Methods Instructions


The method section describes how and when each learning outcome will be assessed.

Include the following information:

·        When assessment measures will be administered.

·        Persons responsible for aggregating, analyzing, and disseminating data.

·        Timeline and description of how assessment data will be interpreted, shared, and discussed among faculty and staff as appropriate in order to make decisions based on the results.

 

Guidelines:

·          A method section is necessary for each measure. 

·          Program-level data must be collected. 

·          An annual cycle for collecting data must be established. 

 

Examples:

Faculty teaching CE 531 will submit final, ungraded reports to the program director.  The program director will make a copy of the papers and return the original copy to the appropriate faculty.  The program director will make sure to remove any student identifying information (e.g., name, SSN ) from the copy.  The program director will compile a representative sample of these papers to be distributed to the faculty for evaluation using the appropriate rubric.  The faculty members will meet with the purpose of identifying students’ strengths and weaknesses and this assessment strategy. Where weaknesses are identified, recommendations will be developed and given to the entire faculty at the departmental meeting at the end of the spring semester. 

In addition to pass/fail information, the oral comprehensive exam committee will evaluate the exam for assessment purposes by reporting a numerical rating (1 = excellent to 5 = unsatisfactory) of each of the following dimensions: basic knowledge of general linguistics; basic knowledge of phonology; basic knowledge of syntax; ability to apply knowledge to a given problem. Chairs of comprehensive exam committees will submit the evaluations to the program director.  The program director will gather, analyze, and interpret the data from all students who took the comprehensive exam during that year, and share the results of this assessment at the program meeting in May.  

Student Services will develop a list of employers to survey based on student exit interviews.  Employers will be interviewed by Student Services one year after the student begins work.  Student Services will collect, aggregate, and analyze the data and prepare a report.  A written report of employer interviews will be presented to the director of the program every summer, and shared with faculty at the annual program retreat in August. 

Capstone instructors will collect all the student portfolios at the end of the semester.  The Capstone instructors will evaluate each portfolio using an established rubric.  The Capstone Coordinator will compile and analyze the data.  The results will be presented to the department chair late spring, and then presented to faculty during at the department’s end-of-the-year meeting in May.