Responses
Buck1985
responses.docxJulia Discussion:
Hi everyone.
I chose to evaluate the English Program at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville for this discussion. Some of the characteristics of an effective program review will include whether or not student learning is assessed, how it is being assessed, any challenges to assessment from faculty or students, what is working well with the process, what did not work well, and recommendations for improvement. The assessment from this particular University was interesting because it seemed to be infused with a lot of personality from the assessors.
The assessment was conducted during 2009 and it also happened to be taking place while the department was introducing a new curriculum. The faculty were introducing this curriculum, “to open up new and more culturally diverse possibilities for students’ selection of courses” (Sample Program Review Reports). While the faculty members seemed to really like another, the students seemed to really like the faculty, as well. The students made the assessors aware with some regularity, “about the dedication of current faculty members” (Sample Program Review Reports). That being said, although the faculty seemed to enjoy working with one another and the students enjoyed their classes, the assessors felt as though the faculty had an unhealthy relationship with the student evaluation process. “Too much weight is placed on student evaluations as a measure of good teaching” (Sample Program Review Reports).
Outside of that bit of excitement in this program review, one of the recommendations that I thought was really effective was that of the incongruence of the catalog copy of, “practical experiences and future careers” (Sample Program Review Reports). I found the assessors’ recommendation to re-write the catalog and under-promise a little bit to be an effective recommendation.
As far as how I would use this Program Review for my evaluation of Jamestown College, the discussion around student evaluations is of interest to me. The Jamestown College students were very unfavorable in their evaluations of the curriculum. A sentiment that was shared in the Youtube video Dr. Bretti put in our “Reading and Resources” section was that a college education is the only thing that people buy and they want a little less than what they are paying for. The example given is that students ask if they can be released from class a bit early and things of the like. I would guess that sometimes undergraduate students rate a professor poorly because they are too challenging when one could argue that a challenging course is what you paid for, so you should get your money’s worth.
References
Sample Program Review Reports. Retrieved fromhttps://www.siue.edu/innovation/assessment/programreview/samples/index.shtml. (n.d.).
Technology, S. N. H. U. C. O. C. E. A. HEA-540: Developing a Process of Continuous Improvement. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLGXShbmpFI. (2016, December 28).
Hello Class, I hope your week is going well so far.
As we prepare for what it means to have an effective program evaluation program, I think about what makes an effective program strong and I think the first thing that comes to my mind is communication and a strong foundation. How do we build relationships rather how do we sell products that work based off of word of mouth? For example, chickflia they are known excellent customer service willing to go above and beyond and you never hear any horror stories about chickflia so customers will continue to go back because they are treated fairly. So, then I think about SNHU I came to SNHU because of the compelling stories you hear from the commercials you feel inspired to better yourself and career and you feel confident to move forward, one of the best things I have done was attend this program. I feel more than prepared and how to grow within the field I am learning about and I have resources at the tip of my hand.
One of my favorite methods of effective characteristics is feedback like surveys and comparisons of another program that could help the current program. Evaluation, in general, entails the evidence-gathering processes that seek to determine the level of effectiveness for the program of interest (Ewell, 2001). A prudent conceptual approach requires feedback from different perspectives (current students, alumni, field instructors, employers, faculty, and other stakeholders) on various outcomes (what has occurred as a result of the student’s participation in the program) that are assessed across multiple levels of analysis (Ewell, 2001).
Examples of many forms of program effectiveness; alumni surveys, assessments on past courses, faculty surveys and approach to better overall view of program future plan. To achieve the aforementioned aims, faculty members of the department, in collaboration with stakeholders, engaged in the development of a revised program evaluation that reflected the increasingly more prominent role of the hybrid program. It was critical that the development of this plan reflect relevant key components of the history and central tenets of the program, as well as the projected path it was taking. By honoring the history of the program and partnering with stakeholders in the developmental process, transparency and ownership of the evaluation plan by participants was more likely to occurred. . The data collected on Jamestown Case study shows a downline of decreasing trends in data meaning that fewer students are finding the program irrelevant or not fulfilling (Final Project Case Study, 2017).
Explain how you will use the module resources and this discussion to develop your own recommendations for the academic program you are evaluating for the final project.
By using a separate framework, outcomes designed to meet each goal, strategies to meet the outcomes, and ways to evaluate the outcomes and, ultimately, the program were developed. Outcomes that assessed the program at multiple levels (student, faculty, and program) across periods of time (immediate, long-term, and ongoing) were identified (see previous section describing outcome measures). In order for me to evaluate Jamestown College we must go off previous data to ensure success of new data being driven to increase the chance of success with the Mathematics department. By using the many methods of surveys, assessment, data and feedback from students we can grow successfully with a future program plan for Jamestown. My final project will incorporate the analysis of the entire program with recommendations on how to improve across the board on all levels including understanding how Jamestown fell below. We will increase the department and improve on how to better measure programs within Jamestown to better assist the college grow. The expectations are to increase instructional technology, increase undergraduate enrollment, promote academic quality, enhance workforce development, enhance the undergraduate curriculum, develop new degree programs. By enhancing and accomplishing these goals this will support the diversity of the college, provide better student success, and build and maintain fiscal sustainability. The qualitative data will be used to determine feedback, surveys from students, interviews from staff and the observation of how the program is ran with the understanding of the program’s activities. The mathematics department at Jamestown College will be restructured for a better student learning outcome and the future of the program.
Ewell, P. T. (2001). Accreditation and student learning outcomes: A proposed point of departure (CHEA Occasional Paper). Council for Higher Education Accreditation
Pruitt, D. K., & Silverman, E. (2015). Research Note—Program Evaluation: Enhancing Academic Quality and Program Integrity During Rapid Off-Campus Growth. Journal of Social Work Education, 51(3), 595–603.
