Best Practices Form
This is an example of the Best Practices Form. If you wish to use this form, log into SharePoint and click on the Best Practices option for your course.
For courses with multiple sections and multiple instructors, faculty may pool their data and designate one person to complete the assessment form for the course. However, all faculty teaching the course, even adjuncts, should contribute to the assessment by providing appropriate data and information.
In the form below each box as descriptors for content for each field.
Course Prefix and Number: Course prefix and number here. Ex: CIS101 |
Department: Department Name. Ex: Business and Information Technology |
Course Title: Title of the course. Ex: Introduction to Computers |
Number of Sections: If you are assessing more than 1 section, please indicate; however, you do not need to list the section numbers. Ex: 3 |
Academic Year: Ex: 2009 |
Semester: Semester of the course assessment. Ex: Fall |
To begin the semester:
- What two questions do you want to explore this semester about student learning? List two questions about competencies or student learning outcomes you will be assessing this semester. Ex: How efficient are students in the following course competencies of applying animation to presentations. . . .
- What information/evidence/data will you gather in response to your questions? How will you assess this two questions? What tool or information will be used to gather your data to determine student success? Ex: Examinations: Exams are administered over the course of the semester . . .
At the end of the semester:
- What two questions did you explore this semester about student learning? List two questions about competencies or student learning outcomes you will be assessing this semester. Ex: How efficient are students in the following course competencies of applying animation to presentations. . . .
- What information/evidence/data did you gather in response to your questions? How will you assess this two questions? What tool or information will be used to gather your data to determine student success? Ex: Examinations: Exams are administered over the course of the semester . . .
- What changes to the course or improvements to student learning were implemented as a result of the course level assessment from the previous semester? What changes or improvements were listed on the Spring 2009 course assessment in the "Use of Student Learning Outcomes" that were implemented this semester and did those changes result in improvements in student success. This column may also have been labeled "Use of Student Learning Outcome Results". Ex: Last semester, Spring 2009, the assessment results yielded ...... As a result, the following changes were implemented to the course for Fall 2009 with the following student learning outcome results .....
- What did you discover? What were your conclusions? Summarize the information collected to support the assessment method and level of success. Ex: 50% of the students were able to demonstrate the proper use of animation in presentations by completing the task-based examination module on animation and achieved a score of 80% or higher ....
- What impact did your discoveries have on your teaching? Student engagement? Your focus on student learning? Your course, program or discipline? Describe discoveries made that would impact teach, student engagement, student learning, etc.
- What do you plan to do the same and differently based on your discoveries about student learning? In review of the assessment results and summary of the data collected, what are the changes or improvements you will carry forward into the next semester for improved student learning. Ex: Sections of this course will now be delivered in an online format so it will be necessary for me to add a collaborative learning to the curriculum.
- If you discussed the information gathered with other GCC faculty members, what was your impression of those discussions? When multiple sections of a course are taught, input from others may be discussed. Describe the results and / or any changes or improvements that may be implemented as a result of these discussions, if any.
- How do these plans relate to or tie into the college and/or program level assessment findings as appropriate? To date, GCC has focused on the assessment of three core outcomes, writing, critical reading, and critical reasoning. How can changes in your course assist in the college-wide focus? Ex: Course added a concept review section to each computer application. Students now will be required to use critical reading skills to review and answer questions regarding applications in addition to performing the task.