Skills-Building Assessment of Service-Focused Wellness Assistantships

ABSTRACT

Assessment of graduate student competencies is important, and benefits are realized at the student, department, institution, and community levels. The institution has a method of assessing the achievement of identified skills; the gerontology department or division has prepared workers to promote to potential employers and to potential recruits to the program; and the business community has workers seasoned in teamwork and exposed to critical assessment processes.

Ball State University's Fisher Institute for Wellness and Gerontology in Muncie, Indiana, has developed a multifaceted graduate student skills-assessment process. It is focused on practical application of skills and delivery of wellness programs learned through service to aging adults in the community. The five-pronged assessment process includes the following components: self-assessment at the beginning, middle, and end of the assistantship; peer assessment; partner assessment; supervisor observation; and portfolio development. The 12 competencies assessed are: advocacy; analytical and critical thinking; assessment/evaluation; communication; cultural competencies; financial planning; leadership and management; partnership and teamwork; program planning and development; public policy knowledge; system thinking; and technology.

Feedback from the students, their supervisors, their peers, and from professionals in the field is collected and analyzed. Using this feedback, program coordinators provide program revisions to the director of the institute on a yearly basis and incorporate assessment and research sessions in the next year's orientation program.

This article describes graduate student assessments used at the Fisher Institute, and indicates the benefits to implementing and sustaining such a process.