Program Level GE Assessment: A Pilot Project

1. Program Level GE Assessment: A Pilot Project Stephen Branz Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies and Director of General Education San José State University San Jose, CA Stephen.Branz@sjsu.edu

2. Program Level GE Assessment: A Pilot Project • Structure of GE at SJSU (CSU) • Core (Lower Division) – 13 courses • Basic Skills (Oral Comm, Written Comm IA, Critical Thinking, Mathematical Concepts) • Knowledge • Science – Physical, Life (and lab) • Arts & Letters – Arts, Letters, Written Comm IB • Social Sciences – Human Behavior, Comparative Systems, Social Issues • Human Understanding & Development

3. Program Level GE Assessment: A Pilot Project • Structure of GE at SJSU (CSU) • SJSU Studies (Upper Division) – 4 courses (must be taken in residence; SLOs support Integrated Knowledge) • Earth and Environment (~Science) • Self, Society & Equality in the U.S. (~Soc Sci) • Culture, Civilization & Global Understanding (~Humanites & Arts) • Written Communication II

4. Program Level GE Assessment: A Pilot Project • Assessment of GE at SJSU (since 1998) • Initial Certification of a GE course is based in part on an Assessment Plan • Continuing Certificationis based on assessment reports (previously every 4 years; now aligned with 5-yr program review) • Board of General Studies (Academic Senate committee) oversees the entire process

5. Program Level GE Assessment: A Pilot Project • Assessment of GE at SJSU (since 1998) • SLOs established & assessed for all 17 GE Areas at course level (direct assessment) • 9 GE Program Objectives (indirect assessment only) – mapping of Area SLOs to Program Level Objectives (PLOs) • Why should GE PLOs be directly assessed? • Your Turn!

6. Program Level GE Assessment: Why is it needed? • Why should PLOs be assessed directly? • For both GE and degree programs, we want to determine what students know when they complete their degrees – Why? • Measure (assess) relative to program objectives • Ideally in capstone or culminating experiences • Native vs. Transfer students, etc. • Accrediting agencies, governing boards, etc.

7. Program Level GE Assessment: Why me/us? • SJSU faculty grudgingly accept “assessment”….. HOWEVER….. • Course level assessment of GE Area Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) well established, but no direct assessment of Program Learning Objectives (PLOs) – Why is this needed? • Integrative learning is more than the sum of the parts; culminating assessment – Really? Why? • Supports WASC accreditation, EO 1033 expectations, and SJSU Mission – Who cares?

8. Program Level GE Assessment: How? (NIMBY) • How should PLOs be assessed? • Mapping of course objectives vs. program objectives? • False starts & dead ends – useless? • Have course instructors assess PLOs in their upper division GE courses? • Have BOGS develop and implement (and grade?) a final exam Q for upper division GE courses • Refined ideas about what is NOT possible 

9. Program Level GE Assessment: Strategy/Plan? • How should PLOs be assessed? • Common Exit Exam? (compare with SJSU WST) • Common Assessment Tools? (aka “signature assignments”) • Common Assessment Rubrics? • Sampling? • Group Reading? If so, how to calibrate? • What to do with results???

10. Program Level GE Assessment: What Worked! • How should PLOs be assessed? • Carrots, not sticks! • Results

11. Program Level GE Assessment: A Pilot Project • Discussion • Q&A