Assessment for Educators
OHSU Academic Assessment Calendar
All academic program assessment reports and plans are due by November 1st each year. See O2 page for detailed information on process.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 9/1/2020 | Assessment planning and reporting open |
| 11/1/2020 | Assessment plans and reports are due |
| 3/1/2020 | Feedback reports distributed by Educational Improvement and Innovation |
| 5/26/2020 | Assessment Academy - Accidental Shining Star: Exemplar Assessment at OHSU |
| 6/4/2020 | Assessment Academy - Fair and equitable assessment practices. |
| 6/18/2020 | Assessment Academy - Worlds Made Visible: How To Create Assessment Stories in the Time of Pandemic - Virtual Training (WebEx) |
To access the Assessment Academy training offerings, please log into compass and access the events calendar (requires login).
About Us
The Assessment Council
The OHSU Assessment Council advises academic leadership on matters concerning institution-wide assessment of educational programs, student learning outcomes and the resources needed to support such assessments. The council ensures that academic assessment and accountability are institutional priorities and supports OHSU's mission to educate health care professionals, scientists and leaders in top-tier positions.
- Alex Shuford, Ph.D.(School of Medicine - Undergraduate Medical Education)
- Yi Cao, Ph.D. (School of Nursing)
- Robin Champieux, M.L.S. (Faculty Senate Representative)
- Sarah Drummond-Hays, M.A. (School of Medicine - Physician Assistant Program)
- Paula Gubrud-Howe, R.N., Ed.D. (School of Nursing)
- Robert Halstead, M.B.A. (Provost’s Office)
- Cherie Honnell, B.S. (Provost’s Office)
- Tatum Korin, (School of Nursing)
- Lisa Marriott, Ph.D. (School of Medicine - Graduate Programs)
- Julie McGuire, (School of Medicine - Human Nutrition)
- Deb Messecar, Ph.D., M.P.H., R.N. (School of Nursing - Undergraduate Programs)
- Rose McPharlin, D.D.S. (School of Dentistry - Pre-doctoral Programs)
- Tanya Ostrogorsky, Ed.D. (College of Pharmacy)
- Crystal Paredes, (School of Dentistry)
- Lisa Hatfield, Ed.D. (Teaching and Learning Center)
- Kevin McLemore, (School of Public Health)
- Anna Teske, M.P.A. (Provost’s Office)
- Sarah Jacobs, M.Ed. (Teaching and Learning Center)
- Richard Goranflo, Ph.D. (School of Medicine - Graduate Programs)
- Sam Papadakis (Student Representative)
- Mark Rivera, M.S., M.A.T. (Educational Improvement and Innovation)
- Kirstin Moreno, Ph.D. (Educational Improvement and Innovation)
- Dylan Johnson (Teaching and Learning Center)
- Zoe Speidel M.A. (Teaching and Learning Center)
- Jessica Walter M.A. (School of Medicine - Division of Management)
In an effort to support a positive culture of assessment as a collaborative effort, the Assessment Council will provide feedback to all programs on their yearly assessment report. The feedback from the Assessment Council will be collected during the Academic Program Review. Provost Office members include the Vice Provost for Educational Improvement and Innovation who serves as the Assessment Council Chairperson. The Provost/ Vice Provost for Educational Improvement and Innovation may appoint other members to the Council as needed to complete its charge and scope of work.
OHSU Learning Goals
We measure student learning outcomes against two primary sets of educational goals...
- Core Theme Indicators as identified by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities - read more
- OHSU Graduation Core Competencies/Student Learning Outcomes:
Professional knowledge and skills: Demonstrate competence in the core knowledge, skills, and practices as defined by degree programs and relevant professional licensing and credentialing boards.
Reasoning and judgment: Demonstrate the ability to identify and define problems, critically compare options, make timely decisions or recommendations, identify uncertainties and use findings to improve outcomes in light of evolving evidence.
Evidence-based practice and research: Demonstrate the ability to access, evaluate and apply relevant science knowledge to support evidence-based health care, disease prevention, health promotion and discovery.
Lifelong learning: Demonstrate the ability to recognize gaps in knowledge and experience through informed self-assessment and reflective practices and take actions to address those gaps.
Communication: Demonstrate active listening and oral and written communication skills with diverse individuals, communities and colleagues to ensure effective, culturally appropriate exchange of information.
