Faculty Advisor Name
Cara Meixner
Description
In higher education, assessment is used to intentionally develop, implement, and modify programs that are grounded in student learning outcomes (SLOs). Assessment results may highlight program effectiveness, or lack thereof. This gives educators the chance to revise components of the program in order to improve student learning (Meixner, 2016). Assessment also creates a sense of accountability by offering methods to justify the value of a program, especially when time and resources are limited. We offer a model for assessment as foundational to program development by highlighting our course-related consulting work with the Dux Leadership Center’s pilot On the Road for Change Spring Break Experience. This program challenged undergraduate students to apply leadership and ethical reasoning outside the classroom using the framework of the Student Leadership Challenge (SLC), by Kouzes and Posner, and JMU’s Eight Key Questions (8KQ) established by the Madison Collaborative. We developed specific, measurable learning outcomes, mapped programming components to learning outcomes, developed summative and formative assessment, and offered implementation appendices. In our presentation we will highlight the importance of assessment, our process, and best practices for program assessment in Student Affairs.
Assessment Portfolio
Included in
Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Higher Education Administration Commons
Why Assessment Matters: On the Road for Change
In higher education, assessment is used to intentionally develop, implement, and modify programs that are grounded in student learning outcomes (SLOs). Assessment results may highlight program effectiveness, or lack thereof. This gives educators the chance to revise components of the program in order to improve student learning (Meixner, 2016). Assessment also creates a sense of accountability by offering methods to justify the value of a program, especially when time and resources are limited. We offer a model for assessment as foundational to program development by highlighting our course-related consulting work with the Dux Leadership Center’s pilot On the Road for Change Spring Break Experience. This program challenged undergraduate students to apply leadership and ethical reasoning outside the classroom using the framework of the Student Leadership Challenge (SLC), by Kouzes and Posner, and JMU’s Eight Key Questions (8KQ) established by the Madison Collaborative. We developed specific, measurable learning outcomes, mapped programming components to learning outcomes, developed summative and formative assessment, and offered implementation appendices. In our presentation we will highlight the importance of assessment, our process, and best practices for program assessment in Student Affairs.
