Quality Enhancement Assessment

The purpose of the QEP University-Wide Assessment Plan is to ascertain the effectiveness of EKU’s efforts to develop informed critical and creative thinkers who communicate effectively.

To capture comprehensive evidence of student learning, summative and formative assessment process were implemented, using direct and indirect assessment methods. Formative Assessment is conducted during a program or course and provides immediate information for improving student learning. Summative assessment is used to check the level of student learning at the end of the program. Direct methods ask students to demonstrate their learning through tools such as objective tests, essays and evaluations of cooperative supervisor/employers. Indirect methods ask them to reflect on their learning through tools such as surveys and interviews.

Graduates in the Workplace survey, and department- or program-specific Strategic Planning assessment data. In addition to University wide assessment formative assessment will take place in each of the funded QEP initiatives.

Formative Assessment
Formative Assessment will take place in each QEP funded project, as well as for each degree program within the University. The funded projects each has articulated learning outcomes that will be assessed. Each department will identify at least one learning objective and assessment measure that is related to the Universities QEP.

Summative Assessment
Summative assessment is collected when a student enters EKU as a freshman or as a transfer student and again in the senior year. Achievement of student learning outco9mes will be gathered using direct and indirect measures. The primary direct-measure assessment tool will be the CAT (Critical Assessment Test) developed by Tennessee Tech University. Then the University’s Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric will be applied to the CAT responses. The indirect measure will be the student responses to ten questions on the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE). In addition, Graduates in the Workplace survey will be developed to assess the critical and creative thinking and communication skills of EKU graduates.

University-Wide Student-Learning Objectives

Students will explore and identify main issues/concepts/problems, and retrieve and organize relevant data/evidence.
Students will evaluate information to establish a position or interpretation, and identify and discuss the implications/consequences.
Students will synthesize, and expand on, relevant information to apply it to different situations and in different contexts.
Students will express and articulate a point of view with recognition of other possible perspectives while demonstrating appropriate rhetorical knowledge.

Assessment Tools

CAT (Critical Assessment Test)
NSSE (National Survey of Student Engagement)
EKU NSSE
University's Critical and Creative Thinking Rubric (PDF file)
University's Written Communication Rubric (PDF file)