Program Review and Student Learning Outcome Assessment

1. Program Review and Student Learning Outcome Assessment March 11, 2011 Lori Holt Bill Everett

2. The self study document must include academic degree program-level student learning outcomes assessment plans for each degree program offered by the academic unit, and the annual assessment reports associated with each assessment plan

3. Demonstrate to HLC we have integrated student learning outcome assessment into program review process We must show that we have program level assessment plans in place for all academic degree programs and show that they are being implemented

4. Specify each program’s mission, general goals and associated student learning outcomes Specify how each student learning outcome is assessed in each program Show the assessment results and actions taken to improve program based on assessment results in each program

5. Additionally, add a narrative section describing the detailed plan (deadlines, which SLO’s, which students assessed, who is responsible, etc.) for implementing a complete assessment plan over the next 3-5 years.

6. Assessment Plan Template http://info.umkc.edu/pec/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Assessment-Plan-Template.pdf Assessment Plan Rubric http://info.umkc.edu/pec/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Assessment-Plan-Rubric.pdf

7. Components • Mission • Goals • Outcomes/Student Learning Outcomes • Measures • Findings • Action Plan

8. Components • Mission – highest aims, intentions, and activities of the entity • Goals • Outcomes/Student Learning Outcomes • Measures • Findings • Action Plan

9. Components • Mission • Goals – broad statement about desired ends • Outcomes/Student Learning Outcomes • Measures • Findings • Action Plan

10. Components • Mission • Goals • Outcomes/Student Learning Outcomes – measureable statement that describes the knowledge, skill, or ability students will possess upon achievement of that outcome as it relates to the mission • Measures • Findings • Action Plan

11. Components • Mission • Goals • Outcomes/Student Learning Outcomes • Measures – methods to gauge achievements of expected results • Findings • Action Plan

12. Components • Mission • Goals • Outcomes/Student Learning Outcomes • Measures • Findings – assessment results for comparison of actual vs. expected achievement level • Action Plan

13. Components • Mission • Goals • Outcomes/Student Learning Outcomes • Measures • Findings • Action Plan – activity sequence designed to help accomplish intended outcomes/student learning outcomes and/or improvement of academic assessment plan

14. Example Assessment Plan Bachelor of Arts in History

15. Components • Mission • Goals • Outcomes/Student Learning Outcomes • Measures • Findings • Action Plan

16. Bachelor of Arts in History Mission Statement (degree specific) The history department offers students the opportunity to learn how to analyze and interpret the past on the basis of evidence: which requires the ability both to explain the causes, consequences, and character of past events and to develop empathy for the experiences of other human beings across barriers of time, space, and social, cultural, or political difference….

17. Components • Mission • Goals • Outcomes/Student Learning Outcomes • Measures • Findings • Action Plan

18. Bachelor of Arts in History Sample Goals Goal 1: The undergraduate history major seeks to produce ‘scholar-citizens’ who are able to produce original works of historical criticism of the approximate scale and scope of an essay. Goal 2: The undergraduate history major seeks to produce ‘scholar-citizens’ whose reconstructions of past experience are informed by a strong sense of historical empathy.

19. Bachelor of Arts in History Sample Goals Goal 3: The undergraduate history major seeks to generate ‘apprentices in history’ who have the potential to continue into professional graduate programs for teaching, public history, or academic history; it seeks to do so by producing graduates who have a solid, introductory familiarity with historical scholarship—i. e. the history, methods, and practices of professional historians—as well as a beginners facility to engage that literature critically and constructively.

20. Components • Mission • Goals • Outcomes/Student Learning Outcomes • Measures • Findings • Action Plan

21. Bachelor of Arts in History Sample Objectives SLO 1: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the past. SLO 2: Students will demonstrate evidence of historical perspective, which we define primarily though not exclusively in terms of human experience, processes of change, and historical context.

22. Bachelor of Arts in History Sample Objectives SLO 3: Students will demonstrate the ability to conduct historical analysis, which we define primarily but not exclusively in terms of the sub-objectives of identifying an historical question, surveying the historical literature, formulating an historical hypothesis, designing an historical methodology, identifying primary sources, demonstrating sensitivity to bias, reconstructing the past, and drawing historical conclusions.

23. Components • Mission • Goals • Outcomes/Student Learning Outcomes • Measures • Findings • Action Plan

24. Bachelor of Arts in History Measures Students enrolled in History 498 Capstone submit their undergraduate thesis for review by both a ‘first reader,’ their course instructor, and a ‘second reader,’ who specializes in that time and place in history. Submissions take place through their electronic portfolio account on Foliotek.com by a particular day, typically a week or two before the end of the semester (so that they can prepare for their presentation at the undergraduate mini-conference).

25. Bachelor of Arts in History Achievement targets In 2008 we conducted an initial evaluation of our assessment data based on the pilot data. It still using a 5 point scale where 4 is the highest and 0 is the lowest number, because that was the original format of our data during the pilot. We felt that a regular bell curve of scores most accurately reflects the real diversity of student abilities and effort. We would therefore prefer a biased slightly above average…

26. Bachelor of Arts in History Findings Most of the assessment data for “evidence of historical analysis” corresponded to expectations, though with some significant deviations for certain sub-objectives. On the original 5 point scale form 0 to 4, students proved much better at identifying an historical question (with 68% at 4) than coming up with their own hypotheses (with 62% at 3 and only 32% at 4)….

27. Bachelor of Arts in History Actions as of AY 2010-11 Reorganize our curriculum into a more coherent, leveled, sequential series of courses with more standardized expectations for assignments and competencies independent of the particular content of the course (the history of one particular time, place, theme, issue, or so on); be more explicit about our learning objectives with students;

28. Bachelor of Arts in History Actions as of AY 2010-11 (cont’d.) introduce competency-focused courses to bridge between levels, with a particular focus on the skills of analysis and communication; all of which is framed within a simplified and more flexible system of requirements; share the responsibilities of assessment among the faculty; narrate and report results through WEAVE Online and for PEC reports.