Madlib Your Way to Better Assessment Stories

In undergraduate creative writing courses, my fellow students and I were always guided to “show, not tell”. In creative writing, this directive related to the ability to use descriptive text, plot devices, and character development to show the reader what you want them to know, rather than simply tell the reader in one declarative sentence. When working on student affairs assessment, we must think about showing our audience the impact by telling a multifaceted, rich, and descriptive story, not simply sharing “this program has a positive impact”.  

Are you tired of telling only part of your program’s story? You’re not alone. In student affairs, we often stop at attendance numbers or satisfaction surveys. Other times, we might fixate on the end goal, focusing primarily on a program’s impact on retention rates or graduation. I think it is important that tell stories that are more expansive...stories that read more like a novel, not just a chapter. 

Like many divisions of student affairs, in my division, we have a goal to improve how we use data to tell stories about our impact on students. One of my favorite things about my role as a Director of Assessment in a student affairs division is designing creative and engaging professional development opportunities that address competency gaps in my division.  

My idea this time around? Madlib Madness.  

Framed as a playful, but powerful way to apply a framework to craft compelling narratives about your programs and services, I implemented this madlib activity as part of a training on Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation. 

The Four Levels of Evaluation

Kirkpatrick’s model offers a stair-stepped approach to assessment. Here's a simple explanation. 

Reaction – How did participants feel about the experience? Reaction level metrics relate to satisfaction, reaction, and engagement. 

Learning – What did they learn or gain? Learning level metrics relate to knowledge, confidence, attitude, and commitment. 

Behavior – How did they apply it? Behavior changes can be monitored, reinforced, and adjusted. 

Results – What long-term outcomes occurred? How does the program or service contribute to institutional outcomes? What are leading indicators of success that occur before students achieve those longer-term institutional outcomes? 

These levels help us design, reflect on, and evaluate programs with storytelling in mind. I like them because they are simple and beginner-friendly. Understanding and using the levels to guide thinking does not require you to have a degree in statistics. Interested in learning more? Check out the Four Levels of Training Evaluation. 

Why Madlibs? 

In this activity, madlibs are more than a nostalgic game. The madlib activity helps to frame how we can transform data points into dynamic stories. By filling in the blanks, we reflect on what we know, what we’re missing, and how to better communicate our impact. 

The Madlib Template 

Here’s a taste of the Madlib template I used. Think of a relevant program or service on your campus. Can you fill out the following? 

• One problem students face is [insert challenge].  

• If this problem isn’t addressed, then [insert consequence]. 

• To address this concern, we offer [insert program/service]. 

• This program works because [insert theory or rationale].  

• The goals of this program are [insert goals]. 

• In the past [insert timeframe], [insert number] students have engaged. 

• This is [insert %] of all students. 

• Students generally react positively. For example, [insert quote or data]. [REACTION LEVEL] 

• As a result, students should [insert learning outcome]. [LEARNING LEVEL] 

• Our assessment suggests [insert evidence]. [LEARNING LEVEL] 

• Students are more likely to [insert behavior change]. [BEHAVIOR LEVEL] 

• Long-term, we’ve seen [insert results]. [RESULTS/ENVIRONMENT LEVEL] 

How did this work in our division? 

While having a little bit of fun and sharing a common format, using the Madlib format helped us: 

• Inventory our current data: by completing the madlib activity, staff were able to simply reflect on – and celebrate – the amount of assessment results  

• Spot gaps in our assessments: Through inventorying, participants also were able to reveal types of assessment that could be missing from their current assessment processes 

• Craft a story that pivots towards showing impact: When combined the levels help contextualize the bigger picture. Each level builds on one another to help tell a complete story about a program or service impact. 

• Nudge us to plan future evaluations with intention: For some? This was a gut check. Don’t have some of the information for the madlib? This is a sign to invest in revising existing assessment plans. 

If you try this approach individually or with your team, I want to hear if and how the activity helped you and how you adapted it!  

Of course, a few caveats.  

The four levels model emerges from corporate training context and is more than 25 years old. While the model is used more regularly in faculty development and in academic medicine contexts, its use is limited in student affairs. When using the model to “drive” evaluation on its own, novices may run the risk of applying too much causal language. I find Kirkpatrick’s model is best used to frame thinking, plan evaluations, and organize existing metrics, but its not the only tool that should be in our evaluation tool box. Experienced assessment leaders must still caution causal thinking where cause hasn’t been proven. Given these caveats, however, I find the model extremely approachable and an excellent way to start exposing staff to thinking about expanding the scope of their evaluation and assessment plans and move beyond satisfaction (Level 1 metrics) and retention (Level 4 metrics). 

Final Thoughts 

Storytelling is strategy. It doesn’t hurt to have a template to get you started. The Madlib template above is unlikely to produce a website ready story on its first go... But! If you can fill out the madlib, you’ve got all the building blocks you need to show. After you’ve got your madlib template completed, you are free to embrace your more creative side. 

When we combine data with narrative, we humanize our work, inspire action, and show the true value of what we do. So, channel your inner storyteller...let’s tell some stories that stick! 

Kirkpatrick, J. D., & Kirkpatrick, W. K. (2016). Kirkpatrick's four levels of training evaluation. Association for Talent Development.