Current Assessment Activities
The College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) is involved in many assessment activities at The Ohio State University. The current assessment activities listed below provide information on a full range of ongoing, or recently completed projects and activities, which help to gauge student learning.
Assessment Cycle
The assessment cycle is central to assessment, and is perpetually used within each 6-year assessment process (see drop-down). The assessment cycle considers collection and review of data on an ongoing basis to formulate recommendations for incremental programmatic change. Accumulative findings for all program goals based on the contributing outcomes are used as the cornerstones for programmatic review. Assessment provides essential information for making strategic adjustments to the academic program, which assures continuous quality improvement with the intent of improving teaching and learning.
6-YEAR ASSESMENT PROCESS
CFAES Undergraduate and Graduate programs follow a 6-year assessment process. The Undergraduate programs began their first assessment process in 2012 and the Graduate programs began their first assessment process in 2016. It has yet to be determined when Minor programs will initiate their first assessment process. Each year of the assessment process incorporates varying activities to support teaching, learning, and assessment. Below is a brief outline of activities occurring in each year of the process.
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Year 1: Programs write their new (or re-envisioned) program assessment plan. During this initial year of the plan, the program will collect and report supporting data for half of the documented program learning goals.
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Year 2: Programs will explore and re-examine their alignment of methods with specific program learning outcomes that were outlined in their assessment plan. Programs will continue to collect data and report on the remaining program learning goals (those not addressed in Year 1).
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Year 3: Programs will collect and report data for all program learning goals. Additionally, conducting focus groups and surveys with current students, alumni or stakeholders, are great ways for programs to assess the success of learning outcomes.
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Year 4: Programs will continue to collect and report data for all program learning goals. At the end of the academic year, the academic unit, with the assistance of the CFAES Office for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment, will craft and submit an executive summary of findings for the programs, constructed from the four years of data that has been collected based on the program assessment plan.
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Year 5: Programs will continue to collect and report data for all program learning goals. The program coordinator will review the stated set of program learning goals to determine if modifications should be made in the next assessment plan (which will be written, re-envisioned, in Year 1 of the next process).
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Year 6: Programs will continue to collect and report data for all program learning goals. Programs will convene a formal programmatic assessment review team, comprised of faculty, staff, students, alumni and stakeholders. This team will 1) review the accumulated findings from the assessment review cycle; 2) appraise the achievement and success of the program; 3) examine alignment of program learning goals and outcomes; and 4) produce a summary of recommendations for program modifications and enhancement. The team’s review of the program assessment plan in Year 6 will help to produce a re-envisioned plan in Year 1 of the next process.
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What’s happens after Year 6? The process will start over in Year 1 with the re-envisioned program assessment plan.
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Overall, the above activities provide educators with resources to improve their teaching and enhance student learning. From the information collected during the 6-year process, educators will be able to review and reflect on what was effective and what was not. Then, educators can make informed decisions and take action by improving their teaching methods and materials, which will enhance student learning. As a result, educators ensure that the classes being taught are relevant and applicable in the ever-changing global community in which our students will serve.
Nuventive Improve
Nuventive IMPROVE is The Ohio State University’s system for facilitating assessment planning, documentation and reporting. For more information about Nuventive IMPROVE, please visit the Office of Academic Affair’s Assessment at Ohio State web page. Nuventive IMPROVE is used on an ongoing basis within each 6-year assessment process.
Conferences & workshops
Assessment Conference (OSU) - 2020 conference information not yet announced.
Student Affairs Assessment & Research Conference (OSU) - 2020 conference information not yet announced.
Price Chair in Teaching, Learning, and Advising Symposium (OSU-CFAES)
Learning Outcomes Assessment Award of Distinction
To view additional details about the 2019 award, click the image below.