Assessment at Richard J. Daley College

Professor Alta Williams

Chair

Assessment and evaluation are inevitably related. Assessment provides information about student learning, and evaluation provides judgment on effectiveness.

RICHARD J. DALEY COLLEGE ON ASSESSMENT

RJDC faculty and ancillary service staff recognize that a full commitment to developing and assessing student learning outcomes fosters a student-centered approach to teaching that reflects the core of the college’s mission allowing us to strengthen our courses, programs, and institution. Furthermore, SLO assessment is used as a foundation for data driven decision making regarding institutional planning and budgeting. We accept that as faculty members and ancillary services staff part of our professional responsibility is to participate in the SLO assessment process to ultimately strengthen institutional performance and public accountability.

ASSESSMENT STRUCTURE/ORGANIZATION

RJDC ASSESSMENT PROCESS

The components of RJDC assessment process include:  
• reviewing the program/department mission  
• identifying the learning outcomes to assess during the cycle  
• selecting assessment measures and establishing the criteria for success  
• linking program and course assessments to the common learning outcomes (DSLO/ISLO)  
• implementing the assessment and collecting data  
• using assessment results to improve student learning and support services to close the loop  

TRANSPARENCY ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK

Richard J. Daley College have developed a common set of student learning outcomes, and are dedicated to documenting and facilitating the systematic use of learning outcomes assessment to strengthen the outcomes for our diverse learners within a wide variety of institutional contexts and improve student learning. We are committed to responsible assessment practices that stress fairness and equity, and transparency.

EMBRACE AND ASSESS

  • Communication​​
    • Students will be able to express ideas clearly and coherently orally, in writing and electronically to a diverse range of audiences and interact with others in large and small group settings.
  • Critical and Creative Thinking
    • Students will be able to demonstrate critical thinking, including the ability to explain issues, find, analyze and select appropriate evidence, and construct a cogent argument that articulates conclusions and their consequences.
  • Global Awareness
    • Students will utilize multidisciplinary perspectives to evaluate initiatives that have been employed to address global issues. Students will describe the nature of global interdependence and its impacts. Students will articulate an understanding of cultural differences from diverse perspectives in specific disciplines  
  • Quantitative Reasoning
    • Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to solve problems and draw conclusions by effectively analyzing situations in numeric, graphical, or symbolic form 
  • Technology Literacy
    • Students will utilize multiple computing technologies, such as software applications and learning management systems, to efficiently communicate information 
  • Ethics
    • Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of and use ethical reasoning for responsible personal and professional decision making in a culturally and ethnically diverse world.

ACROSS THE ENTIRE COLLEGE

Doing so, we make higher education outcomes and quality more transparent for students, dual credit parents/partners, employers, and the public at large.

Throughout the creation of this resource, the college has relied heavily on the OER Common Creatives contributions from the research and resource development organization, National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA).  Their research was invaluable, and we want to take a moment to thank them and recognize them for their ongoing partnership in supporting assessment and transparency of student learning.

  • Student learning outcomes statements clearly state the expected knowledge, skills, attitudes, competencies, and habits of mind that students are expected to acquire from an educational experience. Transparent student learning outcomes statements are:
    • Specific to institution-level and/or program-level
    • Clearly expressed and understandable by multiple audiences
    • Prominently posted or linked to multiple places across the website
  • Assessment Plans for gathering evidence of student learning might include institution-wide or program specific approaches that convey how student learning will be assessed, the data collection tools and approaches that will be used, and the timeline for implementation. Transparent assessment plans are:
    • Descriptive of institutional assessment processes, procedures and activities
    • Inclusive of assessment measures including what they are, how they are applied, and frequency of gathering evidence
    • Clearly expressed and understandable by multiple audiences
    • Updated regularly to reflect current activities
    • Downloaded or accessed in a timely fashion
    • Prominently posted or linked to SharePoint and/or D2L
  • Assessment Resources encompass information or training provided to faculty and staff to help them understand, develop, implement, communicate, and use evidence of student learning. Transparent assessment resources are:
    • Presented in language that is understandable to the novice
    • Prominently posted or linked to D2L platform
    • Downloadable or accessible in a timely fashion
    • Updated regularly to reflect current activities and new resources
    • Receptive to feedback or comments on additional resources, training, or potential professional development needs
  • Current assessment activities include information on a range of projects and activities recently completed or currently underway to gauge student learning, make improvements, or respond to accountability interests. Transparent current assessment activities are:
    • Clearly stated in language that is understandable for various audiences
    • Described and illustrated to clarify how a particular assessment activity is used and how it relates to the institutional mission and vision
    • Prominently posted or linked in SharePoint or D2L
    • Updated regularly to reflect current activities
  • Evidence of student learning includes results of assessment activities. This may include evidence of indirect (e.g., surveys) and direct (e.g., portfolio) student learning as well as institutional performance indicators (e.g., licensure pass rate). Transparent evidence of student learning is:
    • Explained, analyzed, and interpreted in lay person’s language
    • Contextualized to clarify what the results mean to the institution and to student learning
    • Presented using both text and graphics when appropriate
    • Disseminated and summarized for different groups, cohorts of students, and compared with peer institutions or programs if appropriate
    • Prominently posted or linked in SharePoint or D2L
    • Updated regularly to reflect current results
  • Use of Student Learning Evidence component represents the extent to which evidence of student learning is used to identify areas where changes in policies and practices may lead to improvement, inform institutional decision-making, problem identification, planning, goal setting, faculty development, course revision, program review, and accountability or accreditation self-study. Transparent uses of student learning evidence are:
    • Targeted to a particular audience such as faculty, staff, administrators, students, district partners
    • Inclusive of examples of documented use of assessment results and information and subsequent improvement
    • Focused on improvement of student performance and institutional processes through the use of evidence
    • Inclusive of next steps and impact of changes on student learning
    • Clearly stated in language that is understandable for specific and multiple audiences
    • Prominently posted or linked in D2L
    • Updated regularly to reflect current activities
  • The college will achieve our vision of improving student learning through:
    • a focus on continuous improvement
    • increased student awareness of their own learning
    • improved program planning and evaluation of learning
    • exploration of best practice frameworks for course design and student development
    • intentional and strategic mapping for assessment and adjustments
    • public information that is transparent and conveys information of student learning in a clear and coherent manner