Media Contacts:
Dr. Marilee J. Bresciani, 919/515-6433
Paul K. Mueller, News Services, 919/515-3470

Aug. 29, 2003

NC State’s Teachers, Students Work for Continuous Improvement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

There’s good news for parents and students concerned about how, in a time of scarce funds, rising costs and increased enrollments, the state’s largest land-grant university is ensuring a quality education. A program that continuously evaluates teaching and learning at North Carolina State University, a process called assessment, reaches across all disciplines to boost the effectiveness of the university’s core mission.

“Measure what you value, rather than value what you measure” is the slogan of the assessment program, housed in the Division of Undergraduate Affairs. Dr. Marilee Bresciani, director of assessment for the division, explains: “When you value what you measure, the measurement – the metric or the number – can become an end in itself,” she said. “High test scores, for example, become the goal, even if students aren’t really becoming better students. They might only be getting better at taking tests.” Or, she said, teachers might be “teaching to the test,” and limiting students’ full understanding of the subject.

“When you measure what you value, on the other hand, you first ask what the real goals are – establish what you value – then find ways to continuously verify that goals are being met,” says Bresciani. “Assessment is the process of discovering and defining exactly what teachers and students should be getting from a course, or an entire curriculum, and helping everybody get there.”

As a result of offering and following through on the process, Bresciani says, NC State is the leading Research I university in undergraduate assessment. “We get a lot of inquiries from our peers at other institutions,” she said. “I believe our success is based on NC State’s public, land-grant and research culture. We seek ways to demonstrate good curricular judgment that serves taxpayers as well as students.”

She emphasizes that most professors and other teachers are eager to take advantage of assessment’s benefits, which are reinforced and supported by other nationally recognized offices at NC State, including the Campus Writing and Speaking Program, the Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning, University Planning and Analysis, the College of Engineering’s office of assessment and the Division of Student Affairs. Bresciani also credits faculty leadership from the undergraduate academic program-review committee and the Council on Undergraduate Education.

“From the chancellor to part-time instructors, leaders at this university have shown a long-standing desire to be accountable to all constituents,” Bresciani said, “and their drive to improve is demonstrated by the resources they provide – resources that let us gather, analyze and interpret information and apply sound assessment practice to NC State’s essential missions of teaching, scholarship, research and extension.”

Undergraduate assessment has collected an impressive number of success stories. Meteorology instructors, for example, had set as one objective that students “be able to assess the static stability of an air column given appropriate data plotted on a thermodynamic chart.” To prove that ability, students answered questions that ranged from “simple” computations to complex analysis and evaluation. A recent assessment of students found that by the end of the sophomore year, over 90% of students mastered the use of the thermodynamic chart to assess air-parcel processes. But for more complex tasks the mastery level was closer to 75%. In addition, a quarter of the students did not demonstrate mastery at a level of “highest cognitive” function such as complex analysis and evaluation – skills very much necessary for excellence in their profession.

Using detailed charts and tables, as well as course materials and student exams, the faculty assessment team in meteorology identified the need for improved instruction in those higher cognitive functions, as well as more instruction in analysis and evaluation in sophomore and senior courses. Most important, they resolved “to repeat this evaluation in subsequent years among multiple cohorts,” because the assessment process, to be effective, must be continuous.

Instructors and students in physics, mathematics, foreign languages, art and design, anthropology, textile engineering, physical education, forest management and biomedical engineering – among many other disciplines – conducted, and are conducting, similar assessments.

“NC State is fortunate to have nationally known student learning, teaching and assessment scholars at its disposal,” says Bresciani. “And the collaboration across division and college lines helps take advantage of that expertise. Faculty and administrators are regional, national and international leaders in their disciplines, and they’re fully committed to the continuous improvement of student learning.”

Legislators, taxpayers and parents can be assured, Bresciani said, that the university’s assessment process daily helps support “an embedded and ongoing culture of learning and accountability.”

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