Models & Strategies for Assessing Institutional learning outcomes

1. Learning-Centered Assessment: Models & Strategies for Assessing Institutional learning outcomes Ashley Finley, Ph.D Senior Director of Assessment & Research, AAC&U National Evaluator, Bringing Theory to Practice Kutztown University January 19, 2012

2. Why are we here? • What are you doing? • Why are you doing it? • How do you know you’re doing it well? • What does it mean to be learning-centered at KU? • What practices promote and advance student learning? • How pervasive are these? • What is the change you want to see in your students when they leave the institution? • What are the foundational skills and competencies students should acquire throughout their learning experiences? • What are the effective approaches for implementing a cycle of inquiry and improvement?

3. The National Work on Learning-Centered Assessment, Liberal Education Outcomes, & General Education • Liberal Education: A philosophy of learning that empowers & prepares individuals to deal with complexity, diversity, & change. • = Broad knowledge combined w/ in-depth study • To help students develop a sense of social responsibility, strong & transferable intellectual and practical skills &a demonstrated ability to apply knowledge. • Vast majority of institutions have articulated learning outcomes • ANY institution can achieve the goals of a liberal education – 3 Major National Initiatives • Compass Project (State University Systems – CA, OR, WI) • Quality Collaboratives • VALUE Rubric Project

4. What Employers Say About Liberal Education Skills: % of Employers who agree with each statement • Our company is asking employees to take on more responsibilities and to use a broader set of skills than in the past • Employees are expected to work harder to coordinate with other departments than in the past • The challenges employees face within our company are more complex today than they were in the past • To succeed in our company, employees need higher levels of learning and knowledge today than they did in the past Source: Raising the Bar (AAC&U, 2010)

5. % of Employers who agree that two- and four-year colleges should place MORE emphasis on helping students develop the following: Effective oral/written communication Critical thinking/ analytical reasoning Knowledge/skills applied to real world settings Analyze/solve complex problems Connect choices and actions to ethical decisions Teamwork skills/ ability to collaborate Ability to innovate and be creative Concepts/developments in science/technology Source: “Raising the Bar: Employers’  Views on College Learning in the Wake of the Economic Downturn” (AAC&U and Hart Research Assoc. 2010)

6. And in these areas… Locate/organize/evaluate information Understand global context of situations/ decisions Global issues’ implications for future Understand & work with numbers/statistics Understand role of U.S. in the world Knowledge of cultural diversity in US/world Civic knowledge, community engagement “Raising the Bar: Employers’  Views on College Learning in the Wake of the Economic Downturn” (AAC&U and Hart Research Assoc. 2010)

7. How Much Does a Liberal Education Pay?: “Imagination is more important than knowledge”-Albert Einstein Source: Georgetown University, Center for Education and the Workforce (Anthony Carnavale)

8. Source: Georgetown University, Center for Education and the Workforce

9. Source: Georgetown University, Center for Education and the Workforce

10. Source: Georgetown University, Center for Education and the Workforce

11. Articulating Student Learning and Development Learning Outcomes ContentOutcomes • ???? • ???? • ???? • Theoretical traditions • Methodology • Topical areas • How do we assess these? • Course Exams • Course Papers • Individual/ Group course projects • In-Class work/ participation Kutztown Mission: “provide a high quality education at the undergraduate and graduate levels in order to prepare students to meet lifelong intellectual, ethical, social, and career challenges.” How do we assess these?

12. Goal 1: Cultivate intell. & pract. skills • Inquiry & Analysis • Decision making • Written & Oral Communication • Quantitative Literacy • Information Literacy • Teamwork & problem solving • Wellness • Practiced throughout curr, w/ progressively more challenging probs, projects & standards • Goal 2: Develop understanding of human cultures & physical and natural world • Sciences, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, histories, languages, arts • Engage w/ big questions, contemp. & enduring • Goal 3: Sense of personal & social resp. • Local/Global civic knowledge • Intercultural knowledge & competence • Ethical reasoning & action • Personal qualities & attitudes (passion, curiosity, self-confidence, imagination, cooperation, commitment, support) • Active inv. w/diverse comm. & real world chall. • Knowledge of Human Cultures & the Physical & Natural World • Content areas • Intellectual & Practical Skills • Inquiry & Analysis • Critical & Creative Thinking • Written & Oral Comm. • Reading • Quantitative Literacy • Information Literacy • Teamwork & Problem-solving • Personal & Social Resp. • Civic Knowledge • Intercultural Knowledge & Competence • Ethical Reasoning • Lifelong Learning • Integrative & Applied Learning Institutional Outcomes

