Learning Effectiveness

Participating the WASC Retreat on learning assessment in Irvine. Often the worry about things like this is that people spend enormous amount of time for fad that disappear in a couple of years. I believe the outcome/assessment/improvement process is here to stay. The fact that this process, if explained well, it is obvious and self evident. The OAI process is similar to many well-accepted and proven rule in business management. The teacher (or manager) should make the instructional process and goals clearly documented and communicated.

The challenge is how to A. convince all faculty to do it. B. do it effectively and efficiently. The major concern I have is that lack of quantitative research of the result. Or even more importantly, lack of culture in hard evidence.

I had a peculiar feeling coming back to Irvine, which I lived and enjoyed for many years. The weather is still perfect, the sky green. However, because of the stark difference between Carmel and Orange, I see all these well-manicured lawns, spotless high-rises, I feel out of place.