PORTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE: ASSESSMENT 2000

Assessment: A Selective Bibliography of Articles and Books

The articles, documents and books on this list were selected in order to provide a starting place for anyone in the college community who has an interest in assessment in post-secondary education. If you know of additional items which you would like to see on this list, please let me know (Sharon Smith). Each section includes some recommended headings and resources for additional searching on your own.

Notebooks with selected articles will soon be available in each campus Learning Resource Center (LRC). The notebooks will be in the Reserve collection. Ask at the Circulation Desk.

Recent Articles about Assessment

Allen, J. (1996). Learning outcomes in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 21(1):93-108.
Draws a distinction between the specification of educational objectives and learning outcomes. Particularly useful for lists of generic academic outcomes (Appendix 3) and key transferable skills (Appendix 4).

Angelo, T. A. (1996). Transforming assessment: High standards for higher learning. AAHE Bulletin, 48(8):3-4.
Brief overview of trends in assessment over the past 10 years. Includes a helpful definition of assessment.

Bradley, J. L., Draper, G. F., Stuhl, J. H. (1994). Assessment and 2-year institutions. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 18:13-21.
Describes use of commercially available and locally designed assessment instruments based on a national study. Notes that 77% of two-year colleges assess basic skills but are less likely to assess major fields of study than four-year colleges.

Donald, J. G., & Denison, D. B. (1996). Evaluating undergraduate education: the use of broad indicators. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 21(1):23-39.

Ewell, P. T. (1987). Establishing a campus-based assessment program. New Directions in Higher Education no. 59 (Fall):9-24.

__________. (1989). Information for decision: What’s the use? New Directions for Institutional Research, no. 64 (Winter):7-19.

_________. (1995). Working over time: The evaluation of longitudinal student tracking data bases. New Directions for Institution al Research, no. 87 (Fall):7-19

Ewell, P. T., & Jones, D. P. (1994). Data, indicators, and the national center for higher education management systems. New Directions for Institutional Research 82 (Summer):23-35.

Franklin, D. A., & Tolbert, R. P. (1995). Maximizing the use of pre-existing assessment results for improvement in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation, 20(1):37-44.

Grady, J. B. (1994). Authentic assessment and tasks: Helping students demonstrate their abilities. NASSP Bulletin, 78(566):92-98.
Identifies six components of a task model for assessment (linked to content area standards and lifelong learner outcomes similar to those in the SCANS report). General outcomes include: complex thinking processes; cooperative processes; learner self-regulation; communication; information gathering.

Inger, M. (1995). Alternative approaches to outcomes assessment for post-secondary vocational education. CenterFocus [Online], 10. http://vocserve.berkeley.edu/CenterFocus/CF10a.html
Based on an earlier report of the same title (NCRVE Report No. MDS-239) edited by Debra Bragg and written by Debra Bragg, Thomas Grayson, Michael Harmon, Linda Mabry, and N.L. McCaslin, 1992. Discusses several approaches to assessment such as the student success model, value-added assessment, TQM, performance assessment and concept mapping.

Murrell, P. H., & Glover, J. W. (1996). The community college experience: Assessing process and progress. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 20:199-200.

Pascarella, E., Edison, M., Nora, A., Hagedorn, L., & Terenzini, P. (1995-96). Cognitive effects of community colleges and four-year colleges. Community College Journal 66(3):35-39.

Schnell, M. S. (1996). Assessment and CQI: Could collaboration be on the horizon? AAHE Bulletin 48(8): 15-17.

Tait, J. & Knight, P. (1995). Assessment and continuous quality improvement: A North American case study. Innovations in Education and Training International, 32(4):356-61.
An overview of a five-stage assessment model used by James Madison University for assessment of student learning. Includes discussion of how information obtained through assessment is used to guide policy.

ERIC DOCUMENTS

Hutchings, P. (1989). Behind outcomes: Contexts and questions for assessment. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 311 777)
Recommends careful examination of the processes and conditions that lead to improved student learning - not just the outcomes. Identifies nine areas of inquiry for assessment, and suggests extending the practice of assessment across the institution by involving more people.

Rendon, L. I. & Jalomo, R. (1995). Validating student experience and promoting probress, performance, and persistence through assessment. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 381 051)
Report of a research study of in-class and out-of-class experiences of 72 community college students in three parts of the country to assess impact on transition to college, student involvement, and student perceptions about learning. Discusses student assessment methods that promote student achievement and persistence.

How to Find Additional Articles and Documents in ERIC

Faculty and staff of Portland Community College have access to ERIC through PORTALS.

Useful subject headings in ERIC include:

You may also use key words to search the ERIC database.

Books about Assessment in LRC Collections

(listed by title - Check Cat-a-Link for Call Numbers and locations. Selected titles will be placed on Reserve)

Assessing College Outcomes: What State Leaders Need to Know (1991)

Assessing Educational Outcomes (1985)

Assessing Higher Order Thinking in Mathematics (1990)

Assessing Student Learning and Development: A Guide to the Principles, Goals, and Methods of Determining College Outcomes (1991)

Assessing Writers’ Knowledge and Processes of Composing (1985)

Assessment and Accountability in Higher Education: Proceedings Document. December 5-7, 1989.

Assessment and Outcomes Measurement: A View from the States (1987)

Assessment and Testing: Myths and Realities (1994)

Assessment Case Studies: Common Issues in Implementation with Various Campus Approaches to Resolution (1991)

Assessment for Excellence: The Philosophy and Practice of Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education. (1991)

Assessment in Student Affairs: A Guide for Practitioners (1996)

Assessment System for the Evaluation of Learning Resources Programs in Community Colleges (1983)

Toward One System of Education: Assessing to Improve, Not Merely Audit (1991)

How to Find Additional Books by Searching in Library Catalogs

Faculty and staff have access to other library catalogs through PORTALS. Some useful Library of Congress Subject Headings for locating additional books about assessment include: Key word searches are also available in on-line catalogs.

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Sharon L. Smith
December 1996
by Lia Kidoguchi