University of Michigan

      National Center for Postsecondary Improvement

        Project 5.3 on Student Learning and Assessment

                The Faculty Survey:

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Variables and Factors extracted from the Faculty Survey 

Assessment:

Category
Factor Scale – Variable
Survey Question – Variable Identification
Response Options
Attitudes toward Assessment
Accuracy
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following views about assessment.
1.      Student assessment techniques accurately measure student learning
2.      Regular assessment of students accurately captures what they are learning in my classroom
1=disagree strongly
2=disagree somewhat
3=agree somewhat
4=agree strongly
 
 
 
 
 
Assessment is Working
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements about student assessment at this institution.
1.      Most faculty do a good job of assessing what students are learning in the classroom
2.      Most faculty regularly assess what their students are learning in the classroom
1=disagree strongly
2=disagree somewhat
3=agree somewhat
4=agree strongly
 
 
 
 
 
Improves Education
(alpha = .69)
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following views about assessment.
1.      Students today are learning more due to an institutional focus on the assessment of student learning
2.      Student assessment has improved the quality of education at this institution
3.      Student assessment reduces the quality of education
4.      Frequent communication with colleagues improves my student assessment practices 
5.      Monitoring student assessment is a distraction and competes with essential academic work
1=disagree strongly
2=disagree somewhat
3=agree somewhat
4=agree strongly
 
 
 
 
 
Influential Effect of Assessment
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following views about assessment.
1.      The results of student evaluations of my teaching influence my approach to assessing student work
2.      State or federally mandated assessment requirements improve the quality of
undergraduate education
1=disagree strongly
2=disagree somewhat
3=agree somewhat
4=agree strongly
 
 
 
 
 
Necessity
(alpha = .84)
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following views about assessment.
1.      Faculty have a professional obligation to regularly assess what students are learning
2.      The effectiveness of teaching is enhanced when faculty regularly assess students
3.      From an educational standpoint, it is necessary for us to monitor what students learn
4.      An effective teacher is one who regularly assesses what students are learning
5.      What I learn by assessing student learning has immediate relevance to what takes place in the classroom
1=disagree strongly
2=disagree somewhat
3=agree somewhat
4=agree strongly
 
 
 
 
 
Use of Assessment Data
(alpha = .76)
How important are each of these activities at your institution?
1.      Using standard measures of student learning in all departments
2.      Complementing student evaluations with other faculty teaching performance information
3.      Encouraging faculty to use student performance information to reflect on their own teaching
4.      Using student assessment data to meet external agency requirements
5.      Using student assessment data to improve teaching and learning
1=not important
2=somewhat important
3=very important
4=essential
 
 
 
 
 
Assessment is Worthwhile
(alpha = .56)
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements about student assessment at this institution.
1.      Assessment instruments provide a better gauge of student learning than course grades
2.      Student grades provide the best measure of what students learn 
3.      Faculty should spend more time assessing student learning
1=disagree strongly
2=disagree somewhat
3=agree somewhat
4=agree strongly
 
 
 
 
Involvement with Assessment
Department Involvement in Assessment
(alpha = .81)
Please indicate your agreement with each of the following statements about your department.
1.      Has standard criteria for student performance
2.      Coordinates its student assessment activity with campus administrators
3.      Has an effective plan for monitoring student outcomes
4.      Has influence on assessment techniques I use
5.      Demonstrates a great deal of consensus on its approach to student learning
1=disagree strongly
2=disagree somewhat
3=agree somewhat
4=agree strongly
 
 
 
 
 
Institutional Use of Assessment
(alpha = .38)
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements about student assessment at this institution.
1.      This institution does very little to use student assessment in shaping academic planning and policy-making
2.      Grading practices are increasingly influenced by results from new forms of student assessment
3.      Students have little say about assessment techniques used here
1=disagree strongly
2=disagree somewhat
3=agree somewhat
4=agree strongly
 
 
 
 
 
Assessment Strategy Development
(alpha = .79)
How centralized are each of the following activities at your institution?
1.      Criteria for assessment of student learning
2.      Development of new classroom assessment strategies
3.      Goals for student learning
4.      Criteria for student grading
5.      Use of student assessment data
1=no coordination
2=voluntarily by ad-hoc faculty groups
3=department
4=college or school
5=institution
 
