Adapting Assessment Practices for Student LeadersStudent Affairs Assessment LeadersStructured Conversation | 06.27.2013

Your Discussion LeadersAdam Peck, Ph.D.Dean of Student Affairs, Stephen F. Austin State UniversityFrequent speaker on assessment methodologies, as well as cultivating creativity and critical thinking

Amma Marfo, M.EdAssistant Director of Student Activities,

Involvement and Assessment, Emmanuel College

Coordinates assessment for the Office of Student Activities and Multicultural Programs

“Putting the Student Back in Student Learning”

Gather Evidence

Review and Interpret Results

Recommend

Actions

Implement Change to Improve

Determine Hot to

Achieve Outcomes

Closing the

LoopIdentify Specific

Outcomes

Articulate Mission

and Goals

“Putting the Student Back in Student Learning”

Gather Evidence

Review and Interpret Results

Recommend

Actions

Implement Change to Improve

Determine Hot to

Achieve Outcomes

Opening the Loop

Communicate

Results to Students

Goals for Today’s Conversation• The learner will understand how common assessment

methodologies can be adapted for student use.

• The learner will be able to identify three methods of collecting valid assessment that are suitable for student use.

• The learner will appreciate how increasing student awareness of assessment can help them to identify and prompt their own learning.

• The learner will be able to apply what is learned to develop their own approaches to involving students in the assessment process.

Six Questions to Address Our Goals1. How have you engaged students in collecting assessment data? 2. How can we increase the reliability (qualitative) and validity (quantitative) of student-collected data?

3. What obstacles have you experienced in creating a culture of student-collected data? How have they been overcome?

4. How do we encourage students to close the loop and use the results?

5. How do we motivate or incentivize the use of these practices? 6. How can we help students become aware of their own learning inside and outside the classroom, and help them connect to other things that they’re learning?

Rules of Engagement• Raise your hand or type in a question at any time!

Because there are two of us, we’ll do our best to get to your input or queries as we talk.

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions! Assessment is a complicated beast, so ask if you need clarification or don’t understand what we’re saying.

• Want to save your questions for a more private forum? Feel free to email us, we’re happy to chat more!• Adam: peckae@sfasu.edu • Amma: amma.marfo@gmail.com

1. How have you engaged students in collecting assessment data?

Encourage use of assessment methods that embrace a common vernacular or concept.

Example: Apples to Apples as an assessment tool! (Individual, or as part of a focus group)

End of semester/year exit interview questions were phrased in such a way that they could respond with a green card. Simple answers such as “good” or “fine” were replaced with robust alternatives, and made the process fun!

Other Iterations: “Kings” style playing cards, Trivial Pursuit as a collection mechanism for dimensions of an experience.

Spotlight: Question 1Student Organization Assessment Center (SOAC), Texas A&M

University

Spotlight: Question 1Make assessment of programs easy.

How did you like tonight’s program?

Excellent

Good

Fair

Poor

Terrible

2. How can we increase the reliability (qualitative) and validity (quantitative) of student-collected data?

• Give them tools to use.• Teach them basic statistics

Spotlight: Question 2Make some tools for them to use.

Question One: What Other Examples?

Teach them to do paired t-tests using Excel. Make sure they know that they not only need the same number of students in a pre-post, but need to make sure they are the same students. Show them how a p-value relates to the confidence interval.

3. What obstacles have you experienced in creating a culture of student-collected data? How have they been overcome?

Two main obstacles commonly encountered:• “I don’t know what to ask!”• “I don’t understand why this is important.”

Combat the first concern by asking a LOT of questions of those wishing to assess a program or initiative!

Combat the second concern by applying the “miserable job” model (Lencioni, 2007)• Fight against irrelevance, anonymity, and immeasurement

Spotlight: Question 3• Paul Jacobsen-Miller, Emporia State University• “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly” of Survey Questions

4. How do we encourage students to close the loop and use the results?

• Make it a part of officer transition• Change the flow of group development• Build it into end of year celebrations• Publicize (positive and negative) results

Spotlight: Question 4

Handing the baton.

We have to ensure there is interaction between outgoing officers and informing officers.

Spotlight: Question 4Change the flow.

We have to move goal setting from the beginning of the organizational calendar to the end of it. Encourage organizations to go beyond celebrating achievements into assessing weaknesses.

Question Four: What Other Examples?

Question Four: What Other Examples?Publicize the results!

5. How do we motivate or incentivize the use of these practices?

• Incorporate use of assessment into criteria for year-end awards for programs and organizations.

• Allow students who are good at these topics to teach others about it• Get on Board Day, Emmanuel College

• Student Organization Development Series, Emmanuel College

Spotlight: Question 5

University of Rochester Students Association

6. How can we help students become aware of their own learning inside and outside the classroom, and help them connect to other things that they’re learning?

• Week of Reflection• Fortune Reflection Cookies• Gratitude

Spotlight: Question 6

Question Six: What Other Examples?

Question Six: What Other Examples?

Your Discussion LeadersAdam Peck, Ph.D.Dean of Student Affairs, Stephen F. Austin State University

Email: peckae@sfasu.eduPhone: 936.468-7249

Amma Marfo, M.EdAssistant Director of Student Activities,

Involvement and Assessment, Emmanuel College

Email: amma.marfo@gmail.com

Phone: 617.735.9963