Be Like MyCC ! Assessing the First Year Experience

Be Like MyCC!Assessing the First Year Experience

Trudy BersDonna YoungerNovember 5, 2012

Oakton Community College Des Plaines, ILYounger Directions Palatine, IL

Assessment? Evaluation?For our purposes…• Assessment is any effort to gather, analyze, and interpret

evidence that describes institutional…effectiveness.• Evaluation is any effort to use assessment evidence to

improve institutional…effectivenss.• Upcraft and Schuh, 1996

Questions that Drive Assessment• Did they like it?• Did they learn it?• Can they do it?• Does it make a difference?

Kirkpatrick & Kirkpatrick, 2006

The Four Questions Applied:Assessing Orientation

• Did they like it ?– Gather student reactions at the end of the

event– Follow up during the first term to gather perceptions of the relevance of orientation- Gather reactions of faculty and staff who

participated in orientation

The Four Questions Applied:Assessing Orientation

Did they learn it?During orientation students learn to navigate the website and use the student information system.

As an assignment in the First Year Seminar, students complete a website scavenger hunt and print their transcripts. Results are used within the seminar and shared with orientation staff.

The Four Questions Applied:Assessing Orientation

Can they do it?Track the number of new students who participated in orientation who use the online registration system

The Four Questions Applied:Assessing Orientation

• Does it make a difference?• - Track the number of first term students• who enroll for the following term; • compare those who completed orientation

to those who didn’t

National Surveys

Model Institution: MyCCAttributes Supporting Assessment:• Infrastructure– Support for assessment from The Top– Technology capacity and use– Assessment initiatives in the strategic

plan– Budget process relies on assessment data– Assessment results disseminated and

used

Model Institution: MyCCAttributes Supporting Assessment:• Structure and Processes– Collaboration among Academic Affairs, Student

Affairs and Information Technology– Regular assessment of learning outcomes --

course, program, co-curricular– Program review includes all units of the

institution– Assessment embedded in delivery of services –

evaluation plan part of implementation

Model Institution: MyCCAttributes Supporting Assessment:• Design of Assessment Initiatives– Begins with a clearly articulated

purpose– Uses variety of assessment

approaches– Avoids data-overload

What is MyCC Doing?Assessment Initiative:

Examine Impact of FYEMultiple measures

1.CCSSE Follow Up: Compare 2009 and 2012 results

2.Determine students’ perceptions of orientation, advising, first year seminar; use institutional surveys to augment CCSSE/SENSE

3.Photo elicitation; determine students’ interpretations of the College’s culture regarding student success

4.Success Across the Curriculum; assess student learning outcomes

using an e-portfolio

Critique of MyCC

What do you think about MyCC’s assessment of the FYE?

Your Turn

What lessons can you learn from MyCC that would advance assessment at your institution?