Assessment activities in the Undergraduate College serve the programs and initiatives of the school and align with the goals of The University of Texas at Austin. University-wide assessment is guided by the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost. UC also supports and conducts assessments that contribute to the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), accreditation reporting (SACSCOC), and state reporting (THECB).
UT Austin Quality Enhancement Plan: Creating Leaders Through Collaborative Learning
The 2018 Quality Enhancement Plan topic grew from UT Austin’s longstanding commitment to leadership. QEP development involved input from all parts of the institution, including leadership, administration, faculty, students, and alumni. Recognizing the importance of leadership development for students the 2018 QEP focuses on teaching leadership in the specific area of teamwork/collaborative learning.
The 2018 Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) goals are to:
- Increase faculty understanding about best practices for engaging students in teamwork/collaborative learning activities in their core courses; and
- Increase student awareness of the importance of teamwork and the ability to perform effectively as both leader and follower.
In the context of the QEP, teamwork reflects collaborative or group effort that requires two or more students to consider different points of view and to work together to produce joint results. The student learning outcomes include the following: Broadly, students will be able to work collaboratively and display the ability to relate to others. Specifically, students will (1) interact with another party through active listening techniques; and (2) demonstrate an awareness of the importance of teamwork and the ability to perform effectively as both leader and follower.
Activities and Resources
Activities supporting the QEP goals include curriculum development, student and faculty feedback, assessment of student learning outcomes, and workshops and trainings.
The Undergraduate College works with faculty, staff, and students throughout UT Austin in a collaborative and iterative process to identify courses and assignments, refine assessment methods, analyze student artifacts, identify student achievement, and use the results to inform courses and assignments. Select assessment reports and resources may be accessed via Box.
Along with the Undergraduate College, the Center for Teaching and Learning provides resources and hosts workshops for faculty to further their teaching and assessment of teamwork/collaborative learning skills.
For questions, contact the Assessment Office at uc.assessment@austin.utexas.edu.