13. What is the story you want to tell about student learning? Assess Learning Outcomes LearningOutcomes

14. Assessment Curriculum Outcomes

15. What is the story you want to tell about student learning? Assess Learning Outcomes LearningOutcomes

16. Basic Logic Model • OUTCOMES • Expected Changes and Benefits – • What are the goals you want to reach? • Short-term • Intermediate • Long-term • INPUTS • Resources are needed for activities – What is needed to start or keep something going? • Human • Financial • Technological • Curricular/ • Program ACTIVITIES Actions or processes necessary to produce outputs – What activities need to occur to produce evidence? OUTPUTS Products used to assess outcomes - What can be counted as evidence of change? Assumptions

17. Sample Logic Model • INPUTS • GE • Depts. • Advising • Writing Center • Stud. Aff. • Health & Wellness Center • Alumni Engagement • Multicult. Services • Athletics • Distance Ed • Career Services • Inst. Res. • OUTCOMES • Goals & Domains of Learning • Understanding of human cultures… • Intellectual and practice skills • Critical thinking • Personal & Social Responsibility • Civic engagement • OUTPUTS • Signature assignments • Reflection papers • Group projects • Community-based projects • ACTIVITIES • Experiential learning • Civic learning • Interaction • Engagement in life’s big questions • Practiced extensively & progressively • Active involve. In diverse comm. & real-world challenges

18. VALUE Project (www.aacu.org/value) • Project Goals • 1) Create dialogue and develop shared understanding of common learning outcomes • 2) Create template for direct assessment of student work (in text and non-text formats) • 3) Create student-friendly format to engage students in self-evaluation • Rubric Development • Teams of faculty/scholars nationwide • Reviewed existing rubrics to identify commonalities, clarify language, and develop broad agreement on outcomes criteria (openedpractices.org) • To date accessed by over 3000 institutions/organizations, 11,000 individuals • Domestic & international, K-12, state systems • Reliability study

19. List of VALUE Rubrics • Knowledge of Human Cultures & the Physical & Natural Worlds • Content Areas No Rubrics • Intellectual and Practical Skills • Inquiry & Analysis • Critical Thinking • Creative Thinking • Written Communication • Oral Communication • Reading • Quantitative Literacy • Information Literacy • Teamwork • Problem-solving • Personal & Social Responsibility • Civic Knowledge & Engagement • Intercultural Knowledge & Competence • Ethical Reasoning • Foundations & Skills for Lifelong Learning • Integrative & Applied Learning • Integrative & Applied Learning

20. Located at: http://www.aacu.org/value/index.cfm

22. The Anatomy of a VALUE Rubric Criteria Levels Performance Descriptors

23. The Calibration Training Process • Scoring Steps: • Review rubric to familiarize yourself with structure, language, performance levels • Ask questions about the rubric for clarification or to get input from others regarding interpretation • Read student work sample • Connect specific points of evidence in work sample with each criterion at the appropriate performance level (if applicable) • Calibration Steps: • Review scores • Determine common score(s) • Hear from outliers • Discuss • Determine final score

24. The Ground Rules • This is not grading. • We are not changing the rubric (today). • Our work is time sensitive. Go with your instinct. • Think globally about student work and about the learning skill. Think beyond specific disciplinary lenses or content. • Start with 4 and work backwards. Pick one performance benchmark per criterion. Avoid “.5”. • Zero does exist. Assign “0” if work does not meet benchmark (cell one) performance level. N/A exists. Assign “not applicable” if the student work is not intended to meet a particular criterion.

25. Signature Assignments • Assignment should enable attainment of criteria • Break down criteria to determine key components for assignment • What should students do with content to meet criteria? • E.g. What are the pieces to be analyzed, compared, integrated? • Will the assignment be used for more than one outcome? • What are the types of assignments that will be most helpful for allowing students to demonstrate competency?