Todd Hoffman, Coordinating Instructor for the Construction Management-Carpentry program received a Hocking College t-shirt for submitting the name "The Measuring Stick" for the Assessment Newsletter. The name was selected by faculty and staff through a recent survey.

 2012 Assessment Institute

 Magna Commons Webinars

A Message from the Coordinator...
Today's introduction of The Measuring Stick Assessment Newsletter represents a significant milestone, as Hocking College continues to build a culture of assessment focused on student learning. How well students learn matters to us deeply.  Assessment should drive student learning and lead to improvements in curriculum and instruction. Our assessment tools tell our students what we consider to be important and make clear our expectations of what the student will do to be successful in the course or program.

The visiting team from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) this past November stated that while Hocking College "has laid a solid foundation for the assessment of student learning, broad participation remains a challenge. The collection, analysis and utilization of assessment data by the faculty and program directors are inconsistent across the academic units."   HLC recommends that by the November 2013 follow-up visit we will be able to provide evidence of the following:

• Faculty are engaged in and own the assessment process;
• Professional development has occurred for faculty and staff to support effective assessment;
• Linkages between various levels of assessment, including course, program, general education (Success Skills) and the program review process have occurred.

The Measuring Stick will be one way we can provide evidence that we are working together to meet these goals. We will publish 12 issues per year.  Each edition will include a message from the coordinator, a capstone corner, information related to Success Skill assessment, program assessment measures, classroom assessment techniques, assessment champion of the month, co-curricular connections, Assessment Council news and professional development opportunities.   I welcome your feedback on the newsletter. If you have comments or suggestions, I would appreciate hearing from you.

Bonnie

The School of Public Safety Services will be hosting their first annual Capstone Skills Simulation Day from 10 a.m. to 1p.m. on Friday, May 11, 2012.  Scott Mong, Director of the Fire Science program is coordinating the event which will simulate a mock emergency. Students from the Fire Science, Police Science, Emergency Medical, and the Social Services,   Corrections and Criminal  Justice programs will work together to respond to the incident. Observers composed of advisory board members and Hocking College faculty and staff will provide assessment feedback related to student performance.  Data collected from the observers will help measure mastery of program outcomes and the Success Skills.

To determine how well students in your program have accomplished the program's learning outcomes you will need to measure their learning. A variety of techniques are available that can be used to capture student learning that occurs as a result of your program curriculum. We strive for multiple measures to provide evidence.

Direct measures of assessment require students to represent, produce, or demonstrate their learning and include standardized instruments, student portfolios, capstone projects, student performances, case studies, embedded assessments and oral presentations. The difference between direct and indirect measures of student learning has taken on new importance as accrediting agencies have required the use of direct measures to be the primary source of evidence.

Indirect measures capture information about students' perceptions about their learning experience and attitudes towards the learning process. Examples include focus groups, alumni surveys, self-reports, exit interviews, and evaluation of retention rates.

Hocking College utilizes an assessment wheel to determine the types of assessment measures within a program. The types of measures are represented by different colors on the wheel. Overtime program assessment wheels have become quite colorful. How many colors are on your program's assessment wheel?

Without assessment, it is not really possible to know if students are learning or meeting course goals and expectations.  Faculty who assume that students are learning just because they were present in class are often disappointed when they grade exams, assignments and papers and see evidence to the contrary. Too often there are gaps between what was taught and what was learned.

Instructor assessment includes asking, "How many students met this expectation? Should I provide an additional explanation or opportunity? Do I need to modify the presentation of the material?"  Student assessments allow faculty to monitor student learning throughout the course and provides an opportunity to make necessary adjustments.

Carol Hill, Coordinating Instructor for the Architectural and Mechanical Design program has developed an exemplary capstone experience for her students.  The capstone experience stretches across two quarters and provides students an opportunity to integrate and synthesize the knowledge gained throughout the program.

Students identify their project during winter quarter, write about it in their technical writing course and often weave it into their internship experience.  In spring quarter, students continue to work on their projects using computer-assisted drafting software, networking technology and operating systems to produce two-dimensional and three-dimensional designs. Student projects are innovative and have included the development of a pizza cutter, a golf course, a home, a barn, a guitar stand and numerous other designs.
 
The project culminates near the end of the quarter when students share their project with peers and external evaluators during a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation.  The presentation is assessed using a meaningful rubric and feedback is provided to the student.

It is all about the learning! All of our campuses are learning communities. Examination of desired outcomes must occur at every level of the institution - from the college mission to specific programs and activities. Learning occurs inside and outside of the classroom. Student learning is actively promoted through the activities coordinated through our Student Center.

Smart Start is a week of social, recreational and developmental activities held prior to classes beginning autumn semester. Last year, 650 students earned an hour of college credit while enjoying activities such as clubs, sports, arts, crafts, shows, outdoor pursuits, movies, games and music.

Students are introduced to the Success Skills during this event. Each activity is linked to the Success Skills. Students receive a stamp of the Success Skill icons for participating in the various activities. Students who have evidence of taking part in events representing all of the Success Skills will receive a Hocking College t-shirt or sweatshirt with the Success Skills on the back.

The Assessment of Student Learning Council began meeting fall quarter 2011. 

The council membership, representing all Hocking College Schools, Academic and Student Affairs, includes Sarah Parker-Clever, Kathy Pittman, Neal Schmitt, Ellen Nickles, Gail Jordan, Mack Bailey, Donna Wamsley, Annette Ericksen, Anne Polenchar, Cheryl Mollohan, Scott Mong, Tamara Monk, Lori Peden, Lisa Steffensen, Giles Lee, Carolyn Tripp, Joe Wakeman and Bonnie Allen Smith.

The council has been charged to:

• Study best practices in the assessment of student achievement of both technical and general program outcomes.
• Assess Hocking College's current model of assessment.
• Provide recommendation regarding college practices towards institutional assessment of general education.
• Explore assessment models that blend program assessment of student academic achievement with the assessment of program efficiencies using consistent performance measures within academic units.
• Seek ways to foster a college-wide practice of assessing for improvement.
• Encourage participation in professional development opportunities related to assessment.

The Council welcomes anyone interested in joining the group to attend the Assessment Council Meeting on May 16, 2012 from 1 - 3 p.m. in JL 147.

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Hocking College provides a unique, innovative, and quality education in a supportive experience-based learning environment, preparing students for employment and transfer education opportunities, while teaching the value of lifelong learning, promoting diversity and developing citizens who are engaged in their local and global communities.

Bonnie Allen Smith, R.N., Ph.D.
Coordinator, Assessment of Student Academic Achievement
Office of Academic Affairs