Assessment of GLOs: Background

1. Assessment of GLOs:Background • 12 years of working on Assessment of GLOs • Faculty/Staff generated: in-service, workshop, teams, surveys, etc. • Since 2006 the GLO Assessment Team has been a subcommittee of the AGC. • Elaine Kampmueller – See AGC minutes of Jan. 12, 2010 for history of Assessment efforts.

2. Take Some Time for Reflection • Change in Team membership. • Administrative structural/personnel changes. • Take a fresh look at accomplishments and challenges. • Summer 2010 – New Assessment Committee was formed. • Jodie Boelens, Heath Chelesvig, Sara Doer, Mindy Firlan, Elaine Kanpmueller, Sarah Krajewski, Robert Long, Brent Spitler, Ric Underhile

3. Accomplishments • Established the General Learner Outcomes (GLOs). • Integrated the GLOs into the Course Curriculum and Review Process (CARP). • Experimented with various assessment tools.

4. Challenges • Structure of GLO Team needed to change to meet present needs. • Team’s efforts with developing assessment tools showed that more meaningful data could be obtained when tied to course content. • GLO assessment must provide practitioners information for self-improvement (Closing the Loop). • GLOs are too prescriptive. • Not everyone assumes responsibility for assessment of GLOs. • Help people see that Assessment of GLOs is like taking a snapshot, not research, not evaluation.

5. Committee’s Initial Actions • Put a hold on adding a 9th GLO. • Established three primary work areas to : • Construct a conceptual framework for how GLO assessment fits into the College. • Revise GLOs and how they articulate with the CARP. • Develop a Professional Development program for GLO assessment.

6. Resulting Proposals • Replace existing 8 GLOs (and proposed 9th) with 4, more general/global GLOs. • Assessment of GLOs is to be done throughout the College; curricular and co-curricular activities.

7. Current GLOs • Communication skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening). • Computation skills (understanding and applying mathematical concepts and reasoning, analyzing, and using numerical data). • Critical thinking and problem solving skills (evaluation, analysis, synthesis, decision-making, and creative thinking). • Information management skills (collecting, analyzing, and organizing information from a variety of sources). • Interpersonal skills (teamwork, relationship management, conflict resolution, and workplace skills). • Personal skills (ability to understand and manage self, management of change, learning to learn, personal responsibility, aesthetic responsiveness, and wellness). • Diversity skills (Multicultural awareness, both local and global). • Technology skills(computer literacy, Internet skills, and retrieving and managing information via technology).

8. Proposed 9th Outcome 9. Sustainability and Community Engagement - Develop an understanding of civic responsibility and community engagement that fosters active participation within local and global environments and cultivates appreciation for sustainable systemic processes.

9. Proposed Revision of General Learner Outcomes • Communication skills – Students will be able to effectively express and exchange ideas through listening, writing, speaking and other modes of interpersonal expression. • Critical Thinking skills – Students will be able to gather relevant information, evaluate alternatives, synthesize and implement creative and effective solutions. • Social Responsibility skills – Students will practice community engagement that promotes environmental responsibility, social justice, and cultural diversity. • Personal Responsibility skills – Students will become independent learners who understand and express the lifelong skills necessary for; physical, social, economic, mental, and emotional health.

10. GLOs related to the College’s Values • Excellence – We commit to the highest standards in our learning and working environment as we strive for distinction in all aspects of our work. • Diversity – We create an inclusive learning and working environment that recognizes the value and dignity of each person. • Responsiveness – We anticipate and address the needs of students, colleagues, and community. • Innovation – We seek creative solutions to problems through experimentation and adaptation. • Accountability – We set benchmarks and outcomes to frame our decision-making, measure our performance, and evaluate our results. • Sustainability – We use resources in responsible ways to achieve balance among our social, economic, and environmental practices and policies. • Respect – We treat others with courtesy, consideration and civility. • Integrity – We commit to GRCC values and take personal responsibility for our words and actions.

11. GLO Alignment with College’s Values

12. Implications of Change • Any Dept./ Program/etc. can interpret the GLOs and assess as they see fit. • CARP will be changed to help embed the GLOs and their assessment into the course content. • Ex. Understanding the effects of taking diuretics defends on the understand of blood volume and blood pressure and the function of the kidney. Higher-order critical thinking skills are essential to this understanding. Assessment of students understanding of this biological contend will also demonstrate attainment of the critical thinking GLO. • Anyone working directly with students can assume responsibility for supporting the GLOs as they interpret and assess them.

13. Assessment Committee’s Desired Outcome from AGC for Now: • AGC will review and consider the acceptance of the new GLOs at the next meeting.

14. Assessment Committee’s Short-Term Outcomes for Winter 2010 • The Committee will collect input from the College community to help it: • Design a revision of the CARP to accommodate the new GLOs and enhance their assessment. • Design a process for c0-curricular activities to recognize the GLOs and assess them.