Workshop conducted about program assessment among large and small institutions at the POD and NCSPOD International Conference in Reno on October 24.
Peter Felten and Ben McFadyen co-presented a session about Teaching and Learning program assessment among large and small institutions at the 2008 POD and NCSPOD International Conference October 24 in Reno. Peter Felten is director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, where Ben McFadyen also works as an Instructional Consultant. Other presenters for the session included Kathryn Plank, Associate Director of Faculty and TA Development at The Ohio State University and Michael Reder, director of the Mankoff Center for Teaching and Learning at Connecticut College.
Called “Size Matters: Implications for Program Assessment,” the workshop looked at why assessment is important for improving work and program effectiveness, and for building and maintaining institutional support. Drawing from direct experience, the workshop addressed assessment issues faced by smaller programs and centers, such as defining purpose and expectations, involving the right people, doing the actual assessment, and applying the results. The discussion also addressed how and what small programs can learn from (and teach to) larger programs about assessing their work. McFadyen capped the session with a brief presentation about developing an Elevator Speech, a succinct description about a program that conveys mission, goals, and strategy in as little as 30 seconds (about the time it takes an elevator to move from one floor to another).