Since 2002, CNDLS has worked with numerous Georgetown faculty and academic departments to gather student feedback on the effectiveness of curricula, teaching methods, and program offerings. Our staff is well versed in classroom assessment techniques, program assessment and curriculum design, all of which we employ to help faculty and departments determine what activities and assignments are best suited to achieving the learning goals of their courses and departmental curriculum. We have worked with many faculty members and such departments as: Biology, Classics, Computer Science, Economics, Physics, Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology, Theology, the School of Foreign Service, and the School of Nursing and Health Studies.
CNDLS offers "on the ground" assistance to faculty and graduate students who would like to use feedback or survey data to adapt their teaching practice and course designs to meet student needs. Student feedback can bring important issues to the fore and help an instructor determine when and where to intervene. Assessments created as opportunities for student learning and for instructor feedback on how well the course or instruction is working, such as comments on the draft of a paper or mid-semester focus groups, are called "formative" because they inform and help to (re)form the course by creating opportunities for change and growth during the current semester. Often, formative assessment techniques are used in tandem with course and curriculum redesign services, offered by CNDLS' Course and Curriculum Design team.
CNDLS also offers guidance on program and curricular assessment, which usually takes the form of surveys, focus groups, or interviews as students complete a major or a program of study. This type of assessment, coming at the end of a program or experience, is called "summative" because it summarizes what students have gained from an instructional experience. Feedback gained from summative assessment is useful for evaluating programs and making changes to courses and curricula for "the next time around" but usually do not allow for immediate changes that make an impact on an individual student experience or course design.
All CNDLS assessment services begin with a consultation and discussion about your questions and goals, resulting in a recommended assessment plan that may include one or more of the following techniques:
