Assessment by Design

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→

Spring is in the air: the birds are chirping, the trees are budding, the flowers are beginning to bloom, and I’m sneezing and bleary eyed because of the pollen. My BFFs during springtime are antihistamines and tissue. If you’re like me and the safest place during the spring is inside, come and join us on Friday, May 5, 2017 for the Assessment Matters conference from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Enjoy a continental breakfast, your choice of numerous breakout sessions, lunch, a vendor fair, door prizes, and more. Here’s a peek at some of your presentation choices: Dr. Kevin Joseph of University of Kansas is presenting Establishing a Culture of Assessment in Student Affairs:  Establishing a culture of assessment is pivotal in creating a philosophy of data driven decision making on campus. The University of Kansas (KU) division of Student Affairs has made great strides in developing meaningful assessment practices linked to the institution’s strategic plan and equally focused on Continue reading Spring is in the Air→

Saint Patrick was a bishop, a missionary, and is a patron saint of Ireland. Although little is known about his life, he is believed to have died on the 17th of March around 460 A.D. Irish and Irish descendants all over the world celebrate March 17th as St. Patrick’s Day. According to History.com, “What began as a religious feast day for the patron saint of Ireland has become an international festival celebrating Irish culture with parades, dancing, special foods and a whole lot of green.” Many who are not Irish or of Irish descent also enjoy the festivities of St. Patrick’s Day. Just like St. Patrick’s Day festivities can be and are enjoyed by a wide array of people; assessment conferences are not just for assessment professionals. All educators can find topics at the Assessment Matters conference on May 5, 2017 to not only interest the individual but benefit their program. Who couldn’t benefit from a preconference workshop on Thursday, Continue reading Saint Patrick’s Day→

“To be, or not to be, that is the question,” is an often quoted Shakespearean line. I love a good quote, but am often guilty of not knowing the origin of the quote. So I thought I would research some of my favorite assessment quotes and share them with you; including a few new ones from our keynote speakers for our Assessment Matters Conference on May 5, 2017. “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” This quote is often wrongly credited to Albert Einstein; however, the author is unknown. “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin “Ultimately, the most fruitful way to learn if the conclusions that we have drawn from assessment data are correct is to try to change something and see what happens.” Drs. Charles Blaich Continue reading Don’t Quote Me!→

Valentine’s Day is around the corner. Flowers, candy, and stuffed animals of many varieties will be given to sweethearts and potential sweethearts all over the country. This day the Office of Outcomes Assessment would like to return to the days of yore and present you with a poem to show you we do have a heart and care about you; not just your data. Assessment Cyclical, measurable, innovative Friend of all educators Lover of cumulative data, research questions, and student learning outcomes Feels elation when student learning is improved Feels frustration when others don’t understand me Wants to see educators from all over the mid-west at the May 5th conference Lives at Johnson County Community College Matters How about showing your faculty and staff you care and send/bring them to the Assessment Matters conference on Friday, May 5, 2017 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. This assessment bouquet includes keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and a preconference the afternoon before. Topics being Continue reading Assessment Matters! A Valentine’s Day Poem→

Christmas is behind us and the buzz in the hallways lets me know that students are back on campus.  I must say I really enjoyed this particular break between semesters.  I got a really cool embroidery machine for Christmas this year from my husband. It is a pretty complicated machine.  I spent a couple of hours just reading through the instructions before I even threaded the machine for the first time.  I have created several pieces during the break.  The first ones are rather rough, mostly because of the machine “operator.”  I didn’t quite know what I was doing but kept working on it.  I have several pieces now that I am going to use as part of a baby quilt I am creating for the first grandbaby of a friend of ours. My efforts got better because using any kind of equipment takes practice.  The same can be said of assessment (you knew somehow I would circle back around Continue reading A New Semester→