HIED 66749: Assessment & Evaluation of Higher Education

Syllabus Description:

This course is designed to provide an understanding of current assessment and evaluation methods in higher education settings. Topics will span from indi­vidual classroom assessment through institutional accreditation processes.

Decisions as to what should be assessed, by what means, and for what reasons exert a profound impact on higher education in the United States and around the world. Some decisions express a clear educational rationale; others do not. In this seminar, we will undertake an active study of assessment and evaluation by considering selected issues in some depth, by tracking current issues, including international ones, and by considering likely directions for the future.

Reflection:

In this course, I learned about assessment and evaluation on a variety of levels. We discussed evaluation of classes, events, or offices, and structures of assessment programs for offices, institutions, or systems of higher education. We also discussed institutional accreditation, tuning programs including the Bologna Process in Europe and similar initiatives in the United States, and institutional transformation through assessment and improvement programs. This course served as an excellent introduction to methods of assessment and evaluation as well as theories between different methods or strategies of evaluation.

Key Assignments:

Seminar Briefs & Session – In this seminar-based class, each student was required to present information or lead a discussion on an assigned topic each week. In addition to the weekly reports, I also led a lengthier seminar session on the evaluation of bachelor’s degree program and the problems posed by organizations that seek to harmonize degree offerings throughout educational systems.

Written Reports – In addition to the seminar sessions, we also completed written reports. One report I wrote examined the hypothetical consequences of ending the region-based assignment of accreditation agencies to institutions of higher education.