 
 
 
 
Evaluate Students
How frequently do you participate in the following activities?
1.      Test students entering my department
2.      Assess students for course placement purposes
1=never
2=occasionally
3=frequently
 
 
 
 
 
Academic Core Planning
(alpha = .83)
What is the level of faculty involvement in your institution on the following?
1.      Undergraduate curriculum development
2.      Academic planning for undergraduate education
3.      Faculty development activities
4.      Use of educational technology
5.      Teaching/learning workshops for undergraduate education
1=no involvement
2=little involvement
3=moderate involvement
4=strong involvement
5=very strong involvement
 
 
 
 
 
Course Development
(alpha = .62)
How centralized are each of the following activities at your institution?
1.      Determination of coursework requirements
2.      Development of final exams
3.      Decisions regarding course content
4.      Development of teaching techniques
1=no coordination
2=voluntary by ad-hoc faculty groups
3=department
4=college or school
5=institution
 
 
 
 
Resistance to Assessment
Deterrents
(alpha = .41)
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following views about assessment.
1.      Student assessment limits the amount of time I have to devote to other academic activities
2.      Faculty are reluctant to engage in student assessment for fear that student assessment results will be used in evaluations 
3.      Mandated student assessment limits the academic freedom of faculty 
4.      Student assessment is more effective when determined by the faculty member rather than by the institution
1=disagree strongly
2=disagree somewhat
3=agree somewhat
4=agree strongly
 
 
 
 
 
Lack of Efficacy
(alpha = .73)
Regarding new teaching and learning practices, to what extent do you feel that each of the following is a concern of faculty in your department?
1.      They feel that following teaching trends or fads is dangerous
2.      They feel the new practice is less effective than traditional teaching techniques
3.      New practices seem ill-founded or ill-researched
4.      They feel that such practices make them give up too much classroom control
1=not a concern
2=minor concern
3=major concern
 
 
 
 
 
Performance Pressure
Regarding new teaching and learning practices, to what extent do you feel that each of the following is a concern of faculty in your department?
1.      They do not feel they can perform this practice well 
2.      There is pressure from peers to resist new practices
1=not a concern
2=minor concern
3=major concern
 
 
 
 
 
Time-Consuming
(alpha = .46)
Regarding new teaching and learning practices, to what extent do you feel that each of the following is a concern of faculty in your department?
1.      New practices are typically dictated by the needs of administrators 
2.      New practices seem too time-consuming
3.      New practices are too time-consuming for students
1=not a concern
2=minor concern
3=major concern
 
 
 
 
Faculty
Assessment is Working
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements about student assessment at this institution.
1.      Most faculty do a good job of assessing what students are learning in the classroom
2.      Most faculty regularly assess what their students are learning in the classroom
1=disagree strongly
2=disagree somewhat
3=agree somewhat
4=agree strongly
 
 
 
 
 
Student Learning-based Evaluations
(alpha = .74)
Please indicate your level of agreement on statements about rewards at your institution.
1.      Faculty evaluation for annual salary and merit increases incorporates evidence of student performance
2.      Faculty evaluation for promotion considers evidence of student performance in their classes (not just student teaching evaluations)
3.      Merit/salary increases are adequate here
4.      Scholarship on teaching is considered in promotion, tenure, and salary reviews
5.      Faculty scholarship on or innovative uses of student assessment is considered in promotion, tenure, or salary reviews
1=disagree strongly
2=disagree somewhat
3=agree somewhat
4=agree strongly
 
 
 
 
 
Implement and Evaluate Teaching and Learning Practices
(alpha = .73)
How frequently do you participate in the following activities?
1.      Assist faculty peers in their use of new teaching and learning practices
2.      Make recommendations to administrative offices about new teaching and learning practices
3.      Evaluate faculty in their use of new teaching and learning practices
4.      Evaluate the effectiveness of new teaching and learning practices for my department
5.      Help determine the performance standard for students graduating from my department
1=never
2=occasionally
3=frequently
 
 
 
 
 
