Assessment for Students at NIC
What Is Assessment?
Simply put, assessment at North Idaho College is an intentional process to help the college ensure our expectations for student learning outcomes match the reality of what students are actually learning and demonstrating. Assessment work should lead to positive improvements. Where learning is not happening as we expect, we work to identify changes we can make to the learning environment (courses, programs, services) to better serve students and promote their learning. And where learning matches (or exceeds) our expectations, we celebrate that!
NIC’s Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Committee is committed to fostering a positive culture of assessment on campus. The committee firmly believes that faculty-driven, student-centered assessments are the most effective means to create a positive assessment culture.
How Does Assessment Impact Me?
Assessment is not possible without students. Again, the purpose of assessment is to measure and take action to improve student learning across the institution. Students are essential partners in the process. See below to learn how you are contributing essential data to the assessment process.
Using Rubrics for Assessment: NIC is committed to providing the best learning environment for students. To determine if courses and degree programs, student services, and institutional operations are effective, we analyze information related to student learning by assessing student artifacts (e.g., course work, student portfolios, etc.) and measuring student success using GEM and Program-outcomes-based rubrics. When measuring student performance, student identities are always kept confidential and are never shared when these data are reported. The college uses these results to take action, to bring about change, and support continuous learning improvements, which benefits current and future students.
GEM and Program Assessment are the two primary, systematic assessment processes that we use on campus to collect data on student learning across programs and the general education curriculum. Each semester, faculty in GEM areas and programs across campus enter in student performance data through Canvas assessment rubrics. These rubrics are tied to state and program-level competencies.
Over the summer, colleagues at IT, eLearning, and Planning & Effectiveness input the student learning outcomes assessment data into data dashboards for GEM areas and Programs. Faculty then gather together each fall and spring to discuss the data dashboards, look for gaps in student performance, and think through action plans to take as a result. These action plans are reviewed by the Dean of Instruction, Division Chairs, and discussed at the GEM and Program level. Action plans are then reevaluated the next cycle to determine successes and to look for learning improvement stories.
How Can I Learn More About Student Learning Outcomes Assessment at NIC?
For a more formal definition of assessment, as well as guiding principles to our assessment work, check out our North Idaho College Assessment homepage.
The Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Committee meets monthly and discusses current initiatives, trends, and relevant information about all things assessment at NIC. Feel free to join a future meeting!
If you have any questions, concerns, or want to learn more about these processes, please contact Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Chair, Lucas Brown at ljbrown2664@nic.edu.
Assessment is part of NIC’s efforts for quality assurance and continuous quality improvement. Accreditation is another major internal and external mechanism for quality assurance. Learn more about NIC’s accreditation efforts. You can get a nice overview from our institutional accreditor, the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, about what accreditation is and why it matters.
Joseph Levy, National Louis University, “Assessment for Students”.