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Examples of Assessment by Institution |
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Grinnell College: One of the hallmarks of a Grinnell College education is the opportunity for a student to pursue academic interests that go beyond the traditional course and classroom. In 2002 the faculty approved a campus-wide program of Mentored Advanced Projects (MAP). To qualify for a MAP, a student proposes a project of discovery or creation that a) builds on prior course work, b) demands an integrated application of skills and knowledge to a new project, and c) will generate planned scholarly products that can be potentially shared with an audience beyond Grinnell College.
Indicators of the success of the program include publications, conference presentations, and undergraduate awards resulting from our students’ MAP work (http://www.grinnell.edu/offices/dean/MAP/awards/). Additionally, at the completion of each MAP the sponsoring faculty member fills out an evaluation of student work. The MAP assessment instrument is based on a “stages” theory of epistemological development in college-age students.
Initial findings point to a positive correlation between students’ self-ratings of enhanced leadership skills (via senior survey data) and faculty members’ evaluations of students’ intellectual initiative and agility. Interviews with faculty members and surveys of students have provided additional insight. In response to these assessments there have been changes to enhance the MAP program, especially to streamline the application procedures and to ensure students are prepared for the advanced nature of the project.
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Grinnell College |
