News

On December 22, 2021, the Measurement & Evaluation Unit, headed by Abdullah Al-Rezgi, arranged a webinar in association with the Measurement and Evaluation Center (MEC). The objective was to guide faculty members of the Faculty of Languages and Translation through end-of-semester tasks to be carried out on the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). In attendance were over a dozen teachers from the faculty along with consultants from MEC. The key focus of the webinar was the provision of comprehensive, step-by-step instructions, including insights into the interpretation of skewness and the Pearson correlation coefficient.

The session kicked off with Hassan Costello, who gave a detailed demonstration on data cleaning in SPSS. He underscored the importance of various aspects, such as converting data types, identifying and eliminating duplicates and outliers, as well as understanding why missing values appear. He cautioned the audience about numeric values being erroneously designated as string variables. Following this, Costello walked the attendees through the procedures for descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, the Independent Samples t-Test, and One-Way ANOVA, mirrored in Jeffrey's Amazing Statistics Program (JASP) for staff who don't have SPSS access. He added that the newly implemented Assessment Gourmet Platform would automate these analyses in future semesters. Costello also touched upon the concept of skewness and the significance of the Pearson correlation coefficient.

Subsequently, Dr. Mazeegha Al-Tale', Assistant to the Measurement & Evaluation Center director, expanded on the theoretical aspects and the context of the different types of analysis. Her discussion covered descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and both parametric and nonparametric tests. She stressed the role of statistical analysis in assisting decision-makers to refine policies and enhance the learning process. Shifting the focus to the Assessment Gourmet Platform recently adopted by King Khalid University, Dr. Al-Tale' explained the need to formulate course learning outcomes effectively as each exam question will be linked to a specific course learning outcome (CLO), topic, and difficulty level. Looking ahead, she revealed plans for workshops aimed at familiarizing faculty with delivering exams using the Assessment Gourmet Platform, which allows for automatic assessment and analysis of results.

Please click here to view a recording of the event.

As an interesting aside from our main story, earlier in the day, Hassan Costello, took a pivotal step towards shaping the future of the Bachelor of Arts in English program. His journey through various high schools in Abha and Khamis Mushait was far from a series of routine academic engagements. Instead, Costello's mission was to engage with educational administrators to solicit their insights on the key components of the program: its mission statement, graduate attributes, program learning outcomes, and the specific learning outcomes of several major courses.

In these insightful exchanges, Costello laid out the core aspects of the program and encouraged administrators to share their perspectives. This dialogue was essential; it was not merely about conveying information but about fostering a collaborative environment where the subtleties of educational goals could be openly discussed. The aim was to ensure that the program's mission not only aligns with the needs of its direct stakeholders, the students, but also resonates with those who guide these students before they enter university. The feedback obtained from these sessions is invaluable, steering the program towards a more integrated and comprehensive approach in its upcoming revision, one that aligns the aspirations of future university students with the evolving demands of the global academic and professional landscape.