Assessment Reporting Program

The Goal of Assessment: Has Student Learning Occurred?

This tool helps us answer that question by capturing assessment results and facilitating a multi-level analysis. A thorough analysis is essential for making valuable changes and improving student learning.

How to Use This Program: A Step-by-Step Guide

• Add a Report (The Foundation)
  Click the "+ Add New Report" button. In the form, select the correct Evidence Type:
  • Direct Evidence: For quantitative data from exams, papers, projects, etc. This will show the student category fields (Exceeds, Meets...).
  • Indirect Evidence: For qualitative findings from surveys, course evaluations, focus groups, etc. The quantitative fields will be hidden.
  Enter the Course Code (or "N/A" for non-course items like Project SAILS). Past reports for that course will appear automatically to help guide your analysis and action plan.
• Synthesize & Analyze (The Workspace)
  Use the "Assessment Workspace" dropdown to navigate the reporting hierarchy. The workspace is where analysis is built upon at each level:
  • Leader View (e.g., "GESLO1: Communication"): Select an outcome to see all direct and indirect evidence for that outcome, aggregated by semester. Here, you can read individual reports and write your high-level leader report.
  • Committee View (e.g., "GESLO Committee"): Select a committee to see all leader reports for that area, aggregated by academic year. Here, you can synthesize the findings and make broad institutional recommendations for support systems, curriculum, and assessment processes.
• Explore the Data (Visualization)
  Go to the "Data Visualization & Trends" section to explore long-term trends, compare outcomes across different programs, and filter results by different student performance categories.

The 4 Components of a Thorough Analysis (For All Reporting Levels)

• What does the data say? Start with a concise summary of the data, including percentages and whether the benchmark was met.
• What factors influenced the results? Consider changes in teaching methods, student characteristics, or other elements that may have affected the outcome.
• What other evidence contributes to my conclusions? Triangulate your data. Does indirect evidence (like course evaluations) validate or contradict your conclusions?
• What am I going to do next? Create an action plan with specific steps. Even excellent results require a plan for continuous improvement.