Summer Assessment Institute 2020
The 2020 Summer Assessment Institute is an opportunity to engage in growing our knowledge of assessment in a flexible format. Akin to a flipped classroom, participants view pre-recorded videos, and then engage in deeper discussions in themed sessions with presenters. Many sessions will incorporate suggestions on integrating technologies conducive to our remote instruction format this Fall.
Pre-recorded videos will be available August 7, and live synchronous Zoom sessions will be held on Thursday, August 13.
If you joined us on August 13th, please provide some feedback so that we may consider them in future events.
Welcome from Provost Alva
9:00 am - 9:15 am
Welcome to the 2020 Summer Assessment Institute, where we strengthen our personal and institutional capacity in assessment. Please join Dr. Sylvia Alva as she kicks off this event in this flexible, remote format.
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Concurrent Sessions A
9:15 am - 10:00 am
Presenters: Juliana Fuqua (Psychology), Faye Wachs (Sociology), Paul Nissenson (Mechanical Engineering
Students: Deanna Miranda Barrios, Elizabeth Fajardo, Tyler McGee, Cecilia Nguyen, Briana Rodriguez, Marlene Pacheco
During 2015-2017, our interdisciplinary team of Mechanical Engineering, Psychology, and Sociology faculty, along with student researchers from Psychology and Sociology, redesigned a core Mechanical Engineering course, ME 311 (later changed to ME 3111). Prior to the course redesign, ME 311 was taught in a traditional lecture manner and had many issues such as a time delay in providing feedback on assignments due to manual grading, minimal time for meaningful student-teacher interaction in the classroom, and students not engaging with the textbook. These issues resulted in ME 311 being bottleneck course for the ME Department – during 2007-2014, over 3300 students enrolled in ME 311 with an average D/F/W rate of 34%.
Over two years, we used an iterative process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data to inform changes in the course. Our team developed new quantitative and qualitative measures to assess student success and social-emotional well-being in the classroom. We conducted focus groups, structured interviews, and surveys to understand the barriers and facilitators to student success in ME 311, and to evaluate the efficacy of a series of innovations designed to facilitate student success.
Various new tools and pedagogical strategies were implemented in phases during the course redesign, such as McGraw-Hill’s Connect platform and the creation of 45 video tutorials, ultimately resulting in a flipped classroom environment with active learning group activities. This innovative approach increased the frequency of feedback, fostered a more engaging and interactive classroom environment, and lowered the D/F/W rate to approximately 10%.
Moderator: Jack Fong (Sociology)
Program review and accreditation are processes that involve a comprehensive look at an academic program to assure its quality and to assist in its improvement. Two programs share how they integrate program assessment of student learning to engage faculty in a collaborative process of evidence-informed reflection leading to action plans for improvement of all aspects of the program.
All the Data, Half the Work! How Departments Can Align Key Assessments Used for External Accreditation to Department SLOs and PLOs - Eden Haywood-Bird (Early Childhood Studies)
In this session, participants will learn about DRC's approach to using assessment to help identify and eliminate barriers for students with disabilities; including how we used existing data to identify internal DRC barriers, and how we assessed the effects of the transition to remote learning on students with disabilities. Participants will also learn the innovative methods implemented by CAPS to continue to engage students in workshops focused on their psychological health and coping and transitioning to remote learning.
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Student Learning Outcomes After Participating in a CAPS Workshop: Using Evaluations to Inform Services and Adapt to the Remote Learning Transition - Lideth Ortega-Villalobos (Counseling and Psychological Services)
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The CAPS workshops provided students experiential learning to increase their knowledge of their psychological health and teach coping strategies to promote healthier lifestyles. Ten CAPS workshops were offered in the 19/20 AY and 74 students completed the in-person written evaluation yielding at 61% response rate. Student responses indicated high levels of satisfaction. Indirect and direct responses confirmed the two anticipated learning outcomes were met. The learning outcomes measured were: 1) students who participated in a wellbeing workshop will gain understanding of the wellbeing topic presented and will list the specific knowledge gained; 2) students will learn helpful strategies to deal with the topic, and will state strategies they plan to use. The evaluation findings supported the continuation of CAPS workshop offerings through virtual modalities and offering them on-demand through recordings in the newly developed CAPS YouTube page. Analysis of the YouTube viewing data has led to changes in programming to better respond to student needs.
Supporting Documents
Student Learning Outcomes PDF
This session discusses how programs are using evidence-based practices to plan for the upcoming year. Student Affairs professionals will discuss their process of research, planning and assessment.
Virtual Programming Needs - Sharon Rocacorba (BEAT, ASI)
ASI BEAT creates collaborative and innovative programs that promote student engagement, school spirit, and personal development. As the team reframes fall semester programming to consider the complications from coronavirus, BEAT plans to pivot to online programs and events. ASI BEAT uses feedback from student surveys to create a calendar of virtual programs and enhance their role in creating a sense of belonging.
