Assessment by Design: A Practical Approach to Improve Student Learning

Written with faculty in mind, Assessment by Design is a practical resource that will also be useful to student affairs staff and administrators dedicated to using assessment to improve learning in curricular and co-curricular settings. This book presents the Cycle of Assessment as a framework that supports assessment in service of improving student learning. The framework consists of the following stages: Developing Your Assessment Question; Planning Decisions to Consider; Collecting and Scoring the Data; Analyzing and Discussing Assessment Data; and Report and Act on Assessment Findings. After an introductory chapter that provides an overview of the cycle, the book devotes a chapter to each stage of the cycle. After a concluding chapter, four appendices include helpful rubrics, forms, and exercises.

This book uses Action Research ideas to inform local classroom and institutional practices. While the theoretical framework is explained, each part follows through by offering immediate application: Hands-on activities for the readers to perform that directly support the practice of assessment in context, allowing readers to consider and apply the framework in their own programs, classes, and activities.

The book emerged from a workshop the author developed and led for many years in both face-to-face and online settings while she was Director of Assessment, Evaluation and Institutional Outcomes at Johnson County Community College (JCCC). Initially developed for JCCC faculty, it was later offered to participants from a variety of schools around the country, 4-year as well as 2-year, and private as well as public.

After over 30 years in higher education Sheri Barrett recently retired as the director of assessment, evalua­tion, and institutional outcomes at Johnson County Community College (JCCC). Prior to that position, she served in positions at both a 4-year liberal arts college, a first–professional degree institution, and an urban university system school. Barrett has served as a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission for over 18 years, currently serves as an assessment mentor in the Assessment Academy for the Higher Learning Commission, and is member of the Institutional Actions Council. Barrett has also served on the accred­iting board of a specialized accreditor. Barrett has spoken and consulted both region­ally and nationally on issues of assessment, pro­gram review, and accreditation. The Assessment Office at JCCC developed and ran an assessment conference, Assessment Matters, over the past 10 years that focused on the regional community college assess­ment needs while attracting participants from across the United States. Barrett developed an assessment workshop, upon which this book is based, that provides a frame­work for understanding and implementing assess­ment. First designed for an internal audience, the workshop has been expanded to be offered nation­ally, with more than 50 colleges and university faculty and administrators having attended both the face-to-face and online workshops. Although retired, Barrett continues to teach and mentor EdD students in higher education. She holds a bachelor’s degree in management, a master’s degree in public administra­tion, and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies.