Assessing Learning at Shepherd |
Establishing a Culture of Commitment |
Standardized Asessment Measures
Shepherd University has utilized several nationally certified standardized assessment measures to gain a better understanding of issues related to student learning and performance. Below we've described some of these tests in detail.
THE MAPP TEST
MAPP stands for Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress. It is a standardized measure of college-level reading, mathematics, writing, and critical thinking in the context of the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. The exam is designed by the Education Testing Service, or ETS. According to ETS, “The MAPP test is designed for colleges and universities to assess their general education outcomes, so they may improve the quality of instruction and learning. It focuses on the academic skills developed through general education courses, rather than on the knowledge aquired about the subjects taught in these courses.” The MAPP is a multiple choice exam.
The test was most recently administered in March of 2006 to 100 randomly selected sophomores (students who have completed between 25 and 56 semester hours of work). The 40-minute, paper and pencil version of the test was given in a proctored setting.
THE CLA TEST
CLA stands for Collegiate Learning Assessment. The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) is an innovative approach to assessing the institution’s contribution to student learning and is developed by CAE with the RAND Corporation. Its’ measures are designed to simulate complex, ambiguous situations that every successful college graduate may one day face. Students are asked to analyze complex material and provide written responses. The CLA measures are uniquely designed to test for reasoning and communications skills that most agree should be one outcome of a college education.
In order to assess the institution cross-sectionally, we test a sample of first year students in the fall and a sample of seniors in the spring. We receive reports that look at how our freshman class compares to other CLA participants (adjusted for SAT or ACT scores). After testing seniors in the spring, we receive a full Institutional Report that evaluates our schools value-added on a comparative basis. Testing every year allows us to measure for effects of changes in curriculum and compare the results nationally, as well as suggest ways to utilize the CLA results.
National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)
Summary:
Shepherd University 2005 Results and Comparison to Other Institutions
The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE, pronounced “nessie”) is utilized by Shepherd University to collect information about student learning and assess the extent to which students engage in and learn from enriching, educational experiences both on and off campus.
This report provides an overview of the 2005 Shepherd respondents and findings and compares our results with a national and peer group mean. In sharing these results, we hope to identify areas in which the Shepherd University experience has been a positive, rewarding one for those students surveyed, as well as areas that need our improvement or attention.
What is NSSE?
Since 2000, the annual NSSE “College Student Report” survey has been used to collect information from undergraduates at four-year colleges and universities across the nation. Its purpose is to assess the extent to which students engage in educational practices known to correlate with success in learning.
Launched by a grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts, the project is now supported by institutional participation fees and is cosponsored by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Pew Forum on Undergraduate Learning. NSSE is administered by the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research in cooperation with the Indiana University Center for Survey Research.
What sorts of questions comprise NSSE?
There are five primary areas that are assessed by the NSSE. They are:
- Level of academic challenge
- Active and collaborative learning
- Student-faculty interactions
- Enriching educational experiences
- Supportive campus environment
Who participates in NSSE?
More than 245,000 first-year and senior students participated in the NSSE 2005 sample. These students were randomly selected from data files provided by 529 participating four-year colleges and universities.
Noel-Levitz
Student Satisfaction Inventory™
Overview
The Student Satisfaction Inventory gives schools a powerful tool to improve the quality of student life and learning. It measures student satisfaction and priorities, showing how satisfied students are as well as what issues are important to them. We can use this data to:
- Guide strategic action planning
- Strengthen student retention initiatives
- Meet accreditation requirements
- Identify areas of strength for institutional marketing
- Chart progress toward campus goals
Shepherd University will administer this test in the Spring of 2007.