RE-ENGAGING THE CAMPUS IN DISCUSSING, DELIVERING, AND ASSESSING LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. RE-ENGAGING THE CAMPUS IN DISCUSSING, DELIVERING, AND ASSESSING LEARNING OUTCOMES C. “Griff” Griffin, Director of General Education Wendy Wenner, Dean, College of Interdisciplinary Studies AAC&U – Savannah - 2007

2. Think we’re achieving our goals? Right Goals? Can we teach better? Under-stand our goals? Are we achieving our goals? OUTLINE • Background • 5 Steps (A-E) • Process • Outcomes • Challenges • Conclusions A C Think we’re achieving our goals? E B D

3. BACKGROUND Grand Valley State Univ. – Allendale, MI • Quickly growing. large university • Liberal education mission Process and Outcomes (4 years) • AAC&U Greater Expectations workshops • Re-organization of GVSU • Assessment of learning outcomes • Re-invigoration of General Education • LEAP signatory

4. A. DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT GOALS? Right Goals? Process • General Education faculty and Student Affairs staff • Adopt LEAP goals as the benchmark

5. Right Goals?

6. Right Goals? Challenges • Definitions of the LEAP outcomes • If they’re not a goal, will we teach it or assess it? • Structural questions – do we do them everywhere or in selected categories • Upcoming campus-wide forums to discuss……

7. Right Goals?

8. Under-stand our goals? B. DOES EVERYONE UNDERSTAND OUR GOALS? • All Faculty Process and Outcomes All faculty •  General Education Handbook • General Education Video • New faculty orientation Challenges • Not getting or reading the Handbook • Not all faculty received the orientation they do now • Adjuncts don’t receive the Handbook or see the video

9. Under-stand our goals? • Faculty Teaching in General Education Process and Outcomes • Workshops • Syllabus attachment • First day of class • Reinforce throughout the term Challenges • Faculty – getting training • We stopped telling Units to train faculty • Attachment comes too late

10. Under-stand our goals? 3. Students Process and Outcomes •  GE Handbook - Orientation • Video (parents see it too) - Orientation • Syllabus attachment • First day of class • Reinforce throughout the term Challenges • Misses transfer students • Students don’t get this if faculty don’t cover it • Don’t read the philosophy behind it

11. C. DOES EVERYONE THINK WE ARE ACHIEVING OUR GOALS? Think we’re achieving our goals? • Nationally-Normed Indirect Measures Process (biennial tests) • National Survey of Student Engagement - NSSE • Faculty Survey of Student Engagement - FSSE • Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) – Freshman • College Student Survey (CSS) – Senior Outcomes • Doing “fine” compared to peers, freshmen to senior, freshmen to freshmen

12. Think we’re achieving our goals? Challenges • Cost • Getting students to participate • Matching up the results with our goals • Not all the goals are measured • Faculty haven’t established the benchmark for success • Who does the follow-up?

13. Think we’re achieving our goals? 2. GVSU Developed Indirect Measures Process •  GE Goals audit for students and faculty

14. Think we’re achieving our goals? Outcomes

15. Think we’re achieving our goals?

16. Think we’re achieving our goals? Challenges • Do we disaggregate the data? • Where’s the bar for success? • Bias – under or over report? • Do they understand the terms? • Does class size affect results? • Did faculty know they had to teach all of the goals?

17. Are we achieving our goals? D. ARE WE ACHIEVINGOUR GOALS? • Assessment Using Nationally-normed Tests (Direct Measures) Process • Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) • Standardized Assessment of Information Literacy Skills (SAILS) • Departmental sssessments (GRE, etc.) Outcomes • Doing “fine” compared to peers, freshmen to senior, freshmen to freshmen

18. Are we achieving our goals? Challenges • Cost • National tests don’t include all the goals • Getting students to participate – especially seniors • Getting Units’ results

19. Are we achieving our goals? 2. Assessment Using Course-Embedded (Direct) Measures Process •  Develop a process flowchart •  Develop Course Assessment Plan form •  Develop Sampling Plan (FAQ) •  Identify how to house the data (Chalk and Wire) •  Determine performance levels – 4=A, 3=B, 2=C, 1=D /F •  Revise subcategory goals with faculty •  Train faculty to write a Course Assessment Plan (GEGE – Greater Expectations for General Education)

20. Are we achieving our goals? Outcomes • Replicating this process • 5 workshops – 70% of the faculty trained • Course Assessment Plans – 50% done • Data collection is starting……. • Analyzing the results…… • Course changes……….

21. Are we achieving our goals? Challenges • Communication • Getting faculty educated • Getting it once they’ve done it • Faculty on sabbatical, new faculty, adjunct, course is intermittently offered • Time consuming • Course issues • Large classes • Assessing all the goals (double-dips) • Will the results be representative? • Not making it “ faculty” evaluation • Cost – faculty, secretary, database

22. E. CAN WE DO A BETTER JOB OF TEACHINGTO ENSURE STUDENTS ARE ACHIEVING OUR GOALS? Can we teach better? Process and Outcomes • Moving from teaching-centered to learning centered • Faculty-Teaching Learning Center • Connecting Student Affairs with Academic Affairs • Closing the loop Teaching Course Design Assessing Learning

23. CONCLUSIONS • You can’t plan it all – go with the flow • Go slow • Be in it for the long run • Communicate more and earlier • Preliminary results – useful • Big test is yet to come…

24. For more information: Griff - griffinc@gvsu.edu Wendy - wennerw@gvsu.edu