Improving Assessment

Opportunities to learn more about using and improving outcomes assessment in your department

 


Assessment Innovation Grants for Fall 2012

Many academic programs have identified outcomes for their students such as lifelong learning, critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and effective communication. These types of learning outcomes are widely valued, but it is often a challenge to gather information on how well our programs help students achieve them.

Departments are invited to apply for Assessment Innovation Grants of up to $5000 to support the development and piloting of strategies to assess how well the department is supporting student achievement of these types of complex outcomes that require students to integrate and apply their learning across courses and over time.

To apply for a grant for your department, briefly describe:

  1. The specific learning outcome you plan to assess
  2. How your department currently supports learning related to this outcome
  3. How grant funds will be used to develop and pilot an assessment strategy related to this outcome, including a proposed budget and timeline
  4. How you will determine the usefulness of the assessment strategy that you pilot

Priority will be given to proposals that address how their strategies can be replicated on an ongoing basis and can be applied in other departments that share similar goals. Grant recipients will be asked to summarize lessons learned from the project at a future campus event or on the Iowa Outcomes Assessment web site.

Proposals should be submitted to outcomes@uiowa.edu. Priority will be given to proposals received by September 30, 2012. If you would like to discuss ideas for a proposal, or if you have other questions about the Assessment Innovation Grants, please contact Wayne Jacobson.

To see brief descriptions of projects undertaken by previous Grant recipients, see Learning from Assessment.


 

Examining Student Learning and Engagement at UI

During 2010/11, UI began piloting a Senior Exit Survey, and both freshmen and seniors were invited to participate in the National Study of Student Engagement (NSSE). This session will provide an opportunity to begin examining what students are saying about their undergraduate experience at UI. For example,

Join us to take a closer look at these and other student responses to the UI Senior Exit Survey and NSSE. Session participants will be invited to sort through data and discuss implications for UI faculty, staff, and administration.


 

Assessment Consultation

Consultations can be scheduled to discuss your questions related to planning and implementing outcomes assessment in your department. Contact 335-6101 or outcomes@uiowa.edu to schedule a consultation.

 

 

Previous Workshops and Events

Session handouts from previous assessment-related workshops and events