Submitted Fall, 2006
Submitted by Dr. Phyllis Markussen, Chair
Family Studies and Interior Design
August 15, 2006
Introduction
This report reflects assessment activities for the Interior Design program in the department of Family Studies and Interior Design during the 2004-2006 academic calendar year.
I. Methodology
Learning Objectives: Knowledge
- Students will develop a broad knowledge and understanding of their disciplinary studies and how these can be applied in the working world.
Assessment Tool – Senior Show (NCIDQ Practice Practicum Test Portion).
Assessment Tool – External Review of Student Drawings – FSID 401.
Learning Objectives: Skills
- Students will demonstrate proficiency in the use of computer technologies necessary for competence and proficiency in the workplace.
Assessment Tool – Internship Assessment Rubric.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to write in their professional field.
Assessment Tool – Internship Assessment Rubric.
- Students will demonstrate competency in oral communication by creating and delivering public presentations related to their disciplinary studies.
Assessment Tool – Internship Assessment Rubric.
Learning Objectives: Values
- Students will demonstrate professional attitudes such as good work place habits, motivation, anticipating work demands, and ethical and social sensitivity, deemed essential for professional competence.
Assessment Tool – Internship Assessment Rubric.
- Students will demonstrate professionalism in the workplace regarding appropriate dress, deportment, sensitivity to diversity issues, as well as ethical and moral issues that may confront them. Length of Internships is 320 clock hours or seven credits. Internships are processed through an Internship Coordinator the department shares with another department.
Assessment Tool – Internship Assessment Rubric.
II. Results
Learning Objectives: Knowledge
Assessment Tool – Senior Show (NCIDQ Practice Practicum Test Portion)
Senior Show was conducted April 2006 in the Museum of Nebraska Art. The NCIDQ Practice Practicum Test Portion was conducted the following week during studio IV and FSID 446 night class. The NCIDQ is the examination for professional certification/registration and tests a broad knowledge and understanding of their disciplinary studies. Practice examinations are made available by NCIDQ at no cost to colleges and universities.
A random sampling of completed examinations were evaluated by a team of three faculty using a rubric (Appendix I of the Interior Design Assessment Plan 2005) developed from the evaluation criteria accompanying the NCIDQ Practice examination. Results were aggregated and a mean score was calculated. The mean score is recorded as a percentage of total possible points. A baseline score of 86% was recorded for assessment year 2004-2005. The recorded score for 2005-2006 was 72.5%, a score notably lower than 2004-2005. Additionally, student work was reviewed to determine areas of strengths and weaknesses of general knowledge. Since the NCIDQ practicum is divided into parts, sub-scores can be reviewed. It was found that in 2004-2005 areas of strengths included programming, space planning, material and finish specification, design solution, and communication in floor plans and elevations. Areas for improvement noted in 2004-2005 included communication of codes and construction details. Areas of strength in 2005-2006 were codes and space planning while sub-scores in design solution and communication were lower. Faculty have met to discuss these issues and plans have been implemented to promote improvement of these areas.
Assessment Tool – External Review of Student Drawings – FSID 401.
Student project drawings were submitted to the National Kitchen and Bath Association in November 2005. The drawings were reviewed by a national panel of practicing design professionals using the rubric “Endorsed Programs Student Work Sample Score Sheet “ found in Appendix II of the Interior Design Assessment Plan. NKBA reported UNK’s Interior Design Student scores ranged between 87.5% and 94.5%. This is slightly lower than scores from year 2004-2005 but still places UNK students among the top 10% in the nation. NKBA reported that the national scores ranged between 59% and 96%. All endorsed colleges and universities must submit student work annually as a requirement of continued program endorsement. Faculty have met to discuss these scores and plans are to continue the curriculum and course work currently in place.
Learning Objectives: Skills
- Students will demonstrate proficiency in the use of computer technologies necessary for competence and proficiency in the workplace.
Assessment Tool – Internship Assessment Rubric
The assessment tool “Internship Assessment Rubric” specifically asks the on-site internship supervisor to respond to a direct question “Use of Technology”. This instrument is a direct assessment of student computer technology skills expected of the practicing professional. All students’ scores were aggregated to a percentage of total possible scores. That aggregate percentage was 93% in 2004-2005 and again in 2005-2006. Faculty have discussed this score and plans are to continue the curriculum and course work currently in place. Student skill levels are stable and considered high.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to write in their professional field.
Assessment Tool – Internship Assessment Rubric.
The assessment tool “Internship Assessment Rubric” specifically asks the on-site internship supervisor to respond to a direct question “Written Communication”. This instrument is a direct assessment of student ability to write in their professional field. All students’ scores were aggregated to a percentage of total possible scores. That aggregate percentage was 95%. This percentage will be used as a baseline score for future years. Faculty have discussed this score and plans are to continue the curriculum and course work currently in place. Student skill levels are considered high.
