“Outcomes Assessment in Education Abroad”
Standards of Good Practice Institute
March 21, 2012
Denver, Colorado
Note (2/26/12): This event has reached capacity; to be placed on a waiting list, please email forumeaconference@dickinson.edu
The Standards of Good Practice Institute, “Outcomes Assessment in Education Abroad,” will be held at the Sheraton Denver Downtown, March 21, 2012, immediately preceding the 8th Annual Forum Conference.
View the Standards Institute schedule here.
Historically, the field of education abroad has lacked extensive data demonstrating its outcomes: academic, developmental, institutional and professional. The Forum’s Standards of Good Practice call for assessment and evaluation in all of these areas. Its Outcomes Committee addresses these needs by encouraging and supporting research on and providing resources about the assessment of outcomes in education abroad.
The March 2012 Standards Institute on Outcomes Assessment will further this work by bringing together colleagues to discuss the desired outcomes of education abroad and how these are shaped by institutional/organizational mission, culture, and resources; examine different approaches to assessment, their strengths and weaknesses; and give participants the opportunity to develop and improve assessment strategies appropriate to their institutions and organizations. The Institute will include both plenary and concurrent sessions to allow participants to learn from experts, and engage in hands-on work.
The goals of the Institute are to:
- Identify outcomes appropriate to participants’ institutions and organizations
- Identify resources (internal and external) that can aid in the assessment of the outcomes
- Examine the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches and tools
- Empower participants to develop and improve assessment strategies for their institutions and organizations
Sessions should address one or more of the Institute goals and keep in mind that among Institute participants will be individuals with considerable experience in the identification and assessment of education abroad outcomes as well as individuals, who though they may have worked in education abroad for some years, are just now approaching the institute topic.
Some sessions will be led by invited experts both from within and from outside the education abroad field, but most sessions have been chosen through a competitive selection process. Sessions should emphasize best practices, and should use discretion in not marketing specific products or services, including assessment instruments.
Questions of interest to the Institute include:
Examples of “Best Practices” relevant to:
- The identification of outcomes for education abroad;
- Use of data sources already collected by colleges and universities as aides for assessment
- Examples of both qualitative and quantitative assessment
- Presentation and discussion of particular assessment instruments, their strengths and limitations
- Examples of assessment embedded in educational processes (in the study abroad office, the curriculum, program) as opposed to being added on
- Research on outcomes assessment
- How to structure an assessment plan
- Using assessment to improve practice
- Using assessment as a persuasive internal resource and reference for faculty, staff, students, and senior administrators;
- Assessment as directly related to the Standards of Good Practice (in particular, Standard 1: Mission, Standard 6: Policies and Procedures, Standard 7: Organizational and Program Resources, Standard 8: Health, Safety, Security and Risk Assessment).
Additional topics of interest include:
- How education abroad assessment efforts can be integrated with other accreditation documentation (Regional accreditation, ABET, etc.);
- Models of assessment practices adapted from other disciplines;
- How assessment results can be leveraged to advance institutional goals and priorities.
Session Format
Sessions are expected to follow the Forum’s distinctive roundtable format; however, some sessions will utilize other formats, including panel presentations.
Keynote Address
Powerful Partners in Making Global Learning an Integrative Theme in Higher Education
Trudy W. Banta is Senior Advisor to the Chancellor for Academic Planning and Evaluation and Professor of Higher Education at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Banta has gained a national reputation as an expert on outcomes assessment through her numerous articles and books, keynote addresses, service on national advisory panels, and sponsorship of national and international conference series.
Education abroad has the potential to be one of the most powerful vehicles for promoting global learning. Study abroad leaders need partners to achieve this potential, as well as to assess the learning outcomes. We will explore a variety of partnerships for education abroad and its assessment at national, regional, and campus levels.
Outcomes Assessment in Education Abroad Planning Committee:
Elizabeth Brewer, Beloit College, Co-Chair
Kelly McLaughlin, Yale University, Co-Chair
Larry Braskamp, Loyola University Chicago
Bill Clabby, International Studies Abroad
David DiBiasio, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Jessica DuPlaga, College of Wooster
Cristina Grasset, SEP
Cheryl Matherly, University of Tulsa
Christa Olson, Drake University