Concurrent Sessions B
10:15 am - 11:00 am
Takeaways from this project are to include adjunct faculty in the assessment process, to distribute the results of assessment in a more systematic way and to have follow up projects to keep building a culture where assessment is appreciated and useful.
Data collection is one stage of the assessment process, and may be derived from scoring student work or using existing dashboards to measure student outcomes. This session shares existing tools and methods to obtain and conduct simple analysis to meaning-making.
Finally, once you have summarized the findings, you may then decide how to use them to develop strategies improve student learning.
Presenters: Jocelyn Chong (Assessment & Program Review), Marisol Cardenas (Student Affairs)
Moderator: Laila Jallo (Chemical & Materials Engineering)
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Assessment is the systematic process of gathering and discussing information to gain an understanding of what students know and do with the knowledge gained as a result of their educational experience. This session provides an overview of some key assessment basics with suggestions on how to conduct assessment activities in a remote setting.
Writing Meaningful Student Learning Outcomes - Jocelyn Chong (Office of Assessment and Program Review)
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Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) are clear, concise statements specifying the specific knowledge, skills, or values we want students to master by the time they complete their degree program. This video provides an overview of the different types of SLOs, its components, and considerations when developing meaningful SLOs.
Supporting Documents
Writing Meaningful Student Learning Outcomes PDF
Direct and Indirect Assessment - Marisol Cardenas (Division of Student Affairs)
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The purpose of this presentation is to explain the differences between direct and indirect assessment. Each type of assessment has its strengths and weaknesses, but a combination of the two presents a more comprehensive view of student learning.
Supporting Documents
Direct and Indirect PDF
Developing Rubrics for Assessment - Jocelyn Chong (Office of Assessment and Program Review)
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Rubrics are vital in determining the extent to which students achieve the learning outcomes we expect of them. This session provides an overview of holistic and analytic rubrics, shares examples to solidify the differences, and walks participants through a process of developing one.
Supporting Documents
Developing Rubrics PDF
The (Zoom) Room Where It Happens: Norming and Scoring Assessment Artifacts Remotely - Jocelyn Chong (Office of Assessment and Program Review)
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Norming, or calibration, in assessment is a process that bring together faculty scorers to assess sample artifacts of student work in a consistent manner. This is an important step to ensure that individual faculty raters apply the same interpretation of the rubric prior to scoring actual artifacts of student work. This video details this norming/calibration process, with suggestions on how it may be conducted in a remote setting.
Supporting Documents
Norming and Scoring Assessment PDF
Presenters: Carla Jackson (Bronco Wellness Center), Alyssa Christiansen (Poly Pantry)
Moderator: Michael Giang (Psychology)
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This session reviews the most important findings from The National College Health Assessment. Combined with the data collected in the in-house Poly Pantry survey, we can better understand the needs of students. We will share the survey instruments, selected results, and facilitate an assessment-related discussion about impact on student success.
The Cal Poly Pomona National College Health Assessment III, Spring 2020 -Findings and Implications for Initiative 2 of the CPP Strategic Plan - Carla Jackson (Bronco Wellness Center)
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The National College Health Assessment is a nationwide survey of health habits, behaviors and perceptions of college students that is now in its 20th year of data collection. During its lifetime, the survey has undergone three major updates, and the current version, NCHA-III, includes enhanced mental health and resilience measures, as well as additional validated physical health measures. Cal Poly Pomona has conducted this survey since its inception on an every-third year and then every-other year cycle. The most recent administration occurred in Spring 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the U.S. This survey has great potential to be utilized in support of the University’s Strategic Initiative #2 and item 4.4 of the Academic Master Plan.
At the end of this session, participants will:
- Describe the key measures found in the NCHA.
- Connect the NCHA to specific University and Academic Affairs goals and objectives.
- Understand how to utilize the findings of the 2020 CPP and National surveys to meet aforementioned goals and objectives.
- Become aware of key resources within Student affairs that can provide resources to achieve desired campus outcomes.
Supporting Documents
NCHA 2020 Powerpoint
NCHA III Spring Reference Group PDF
Basic Needs Security and Student Success - Alyssa Christiansen (Poly Pantry)
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This video shares survey results used to assess the impact of hunger on Cal Poly Pomona student success. Data show that 14% of respondents experienced decreased access to consistent and reliable food supply, and that 28% were unable to ear nutritious food due to a lack of money. It also shares resources available through the Poly Pantry.
Concurrent Sessions C
11:15 am - 12:00 pm
Presenters: Seema Shah-Fairbank (Civil Engineering), Kristin Prins (English), Shonn Haren (University Library)
Moderator: David Edens (Nutrition & Food Science)
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Closing the loop encompasses analyzing and using assessment results to develop and implement changes to improve student learning. Faculty share strategies that may be easily integrated into a course to improve written communication and information literacy student learning outcomes.
