2019 Annual Conference

Colleges and Universities

Concurrent Session (45 minutes)

This is a case study investigating the presence of gender bias within portfolio assessments of graduate level students completing an adult learning and leadership  program of study.  Employing a mixed method design, we employ a triangulation approach to analyze the presence of gender social construction within portfolio assessments.

The potential audience includes faculty and staff, policy makers, practitioners, and directors of assessment actively involved in the student learning assessment process. Additionally, the assessment process closely mirrors literature regarding the evaluation and recognition of gender construction and stereotypical bias found in women’s performance evaluations or employment hiring decisions. As such, the potential audience may also include administrators and members of tenure committees.

1. Participants will understand how evaluators’ gender social construction and positioning and students situated cognitive learning shape the validity and reliability of portfolio assessments.
2. Participants will explore the use of an innovative scaffolded, mixed method research design to investigate and to validate the presence of gender bias and socially prevalent academic discourses within the portfolio assessment process.
3. Participants will discuss power dynamics inherent in academic assessments.

This presentation takes the form of a single case study design using a longitudinal approach that examines a stochastic sample set of students enrolled in an Adult Learning and Leadership MS degree program.  The study investigates the assessment of students’ portfolios from four academic years (AY);   AY 2015 – 2016, AY 2016 -  2017, AY 2017- 2018, and AY 2018 -2019.   The case study analyzes students’ learning outcome variations using non-parametric statistical tests encompassing  three sample populations: Population A consisting of online learners; Population B, containing students socially interacting within an onsite  university setting; and Population C, students interacting as an intact cohort at a university satellite location.  The research question formulating the analysis is to determine if disparities exist amongst evaluators assessment of male and female students’ performance in meeting student learning outcomes as defined by evaluation rubrics.  Using a scaffolding technique, we discuss our use of a mixed method design and a triangulation approach.    The innovative design utilizes concept map theory, and readily available basic statistical tests.  Our conjunctive use of these different research methodologies leads to a holistic form of assessment that accommodates divergent findings into a single conceptual framework.

Through the use of PowerPoint charts,  we unfold the case study’s background, research question and  hypotheses, methodology, and describe the resulting analysis using a pattern matching and explanation building protocol.  We present our conclusion and findings and implications for adult education theory and program assessment planning. Questions are welcome throughout the presentation and the concuding discussion with the group questioning and audience members sharing insights from their experience.