The Assessment process has helped us (the ICS department) to clarify and organize what, and when, and why we're to do doing what we do. The result? A timeline of program competencies.
Prior to these conversations, courses in our program held a collection of assignments; all interesting and mostly appropriate, but largely disconnected . . . without a sense of direction and progression.
Students enjoyed the courses, and suspected that their intercultural formation was more significant than the mere sum of assignments, or of the courses checked off in their four-year planners, or of their cumulative GPA. And of course, they were right.
The timeline has helped us clarify which skills are critical, which are prerequisite to others, which is the most appropriate course to address the competency, and therefore in what order assignments should appear in a student's pilgrimage through the ICS major.
Thank you Assessment! You have inspired a re-assessment.
