Assessment for Travel/Study Programs

Travel study courses and programs offer students the opportunity to combine academic course work with a travel experience that is designed to enhance learning in a number of ways.  Because traditional academic learning outcome assessment will be done on a department/college level, assessment of the travel study experience must address the integration of the two elements (academics + travel) and focus, in particular, on the value of the travel experience. Such assessment will offer justification for continued funding of particular courses/programs using differential tuition dollars.

Because Travel/Study courses/programs will vary in focus and design, assessment should be flexible enough to apply directly to individual courses/programs, provide useful feedback for program improvement and development, and yet produce tangible information for institutional use and ongoing support.

While approaches to assessment may vary, the following are essential components of all Travel/Study Programs and should be covered in the assessment process:

  -    Academic achievement

  -    Cultural competence

  -    Individual growth and participation in group dynamics

  -    Career development

  -    Understanding of learning outside the classroom (experiential learning/service learning)

And, because travel study requires a differential tuition structure, the assessment process should gauge student satisfaction with the travel experience as well as achievement of learning outcomes. Tools for this type of assessment might include:

·         Universal Evaluation of Program Survey for students [should include response to academic and cultural design of program, logistical and cost issues, evaluation of orientation and re-entry components] (to be developed via OCED)

·         Course-specific surveys

·         Standardized assessments tools [We may want to consider implementing or adapting standardized tools developed to assess experiential learning or service learning.]

·         Director’s Report: Report would include the following components:

 Outline of program design based on plan to maximize student learning outcomes including:

ü  Expectations: [Program Goals] Outline of general expectations (academic, cultural, group interaction, experiential

ü  Preparation: [Program Design] How program is designed to meet expectations: orientation, program delivery [academic, cultural, and experiential components; costs/logistics; calendar], re-entry measures

ü  Assessment:  [Program Assessment] Review of how expectations were met and how program can be strengthened in the future:  should include review/response to student measures—course performance, student satisfaction survey for program delivery, and any standardized assessment tools used.

Finally, there should be an Institutional Review Process to provide measures that the institution can draw from 

·         Directors’ Reports:  Submitted to Travel/Study Committee and administration

·         Promotional Materials/Information for individual programs

·         Student Participation in programs/Student Performance in courses

·         Use of standardized assessment tools (pre- and post- measures)

Assessing the impact of travel study can be challenging, but there is a range of tools that may be used to assess the effect of travel experiences on civic engagement as well as on other leaning outcomes.

Assessment tools

1. Particular assessment instruments

·         Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI)

·         National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) [Lorene/Jim, perhaps you can add a recognized national tool particular to travel study?]

·         Survey tools in use at WSU [we suggest a call to all faculty to contribute to a “bank” to be maintained by OCED of all survey instruments used now or in the past for assessing travel study]

2. Qualitative approaches to assessment

·         Written documents/student work – classroom assignments, projects, journals, portfolios, presentations

·         Institutional documents/records – course syllabi, course surveys/evaluations, entrance and exit interviews, formal program/departmental evaluations

Last Modified: Monday, October 29, 2007 11:41 by Kathryn Pikop