The Role of Collaboration in Assessing Student Learning within Student Affairs

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The Role of Collaboration in Assessing Student
Learning within Student Affairs

• Marilee J. Bresciani, Ph.D.
• Professor, Postsecondary Education and
• Co-Director of the Center for Educational
  Leadership, Innovation, and Policy
• San Diego State University
• 3590 Camino Del Rio North
• San Diego, California, U.S.A.
• 619-594-8318
• Marilee.Bresciani_at_mail.sdsu.edu

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Constituents

• 1 one who authorizes another to act as agent
  principal
• 2 a member of a constituency
• 3 an essential part component, element
• http//www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constitu
  ents

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Who are the constituents for learning in your
program?
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Questions to Consider (Bresciani, Moore Gardner,
Hickmott, 2009)

• How do I influence student learning?
• Is it through the education of my colleagues?
• Of faculty?
• Of parents?
• Of community participants?

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How best can you collaborate with your
constituents to evaluate the learning?

• How about collaboration with those who assist you
  in designing and delivering the learning
  opportunity?

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The IterativeSystematicAssessment
CycleAdapted from Peggy Maki, Ph.D. by
Marilee J. Bresciani, Ph.D.
Gather Data
Interpret Evidence
Mission/Purposes Goals Outcomes
Implement Methods to Deliver Outcomes and Methods
to Gather Data
Make decisions to improve programs enhance
student learning and development inform
institutional decision- making, planning,
budgeting, policy, public accountability
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Should your constituents be(Bresciani, Moore
Gardner, Hickmott, 2009)

• Articulating the learning outcomes?
• Assisting you in the design of learning
  opportunities?
• Facilitating the student learning?
• Identifying the methods/tools to evaluate the
  learning?

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Should your constituents be(Bresciani, Moore
Gardner, Hickmott, 2009)

• Identifying the criteria that accompanies the
  methods/tools?
• Gathering evidence?
• Interpreting results?
• Writing the report?

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Should your constituents be(Bresciani, Moore
Gardner, Hickmott, 2009)

• Disseminating the results?
• Assisting with writing the action plan to improve
  the learning?
• Providing resources for improving the learning?

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Should your constituents be(Bresciani, Moore
Gardner, Hickmott, 2009)

• Intervening on policy discussions?
• Assisting with the external review?
• Comparison of results?
• What else?

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What are strategies for promoting collaboration?
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Strategies for Collaboration(Bresciani, Moore
Gardner, Hickmott, 2009)

• Check your ego at the door

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Strategies, Cont.(Bresciani, Moore Gardner,
Hickmott, 2009)

• Provide professional development for student
  affairs professionals to learn
• cooperation and collaboration skills
• how to apply the learning and development
  theories that undergird their work
• how to assess the intended learning and
  development outcomes
• how to interpret data and use of it to inform
  decisions, recommendations, and resource
  re-allocations

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Strategies for Collaboration, Cont.(Bresciani,
Moore Gardner, Hickmott, 2009)

• Review hiring practices and performance
  evaluations to determine whether collaboration is
  indeed a part of the hiring criteria and used as
  a component in performance reviews, promotions,
  and rewards
• Seek first to understand, than to be understood
  (Covey, 1979)

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Strategies for Collaboration, Cont.(Bresciani,
Moore Gardner, Hickmott, 2009)

• Be mindful of how your thoughts translate into
  your words and actions
• Provide the motivation for faculty to engage in
  collaborative projects
• Develop collective goals, rather than presenting
  your goals to faculty
• Commit the time to do the work successfully
  (e.g., collaboration)

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Strategies for Collaboration, Cont.(Bresciani,
Moore Gardner, Hickmott, 2009)

• De-personalize feedback through inquiry
• Build formal structures that reward and support
  collaboration that will sustain beyond
  personalities and informal relationships
• Involve students

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Which strategies for collaboration can you
readily adopt at your institution?

• Which ones do you want to plan to work on?
• -3 months from now
• 6 months from now
• - a year from now

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Report Out
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Questions?

• Marilee.Bresciani_at_mail.sdsu.edu

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One Minute Evaluation

• What is the most valuable lesson that you learned
  from this session?
• What is one question that you still have?

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References

• Bresciani, M. J., Gardner, M. M., Hickmott, J.
  (2009). Demonstrating student success in student
  affairs. Sterling, VA Stylus Publishing.