ACE | Web Guide - Lessons Learned

Guide to Assessing International Learning

•	Preparing for Assessment
•	Overview of the SPIF/ePortfolio Approach
•	Implementing the SPIF/ePortfolio Approach
•	Using the Tools
•	Using the Results
•	Other Assessment Resources
•	Lessons Learned

Tips and Lessons Learned in...

Preparing for Assessment

•	Building expertise
•	Developing an assessment plan

Implementing the SPIF/ePortfolio Approach

•	Institutional Variations, structural variations, and institutional cultures
•	Seeking Approval from IRB Boards
•	Implementing ePortfolios

Using the Assessment Tools

•	International Learning Outcomes
•	ePortfolios
•	Rubrics

Adapting a Student Survey

•	Easy Access for Students
•	Ease of Usage
•	Survey Design

Assessment of international learning outcomes is a complex undertaking. The following are general "lessons learned" from the ACE/FIPSE project on assessing international learning outcomes. In the box on the right, specific sets of lessons learned are grouped by assessment stage, starting with "Preparing for Assessment" and ending with "Using the Results."

LESSON: Define your assessment purpose
It is important to reach some consensus about the purpose of assessment early in the process. There are debates about whether assessment work should be for the improvement of student learning or accountability. Implementation and design decisions can vary considerably depending upon the purpose.

LESSON: Coordinate the assessment tools and process
The assessment process will flow more smoothly if a holistic assessment package is developed that includes explicit instructions for students, and how faculty can guide students with the submission of their data. If multiple assessment tools are used, like the SPIF and ePortfolio, they should be coordinated at the beginning.

LESSON: Adapt, don't adopt
Each institution is likely to develop different international learning outcomes. Because it is important that the assessment instruments align with the outcomes, pre-existing rubrics (like those created for the ACE/FISPE project) should be adapted rather than adopted by institutions interested in using them.

LESSON: Less is more. Be selective. Stage Inquiries
Be very selective in identifying international learning outcomes and limit the number assessed in a given assessment cycle. When adapting complex assessment tools, like the SPIF and the ePortfolio, ask the most important things you want to learn about students experiences (for the SPIF) and identify the most salient rubric criteria (for the ePortfolio).

LESSON: Be specific about the connections between the outcomes and the instruments
It is important to explicitly map out links between desired international learning outcomes and the assessment instrument—how outcomes are specifically being measured by the instrument(s) you are using. It can be challenging to get buy-in from key stakeholders who may already be dubious about assessment or who may believe that international learning outcomes are not measurable.

LESSON: Build in incentives or requirements for students to undergo assessment
The assessment process should be embedded in a course or required for program completion; otherwise students will not be motivated to participate. In addition, the assessment process should be a meaningful learning experience for students; they should be provided with authentic feedback on their performance.

LESSON: Review IRB procedures
Some institutions may require IRB approval for this kind of work. For those who have rigorous, comprehensive IRB committees, it's important to determine if these IRB restrictions are relevant for your assessment process and if they are, formulate your assessment plan with these restrictions in mind from the start.

LESSON: Assess the assessment team
While the assessment team should be formed with care and the specific roles of its members mapped out, it should not be conceived of as a static group. Furthermore, as the assessment process unfolds, the team should be reflective about its strengths and weaknesses, and address them as needed in order to ensure that the work proceeds as smoothly as possible.

LESSON: Collaborate
It is important to nurture open cooperation between the administration, the assessment team, other faculty members, and external consultants (when needed). It is also important to recognize the expertise and resources that each team member brings to the table, build upon this existing knowledge base when advancing new assessment ideas, and allow time for those involved to work through the issues these new ideas present.

LESSON: Build, foster and sustain a learning community
Institutions need to continually nurture the assessment culture, broaden participation, and create leaders in order to successfully undertake a complex student assessment project.

Lessons Learned in Assessment