To ensure staff members in the Division have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to conduct assessment in their areas, building and developing talent is a priority. The Assessment Development Series will be offered on a yearly basis to support capacity building in the Division of Student Life. Two to three workshops, based on the assessment cycle and special topics, will be offered each semester. Staff members interested in attending an Assessment Development Series workshop can sign-up via Employee Self-Service.

Workshops

Session 1: “What is Assessment and Why Does it Matter?”

As a result of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Differentiate between assessment, evaluation and research
  • Summarize the elements of the assessment cycle
  • List one thing they learned during the workshop they will apply to their work

Session 2: “Goals, Objectives, & Learning Outcomes: What's the Difference?”

As a result of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Differentiate between goals, objectives, and outcomes
  • Write measurable and specific learning outcomes
  • Connect outlined goals, objectives, and outcomes to the assessment cycle

Session 3: “Surveys, Focus Groups, and Interviews: Which One is Better? How to Select an Assessment Method"

As a result of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Differentiate between direct and indirect measures of learning
  • Identify the pros and cons of different types of assessment methods
  • Select an assessment method to utilize based on their needs

Session 4: “Qualtrics: What Is It And How Do I Use It?"

As a result of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Explain the pros and cons of using Qualtrics Survey software as an assessment tool
  • Construct a survey using Qualtrics

Session 5: “Analyzing Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment Data: What do the responses tell us?"

As a result of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Describe the difference between quantitative and qualitative data analysis
  • Apply the steps of quantitative and qualitative analysis in their own work
  • Compare and contrast various data analysis platforms/software

Session 6: “Implementing Change Based on Evidence"

As a result of this workshop, participants will be able to:

  • Articulate the importance of evidence-based decision making
  • Develop a plan to utilize existing data for program/service improvement

Please contact Teri Schnelle (teri-schnelle@uiowa.edu) with any questions.