Closing the Loop: Engaging Faculty and Applying Written Communication Within the Discipline - Kristin Prins (English and Modern Languages, Seema Shah-Fairbank (Civil Engineering)
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“Closing the loop” encompasses analyzing and reflecting on the results from outcomes assessment. This session shares techniques to improve student writing through conversations that Drs. Prins and Shah-Fairbank have had over the past three years. Also hear how such an implementation resulted in marked advances in writing in a non-writing intensive course at Cal Poly Pomona.
Supporting Documents
Powerpoint - Closing the Loop
Closing the Loop on Information Literacy: Integrating Library Resources Into Your Class - Shonn Haren (University Library)
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Do you want to add an information literacy element to your course? Not sure where to start? No problem! In this session we’re going to talk about what information literacy is, some basic ideas for assignments, and what kind of library resources are available for you to help you integrate these concepts and skills into your curriculum.
Supporting Documents
Closing the Loop on Information Literacy PDF
Presenters: Laila Jallo (Chemical & Materials Engineering), Jodye Selco (Chemistry)
Moderator: Jun Myers (International Business & Marketing)
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A combination of direct and indirect tools is ideal to assess the extent to which students are achieving learning outcomes. This session shares how faculty have used such tools to assess student learning in various STEM courses.
Course Level Assessment: Using ConcepTest as a Teaching and Assessment Tool - Laila Jallo (Chemical and Materials Engineering)
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Student learning is influenced by effective teaching methods that are student-centered. In this project, group work that incorporates group discussion as a teaching and learning tool to encourage student engagement was used during class lecture periods in two Introductory Chemical Engineering courses. On the first day of class the students were randomly placed in groups of 4 and were instructed to sit together for all lectures. They were also instructed to create group answer cards with letters A to E, which should be brought to every lecture and used to answer concept test questions embedded in the lecture PowerPoint. During the lecture, after covering a specific concept, the groups were given between a minute and two to discuss concept related questions and each group shows their answer in unison at the prompting of the instructor. Irrespective of the percentage that got the right answer, the instructor systematically explains the answers, spending more time on difficult questions and less time on easier ones.
Preliminary results have shown an improvement in student performance on examination results compared to preview year, indicating the benefit of peer interactions in conceptually challenging lectures in an Introduction to Chemical Engineering course. In addition, it was observed that student performance was generally consistent across different sections of the classes compared to previous year. This could be attributed to the consistency of presentation of lecture as well as the peer interactions during lectures. A student assessment of learning goals (salg) survey showed that the students overwhelmingly liked working in groups.
Performance Tasks as Authentic Assessments - Jodye Selco (Chemistry)
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Use of performance tasks as authentic assessments are discussed. What is a Performance Task? What does a Performance Task look like? What does the evidence of learning look like? How do you design an authentic Performance Task? Why should you use a Performance Task? These questions will be addressed during the video; some student work is presented.
Supporting Documents
Performance Tasks as Authentic Assessments
Assignment Hot Cold Packs PDF
Presenters: Tashiana Bryant Myrick (OSLCC), Wendy Córdova (OSLCC), Ronnisha Osuala (OSLCC), Anita Roberts (OSLCC), Rogelio Contreras (Project SUCCESS)
Moderator: Jocelyn Chong (Assessment & Program Review)
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CPP’s Dean of Students cluster offers various opportunities that contribute to the sense-of-belonging of students and allow them to connect and engage with others. This session focuses on the tools and practices employed to foster and measure student access, inclusion, and belonging in the EWS First-Year Experience. We will examine the relationship between participation in the student life & cultural center programs and sense-of-belonging. Special attention will be given to the assessment process of this experience.
Mentoring and Co-Curricular Involvement in Experiential Learning - Rogelio Contreras (Project SUCCESS)
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Project SUCCESS leads a student-centered academic and co-curricular experience that surrounds participants with upperclassmen, faculty, and staff. This session will focus on the tools and practices employed to foster and measure student access, inclusion, and belonging in our EWS First-Year Experience Curriculum.
How OSLCC Contributes to the Sense-of-Belonging of Cal Poly Pomona Students - Tashiana Bryant Myrick, Wendy Córdova, Ronnisha Osuala, Anita Roberts (OSLCC)
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The Office of Student Life and Cultural Centers (OSLCC) provides students with the opportunity to engage in co-curricular experiences such as clubs & organization involvement, fraternity & sorority life, and cultural centers to create conditions that enhance their leadership development and identity development. This assessment aimed to understand the department's contributions Cal Poly Pomona students' sense-of-belonging while also uncovering barriers to student engagement and factors that impair the sense-of-belonging of students.
The findings revealed that participants feel OSLCC was inclusive and welcoming and that OSLCC programs, services, and activities contributed to their general belonging on the Cal Poly Pomona campus. The appreciation of identity, community engagement, and resources also emerged as themes from the data collected in the assessment.
Supporting Documents
How OSLCC Contributes PDF