Paradigm Shift in General Education Assessment at University of North Alabama

University Of North Alabama General Education Assessment Paradigm Shift: A plan for Revising General Education Assessment at UNA

History of General Education Assessment at UNA In March, 2007, a General Education Assessment process was created by the Institutional Effectiveness Committee Assessment would consist of a five-year cycle in which one Component Area would be assessed each year for the first four years The fifth year would include a comprehensive review of all four areas During the fall of 2007, a General Education Advisory Committee was created and learning outcomes were created for each of the four Areas 3

Problems/Issues Concerning General Education Assessment at UNA, cont. The learning outcomes did not correlate well with the University s Core Competencies Over 15 years of CAAP data were not used to support either the Area s learning outcomes or UNA s Core Competencies No process was in place to assess how key stakeholders (i.e. faculty and alumni) assessed General Education at UNA The Committee did not meet regularly, so assessment was sporadic at best 4

Outcome of General Education Assessment at UNA Learning outcomes not tied to Core Competencies Essential assessment data (i.e. CAAP scores) not used in assessment Assessment is not consistent within each Area Five-Year cycle under current plan will not be completed before SACS report is due Out of Compliance with SACS Standard 3.5.1 The institution identifies college-level general education competencies and the extent to which graduates have attained them.. 5

Essential Questions Regarding General Education Assessment at UNA How can UNA effectively tie its Core Curriculum to its Core Competencies? How can UNA effectively use 15 years of CAAP data to assess and improve General Education? How can UNA incorporate more assessment that gauges the effectiveness of students mastering Core Competencies? How can UNA do all of this in less than two years? 6

Current Thinking of General Education (Typical US Higher Education View) Arts And Business Education Nursing Sciences Core Core Curriculum Competencies Core Competencies: 1. Effective Communication 2. Critical Thinking 3. Use of Existing and New Technologies 4. Analysis and Reasoning 5. Seeking Out and Acquiring Knowledge 7

Problems With Current Thinking of General Education Assuming that Arts and Sciences are the sole supporters of General Education (Revising General Education, AACU, 2009) Assuming that General Education involves only breadth of knowledge (Revising General Education, AACU, 2009) More and more professional accrediting agencies are including general education as part of their core requirements (i.e. AACSB, ABET, NCATE) 8

General Education Paradigm Shift for UNA Academic Program 1 Academic Program 2 Academic Program 4 Academic Program 3 Core Comp. Academic Program 6 Academic Program 5 Gen. Ed. Component Solution: Support General Education Competencies through program learning outcomes as well as the General Education Component 9

Conceptual Framework of New General Education Paradigm General Education Competencies Program Learning Outcomes General Education Component 10

Supporting Core Competencies through Learning Outcomes and General Education Component Gen. Ed. Component Determine where CAAP assessment can support Core Areas (50-60%) Determine adequate assessment for those areas not supported by CAAP Program Learning Outcomes Indicate which Core Competencies are supported by each outcome Use assessment for outcome to demonstrate assessment for the Core Competency 11

Key Features of New Assessment Plan General Education Advisory Committee will be dissolved and responsibility of ensuring the new plan is implemented will fall to the IE committee and the OIRPA Recommend to the Undergraduate Curriculum Committee that the term Core Competencies be changed to General Education Competencies to align with SACS definitions OIRPA will generate other forms of assessment such as Alumni and Faculty attitudinal surveys and White Papers to assess the effectiveness of the General Education Component Will allow UNA to show how the strength of its academic programs also supports its basic General Education Competencies Will allow chairs to have more control over assessment of General Education courses within their departments 12

Process for Implementing New General Education Assessment Plan Department chair (and not an external committee) will determine which General Education Competences are supported by the department Department chair will indicate those program learning outcomes that support General Education Competences, indicate assessment used, and document program changes based upon assessment (Annual Report) Department chair will indicate any General Education courses taught within the department, the General Education Competences they support, indicate assessment used, and document curricular changes based upon assessment (Separate Report) OIRPA will be responsible for collecting this information, completing a General Education report and submitting to IE committee for evaluation. 13

Timeline for New General Education Assessment June 30th, 2010 for first General Education Report June 30th, 2011 for second General Education Report 14

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