with temps in the mid to upper 70s. An excellent day for the Assessment Matters conference. Come enjoy the day with colleagues from around the Midwest and beyond in the Regnier Center located on the campus of Johnson County Community College. Have a cup of coffee and a pastry while you browse through and choose your morning breakout sessions to attend. Please consider Assessment and Campus-Wide Engagement: Incorporating a Center for Teacher and Learning presented by Dr. Jelena Ozegovic, Dr. Tiffany Bohm, Tom Grady, and Julian Gonzalez from Kansas City Kansas Community College. Creating a culture of assessment is often a significant challenge at many community colleges. Institutions are increasing recognition and awareness that assessment should inform Continue reading April Showers Bring May Flowers→