I’m Not A Programmer But Programming Skills Are Still Extremely Useful

I don’t work in IT, software development, or anything even closely related to those fields so I’m often surprised at how much programming I do in my daily work life.  At times I write scripts or light programs (e.g., this set of Excel macros), usually to save time and ensure accurate, well-documented, and reproducible results. … Continue reading I’m Not A Programmer But Programming Skills Are Still Extremely Useful

New NSSE Survey and Technology Questions

I’m super excited that my colleagues have finally made the new version of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)  publicly available!  We’ve spent a lot of time working on this over the past 3-4 years, including focus groups, interviews, two pilot administrations, tons of literature review and data analysis, (seemingly) thousands of meetings, and… Continue reading New NSSE Survey and Technology Questions

Thoughts on Backward Design

 This post will be less organized than most posts; some of these thoughts and ideas are still a little raw. Backward design – the method by which one begins with the desired end result(s) of an educational program, determines acceptable evidence showing that the result(s) has been achieved, and then creates a plan to teach… Continue reading Thoughts on Backward Design

Assessment in IT

A few weeks ago, I attended the 2010 ResNet Symposium in Bellingham, Washington where I was invited to present a preconference session on assessment.  I presented two identical sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon.  In this post I’ll reflect on what we discussed in these sessions and my perceptions of assessment… Continue reading Assessment in IT