FACILLITATOR(S):
Doug Sawyer (SCC) & Ted Wolter (CGC)

QUESTION 1:
What is the definition of Assessment and Evaluation ?

"Assessment is a process that follows a continuous cycle of improvement based upon measurable goals, involving data collection, organization and interpretation leading to planning and integration."

• We need tools to help us ask ourselves if we are "following a continuous cycle of improvement."
• We need to learn to frame the right questions when we measure the effectiveness of using computers in learning.
• We need to value the students' opinions with regards to t & l with computers. (At GCC in several disciplines students have the option of choosing the type of assessment they will use to demonstrate their learning and mastery of the discipline.)

• Why? measure it?
• Is the technology effective in assisting teaching and learning?
• Using a traditional v. tech approach, is it different? better?
• How do we develop good evaluations?
• Why should we evaluate when we will use technology anyway?
• Can we save time?
• What is the effectiveness of using technology for teaching and learning? The KEY question.
• Do people leave because technology is used in the classroom?
• A different question is how can we use technology to help us assess our students' learning?
• Do we need experts to help us? Are there experts out there? Are there experts in the district? Are there experts in assessing technology? Where are they?
• Is using technology worth the trade off?
• Should we use attitudinal surveys?
• Can we give them workplace skills (imp. to their disciplines) by using discipline specific technology in our classes?
• Suggestions: Ask small questions with small groups of people?
• Idea: Perhaps an idea for the bond is to use information from these small questions and small groups to bring together for the bond.
• Qualitative work may be he best way to get at how our students value the use of technology? We can certainly do attitudinal qualitative work for planning and development and rely on the experts elsewhere to do the big time quantitative research.
• How does assessment fit into our plan?
• Again the problem is should we spending all this money if technology doesn't enhance learning. So HOW?
• Before we expend energy collecting data and organizing it, we need to know how it may be used in decision making. Who will organize the results? who will write the reports?
• Suggestion: The TLTR on the campus could compile the results.
• We need both macro and micro--maybe measure effectiveness on the micro level? and use on the macro level.
• Maybe we also need district-wide counting of computers, counting student use, and the $$ for replacement costs to continue using computers. Perhaps this is a better way to address assessment. Because assessing and evaluating student learning is fraught with problems.
• Or should we consider having school wide outcomes for computing? Can our students use computers to access information, prepare a spreadsheet, use a word processors, etc.?

1. Global / individual/ quantitative / qualitative?
2. We need to formulate our research questions? Many of the above make valuable research questions: learning, efficiency, etc.
3. Making projections based on historical use and results of research.
4. What is the role of the TLTR on the local campuses?
5. Do we need a specialist, or an institutional research position on each campus?
6. Colleges should pull together their goals for using technology and make them available to other campuses. Via the TLTRs.
7. How will the TLTR's communicate with the faculty?

1. District could compile the data and facilitate the sharing of information.
2. Maybe MCLI could conceptualize the evaluation of technology. Determine which things can not be evaluated, then which things that could be evaluated/ Mapping out the areas, or categories:
   • equipment
   • cost-benefit
   • learning
   • (chutes and ladders)

What are some goals? Preparation for work, preparation for college, should we diversify, or go only with Microsoft, are they acquainted with the technology needed in their discipline as well as across disciplines. Does it attract and retain students? Are we using our computers effectively?

QUESTION 2:
What are the critical issues / problems / successes about Assessment and Evaluation ?

• Classroom v. institutional evaluation.
• There is already a lot of research out there that may or may not be useful and/or valid
• Good information can be gathered by individual faculty, but help from institutional researcher is needed.
• Clear objective is crucial
• Start with the questions about student learning
• Data can be gathered without identifying individual instructors in order to reduce anxiety
• Is technology a competency as well as a tool?
• Need for expert assistance on assessment tools, surveys, etc.
• Assessment should be part of what we do, not extra
• More collection of hard data
• Questions of what, when, who
• Governing board end statements dictate collection of data
• How to get faculty buy-in

• At SCC, Chem uses common final to test competencies
• GCC uses computer assessment (exams) in Psych 101.
• At Gateway the English people used technology to assess student writing in order to determine the main areas on which to focus instruction. For example, they learned that the instructors needed to work on teaching writing introductions and using commas.
• Mesa has a TLTR sub-committee on assessment/evaluation.

IDEAL MODEL

• More user-friendly
• Pre/post-test by discipline
  • May be an Instructional Council issue
  • Standardized testing
• Objections to standardized testing
  • Challenge to academic freedom
  • Assumption that test measures what we want students to learn
  • Correlation between score and socioeconomic background of students -- leads to INVIDIOUS comparisons between colleges
  • Expense becomes an issue
• General Components
  • inexpensive (cost effective)
  • unobtrusive
  • multiple measures, global/district-wide, common, discipline, campus levels
• Role of TLTRs
  • limited study of classes using technology vs. tech-poor, correlation within course
  • problem: focus on individual faculty
  • link between campus and district, compile results
• Role of District - Ocotillo chairs, MCLI, instructional councils
  • mapping evaluation options
  • coordinate research design
  • create models, facilitate, consultant
  • give feedback to colleges, esp. aggregate data
  • define information requested by governing board
  • inventory of assessment tools
  • compile research on effectiveness of technology
• Is it possible to devise student survey regarding technology effectiveness (5 or 6 questions)