Shared by the Learning Assessment Committee
The Learning Assessment Committee and its related Work Groups are facilitating the assessment of two General Education Learning Outcomes during Spring 2024. As a reminder, if your course was selected, assessments are to be completed by Friday, May 17, 2024, and are due to the Outcomes Assessment Office by Friday, May 24.
Communication – Primary Assessment
Our General Education Learning Outcomes state that students should be able to “Communicate information and concepts in oral and written formats” at the time they graduate from Harper. To assess this outcome, faculty members are being asked to submit original student work, that students are already completing in the course. The work should be the most rigorous writing assignment or exam in the course; the choice is at the faculty members’ discretion. Examples include research papers, written assignments, and an essay question on an exam. Thank you to the faculty members for taking the time to send your student artifacts, one per student, to the Outcomes Assessment Office.
Quantitative Reasoning – Follow-up Assessment
This outcome states that students should be able to “Use quantitative analytical skills to interpret and evaluate problems” at the time they graduate from Harper. To assess this outcome, faculty members were given an assessment tool and are asking students to answer six multiple choice questions and to also provide an explanation for two of the answers. Thank you to the faculty members for engaging your students and for participating in this important assessment.
What Happens Next?
The assessments are being collected by the Outcomes Assessment Office and redacted to protect student anonymity. The results will then be compiled, analyzed, and shared in Fall 2024. Feedback on the results will be solicited at that time along with your ideas for improvement. The long-term goal is to work towards improving students’ knowledge and skills in these areas.
For questions or to get involved, please contact Deann Surdo at dsurdo@harpercollege.edu or 847.925.6356.