Title of Effective Practice: - California Postsecondary Education ...

Direct Connection to Policy Area 5 of The Illinois Commitment
Assessment Committee Mentoring Program
Northwestern Business College - Chicago
What issue or need is addressed by the effective practice?
Northwestern Business College’s Assessment Committee, which consists of faculty from across the college’s
curriculums, in collaboration with the college’s deans of faculty, developed and facilitated an interactive faculty
in-service in the spring entitled “What Matters Most?” The following questions were discussed by the entire
group: What matters to you about the classes you teach? How do you discover if what matters occurs? What
matters to students about the courses they take? How do we discover this? Why does it matter to us?
Afterwards, small groups were formed and the following topics were discussed in “round-table format” with
facilitators from the assessment committee: Why Formative and Summative Assessment Matter; Why Direct
and Indirect Assessment Matter; Why Learning Styles Matter; Why Non-Academic Issues Matter.
Description of the effective practice:
The main objective was to increase faculty awareness of the positive role that formative and summative
assessment have on student learning, and how taking an active part in the assessment process has a direct impact
on what we are trying to achieve in the classroom.
How does this practice achieve sustainability?
This practice achieves sustainability by being reinforced at department meetings and in-services throughout the
2006 – 07 academic year. Since faculty meet on a monthly basis, incorporating assessment as regular topic is a
cost effective way to reinforce the topic. Creating opportunities for discussing ideas about student learning and
how to assess the same is directly related to the key result areas of the current faculty job description and
directly relates to faculty’s profession of teaching.
What are the results/measurable outcomes?
A survey was distributed at the conclusion of the day-long inservice, and the results are as follows:
• 78% responded "true" to the statement "I learned or was reminded about informative/summative ways of
discovering what students know, think, or can do."
• 84% responded "true" to the statement "I learned or was reminded about direct and indirect ways of
discovering what students know, think, or can do.:
• 94% responded "true" to "I learned or was reminded about learning styles and why they matter."
• 83% responded "true" the statement "I learned or was reminded about how non-academic issues impact
student learning."
The inservice topic was important not only to review and/or impart information about assessing student learning,
but also to demonstrate the commitment of the college in embracing assessment. The college will follow up this
event with frequent opportunities for faculty to discuss effective formative and summative assessment. Specific
results should be identifiable in the 2006 - 07 assessment plans and subsequent results for each academic
department.
Contact Information
Name: Diane Ritz
Email: dritz@nwbc.edu
Phone: (847) 318-8550
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