APPLY TO MESSIAH

Use of Student Learning Evidence

Use of Student Learning Evidence

Each May, departments gather to discuss evidence of student learning and develop action plans to improve learning during the next academic year. School deans review the assessment results and action plans over the summer, and work with the department throughout the following academic year to ensure they complete action plans. Below, view some examples of how departments have used student learning evidence to improve learning:

  • Business: The Department of Business made changes to specifically marketing classes to make them more applicable to other business majors. This department also dedicated more class time to work on projects with guidance, performed consistent check-ins with students and administered practice exam to help students prepare. Additionally, one course was redesigned following COVID.
  • Communication: The Communication adjusted measures for assessment so they better aligned with the program learning outcomes and reviewed the rotation schedule. Targets were updated to reflect challenging yet achievable goals based on past student performance.
  • Education: The Department of Education created a collaborative syllabus statement on professionalism and included conversations on this subject in their curriculum. They established a procedure to address professionalism in order to help students grow in this important area.
  • HDFS: The Department of Human Development and Family Science will reinforce specific concepts to help students build scaffolding of building blocks for success. The department modified their goal, which resulted in more students meeting the target. The assessment plan was updated to reflect the new plan to collect data during even semesters. The self-inventory assessment was divided into two sections that better aligned with objectives.
  • HPIR: The Department of History, Politics and International Relations made curriculum merging and transitioning a priority this year and because of this was able to complete curriculum mapping. The History program was then better positioned to identify the courses to select for a portfolio in the coming academic year.
  • Social Work: The Department of Social Work had grades improve overall after changing a comprehensive final assignment into small sections to be completed over the couse of the semester.
  • CMP: The Department of Computing, Mathematics and Physics made significant progress on developing specifically the Cybersecurity Education program's assessment plan by updating courses, targets and measures, as well as working on mapping and assignment linkages.