Using the Assessment Cycle to Develop an Assessment Plan

Using the Assessment Cycle to Develop an Assessment Plan

Effective assessment should be viewed as a repetitive and continuous process but does not need to be overly complex or time-consuming. You don’t have to be an assessment expert to become more intentional with an assessment plan and implementation.

Assessment is a process that, similar to teaching, should begin with outcomes and goals. It involves more than developing a survey and collecting and analyzing data. Although these are vital steps in the assessment process, assessment is most useful when it is connected with a broader set of goals (e.g., institution mission, learning objectives). Importantly, assessment documents what was learned and how future change will be envisioned.

Many cycles of assessment have been developed by scholars and practitioners over time, but they all contain the same general principles. Here is an example from Maki (2010). The cycle of assessment is a helpful tool for developing an assessment plan

Systematic Cycle of Assessment

Designing an Assessment Plan

It is wise to take a broader view and consider the purpose and significance of what you hope to accomplish (the center of the cycle) with your assessment. Then, follow the steps of the cycle (working clockwise) and put it all into action. Taking this approach helps to reduce the panic some people face when asked to develop an assessment plan.

We engage in assessment for a variety of reasons: to understand student learning, improve teaching, or for accountability purposes such as accreditation. Simply stated, answer this question, “The purpose of my assessment is….”

Questions to consider:

    • Why is this assessment important? Why do we need to know this information?
    • What are the benefits of (or the risks of NOT) completing this assessment?
    • What circumstances, contexts, pressures may be influencing the assessment?
    • What additional financial, personnel resources and expertise might you need to conduct a successful assessment? What are your plans for securing these resources?

Action Steps:

    • Develop 2-4 strong questions to guide your work.
    • Determine who or what should be assessed (the “why” should tie back to your guiding questions).
    • Identify key stakeholders related to the assessment.

The concept of starting with the end in mind is a cornerstone of assessment. Identify what you hope to have (or do) at the end of the cycle.

Questions to consider:

    • What do I/we hope to know or learn as a result of conducting the assessment?
    • Are you aiming for improvement or an evaluative judgment/decision?
    • How will I know if my outcomes/objectives are achieved?
    • What’s my timeline? Is it feasible?
    • Is there a chance you will present or publish these results outside of your department or institution? If so, seek assistance from the Iowa State University Institutional Review Board to understand if you need to IRB approval before conducting your assessment.
    • What are your plans for reporting the data – how and with whom will you plan to share your results?

Action steps:

    • (Re)evaluate your guiding questions to ensure they get you to your goal.
    • Develop your timeline, detailing the steps along the way, to establish “due dates” for your project.
    • Communicate with stakeholders as necessary.
    • Determine plans (even if they change later) for sharing your future findings.

Just as true with research, making methodological decisions helps get you to our ultimate goals. This part of the cycle involves many interconnected components.

Questions to consider:

    • How do I best answer my questions? What decisions need to be made to get there?
    • Is this going to involve quantitative, qualitative, or mixed data?
    • How will you store and organize data? Is this compliant with the guiding standards of the institution or discipline?
    • Do my data collection and analysis plans align with my guiding questions and assessment purposes?

Action steps:

    • Identify participants, sample, and population.
    • Determine sources of data, and data collection method(s). Consider these common examples of data and methods:
      • Quantitative methods include numeric data gathered from instruments, surveys, questionnaires, or existing data such as those from institutional databases.
      • Qualitative methods include (but are not limited to) interviews, focus groups, observations, and document analysis.
    • Select or develop instrumentation.

Once you have a plan to answer your questions and how you will arrive at the answers you need, it is time to launch your plan by gathering data and interpreting those data.

Questions to consider:

    • Do you have access to data, or do you need to collect data?
    • Is participant recruitment necessary? How does this impact the timeline?
    • What is your plan for analysis? Will you be the only person interpreting the data?

Action steps:

    • Gather evidence – collect data.
    • Interpret evidence.
    • Ensure your interpretation answers your guiding question(s) and satisfies the overall purpose.
    • Prepare your analysis for an audience.

Good assessment requires putting results into action and sharing what you learned. Use the results of your assessment to make changes to improve what was studied (formative) or make the necessary decision (summative).

Questions to consider:

    • Are there political ramifications of this assessment? What if the results are “negative”?
    • How do stakeholders expect to be informed?
    • What changes are necessary? Am I able to make those changes, or do I need assistance of some kind?

Action steps:

    • Identify suggestions and actions for improvement. Follow through.
    • Inform stakeholders.
    • Begin again.

Remember: Assessment doesn’t end; it recycles after new understandings are reached, changes are implemented, and then re-assessed.

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