ERIC Number: EJ1364536
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018
Pages: 20
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-3667
EISSN: EISSN-1527-2060
Available Date: N/A
Assessment as Critical Programmatic Reflection
Reitenauer, Vicki L.; Carpenter, Rowanna L.
Journal of General Education, v67 n3-4 p226-245 2018
This article argues that general education assessment is an opportunity for engaging faculty and the general education program as a whole in critical reflection on the practices and pedagogies that affect the entire undergraduate body. Through intentional assessment practices tied to learning outcomes, pedagogical expectations, and faculty and student classroom experience, an assessment program can meet accreditation expectations while serving as a rich location for critical reflection and continuous improvement. To illustrate, this article takes the reader through a year in the life of University Studies' assessment at Portland State University. It provides details about the individual elements of our assessment program (e.g., review of student ePortfolios, mid-term feedback, and course evaluations) and how these each provide opportunities for faculty and programmatic critical reflection. It describes both long-standing practices as well as new or experimental elements that arise from the current programmatic context, providing examples of the ways in which we continually evolve our practices. Finally, it weaves the elements together and identifies the strengths and challenges of our approach, as well as opportunities for deeper, increasingly impactful critical practice in the future.
Descriptors: General Education, Student Evaluation, Undergraduate Students, Evaluation Methods, State Universities, Portfolio Assessment, Feedback (Response), Course Evaluation, Scoring Rubrics, Focus Groups
Pennsylvania State University Press. 820 North University Drive, USB 1 Suite C, University Park, PA 16802. Tel: 800-326-9180; Tel: 814-865-1327; Fax: 814-863-1408; e-mail: info@psupress.org; Web site: http://www.psupress.org/journals/jnls_jge.html
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Oregon (Portland)
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A