Student Achievement and Institutional Effectiveness [August 2020]

The Institute for Worship Studies recognizes the importance of assessing how well students are doing in their degree programs, and how effective the Institute for Worship Studies is in the pursuit of its institutional goals. Here is the latest summary of our findings as of Summer 2020:

The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies has identified and evaluated various measurements of student achievement. Based on an annual assessment, IWS enjoys a healthy graduation rate: 74% of students graduate with a degree (MWS or DWS) and 80% of students graduate with a degree or certificate (GCWS or AGCWS). Further, since January 2011, the student retention rate has been 82%. Also, based on the completion of the January 2020 term the student grade point average was 3.68/4.0.

Over the past 3 years, on average, 54 new students have enrolled each year. During that same time period, on average, 38 students have graduated each year.

The purpose of the programs offered through The Institute for Worship Studies is to further equip worship leaders, instructors, and others interested in the theory and practice of Christian worship, for their responsibilities in the local church and other settings. Given this purpose, fourteen learning outcomes have been identified (seven for DWS and seven for MWS) and academic assessments completed, with seven of the fourteen identified below. Following the completion of their January 2020 coursework, IWS students indicated that their courses had a positive impact on developing their understanding and abilities in these seven outcomes. Based on assessment instruments utilizing a 1 to 5 rating scale, from strongly disagree to strongly agree, the following indicators and the extent to which the courses helped fulfill them were as follows:

  • The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate and evaluate, worship rooted in and declaring the story of the Triune God as expressed in the Scriptures: 4.5/5.0
  • The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate and evaluate, major trajectories in the practice of Christian worship through culture and time for use in assessing current expressions of Christian worship: 4.4/5.0
  • The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate, a scripturally rooted, historically informed Christian theology of worship to guide the planning and evaluation of Christian worship: 4.4/5.0
  • The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate and evaluate, ways in which culture informs and shapes expressions of Christian worship, past and present: 4.2/5.0
  • The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate and evaluate, the centrality of God’s mission with respect to the Church’s worship, including its global dimensions: 4.8/5.0
  • The student will demonstrate the ability to research, evaluate and articulate concepts related to Christian worship, using scholarly materials (primary and secondary) and the theological action-research methodology: 4.0/5.0
  • The student will understand, as well as demonstrate the ability to articulate, implement and evaluate, key concepts related to Christian worship in a particular setting: 4.6/5.0

Student Achievement and Institutional Effectiveness Reports

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Director of Enrollment Management.

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