Category Archives: General Assessment Info

General information about the Office of Outcomes Assessment at JCCC and assessment in higher education.

Using Mastery Learning to Bridge Gaps

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Mention Kellogg to me and it’s a sure bet I will think of Tony the Tiger and Frosted Flakes.  But cereal will not be the focus when Shannon McGregor from Des Moines Area Community College presents a session entitled, “Using Mastery Learning to Bridge Critical Analysis Gaps in Composition Classes: A Study for the Kellogg Institute.”  This interesting breakout will focus on best practices and policies related to developmental education and is based on the time spent by the presenter at the Kellogg Institute. The Kellogg Institute for Adult and Developmental Educators and Learning Skills Specialists is the nation’s longest running professional development program for practitioners who serve underprepared and underserved college students and is housed at Appalachian State University.  By the way, you don’t have to be in developmental education to gain something from this session because it introduces attendees to the rich research and plentiful resources available through the institute while showing how techniques can be adapted across a writing program and the college Continue reading Using Mastery Learning to Bridge Gaps→

Levels

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“Level” (noun) a device used for determining or adjusting something to a horizontal surface. (Dictionary.com) The building trades use levels extensively to make sure that the foundation upon which a building rests is completely square and on the level.  Building upon an uneven or out-of-square foundation can cause long-term problems with cracks to the foundation and shifting of walls within the structure over time.  So being level is of critical importance in all phases of the construction of any structure. Starting an assessment process on the level can be equally important.  Metropolitan Community College has been endeavoring to build a foundation of assessment over the last five years that has improved outcomes, the discipline review process, and accountability for assessment. The college is now ready to “level up” with their general education outcomes.  In the next round of building their assessment structure, the college will evaluate assessment through meta-analysis by combining discipline assessment with CCSSEE results. Come to the Regional Continue reading Levels→

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→

Taking the Lead in Assessment

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An interesting session to be offered by Rockhurst University faculty during the assessment conference here in April highlights the leadership aspects of their physical therapy program. Leadership is a tricky thing to define and measure because leadership requires both someone to take the lead and someone to follow the lead.  Much has been written on the topic of leadership, going back centuries.  Some view leadership as the person who charges the hill, while others view leadership as convincing followers to charge the hill for you. Look at any book on business published in the last 20 years and you will find a dozen or more quotes about leadership, probably in the first chapter.  Personally, I like this perspective on leadership offered by Wendell Willkie, American lawyer, corporate executive, and 1940 candidate for president: “Education is the mother of leadership.” I think the faculty at Rockhurst University would agree with Mr. Willkie since one of the goals for their Doctor of Continue reading Taking the Lead in Assessment→

Name That Tune

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I have always been fascinated by how our brains work.  Specifically, how my brain can remember all the lyrics from songs in the 1970’s but can’t remember a conversation I had in the hallway with a colleague 20 minutes ago.  I am the perfect lifeline if you are on a game show and need someone to sing “Midnight Train to Georgia” or “More than a Feeling”. At this year’s Regional Community College Assessment Conference on April 22 (#RCCAC16) at JCCC, Heather Seitz, Associate Professor in Microbiology at JCCC, will share her own contribution to national research. In her breakout session on using concept inventories for measuring student learning gains in the classroom, Professor Seitz will provide an overview of the history of concept inventories and discuss the process for creating them. Faculty can use concept inventories to measure the impact of teaching and compare their students’ successes with national data.  Professor Seitz will be sharing some very interesting research as well Continue reading Name That Tune→