Office of Academic Assessment

During the 2023-2024 academic year, the Office of Academic Assessment is working with faculty and departments on a number of exciting projects!

Canvas Outcomes

We are currently working with the Learning, Equity, and Assessment Program (LEAP) fellows to pilot Canvas Outcomes as a means for collecting broad, sustainable data about student learning at Emerson. Through these pilots, we are working on the next iteration of LEAP, one that seeks to provide meaningful information about student learning to departments and programs, while remaining mindful of the impact these processes have on faculty labor.

Curriculum Mapping

We continue to work with departments to update their program-level student learning outcomes and to build curriculum maps that show where students engage with those outcomes during their degrees. This project aims to increase the transparency of Emerson's curriculum for both faculty and students.

Collaborations with Internationalization & Equity

OAA is collaborating with staff and faculty in the Kasteel Well and Global Pathways programs to develop students learning outcomes for global education at Emerson. These outcomes will highlight the substantial, transformative learning experiences already taking place through our programs, as well as provide guidance for those developing new courses in global education.

Faculty Programming

Building on the success of our "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Grading?" reading group last spring, this Fall, OAA is again offering faculty a space to learn about and discuss alternative assessment methods that align with their pedagogical goals. We have also offered a workshop on Designing and Implementing Meaningful Rubrics.

What's coming up?

Watch this space for more new workshops and reading group offerings focused on topics such as feedback and student voice in assessment, coming soon!

Individual Consultations (Ongoing)

The Office of Academic Assessment offers consultations, both virtually and in-person, for faculty interested in discussing assessment of student learning. We are available to discuss learning outcomes, rubrics, assignments, analysis of findings, equity-minded assessment, and additional topics. 

You can book a consultation with Liz here and Tyler here.

Workshop: Designing Outcomes for Significant Learning, November 10th, 2022, 2:30-4pm, 172 Tremont, Rm. 206.

Need help creating student learning outcomes (SLOs) for a new course? Or revising existing SLOs for a course you've taught already? Or maybe you are interesting in learning a new approach to creating equity-minded SLOs? This workshop will introduce L. Dee Fink's "Six Categories of Significant Learning," a holistic, human-centered approach to learning, and share how they can be used to shape effective and equitable SLOs. You will then be given time to reflect, work, and collaborate on your own SLOs using resources and guidance from OAA. Register here by November 7th.

Below you will find a list of past events; if you would like to know more about these events, please get in touch with us.

Virtual Course Spa (August 16-19, 2021)
August 16, 2021: Equity Minded Assessment of Student Learning

• This session explores the growing practice of Equity-Minded Assessment in higher education: What is it? Why is it valuable for us and for our students? How can we begin or further our practice of equity-minded assessment in our classrooms? The session will include an overview of what makes an assessment “equity-minded,” and participants will have an opportunity to design or revise a student assignment with these principles in mind. Participants are encouraged to have an assignment or assignment idea handy!

August 17, 2021: Rubric Design

• So you want to talk about rubrics? Perhaps you are new to writing them or maybe you need a refresher? Join Daniela Puorto as she works through the basics of creating a rubric to maximize your assessment and streamline your grading.

August 16-19, 2021: "Assessment Sauna"

• Assessment can make you sweat! Relax and discuss methods of evaluating student learning with Liz Chase and Daniela Puorto. Popular treatments include: Design student learning outcomes; Develop research-focused learning outcomes