As jobs become extremely competitive and the market for employers is rapidly declining, Miami University ensures its students are well prepared by continuous assessment of student learning.
Assessments are taken very seriously and give feedback about the university.
They help the administration know how students feel about the university and if they are learning the required skills that employers want.
According to the Andrea Bakker, assistant director of institutional research at Miami, the Office of Institutional Research at the university provides assistance to individuals, departments and officials who are conducting surveys of Miami University's students, faculty and staff for research and assessment purposes. It also helps people seeking to compile data for external surveys for their department of program.
Student assessments are given all throughout the year inside and outside the classroom to help the administration get a feel for how students are reacting to the university, according to Bakker.
Making sure students are happy and also learning are important factors in running a university, Bakker said.
"Many focus groups focus on finding out what makes students successful, we are the support side of teaching," Bakker said.
Assessments are done in a number of ways including surveys, focus groups and evaluating students' work, Bakker said. Unfortunately, many times students feel overloaded with the amount of surveys they are asked to respond to, and according to Bakker, student response is declining, making it more difficult to know how students feel.
"No assessment lets us know if we are doing well or poorly," Bakker said. "It just provides helpful feedback."
Student reflections on the effectiveness of activities and learning help professors evaluate what needs to be done in order for students to get the most out of there experience. Tools like the Small group Instructional Diagnosis (SGID) are designed to help instructors gain feedback from students during the end of the semester and term.
Assessments also provide helpful information during the accreditation process. Every few years, Miami is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and School. Assessments help prove that students are learning to a high degree and the university is teaching as it should.
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The new accreditation process involves assessment every three years instead of 10.
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