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Next
Steps in Quality Enhancement
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Program Review –
–
Assessment of Instructional Programs –
Learning
Outcomes Assessment – next steps in QE
As
a public institution and an accredited college, we are accountable
for meeting the goals of our educational programs, both in
content delivered and in quality of student learning on the
path to academic, occupational, and civic success. Learning
outcomes assessment at the program level is a requirement
for both accreditors and the supporting governing bodies in
Texas.
A
foundation for effective program assessment includes specific
mapping of program goals with the various course goals and
competencies, including knowledge, skills and abilities students
should gain during their college education. Program maps will
enable us to analyze how we are delivering on the educational
outcomes we aspire to for our students.
Program
maps are being developed for academic, occupational, and general
education programs with an eye toward improving formative
measures of student progress and summative measures of student
success. These measures typically take place in courses, and
we will plan to sample course-embedded assessments across
CTC's campuses to profile program effectiveness.
The
formative assessments are part of the feedback loop that departments
worked with in their QEP projects. The intent of feedback
loops was to foster more successful students and provide faculty
with valuable information for curricular and instructional
decision making – the EBDs.
Assessment
of student learning is one aspect of program review. For full
program reviews, instructional units triangulate this with
self-study, advisory board, employer needs and satisfaction
information, student evaluations and self-report information,
matriculation to baccalaureate programs, and graduates' performance
on any professional certification exams.
The
office of Learning Outcomes Assessment is working with instructional
departments on the program
mapping and assessment sampling. We can also provide assistance
in developing any survey research that departments would value.
•
Jane Zimmerman, Director,
Learning Outcomes Assessment
•
June 2,
2010, updated August 2011 |
