Ideas to Action (i2a)

Assessment

Introduction to the Ideas to Action (i2a) evaluation plan

Ideas to Action launched its new Assessment Plan for 2014-2016 in August 2014. UofL has chosen for its Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), i2a, to focus on improving the critical thinking skills of undergraduate students and to more effectively prepare them to contribute to society. To implement the QEP, we will increase the focus on critical thinking within our General Education Program and undergraduate courses and establish Culminating Undergraduate Experiences for practical application of the critical thinking skills students have developed throughout their education.

UofL has identified two outcomes for i2a:

  1. Students will be able to think critically
  2. Students will develop the ability to address community issues

The impact of the University of Louisville’s efforts relative to the QEP will be assessed in multiple ways, including the use of direct and indirect assessments of student learning, national instruments, specifically developed assessments, and the tracking of QEP-related activities.

We are committed to the systematic collection of information about i2a initiatives and processes and its impact on student learning and development. In this process baseline, process and outcome assessments are conducted and information is reviewed and used to enhance learning and achieve i2a goals. The i2a Evaluation Vision [PDF] is a systematic, ongoing process to evaluate the evidence of undergraduate students' ability to think critically and connect student learning to community for the purpose of enhancing the quality of the undergraduate educational experience and documenting accountability to accreditation agencies. Specific i2a Evaluation Goals [PDF] include multiple measures of actual and perceived student performance, consistency with Paul-Elder critical thinking model, evaluation of outcomes and process, "value-added" assessments, and faculty input & participation. For a look at the assessment activities and data from the first five years of i2a, see pages 2-8 of our QEP Impact Report from March 2013.

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