ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
Rice Outcomes Assessment Reporting System (ROARS):
Instructions regarding the production of End-of-Year
Outcome Assessment Reports (ROAR & RIPE) for Academic Programs
Please go to https://owlspace-ccm.rice.edu and log in under your NetID and Password.
In your OWL-Space you will find a tab entitled "Rice Outcomes Assessment Reports-ROARS".
You can find electronic documents and your program's previous reports in a folder for your school and
department under Resources. Call or email OIE immediately if you do not have this tab in your OWL-Space.
For each of the last two years, academic units within the university submitted one or more Student Learning
Outcomes (SLOs) assessment reports via our Rice Outcomes Assessment Reporting System (ROARS). There are
two reports due for the end of this academic year: ROAR and RIPE. We are asking that you submit at least one
new ROAR report for 2008-09 AY for each of your academic programs AND an updated report (RIPE) for any
ROAR reports submitted last Spring 2008. The 2-3 page summary reports should be submitted as MS Word
documents directly to [email protected]. These reports satisfy a SACS's accreditation requirement.
• Academic Program ROAR and RIPE reports are due July 1, 2009. Notify OIE if you need more time.
• As always, OIE is willing to meet or assist you and your faculty as they work through the process. We are
also available to respond to any questions or input that you or your faculty may have.
• Electronic versions of the following outlines for ROAR and RIPE and of last years ROAR and RIPE reports
for each academic program is in the OWL-Space site under Resources.
New Rice Outcomes Assessment Report (ROAR): Initial report on one (1) new Student Learning Outcome
(SLO) for 08-09. (2-3 pages) Create a new document using the template available in the Resources section.
Program Name:
Contact Person:
1. OUTCOME: Name and describe in one phrase or sentence the student learning outcome that was
assessed.
2. METHODS: Explain each assessment method and the type of information collected. The explanation
should identify the type of assessment used, who provided the information, and how it was obtained. Please
include descriptions of instruments, assessment criteria or scoring rubrics, documents or work samples
collected, and other similar items.
3. RESULTS: Describe the primary results or findings from your analysis of the information collected.
Describe any strength or weakness of the program that is suggested by these results.
4. CONCLUSIONS: Document the department procedure for reaching decisions based on evidence of
learning from #3 above. Briefly describe the possible actions that will be taken to improve or maintain the
desired goal for the outcome listed in #1 above.
5. IMPROVEMENT ACTION PLAN: Specify the Action Plan that will be (or was) implemented to
improve or maintain the goal for the outcome, including a timeline for implementation.
6. FOLLOW UP EVALUATION: Specify how the success of the implemented action plan will be (or
was) evaluated to determine if desired improvements occurred. If the evaluation has already occurred
describe its results and conclusions.
Report on Improvement Plan's Effectiveness (RIPE ): Closes the loop on previously reported student
learning outcomes from last year. (2-3 pages) Download and update the document(s) with 07-09 RIPE in the title
in your department's OWL-Space folder. The outline is already included in the MS Word document to aid you.
7. ACTUALIZED PLAN: What did you do? Specify the action plan that you implemented to improve or
maintain the goals for your student learning outcome. Explain whether or not the original action plan
(ROARS steps 5 & 6) was followed, or revisions were made and why.
8. EVALUATION: How did it work? Evaluate the action plan, the process, and its effectiveness. Did the
desired improvements occur? Explain what occurred and why. Were there any unforeseen obstacles?
9. CONTINUED ACTION PLAN: What will you do next? Given the assessment process, specify what
steps will be taken to ensure continued evaluation of this particular outcome.
10. PROCESS: What is the impact? Specify how this particular student learning outcome assessment
process and cycle has contributed to improved decision making concerning student learning for your
department or program.
Office of Institutional Effectiveness (OIE)
John M. Cornwell, PhD, Associate Vice President, [email protected] (x3227)
Molly Russ, PhD, Institutional Effectiveness Specialist, [email protected] (x5377)
514 Fendren Library (x2924 fax), MS-4, http://www.rice.edu/oie
May 2009
New Rice Outcomes Assessment Report (ROAR):
Initial report on one (1) new Student Learning Outcome (SLO) for 08-09. (2-3 pages)
Create a separate ROAR report for each SLO for each program being reported.
Create a new document with "YourDepartmentName YourProgramName 08-09 ROAR" in the
title using this outline.
Send completed MS Word document(s) to [email protected] .
Program Name:
Contact Person:
1. OUTCOME: Name and describe in one phrase or sentence the student learning outcome that
was assessed.
2. METHODS: Explain each assessment method and the type of information collected. The
explanation should identify the type of assessment used, who provided the information, and
how it was obtained. Please include descriptions of instruments, assessment criteria or scoring
rubrics, documents or work samples collected, and other similar items.
3. RESULTS: Describe the primary results or findings from your analysis of the information
collected . Describe any strength or weakness of the program that is suggested by these results.
4. CONCLUSIONS: Document the department procedure for reaching decisions based on
evidence of learning from 3. Briefly describe the possible actions that will be taken to improve
or maintain the desired goal for the outcome listed in 1. above.
5. IMPROVEMENT ACTION PLAN: Specify the Action Plan that will be (or was)
implemented to improve or maintain the goal for the outcome including a timeline for
implementation.
6. FOLLOW UP EVALUATION: Specify how the success of the implemented action plan will
be (or was) evaluated to determine if desired improvements occurred . If the evaluation has
already occurred describe its results and conclusions.
Vanderbilt University -- Checklist for Learning Outcomes Assessment Plans
Contact Person and Position or Title:
School:
Department:
Degree Program: Date:
Summary Action:
❑ Fully acceptable.
❑ Acceptable with minor revisions.
-t,id :i a buy significant rei 1 ,, neecec.
❑
Unacceptable. Major rewrite required.
ELEMENT
YES
NO
Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes
Are the objectives measurable as they are stated? (red flag issue if not evident)
Do the objectives identify important student achievements (knowledge, skills,
competencies, attitudes, awareness, etc. ) faculty expect students to be able to learn and
demonstrate? (red flag issue if not evident)
Is there a reasonable number 3-5 of learning objectives?
Comments:
Assessment Methods
Are assessment methods clearly described?
Is confusion evident between curricular activities (such as a thesis defense) and what
assessment methods are used in the context of those activities? (red flag issue if evident)
Are grades used as the only assessment method? (red flag issue if evident)
Are explicit goals for success rate of meeting learning outcomes stated here or in results?
(red flag issue if not evident
Are multiple measures used to evaluate learning objectives?
Do the methods given map to the stated student learning objectives?
Comments:
Results
Is confusion evident between the results of curriculum activities (e.g., students passing
courses) and the results of assessments used (e.g., students demonstrating competence in
domains corresponding to learning outcomes)? (red flag issue if evident)
Do the results map to stated learning objectives and assessment methods?
If results are currently not available, is a plan for obtaining results described? (red flag
issue if not evident)
Comments:
Actions Taken
Is a plan for making use of results described? (e.g., Results from spring of 2007 will be
used to make course and curricular revisions, as indicated.) (red flag issue if not evident)
If results already exist, an explanation of how they have been or might be used.
Comments:
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Assessment Man Checklist.doc