AALHE poster on improving assessment in program review through learning communities. Includes approach, process, and keys to success. Presenters: Laura E. DeWald (Professor and Assessment Fellow), David Onder, Martha Diede (DirecotrCoulter Faculty Center), and Stephen LeBeau (Coulter Faculty Center)

1. #1 Kick
Starter
Event
#2 Program
Review
Preparation:
Learning
Outcomes
#3 Program
Review
Preparation:
Assessment
Strategies
#4
Program
Review
Site Visit
#5 Post
Site Visit:
Evidence-
Based
Practice
#6 Post
Site Visit:
Evidence-
Based
Practice
Improving Assessment in Program Review Through Learning Communities
Laura E. DeWald1, David Onder2, Martha Diede3, Stephen LeBeau3
1Professor and Assessment Fellow, 2Director of Assessment, 3Coulter Faculty Center
The Problems
• Program review documents often
prepared by only a few faculty
 Workload and knowledge
remains among a few faculty
• Program review is rarely viewed as
an opportunity to learn or improve
 Key issue is faculty engagement
• Assessment components within
program review documents are
often only descriptive
 Essential reflection that would
identify most and least effective
program components are lacking
• Culture of program assessment is
negative
The Approach
• Cohort created of faculty from all
programs undergoing review during
the same academic year
 Cohort = Program Assessment
Learning Community
 Shared experiences and learning
promotes “Esprit De Corp” to
foster enthusiasm, motivation
and knowledge related to
program review and assessment
• Workshops occurring during 5-year
review cycle designed to support:
 Writing the self study
 Assessment program
development
 Implementation of assessment
strategies
 Using assessment results to
inform curriculum/program
changes
• Faculty guide and teach faculty!
• Keep workshops short (1/2 day), motivating and interactive
• Keep the process simple!
• Faculty leave with products to help them get started
• Provide great food
• Don’t ask for 5-year commitment from faculty
• Follow up!
• Create interactive tools and resource libraries via Learning
Management Systems (e.g., Blackboard) to facilitate
interaction among cohorts between workshop time periods
The Keys To Success
5-year
Program
Review
Cycle
The Process
Years
4 & 5 Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
1. Kick-Starter Event
 Assessment Success Stories and processes
presented by fellow faculty in other campus
programs
 KISS = Keep It Super Simple!
 Faculty leave event energized and with
strategies for developing and assessing program
learning outcomes
2. & 3. Program Review Preparation Workshops
 Faculty develop learning outcomes and
assessment strategies
 Interactive KISS workshops (facilitated by
fellow faculty from campus programs) bring
the cohort together to provide shared
experiences and help each other
4. Program Review Site Visit Workshop
 Shared site visit experiences
 Discussion of strategies to implement program
development plans
5. & 6. Evidence Based Practices Workshops
 Interactive KISS workshops to develop
strategies for using assessment feedback to
inform and implement curriculum changes
• Crisp, G. 2010. Integrative assessment: Reframing assessment
practice for current and future learning. Assessment and Evaluation in
Higher Education 37:33-43
• Diamond, RM. 2008. Designing and assessing course and curricula. 3rd
ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
• Emil, S & C Cress. 2014. Faculty perspectives on programme curricular
assessment: individual and institutional characteristics that influence
participation engagement. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher
Education 39: 531-552
• Grunwald, S & MW Peterson. 2003. Factors that promote faculty
involvement in and satisfaction with institutional and classroom student
assessment. Research in Higher Education 44:173-204
• Kuh, GD, et al. 2015. Using Evidence of Student Learning to Improve
Higher Education. Jossey-Bass/John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Bibliography
Acknowledgements
• Annette Parris and WCU Coulter Faculty Center
• WCU Office of Institutional Planning and Effectiveness
• Carol Burton and WCU Provost’s Office