Identifying and Assessing SLOS (for Non-Instructional Programs)

1. Identifying and Assessing SLOS(for Non-Instructional Programs) April 15, 2010 Facilitators: Mr. Glenn Yoshida and Ms. La Shawn Brinson LASC Student Learning Outcome Committee

2. Agenda • Why learning outcomes for non-instructional programs? • Identifying SLOs • Assessing SLOs • Alignment with Institutional SLOs

3. Why SLOs for Student Services? • SLOs are defined as student outcomes (knowledge, skills, attitudes) as a result of a college experience. • Learning occurs within and outside of classroom. • ACCJC Rubric for SLOs • We must be at the Proficiency level by 2012.

4. Bottom line…. • What should students learn? • How well are they learning it? • What evidence exists that students are learning and how do we measure student learning? • How can the evidence gathered best be analyzed and then used to improve learning and teaching? • We must treat the college as a learning laboratory. From decoding the bus schedule to deciphering the web registration to filling out graduation forms, the institution abounds with test of skills.

5. The Assessment Process (Plan-Do-Review) James Nichols, Department Guide & Record Book

6. Identifying (SLOs) • Learning outcomes clearly state, upon completion of a course or college experience: • What the student can do • Use active verbs • Include a measurable expectation • Share the outcomes with your students & colleagues (DIALOGUE) • Modify as you learn from experience

7. QUESTION • What should students be able to DO as a result of your college service area (or upon receipt of service)?

8. When writing program SLOs: • state the program purpose or mission • consider other areas or programs that feed into or interact with your program • analyze community expectations for the program • survey program descriptors and accomplishments • review the components of the program and determine participant expectations

9. SLO Example From Counseling: As a result of attending “New Student Orientation,” students will be able to demonstrate the ability to develop an appropriate educational plan. • TAKE TIME TO REVIEW YOUR SLOs

10. Assessing SLOs

11. Questions to ask for your Assessment Plan • Who is the target audience of my outcome? • Who will collect and analyze the data? • Where will it be done? • How will data be collected? • When and how often will it be done? • Who will reflect on the results? When? • How will results and implications be documented? • Will it provide me with evidence that will lead me to make a decision for continuous improvement?

12. Some Basic Vocabulary • Direct vs. Indirect Assessment • Direct: The assessment is based on an analysis of student behaviors or products in which they demonstrate how well they have mastered learning objectives. • General Examples include: published tests, locally-developed tests, embedded assignments and portfolios. • Indirect: The assessment is based on an analysis of reported perceptions about student mastery of learning objectives. The perceptions may be self-reports by students, or they may be made by others, such as peers, faculty, fieldwork supervisors, etc. • General Examples include: surveys, interviews and focus groups. • Rubrics can measure both direct and indirect assessment

13. Common Assessment Methods • Tests • Locally developed or Standardized • Performances • Recital, Presentation, or Demonstration • Cumulative • Portfolios, Capstone Projects • Surveys • Attitudes and perceptions of students, staff, employers • Database Tracked Academic Behavior • Grades, Graduation, Lab Usage, Persistence • Embedded Assessment • Using grading process to measure ILO • Narrative • Staff and student journals, interviews, focus groups

14. Rubrics • Definition: A rubric is a guideline for rating student performance or work.  The guidelines specify what the product is like at various levels (e.g., superior, excellent, good, poor).  The key elements of a rubric are the descriptors for what a product is like within the full range of possible achievement levels.

15. RUBRICS Rubric generator website: http://www.teach-nology.com/web_tools/rubrics/gen/

16. Summary of Good Practices for Measurable Learning Outcomes • Determine if context of performance must be specified • Identify observable, measurable factors for each outcome • Set standards of performance for each outcome • Assessment plan should be meaningful, manageable, and sustainable

17. Your Assessment Plan • Take time now to review your assessment plan. • What types of assessment methods will you use?

18. ALIGNMENT WITH INSTITUTIONAL SLOS • Link SLOs with Institutional SLOs

19. Helpful Links • http://www.azwestern.edu/student_services/student_learning_outcomes/assessment_documents.html • http://www.imperial.edu/index.php?pid=5231

20. Acknowledgements • Stiehl and Lewchuk. (2002). The Outcomes Primer—Reconstructing the College Curriculum. Corvallis, Oregon: The Learning Organization • Stiehl and Lewchuk. (2005). The Mapping Primer—Tools for Reconstructing the College Curriculum. Corvallis, Oregon: The Learning Organization • Fulks, Janet. (2004) Assessing Student Learning in Higher Education http://online.bakersfieldcollege.edu/courseassessment/