Document Type

Report

Publication Date

1-1-1996

Keywords

Institutional, Assessment, Western, Washington, University, WWU, 1995-1997, Biennium, 1996, January, activities

Abstract

In identifying and organizing its research, program evaluation, and outcomes assessment activities Western Washington University's Office of lnstitutional Assessment and Testing (OIAT) strives to obtain and generate data and information that attempts to provide answers to the following fundamental questions: 1) What do we look like as an institution and how can we improve the quality of the academic and sociocultural climate? 2) What factors contribute to general and specific changes in Western students' attitudes, knowledge, and skills? 3) How can we enrich classroom and instructional experiences to advance and promote effective learning? 4) How successful is each component of the curricular and program activities and what changes are produced from the implementation of recommended changes? and 5) What are we like as an institution and what is the effect of administrative decisions on policy, the overall academic and sociocultural climate, faculty, students, parents, alumni, boards, and agencies? Additionally, Western's assessment activities are influenced and driven by: 1) strategic action plans contained in Western's Strategic Plan adopted in February, 1992; 2) six general assessment categories identified by the Washington's Higher Education Coordinating Board; 3) recommendations from Western's academic and student services programs and committees; 4) findings and recommendations generated from previous assessment studies; and 5) recommendations and findings found in the institutional research and assessment literature in higher education. During the 1994-1995 academic year Western's Office of Institutional Assessment and Testing produced 11 technical reports, several data-based memoranda, continued to publish the "InfoFact" series of brief summaries of assessment findings, and initiated the "Focus" series, also a summary-format presentation of assessment findings but limited to one topic per issue. The "Focus" serves as a bridge between the popular "InfoFact" publication and full technical reports. Using the idea of an expanded executive summary, each issue of "Focus" presents either the salient findings found in lengthier reports, or new findings from smaller studies deserving of special notice.

Identifier

393

Publisher

Digital object produced by Office of Survey Research, Western Washington University, and made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.

Subjects - Topical (LCSH)

Educational tests and measurements--Evaluation

Genre/Form

Reports

Type

Text

Rights

This resource is provided for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries.

Language

English

Format

application/pdf

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