Integrated Studies Staff Member Presents at Assessment Institute

Jeremiah C. Gee, assessment coordinator in Pennsylvania College of Technology's School of Integrated Studies, recently presented a 75-minute session at the 2007 Assessment Institute in Indianapolis.

His presentation, titled "The Matrix: A Customizable, Practical Tool for Assessment at All Levels," defined how matrices can be used in collaborative efforts by faculty, staff and administration to establish the continuity and congruency needed for a continuous assessment process.

A matrix is a graphic organizer that displays a variety of information for consumption by a wide audience of stakeholders. Gee described the summative, formative and interpretive uses of matrices for internal audiences such as students, faculty, staff and administration, as well as external audiences such as accrediting commissions, prospective students, potential employers and industry affiliates.

Gee's presentation also showed how to align strategic and long-range institutional goals with student-learning outcomes. It highlighted how these goals and outcomes can be tied to the processes involved in assessment, operational and strategic planning, and budgeting/resource allocation. Matrix templates were presented for use by students for course work, by faculty for program planning and review, and by administration for institutional planning and review.

The Assessment Institute is the nation's oldest and largest event focused exclusively on outcomes assessment in higher education. It is hosted by Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

Gee earned a master's degree in education at Mansfield University and a bachelor's degree in psychology from Nyack College Manhattan Center. Currently, he is a doctoral student in The Pennsylvania State University's adult education program.

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