Developing Goals and Learning Outcomes for Sophomore Initiatives

1. Developing Goals and Learning Outcomes for Sophomore Initiatives Jimmie Gahagan Director of Student Engagement University of South Carolina

2. Definition of Terms • Mission Statements– describes the purpose and primary functions of an organization • Vision Statements – “Big idea” expressed in a concise manner. How an organization wants to be seen • Goals – Specific, measurable results that an organization intends to achieve • Guiding Principles/Philosophy Statements– overarching principles or theories which inform and guide an organizations work • Learning Outcomes - what a student should be able to know or do as a result of participating

3. DEFINING THE SOPHOMORE-YEAR EXPERIENCE • Complexity • Transfers • Community College students • Credit hours • How we will define sophomores • Residentially-based • Traditionally aged • First-year students who have progressed into their second college year

4. Developing a Mission Statement • Key Questions to address: • What are your primary functions? • Can you capture your mission in 8 words? • How does this mission statement tie into other department, division, or institutional goals? • Are there any other project goals that will or should influence your work?

5. Sophomore-Year Experience Mission Statement Examples University of South Carolina: “The Sophomore-Year Experience at the University of South Carolina is the combination of services, programs, and curricular and co-curricular activities that provides the gateway between a student’s college transition and their future educational and career aspirations; and offers a foundation to explore the specific academic and co-curricular opportunities USC has to offer. The Sophomore Initiative strives to provide opportunities and share resources to support second year students at USC in a way to promote students finding purpose and in life after college.”

6. Mission Statement Examples - Continued Emory University: “Second Year at Emory, in partnership with other University offices, enhances the sophomore residential experience by offering programs and services so that second year students may develop greater self-awareness, define goals for their Emory experience, utilize campus resources, and connect with others through meaningful relationships.”

7. Mission Statement Examples - Continued Colorado State University: The Year 2 @ CSU Board believes that a student’s second year is about exploration, personal discovery and overcoming challenges. Using our own personal experiences, it is our purpose to guide each student through their personal journey in the second year.

8. MISSION STATEMENT EXAMPLES - Continued Brandeis University: The Sophomore Year Experience is an interdepartmental initiative to engage Brandeis sophomores. In keeping with the University's goals, we use learning opportunities and programming in order to: • Foster strong personal and class identities for sophomores • Increase awareness of and participation in curricular and co-curricular opportunities • Promote autonomy and independent decision making • Create purposeful transitions between class years

9. Let’s apply… • What key words or concepts are associated with your sophomore-year experience program? • What is one primary function of your sophomore-year experience?

10. Developing Learning Outcomes for sophomore-Year Initiatives

11. Astin’s Input-Environment-Outcome Model Environment Inputs Outcomes (Astin, 1993)

12. Astin’s I-E-O Model • Input variables • Characteristics the student brings with him or her such as gender, race, GPA, educational background, etc. • Environmental variables • Include anything that happens during the program, event, or academic course that may have an impact on the student • Outcome variables • Talents and skills we are trying to develop in students (Astin, 1993)

13. What are Learning Outcomes • Specific measurable objectives that describe what an individual will learn and be able to do as a result of a lesson or program. • Characteristics of Learning Outcomes • Focus on the product rather than the process • Are measureable • Are detailed and specific • Include action verbs (Gahagan, Dingfelder, & Pei, 2010)

14. Why use learning outcomes • Helps us stay focused • Articulates our expectations for students • Allow us to prioritize • Provide a bridge to connect with other important institutional goals or outcomes (Gahagan, Dingfelder, & Pei, 2010)

15. A Revised Taxonomy • Benjamin Bloom – 1956 • A Taxonomy of Educational Objectives • Emphasized cognitive aspects of learning • Widely used in educational circles • Anderson and Krathwohl – 2001 • Emphasized cognitive processes of learning and added a knowledge domain • Easily adaptable to many disciplines including higher education

16. Format of a Learning Outcome

17. The Subject • Is generally always the student! • The student will… • Students will… • The student should… • Students should… (Gahagan, Dingfelder, & Pei, 2010)

18. The Object of a Learning Outcome • What type of knowledge do you want the student to learn as a result of the course, event, or experience? • What is your Knowledge Dimension • Factual Knowledge • Conceptual Knowledge • Procedural Knowledge • Metacognitive Knowledge

19. The Knowledge Dimension • Factual Knowledge • “The Facts” - Basic elements a student must know • Conceptual Knowledge • The interrelationship of different thoughts, ideas, and concepts • Procedural Knowledge • “The How To” – skills, techniques, and methods • Metacognitive Knowledge • Awareness of self and others and when to apply certain strategies (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001)

20. The Knowledge Dimension Applied to the Sophomore-Year Experience • Factual Knowledge • Defining specific concept of diversity as a part of a sophomore-year experience seminar or remembering a specific date or piece of information associated with a sophomore specific event. • Conceptual Knowledge • Describing specific theories in a sophomore career development course such as Kolb’s Model of Experiential Education.

21. The Knowledge Dimension Applied to Leadership Development • Procedural Knowledge • Specific steps for steps to apply for study abroad in the sophomore year. • Metacognitive Knowledge • For a sophomore in a leadership program – An awareness of one’s own strengths and areas of growth, awareness of team dynamics and how to apply strategies to help a group achieve its goals.

22. The Verb of a Learning Outcome: What do you want a student to be able to do with the knowledge they have gained? (Overbaugh & Schultz, 2008)

23. Levels of Cognitive Process (Gahagan, Dingfelder, & Pei, 2010)

24. Putting it all together (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001)

25. Steps to Creating Learning Outcomes • Determine the purpose of the program, course, or initiative • Reflect on your target population and your venue • Decide what kind of knowledge you want the student to learn • Decide on the level of cognitive process • Write the outcome • Evaluate the outcome • Is it measureable? • Is it meaningful? • Is it manageable? (Bresciani, Zelna, & Anderson, 2004)

26. An Example: Learning Outcome As a result of participating in this institute, participants will identify and describe one challenge second-year students face on their campus.

27. Let’s Practice… • Write one learning outcome for a program or initiative within your sophomore-year experience. • Share with a colleague and describe the type of knowledge in view and the action verb. • Answer the measurable, meaningful, manageable questions.

28. Questions to address?