Course Assessment Instrument (CAI)

Instrument and Guidelines Adopted Fall 2006

Purpose

The Course Assessment Instrument (CAI) is a comprehensive assessment of an individual course that serves as a "quality assurance" tool to ensure that each course is achieving its defined learning outcomes (as established by the Department), and to identify opportunities for improvement. The CAI is a fundamental component of, and input to, the assessment process since it is one of the primary methods by which opportunities for improvement and change are identified and documented.

The course assessment consists of two formal components, each of which is described in detail below:

• Faculty Course Assessment Report (FCAR)
• Committee Course Assessment Report (CCAR)

Role of Course Assessment in Program Outcomes Assessment

The Department has defined, as part of the learning outcomes for each academic program, the course(s) that "map" onto individual program outcomes. This mapping is indicative of the courses that, collectively, provide the educational experience to enable students' achievement of individual program outcomes. Thus, the collective assessment of individual courses required for the degree program forms the basis for assessing the program outcomes.

How the Results of Course Assessment are Used to Implement Change

Upon completion of the Course Assessment Instrument for each course, the appropriate Curriculum Committee analyzes all actionable recommendations made by individual instructors (FCAR) and the committee (CCAR) (Process Loop #2). The committee will then forward any final recommendations for action to the Department (and UWG academic governance bodies, as appropriate and where necessitated by University policy) for approval (Process Loop #3). For all such actions that are approved at all appropriate levels, and therefore implemented, entries will be made in the Assessment ChangeLog to document evidence of actions taken as a result of assessment. The Department will, periodically, review substantial changes to determine their efficacy in achieving the intended goals (Process Loop #1).

Faculty Course Assessment Report (FCAR)

The FCAR is a self-assessment made by the individual instructor of the course. Every faculty member who teaches a computer science course (with the exception of service courses) is required to provide information on his/her individual assessment of the course using the FCAR. This is to include an assessment of what learning outcomes were successfully achieved and not achieved. This assessment is not intended to reflect on the individual faculty member's performance, but rather, a reflection on what went well and not so well in trying to achieve the desired outcomes in order to improve future course offerings and the program as a whole. Throughout the FCAR, instructors are asked to try to be specific and constructive in the course assessment and provide explanation as necessary.

The assessment material may include, but is not limited to, items such as the following:

• successes or lessons learned in teaching a particular concept, whether it be a particular approach or assignment that was (un)successful in this endeavor
• learning outcomes that appear easy or problematic for the students to grasp
• insufficient prerequisite issues; topics better suited for another class, etc.

The FCAR consists of four steps: (the specific name of the component used to document each step, as appears in the Moodle course web, is given in brackets):

1. [Assessment Evidence] Instructor documents each graded assessment instrument (assignment, exam, project) in the course, including the following details:
   • course outcomes assessed by the instrument;
   • samples of student work;
   • comments/reflection (optional)
2. [Modifications Made to Course] Instructor documents specific modifications made to the course (since previous offerings). Wherever possible, such modifications will reference the results of previous assessment results. Such modifications may be the result of one or more of the following:
   • recommendations from previous Course Assessments
   • informal Faculty discussions
   • surveys and student evaluations
   • other influences (i.e., education/research/professional publications, conferences)
3. [Course Outcomes Assessment and Reflection] Instructor reflects on the course as a whole with respect the course outcomes. Did the course achieve all of its stated outcomes? In order to make the assessment material more accessible, the comments section of this component must include a list of positive aspects (things that went well) and a list of negative aspects (things that did not go so well) for the particular course offering. It is strongly recommended that there be a minimum of five (5) items for each list.
4. [Recommendations for Change] Instructor identifies any specific, substantive, and actionable recommendations for change. At a minimum, there must be at least three (3) recommendations that will be useful for future offerings, such as the addition or removal of learning outcomes, changes in the goals of the course, different approaches to a particular topic or assignment, etc.

Committee Course Assessment Report (CCAR)

The CCAR is similar to the FCAR, although it is less extensive in the level of detail expected. Essentially, the CCAR serves as a peer review and assessment, completed by the appropriate Curriculum Committee, of the course and the instructor's self-assessment (FCAR). The CCAR consists of the following steps:

1. [Course Outcomes Assessment and Reflection] As in the FCAR, the committee indicates, based on its review of the course portfolio and FCAR, whether or not the course achieved its stated outcomes. The committee may also comment on any other general aspects of the course as they see necessary and appropriate.
2. [Recommendations for Change] As in the FCAR, the committee identifies any specific, substantive, and actionable recommendations for change. Such recommendations are motivated by the committee's review of the FCAR and the course portfolio, and the committee's assessment of the successfulness of the course in achieving its learning outcomes.