- Students will demonstrate competency in oral communication by creating and delivering public presentations related to their disciplinary studies.
Assessment Tool – Internship Assessment Rubric.
The assessment tool “Internship Assessment Rubric” specifically asks the on-site internship supervisor to respond to a direct question “Oral Communication”. This instrument is a direct assessment of student ability to communicate orally in their professional field. All students’ scores were aggregated to a percentage of total possible scores. That aggregate percentage was 95%. This percentage will be used as a baseline score for future years. Faculty have discussed this score and plans are to continue the curriculum and course work currently in place. Student skill levels are considered high.
Learning Objectives: Values
- Students will demonstrate professional attitudes such as good work place habits, motivation, anticipating work demands, and ethical and social sensitivity, deemed essential for professional competence.
Assessment Tool – Internship Assessment Rubric.
Internships were assessed during 2004-2005 and 2005-2006. On-site supervisors/employers were asked to complete the “Supervisor Evaluation of Intern” rubric for all completed internships. Scores of all completed internship evaluations were aggregated and a mean percentage was calculated. That mean percentage was 91.6% for 2004-2005 and increased to 94% in 2005-2006. Faculty met to review the evaluations. No significant patterns of weaknesses or strengths were identified. Since the 94% for 2005-2006 represented a 2.4% increase from 2004-2005 it is considered a favorable score. Plans are to continue to prepare students in the same manner as in the past with continued emphasis on work place preparation.
- Students will demonstrate professionalism in the workplace regarding appropriate dress, deportment, sensitivity to diversity issues, as well as ethical and moral issues that may confront them. Length of Internships is 320 clock hours or seven credits. Internships are processed through an Internship Coordinator the department shares with another department.
Assessment Tool – Internship Assessment Rubric.
See Section II, Item # 1 above. The Internship Assessment Rubric does not necessarily separate objectives 1 and 2 of Section II above. The aggregate percentage was 94%.
III. Conclusions and Recommendations
The repeated very favorable national ranking of UNK’s design students’ work indicates that students do indeed develop an understanding of their disciplinary studies in the practice of the substance areas of interior design. Although last year the rankings placed the students first in the nation, this year’s rankings placed UNK in the top 10% of all schools. Recommendations are to continue with the curriculum and instruction currently in place and work to ensure the quality is further enriched to increase UNK’s rankings.
Results of Internship Supervisors’ evaluations indicated students were indeed able to apply technology, communicate, and demonstrated professional attitudes such as good work place habits, and motivation. Although annual increasing scores are always desirable, it is impractical to expect annual increases when the scores are in the mid ninety percentages.
Recommendations include a strengthening of the knowledge base regarding design solution and communication so that student scores on the NCIDQ will improve.
IV. Use of Results
The results of the NKBA external review and ranking will continue to be maintained on an annual basis so that continuing comparative analysis can be conducted. The results of the NCIDQ as well as the Internship Supervisors scores will also be maintained on an annual basis for comparative analysis.
V. Observations of the Process
The following internal questions were discussed during an Interior Design Faculty retreat summer of 06.
- Are current measures of student assessment reflective of the competencies we expect our graduates to have?
- Are current methods of assessing students effective, consistent, and in keeping with standards in our disciplines?
- Are there new or modified methods which will better assess what we want to learn about student outcomes?
The responses to these questions include:
- The following measures of student assessment are very reflective of the competencies we expect our graduates to have?
- The NKBA external review of student project drawings is especially appropriate in measuring competencies as it measures a student’s ability in all interior design knowledge substance areas. The review is conducted by a board of external jurors who are certified practicing designers.
- The Supervisor Evaluation of Interns was found to be especially valuable. It was possible to assess student technology skills, written and oral communication skills; as well as professional values.
- The NCIDQ practice practicum examination portion of the Senior Show was found to be very effective in measuring student knowledge of interior design substance areas. It is a practice examination intended for professionals preparing for the national examination, tests for interior design knowledge substance areas, includes an evaluation criteria sheet, and controllable for external abnormalities than the
- The current methods of assessing students were found to be effective, consistent, and within the standards of our discipline. No changes in the assessment plan are presented.
- The modified reporting of scores of student project drawings that NKBA now provides continues to be a very valuable tool for our program.
Interior Design faculty will continue to monitor assessment activities for efficiency, accuracy, and relevance to the established mission and objectives of the program. Data will continue to be gathered, analyzed, and used toward continued improvement activities.
No revisions to the current assessment plan have been made. A copy of this plan with the appropriate academic year dates accompanies this document.