Self-Evaluation
(alpha = .62)
In how many of your undergraduate courses do you do each of the following?
1.      Have another faculty member review my teaching for feedback 
2.      Use service learning experiences
3.      Try new teaching practices 
4.      Use student performance information to evaluate my own teaching
1=none
2=some
3=most
4=all
 
 
 
 
 
Evaluation of Teaching
How centralized are each of the following activities at your institution?
1.      Student evaluations of teaching
2.      Faculty peer evaluations of teaching
1=no coordination
2=voluntary by ad-hoc faculty groups
3=department
4=college or school
5=institution
 
 
 
 
Student
Improvement of Academic Ability
(alpha = .85)
Please rate the growth undergraduate students demonstrate in your department from college entry to graduation.
1.      Problem solving ability
2.      Competitiveness on the job market 
3.      General academic ability 
4.      Mathematical ability 
5.      Critical thinking ability
1=greatly decrease
2=decrease somewhat
3=stay about the same
4=increase somewhat
5=greatly increase
 
 
 
 
 
Improved Ability to Work with Others
(alpha = .78)
Please rate the growth undergraduate students demonstrate in your department from college entry to graduation.
1.      Ability to work cooperatively with others to accomplish goals
2.      Leadership ability
3.      General self-confidence 
4.      Oral communication skills
1=greatly decrease
2=decrease somewhat
3=stay about the same
4=increase somewhat
5=greatly increase
 
 
 
 
 
Traditional Learning
(alpha = .69)
Please indicate your level of agreement on statements about students in your courses.
1.      Learn best when they are given a test on course content
2.      Learn best through repetition of material in lectures, texts, and exams
3.      Want more feedback than grades or exam scores provide
4.      Can communicate what they learn through methods outside of formal tests or assessment
1=disagree strongly
2=disagree somewhat
3=agree somewhat
4=agree strongly
 
 
 
 
 
Low Learning Expectations
(alpha = .45)
Please indicate your level of agreement on statements about students in your courses.
1.      Get credit for effort demonstrated on exams and assignments
2.      Learn more when I keep questions and discussions to a minimum
3.      Will never master the concepts if they do not grasp them right away
1=disagree strongly
2=disagree somewhat
3=agree somewhat
4=agree strongly
 
 
 
 
 
Improvement in Multicultural Competence
(alpha = .83)
Please rate the growth undergraduate students demonstrate in your department from college entry to graduation.
1.      Ability to interact in multicultural environments 
2.      Acceptance of people with different beliefs 
3.      Knowledge of other cultures 
4.      Understanding others’ points of view 
5.      Understanding their own strengths, weaknesses and learning processes 
6.      Written communication skills
1=greatly decrease
2=decrease somewhat
3=stay about the same
4=increase somewhat
5=greatly increase
 
 
 
 
 
Peer Learning
(alpha = .73)
Please indicate your level of agreement on statements about students in your courses.
1.      Understand material better when they also hear course concepts explained by peers 
2.      Have a better grasp of course concepts when they discuss concepts with peers
3.      Understand the complexity of a topic better after exchanging ideas with peers
1=disagree strongly
2=disagree somewhat
3=agree somewhat
4=agree strongly
 
 
 
 
 
Preparedness
(alpha = .61)
Please indicate your level of agreement on statements about students in your courses.
1.      Are less prepared for college level work than they were five years ago
2.      Are capable of learning the basic concepts
3.      Do not have the ability to ask good questions
1=disagree strongly
2=disagree somewhat
3=agree somewhat
4=agree strongly
 
 
 
 
 
Cross-Concept Learning among Students
(alpha = .58)
Please indicate your level of agreement on statements about students in your courses.
1.      Often make connections across concepts I had not anticipated
2.      Like to think about questions for which no single authoritative solution exists
3.      Do not question the readings or textbook
1=disagree strongly
2=disagree somewhat
3=agree somewhat
4=agree strongly
 
 
 
 
 
Provide Student Feedback
(alpha = .56)
How frequently have you engaged in each of the following activities?
1.      Provided feedback more than three times each term to all students
2.      Limited all student feedback to final course grades 
3.      Utilized short class activities to assess whether students have grasped concepts 
4.      Provided feedback to students immediately after each assessment 
5.      Stopped lectures to make sure students understood the material
1=never
2=occasionally
3=frequently
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