CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

INPUT GOALS

I - Students

N - Faculty/Staff

P - Fiscal Resources/Budget

U - Equipment/Technology

T - Facilities/Buildings

S - Psychological Climate

PROCESS GOALS

- Curriculum

- Q7

P - General Education

R - Instruction

O - Seven Principles

C - Teaching/Learning Climate

E - Student Development

S - Orientation/Advising/Retention

S - Other Special Programs/Activities

E - Faculty Development

S - Administrative Process

- Continuous Process Improvement (CPI)

OUTCOME GOALS

O - Student Learning

U - Student Growth/Development

T - Faculty Development

C - Regional Service

O - University Stature

M

E (May include research outcomes, community

S service outcomes, reputational outcomes, etc.)

*Adapted from: L. F. Gardiner, “Working with Goals and Objectives in Colleges and Universities,” AAHE Assessment Convention Workshop, June, 1992. (Shirley Eiken, Participant)

DEFINITIONS FOR CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Systems Based: There are three basic components common to every instructional system (institution- , college, or department level):

INPUTS: Human and nonhuman resources--staff members, students, fiscal resources, buildings, facilities, equipment, and psychological climate.

PROCESSES:The process goals and objectives specify the intended processes by which outcome goals/objectives will be met. They indicate WHAT is offered to fulfill the stated mission--programs, services, curriculum, instruction, advising, orientation, faculty/instructional development program, and other activities

that are developed to produce the desired learning outcomes. Improving the quality of results depends on improving the quality of processes.

OUTCOMES: Desired or intended achievements that will result from the processes; RESULTS including student knowledge, skills, and values--referred to as student outcomes or learning outcomes; may also refer to other types of outcomes such as scientific discoveries made; community problems solved, etc.

THEREFORE, there are three types of assessment/evaluation: input assessment, process assessment, and outcome assessment.

Outcome assessment indicates WHAT results have been achieved and HOW MUCH of them. WHY the results are being achieved is the task of process assessment. Input assessment indicates/measures the adequacy of human and nonhuman

resources which are necessary to accomplish the processes and outcomes goals/objectives.

GOAL: A broad statement of the ultimate intended results desired; more general than an objective; a general statement typically describing a more conceptual and less directly measurable product.

Outcome goals are generally statements of student (educational) outcomes; descriptions of what students are intended to know (cognitive), to think (attitudinal), or to do (behavioral) when they have completed educational programs. However, outcomes

other than student learning outcomes may define other major areas of emphasis within institutions/colleges/departments.

OBJECTIVE:A statement indicating how the goal will be carried out; lends specificity and concreteness to broad, general goals statements; should be stated in assessable terms. Should not be “free standing” but closely connected/related to the broad goal.

INDICATOR: A criterion or measure used to indicate the degree to which a goal/objective has been achieved; refers to both quantitative and qualitative measures used by both quantita-

tive and qualitative assessment methods; indicators reflect the extent to which multiple assessment methods are used.

Input Indicator - Provides evidence of the level of resources that have been furnished to support the processes; does NOT demonstrate learning or the achievement of outcome goals/objectives.

Process Indicator - Shows what intended processes are actually offered and in what form(s); may indicate to what extent students/faculty/ staff/administration have participated in those processes; participation/attendance does NOT demonstrate that learning has occurred--does not provide evidence that desired student/learning outcomes have been achieved.

Outcome Indicator - Demonstrates that the intended results have been achieved; only learning outcome indicators provide evidence that learning or growth has actually occurred; may be either quantitative or qualitative.

EVALUATION: Uses information gained from input, process, and outcome assessments to make judgments of relative value: To what extent are the conditions described or measured by the assessment indicators acceptable? Assessment is a tool for evaluation. The process of evaluation involves determining what standards

should be applied to assessment information to determine whether improvement is needed.