"Recently, in working with a board of directors of a grassroots organization, I was reminded of how important it is to "let go" of rigid adherence to typologies and other traditional notions of what an evaluation should look like. For example, I completed an evaluation that incorporated elements of all of the stages of program development - a needs assessment (e.g., how much do board members know about their programs and budget), a process evaluation (e.g., how well do the board members communicate with each other when they meet), and an outcome evaluation (e.g., how effective is their marketing plan for recruiting children and families for its programs)."

Needs evaluation, process evaluation, outcomes evaluation -- all useful for improvement.

Lumina proposes that the US "adapt and apply the lessons learned from the Bologna Process in the EU, which has developed methodologies that "uniquely focus on linking student learning and the outcomes of higher education" -- tautological though that sounds.

Apparently the "audacious" discussion in the WCET webinar yesterday (to be linked) featuring Ellen Wagner and Peter Smith is old hat in Europe. A national "degree framework" is almost inconceivable in the US, but 'tuning' -- "faculty-led approach that involves seeking input from students, recent graduates and employers to establish criterion-referenced learning outcomes and competencies" -- sounds a lot like in goal-setting.

Fifth in a series on outcome management. "This guide is unique in offering suggestions to nonprofits for analyzing regularly collected outcome data. The guide focuses on those basic analysis activities that nearly all programs, whether large or small, can do themselves. It offers straightforward, common-sense suggestions. "

Sixth in a series on outcome management for nonprofits. Grist for the mill for any Assessment Handbook we might make. "Systematic use of outcome data pays off. In an independent survey of nearly 400 health and human service organizations, program directors agreed or strongly agreed that implementing program outcome measurement had helped their programs * focus staff on shared goals (88%); * communicate results to stakeholders (88%); * clarify program purpose (86%); * identify effective practices (84%); * compete for resources (83%); * enhance record keeping (80%); and * improve service delivery (76%)."

First in a series from the Urban Institute on outcome management for non-profits, for an audience of non-evaluation-savvy leadership and staff. Lots to steal here if we ever create an Assessment Handbook for WSU.

A largely sensible strategic look at LMS in general. "The LMS, because of its integration with other major institutional technology systems, has itself become an enterprise-wide system. As such, higher education leaders must closely 7 monitor the possible tendency for LMSs to contribute only to maintaining the educational status quo.40 The most radical suggestion for future LMS use would dissolve the commercially enforced "course-based" model of LMS use entirely, allowing for the creation of either larger (departmental) or smaller (study groups) units of LMS access, as the case may require. This ability to cater to context awareness is perhaps the feature most lacking in most LMS products. As noted in a study in which mobile or handheld devices were used to assemble ad hoc study groups,41 this sort of implementation is entirely possible in ways that don't necessarily require interaction through an LMS interface." Requires EDUCAUSE login (free to WSU)

The EDUCAUSE paper suggests "dissolv[ing] the commercially enforced 'course-based' model of LMS". How about dissolving the "course-based" model of higher education on which the commercial LMS is based?

A summary of the current state of "thinking" with regard to CLA. Many fallacies and contradictions are (unintentionally) exposed. At least CLA appears to be more about skills than content (though the question of how it is graded isn't even raised), but the "performance task" approach is the smallest possible step in that direction.

"Here are tips related to internal and external evaluators working together."

Reading "point" for "internal evaluator" and "OAI contact" for "external evaluator"? Four "Hot Tips" that may seem obvious, but shouldn't be glossed over.

A more modest attempt to "open up" education, using a study-group model rather than a course model like P2PU.

"Evidence" that the "evidence" is not very effective to promote change.  Apparently the context is crucial to adoption.

Some context for rubrics like ours

"All are focusing, to varying degrees, on learning communities as a way to improve remedial education. The idea is that the linked courses create peer-support networks, build greater cohesion in the curriculum, and enable students to earn some college credits along with precollege work."

One aspect of the Gates Foundation's massive move into higher education. The remedial aspect quoted may raise memories for some of us...

Quoting a 1984 study, "higher education should ensure that the mounds of data already collected on students are converted into useful information and fed back [to campus officials and faculty] in ways that enhance student learning and lead to improvement in programs, teaching practices, and the environment in which teaching and learning take place." The example given is an analysis of test scores in the Los Angeles Unified School District by the LA Times.

It's going to take some assessment (and political) smarts to deflect the notion that existing data can be re-purposed easily to assess "value-added".

"The key here is to understand that looking only at the total outcome of a program limits your ability to use evaluation data for program improvement."

Eric Graig discusses the need to slice and dice the data.

"'Effect Size' is a way of expressing the difference between two groups. In particular, if the groups have been systematically treated differently in an experiment, the Effect Size indicates how effective the experimental treatment was."

An interesting approach to comparing parametric statistics between groups

Treading lightly, ProfHacker looks at Faculty Development offices (also called centers for teaching and learning).

Methods and attitudes from other cultures can enliven the classroom.

a nice startup guide for the serious tweeter

A "Creativity Gap" can be addressed through problem-based learning