Supporting a Culture of Learning at IPFW

The Office of Assessment at IPFW

The Office of Assessment at IPFW is a unit of the Office of Academic Affairs. It is responsible for coordinating the implementation and documentation of the assessment of student learning at the institution. The office assists academic divisions and academic-support units to develop learning outcomes and assessment tools, measure the effectiveness of curricular and co-curricular activities, and use assessment results to create a culture of continuous improvement. The Assessment office is housed in Kettler Hall (KT 252).

Office of Assessment Expected Outcomes:

The Office of Assessment partners with faculty and their academic departments to develop and implement assessment activities that:

• Define the level of learning expected of students as they matriculate through academic programs
• Identify the current level of student learning, identify potential gaps between what we expect students to know and do and what they actually achieve, and to
• Apply this knowledge to “close the loop” as IPFW uses assessment data to improve student success. 

IPFW Culture of Learning as an Integrated Perspective of Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Assessment of student learning examines how or the extent to which students achieve what a faculty member or group of faculty members expect at the end of a specific unit of instruction.  Assessment is an integral part of the teaching and learning exchange that occurs between faculty and students.  Assessment of student learning provides information needed to improve the likelihood that what we do in a particular course or across a group of courses in an academic program contribute to student achievement of expected levels of learning as defined by IPFW Faculty Members. IPFW’s “Culture of Learning” develops as faculty members and academic units integrate “meaningful and useful” assessment with the science and art of teaching and learning to demonstrate and continuously improve the quality of student learning.

The “Proposed Restatement of SD 98-22 Assessment of Student Academic Achievement” was designed to support growing IPFW’s Culture of Learning emphasizing a common platform for assessment reporting while maintaining the flexibility needed for academic units to implement assessment strategies that are meaningful and useful. The common platform outlines the annual assessment report to facilitate Coolege level Review. The link to the outline is: Department/Program Assessment Report Outline

Senate Document 15-06 was approved in October 2015.  The Senate Document can be accessed at: SD 15-06

A presentation describing the implementation of the new Assessment Plan under SD 15-06 and a description of the ongoing Assessment Academy supporting the implementation can be accessed at: New Assessment Plan

Baccalaureate Framework as Common Expectation

At IPFW the expectations for all college graduates are established by the Baccalaureate Framework and the stated outcomes of specific academic programs.

Common Language of Assessment at IPFW – A Short Glossary of Concepts

Course Level Assessment

Within a single course, assessment examines the extent to which the planned learning activities are contributing to student learning relative to the specific learning outcomes for that course. 

Programmatic Assessment

At the programmatic level, assessment examines the extent to which matriculation through a series of courses results in students achieving the student learning outcomes expected of a college graduate.

Curricular Mapping

“Curriculum mapping is a method to align instruction with desired goals and program outcomes. It can also be used to explore what is taught and how. The map or matrix:

• Documents what is taught and when
• Reveals gaps in the curriculum
• Helps design an assessment plan” (http://manoa.hawaii.edu/assessment/howto/mapping.htm. accessed 01/26/2015).