Assessment

Learning Effectiveness Plan for Assessment

Committed to verifying and improving education quality, Ridgewater has a comprehensive process to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction.

The College’s learning outcomes assessment called the Learning Effectiveness Plan for Assessment (LEP), is championed by the faculty-led Learning Effectiveness Action Plan (LEAP) Committee. The LEAP committee comprises the College Provost, all academic deans, the dean of academic affairs, faculty members, and a special projects coordinator.

Assessment Process

The LEP process helps faculty determine three things:

1. What students should learn
2. How well they are learning it
3. How those results can be improved

The LEP comprises five steps:

Step One: Establish and review goals and objectives.

Step Two: Establish and review measurement methods.

Step Three: Conduct assessment to determine students’ level of accomplishment.

Step Four: Analyze results of assessment efforts.

Step Five: Develop strategies for improvement.

When Step Five is accomplished, the process of assessment begins again with Step One, encouraging a culture of continuous improvement.

Institutional-level learning outcomes

Communication

Develop students who communicate in both written and oral formats

• Communicate effectively in oral formats
• Communicate effectively in written formats

Social Responsibility

Develop students who engage ethically in global citizenry

• Identify the interrelationships among the self, local and global communities
• Engage in the local and global community

Critical thinking, creative thinking, and problem-solving skills

Develop students who integrate facts, creative thought, and problem-solving

• Apply methods of inquiry in order to solve problems or draw logical conclusions
• Assemble evidence for analysis of problems

Technology Skills

Develop students who utilize various modes of technology

• Apply technology skills
• Adapt to changes in technology