Professionalism and ethics: Demonstrate integrity, honesty, knowledge of ethical principles and the standards of professional conduct and the ability to apply ethical principles in clinical care, research, education or community service.
Teamwork: Demonstrate the abilities required to foster and work effectively within collaborative, team-based environments.
Safety and quality improvement: Demonstrate the ability to identify situations that compromise safety and participate in risk reduction and continuous quality improvement.
Systems: Demonstrate an appropriate understanding of evolving health care systems, health and science policy and resource allocation in order to optimize human health and scientific discovery.
Patient and client-centered care: Additionally, clinical degree program graduates will be able to demonstrate the ability to collaborate with diverse individuals, families, and communities to provide quality care that is respectful of and responsive to their preferences, needs, attitudes, beliefs and values.
This document describes student service outcomes and provides links to key student service resources.
Reasons for Assessing Student Learning
- It provides equitable student experiences: No matter a student's educational characteristics and assumptions, all students know what to expect on day one until they day they graduate.
- Documents quality: Demonstrating and proving our graduates are competent when they graduate.
- Ensures alignment: Our learning outcomes inform our curriculum, our curriculum and outcomes inform assessment methods and assessment results inform curricular change.
- Differentiates ourselves regionally and nationally: OHSU is a trendsetter in education. We must continue to demonstrate what makes our educational experience unique.
History of Academic Assessment - OHSU
The following graphic shows our major recent and upcoming milestones:
Assessment Process
How Assessment Improves the Quality of Education
Assessment plans and reports are reviewed by the Assessment Council utilizing a rubric that examine the following criteria:
| Element | Goal |
|---|---|
| Communication of SLOs | Student learning outcomes statements have been prominently posted on the institutional website and made available to students. |
| Progression (if applicable) | The difference between unique degree/certificate levels is clearly defined in the SLOs. (i.e. There is a progression from certificate to terminal degree.) |
| Measurable SLOs | SLOs are measurable. |
| Alignment of Core Competencies to SLOs | Alignment of SLOs with OHSU Core Competencies is clear. |
| Levels of Evaluation Outcomes | Assessment methods cross multiple levels of cognitive complexity and specificity. |
| Element | Goal |
|---|---|
| Targets Met/Not Met | The program met all of their targets. |
| Interpretation of Targets Not Met | Program explores learner achievement by reviewing and interpreting their targets. (i.e., assessment benchmarks are interpreted through a process of data analysis, comparison to peers, and discussion) |
| Engagement of Stakeholders in Program Assessment Planning and Review | Groups and individuals engaging regularly include representatives from a) faculty; b) staff; c) students; d) alumni; e) external stakeholders; f) employers |
| Closing the Loop: Course Improvement | There is evidence that the program collected, analyzed, and used assessment data to inform improvements to at least one course. |
| Closing the Loop: Incorporation of Course Evaluation Feedback | There is evidence that the program collected, analyzed, and used course evaluation data to inform improvements to at least one course. |
| Closing the Loop: Program Improvement | Assessment data have been analyzed and used for program improvement. |
| Closing the Loop: Address Assessment Council Feedback | Program responded to committee's required feedback from previous assessment cycle and no further required changes are necessary |
| Inclusion of Sample Rubric | Program submitted a sample assessment method (i.e., rubric) which is well aligned with an OHSU Core Competency. |
How we do the Assessment Process
The following image describes the OHSU assessment framework and includes various important elements (I.e., alignment, stakeholders, and action plans) to stimulate reflection at the program level.
Reports
OHSU Reports
Some of the following reports are designated for internal audiences only and hosted on OHSU's "O2" employee site. Internal reports require a login.
Assessment Council Reports
These are institutional reports that document key lessons learned from each annual assessment cycle and made available to the public.
Stakeholder Engagement Framework Report
This report describes the process that led to creation of a new, OHSU Stakeholder Engagement Framework. This new framework is the basis for asking a new set of stakeholder-related questions in 2019.
- Stakeholder Engagement Framework Report (Login Required)
Core Competency Report
Empowering Assessment Professionals
VIGNETTE submitted Winter 2020 to Hundley & Kahn for forthcoming volume:
Leadership for Assessment and Improvement: Institutional Imperatives and Stakeholder Engagement
- Empowering Assessment Professionals to Build and Develop Capacity (login required)
Interprofessional Education Report
- IPE Report: Evidence of Student Learning (login required)
Assessment In Action
Assessment in action highlights key reports, vignettes, and graphics that highlight how assessment data is being used at institutional, program, and course levels to improve education at OHSU.
