Assessment

Assessment at Grinnell

We are here to help Grinnell College employees with assessment. We can support you as you conduct assessment projects and share your findings.

    Meet the Assessment Coordinator

    Vanessa Preast

    Vanessa Preast is the associate director of the CTLA and the coordinator of assessment for the College. Vanessa’s training includes a Ph.D. in education, with an emphasis on curriculum and instructional technology, from Iowa State University and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from University of Florida.

    Vanessa is passionate about excellence in teaching and learning within college environments so that all students and faculty have the best possible educational experiences.

    Previously, she served as the director of distance education at Mercy College and digital accessibility and instructional specialist at Des Moines University. She also taught educational research methods and educational statistics at Iowa State University as a post-doctoral fellow.

    Vanessa’s areas of interest include assessment, faculty development, digital accessibility, team-based learning, and restorative practices.

    Annual Assessment Reporting

    Student learning outcome assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning. Grinnell College is utilizing an annual assessment documentation process to:

    • help you to achieve your goals
    • share the great work you have achieved
    • allow you to seek assistance
    • monitor our progress with assessment projects
    • support an assessment-focused community among campus stakeholders
    • enhance teaching and learning at Grinnell College.

    Please help us in our efforts to document student learning outcome assessment at Grinnell by sharing your observations of student learning in your course(s) and programs using the form prepared in coordination with the Assessment Committee. We are asking faculty to submit the form for at least one class before the end of the academic year. If you have already submitted or spoken to the associate dean about your departmental report for this academic year, then you don’t also need to submit individual reports from your department.

    We are especially interested in examples where student work was evaluated by faculty members (as opposed to surveys of students’ satisfaction or their perceived learning within the course). This evaluation can happen within the context of a course — it doesn’t have to be a big project that your whole department undertakes.

    Thank you for your help in this effort.

    Vanessa Preast or Associate Dean Andi Tracy are happy to help you achieve your assessment goals by working within your unique contextual constraints.

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