Program Accreditation and Assessment (PAA), under the guidance of the Vice President for Academic Innovation, is introducing a new process through which faculty can assess general education courses. Canvas is already seamlessly integrated into Texas State’s teaching and learning environment, supporting students and faculty by centralizing course communication, instructional resources, and academic tools. Now general education programs have access to a new assessment framework for data insights.
Canvas Analytics Dashboards
Program Accreditation and Assessment (PAA), under the guidance of the Vice President for Academic Innovation, is introducing a new process through which faculty can assess general education courses.
[learning analytics dashboards are currently under development]
Why Canvas?
By developing standardized rubrics in Canvas that normalize data outputs across general education populations, the university can more clearly demonstrate examples of how students are meeting general education standards and obtaining desired outcome goals.
Reporting Benefits
Course coordinators and assessment teams are encouraged to consider the benefits of using Canvas as a streamlined process for assessment data collection and synthesis. Although assessment procedures across Texas State have been refined through years of collaboration and evaluation, variation in course-level results can create gaps in research insights used to inform data-driven improvements. PAA has found that utilizing Canvas eliminates various tedious processes enhancing reporting accuracy.
Canvas Pilot
Course coordinators participating in the pilot found that centralized data collection supported constructive internal program analysis while substantially reducing the time required to obtain assessment results from faculty. General education instructors reported that the tool provided an accessible structure for aligning, recording, and reporting course outcomes, allowing faculty to spend more time focused on teaching rather than collecting and compiling assessment data.
Canvas Analytics Guides
Step by step guide to help General Education Coordinators set up outcomes assessment goals in Canvas.
Canvas Analytics Course Guide
(DOCX, 2.1MB)