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

Direct Connection to Policy Area 5 of The Illinois Commitment
General Education Assessment Program
Blackburn College
What issue or need is addressed by the effective practice?
General education should provide a meaningful and challenging curriculum for undergraduate students that
provides a foundation for future learning. A formalized program to assess general education creates a structure
that holds departments accountable for providing meaningful and challenging academic opportunities.
Blackburn College strives to help students grow as human beings who will be well prepared for success in the
world beyond college. Most prior data on personal development have been based on self report or anecdote.
The development of a program allowed systematic collection of analyzable data and a more meaningful
understanding for the ways in which students develop personal and interpersonal behaviors and skills
demonstrated to be important to post-college success.
Description of the effective practice:
Blackburn College believes that assessment is an expression of the integrity and wholeness of an institution. In
this spirit Blackburn College took on an institution-wide initiative to develop cohesive general education
assessment plans by academic departments. Each department was charged with developing a plan that includes:
• GOALS that meet the College's mission statement and the College's statement of educational objectives;
• OBJECTIVES that identify specific, measurable objectives and the criteria needed to determine success;
• PROGRAM CURRICULUM MAPS that identify the courses in which each of the objectives is included;
• A MEANS OF ASSESSMENT that uses established methods that are consistent with the character of the
identified objectives and that are linked to the normal process of instruction in the program;
• EVIDENCE that is gathered for the purpose of analysis;
• RUBRICS that identify as clearly as possible the criteria by which student work is assessed and that is shared
with students;
• ANALYSIS OF EVIDENCE relative to goals; and
• USE OF ANALYSES for departmental decision-making about instruction, curriculum, policy, and practice.
How does this practice achieve sustainability?
This practice creates an enduring feedback loop for the purpose of formative assessment that strengthens
Blackburn College general education offerings to students. Simply put, this program improves our knowledge of
what does and does not work well in order to focus strategic initiatives.
What are the results/measurable outcomes?
Nineteen departments developed plans for 81 classes offered by Blackburn College. Class syllabi were aligned
to the College’s eight educational objectives concerned with critical thinking, writing, and multi-cultural
learning. In a survey of faculty and staff, 80% rated assessment as important or very important and 91% believe
the assessment process has made a difference in how their unit operates. Measurement of the assessment
program continues as the program continues to develop.
Contact Information
Name: M.L. Feldmann, Ph.D.
Email: matt.feldmann@blackburn.edu
Phone: (800) 233-3550
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