Comparing approaches to assessing transferable cognitive skills for cyclical improvement

This seminar describes interim results halfway through a 4-year longitudinal study of approaches to assessing critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills for the purpose of cyclical program improvement at a mid-sized research intensive Canadian institution.  Undergraduate participants from four university programs (physics, drama, engineering, and psychology) were assessed using multiple approaches, including two standardized tests, in-course activities, surveys, and course artefacts scored by a trained team using program-wide rubrics. Outcomes measured in student course artefacts externally scored by VALUE rubric assessment increased over the two years. Scores on standardized tests generally trend upward with the Critical thinking Assessment Test (CAT) but are mixed on the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA+), most likely due to motivational and alignment issues. Student motivation and alignment with course goals are both significant factors in the project. The presentation compares the assessment methods, and finds that using externally scored course artefacts is both less expensive and preferred by course instructors over standardized tests. It will also discuss a triangulated survey of transferable learning, and a web-based rubric development tool for instructors to support alignment with transferable cognitive skills. More...