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JRCERT Update

Data Analysis:

Closing the Loop in Assessment

Tricia D Leggett, DHEd, R.T.(R)(QM)
Stephanie Eatmon, EdD, R.T.(R)(T), FASRT

he data analysis process enables program facul- This article provides some best practices and points
ty and assessment committees to discover out pitfalls in the analysis of student learning assess-
information that supports the decisions that ment data.
Twill improve an educational program. Data
analysis, if performed correctly, can demonstrate stu- Begin With a Strong Assessment Plan
dent success and pinpoint areas for improving student Taking time during the initial development of the
learning. If not, it can look like little more than a collec- assessment plan increases assurance that the plan will
tion of numbers and an excessive and overwhelming yield meaningful results for analysis and reflect the
amount of meaningless data. degree of student learning. Using course grades as a
Assessment of student learning outcomes (SLOs) mechanism for assessing critical thinking is an example
is a task used to demonstrate compliance with institu- of a metric that does not produce useful, actionable
tional, regional, or programmatic accreditor standards; data. For example, if the course grade includes points
however, the true essence of assessment should be for multiple learning objectives, extra points for atten-
focused on continuous quality improvement of the edu- dance, and extra points for completing homework
cational program and enhanced student learning. The assignments, the educator can never be confident that
Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic the student has reached a targeted skill level for criti-
Technology (JRCERT) addresses assessment of stu- cal thinking. If, however, the student can demonstrate
dent learning in Standard Five of the Standards for success on a specific assignment that requires critical
an Accredited Educational Program, and the analysis thinking, such as modification of a routine procedure
and sharing of assessment data in Objective 5.4 (see for a challenging patient, then a stronger correlation
Box 1). Assessment of student learning need not be can be made between the data and the learning out-
1
viewed as a burdensome, unrewarding task; done well, come for critical thinking. Also, during assessment
it provides insight into the educational experience and plan development, less is more. Including in the plan
improved outcomes. only those metrics that reflect the SLOs produces more
Box 1 meaningful data and protects faculty members from
JRCERT Standard Five – Objective 5.4 1 data collection overload. The quality of the data deter-
mines its value to the program; for example, there is no
Analyze and share student learning outcome data and need to gather data that will not be used to enhance or
program effectiveness data to foster continuous program improve student learning. If the SLO is not important,
improvement. not measurable, or is measured incorrectly, the resulting

RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY, May/June 2017, Volume 88, Number 5 545
Reprinted with permission from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists for educational purposes. ©2019. All rights reserved.