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Examples of Assessment by Institution |
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Syracuse University: The assessment of student learning has long been and continues to be a major institutional focus. Within each school/college, this effort is led by an assessment coordinator, with the active involvement of faculty. The Office of Institutional Research and Assessment (OIRA) provides centralized coordination and support.
Our assessment cycle consists of multiple stages. All academic programs develop clear statements of student learning outcomes that are consistent with the institutional and school/college missions and are widely accepted as important in the discipline. Direct methods for gathering information about student learning are identified; these are supported by indirect methods of assessment. Both forms of evidence of student learning useful for decision making are collected, analyzed, and summarized. Based on these assessment results, faculty document what has been learned, suggest and implement changes to improve student learning, and develop plans for assessing the effectiveness of the changes. The impact of these changes on student learning is assessed in subsequent assessment cycles.
OIRA has developed a series of templates and guidelines to assist academic units in gathering, reporting, and using feedback effectively to enhance student learning. OIRA staff meet at least annually with each school college assessment coordinator to provide feedback on the program's assessment plan and its implementation. To date, almost all programs have established learning outcomes, many have assessment methods and are collecting data, and some have a sustainable process that uses assessment results to make changes that enhance student learning. |
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Syracuse University |
