Assessment By Design: The Satisfaction Index

One of the key components of CUES-AM (Consortium for Upgrading Educational Standards -Assessment Model) is the EKE (Essential Knowledge Elements) Protocol for rating of programs and course/instructional delivery.The CUES-AM protocol for rating of programs and course/instructional delivery uses such essential knowledge elements factors as efficacy, usefulness, comprehensiveness, validity, interest and difficulty to assess participants' satisfaction level based on program/course-specific, expertly predetermined essential knowledge elements (EKEs).The EKE factors generated by participants are converted to the satisfaction index (I s ), with a true satisfaction index (I TS ) scale of 0.0 -0.29 (very poor), 0.30 -0.49(poor), 0.50 -0.69 (Fair), 0.70 -0.79 (good), 0.80 -0.89 (very good) and 0.9 -1.0 (excellent).The satisfaction index, a new concept developed by the CUES group at Pittsburg State University captures the satisfaction level for a given group of participants with a particular program or course/instructional delivery.This paper discusses the use of the concept of satisfaction index to assess and rate the interdisciplinary materials research program and the plastics materials courses at Pittsburg State University (PSU).