Student Services Survey and Presentation
This presentation shows the results of the January, 2019 Student Services Survey. The survey was conducted to determine which central services are used by students, how those services are used, and what other services are needed.
Fostering Respectful and Equitable Education (F.R.E.E.) Report
F.R.E.E. aims to develop the learning environment to improve engagement, achievement, and motivation by understanding their learners' diverse cultural identity.
Physician Assistant Program
- This curricular map shows the relationship between OHSU core competencies, PA program competencies and how they are assessed.
Medical/Clinical Informatics
- DMICE Alignment Report – An example of faculty engaged in the programmatic assessment process in the Department of Medical Informatics and Clinical Epidemiology (DMICE)
- This table show how program level student learning outcomes are aligned to OHSU core competencies.
Undergraduate Medical Education
- This report discusses the stakeholder collaboration in UME Post-Assessment Analysis.
School of Nursing Program SLO Map
- This document identifies and describes which School of Nursing student learning outcomes map to the OHSU "Teamwork" core competency.
Decisions Informed by Assessment Data
- This document shows just a small selection of the types of improvements, changes, and decisions informed by assessment data at OHSU during the 2018-2019 school year. Changes are categorized as impacting individual courses (green table) or impacting programs as a whole (yellow table).
Decisions Informed by Assessment Data
- This document shows just a small selection of the types of improvements, changes, and decisions informed by assessment data at OHSU during the 2019-2020 school year. Changes are categorized as impacting individual courses (green table) or impacting programs as a whole (yellow table).
Resources
Need Help?
For help with submitting assessment plans, reports, or are experiencing technical difficulties, please access the "Assess Learning" page on O2 . The Assess Learning page contains key training documents, internal reports, the OHSU Assessment Handbook (login required), and contact information. For general inquiries about OHSU Assessment .
Consultations and Workshops
For general inquiries about OHSU Assessment - assessment@ohsu.edu
How do I know my students are learning?
How should I assess my learners?
How effective are my test questions?
Am I giving my learners quality feedback?
Explore these questions and more through the Assessment Academy series, which provides workshops and resources for faculty and staff to improve their assessment knowledge and skills.
Train Your Brain is a learning series hosted by the Teaching and Learning Center. We cover a variety of educational topics, including test design, teaching and learning strategies, assessment, outcome measurement, curriculum mapping, Sakai tips and tricks, and Quality Matters training.
- The Teaching and Learning Center offers consultations related to assessment, curriculum mapping/development and more. (login required)
Assessment Related FAQ's
- Improve assessment practices
- Improve student learning
- Engage faculty in curriculum improvement and quality student learning environments
- Be accountable and transparent about assessment and student learning to an array of stakeholders externally (NWCCU and other accreditors, parents) and internally (students, faculty, administrators)
- Assessment is the ongoing systematic process of:
- Establishing student learning objectives
- Verifying/validating student learning objectives
- Analyzing the results of assessments
- Adjusting and improving the curriculum based on the assessment data.
- Accreditation is a process to ensure specialty or institutional standards are rigorous, consistent and impartially applied. Assessment data should be used to support accreditation.
- Assessment examines whether students achieved the learning goals established for them.
- Evaluation judges the quality of a program and is not limited to student learning. Evaluation of an academic program can examine faculty recruitment and retention, research and cost-effectiveness.
- Direct evidence of student learning is tangible, visible, self-explanatory and compelling evidence of what students have and have not learned (i.e., licensure exam scores, portfolio of student work, observations of student behavior, clicker responses and capstone experiences such as dissertations).
- Indirect evidence is a proxy sign of what a learner is probably learning (i.e., course grades, retention/graduation rates, alumni perceptions, and student participation rates).
- Learning is a cognitive exercise that is often invisible to others. Educators are charged with measuring what learners know through a process called assessment.
- Scholarship of teaching and learning is scholarly inquiry into student learning which advances the practice of teaching by making inquiry findings public.
- Curriculum design in health professions programs is often referred to as a cycle of:
- Problem identification and general needs assessment
- Needs assessment for targeted learners
- Goals and objectives
- Educational strategies
- Implementation
- Evaluation and feedback
View Lending Library
The Assessment Lending Library contains resources that will help faculty with the assessment process.
Resource Checkout
If you are interested in checking out a resource, please click on the "Request" button below.