Assessment in the Disciplines

Assessment in the Disciplines refers to a set of publications from AIR (Association for Institutional Research). Cost is about $32 per book, which includes shipping.

Assessment of Student Learning in Business Schools:
Best Practices Each Step of the Way
Edited by Kathryn Martell and Thomas Calderon
[2 volumes]
Collaborative project between AIR and the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)

Assessment of Student Learning in College Mathematics:
Towards Improved Programs and Courses
Edited by Bernard L. Madison
Includes 10 case studies

Assessment in Engineering Programs:
Evolving Best Practices
Edited by William E. Kelly
Collaborative project between AIR and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE)

© 2009 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. Email contact: bold[AT]marybold.com. The content of this blog or related web sites created by Mary Bold (www.marybold.com, www.boldproductions.com, College Intern Blog) is not under any circumstances to be regarded as legal or professional advice. Bold is the co-author of Reflections: Preparing for your Practicum or Internship, geared to college interns in the child, education, and family fields. She is a consultant and speaker on assessment, distance learning, and technology.

Ranks for Copyright Infringement

BayTSP is a company that tracks things for clients. A major part of tracking is of clients' works that are used without permission—in short, BayTSP is the copyright police for their clients. Copyright infringement is nowhere tracked "universally," which makes BayTSP's annual report on client experience an interesting insight into the topic, and a rare accounting. It also provides a different type of ranking for higher ed institutions.

The company's 2008 Report on Online Trends and Insight identifies leading sources of copyright infringement (again, of BayTSP's clients' works). Page 10 reports on Digital Piracy Statistics for Top Universities. Two lists are available: U.S. schools, and international schools. The Report also reports on the "top countries" and "top ISPs" for piracy of client content. Short commentaries explain what's stable (among universities since 2006, for example) and what's changing (lower rank for the U.S. among the countries from 2007 to 2008).

© 2009 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. Email contact: bold[AT]marybold.com. The content of this blog or related web sites created by Mary Bold (www.marybold.com, www.boldproductions.com, College Intern Blog) is not under any circumstances to be regarded as legal or professional advice. Bold is the co-author of Reflections: Preparing for your Practicum or Internship, geared to college interns in the child, education, and family fields. She is a consultant and speaker on assessment, distance learning, and technology.

Poll Everywhere as Clicker Alternative

As a fan of classroom response systems (AKA clickers), I am reluctant but resolute to recommend the next version of instant polling that (a) makes the expense of the hand-held systems indefensible, and (b) extends the power of the learning activity to distance learners who may be in synchronous or asynchronous communication with the class.

Poll Everywhere is not perfect—it is limited to surveys of one question at a time. A teacher must think ahead to plan how best to capture student responses. But the flexibility of student response is what makes the system so attractive.

1. Text a code via cell phone to submit an answer choice.
2. Twitter. Haven't tried that method.
3. Log into a generic web site and enter a code for your answer choice.
4. Follow an emailed URL to a page displaying the answer choices for you.

A teacher can even pre-fab a set of polls and publish them in the syllabus for continued or repeating polls across the semester. Settings permit once-only or multiple voting, anonymous or tracked identity, ongoing or closed dates. For in-class lecture settings, the polls can run from PowerPoint. Results are displayed with expected graphics and the web site offers options to customize type and color.

Free subscriptions allow running surveys for 30 responses (general public) or 32 responses (higher ed faculty). Paid plans start at $15/month. Google "poll4.com" to get a sense of just how many folks are using the service.

© 2009 Mary Bold, PhD, CFLE. Email contact: bold[AT]marybold.com. The content of this blog or related web sites created by Mary Bold (www.marybold.com, www.boldproductions.com, College Intern Blog) is not under any circumstances to be regarded as legal or professional advice. Bold is the co-author of Reflections: Preparing for your Practicum or Internship, geared to college interns in the child, education, and family fields. She is a consultant and speaker on assessment, distance learning, and technology.