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How to Write S.M.A.R.T Student Learning Outcomes. Presenter: Ms. Aundrea D. Wheeler Bishop State Community College Mobile, AL. SLO’s Simply Stated. Student Learning Outcomes Should Focus on the Following: What you want your students to know at the end of a course, program, or major
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How to Write S.M.A.R.TStudent Learning Outcomes Presenter: Ms. Aundrea D. Wheeler Bishop State Community College Mobile, AL
SLO’s Simply Stated Student Learning Outcomes Should Focus on the Following: • What you want your students to know at the end of a course, program, or major • What you want your students to understand at the end of a course, program, or major 3) What you want your students to have the ability to do at the end of a course, program, or major
Why are Student Learning Outcomes Important? • Communicate expectations to learners • Act as a template for course design • Guide selection/design of appropriate assessments • Allow educators to match teaching strategies to stated outcomes • Allow faculty, staff, and Institutional researchers to assess the impact of instruction • Clearly communicate graduates’ skills to prospective employers • Provide benchmarks for formative, summative and prior learning assessment
How Many Student Learning Outcomes Should There Be? • A course, program, or major should have as many outcomes as necessary to clearly reflect what students will learn. • Ideally, each course, program, or major should have 1-5 learning outcomes.
Components of a Student Learning Outcome • Student Learning Behavior-Knowledge, skill, or attitude to be gained • The method of assessment- conditions of performance • Criteria for achievement- the levels of acceptable performance
Are Your SLO’s S.M.A.R.T.? • Specific -Clear and definite terms describing the abilities, knowledge, values, attitudes, and performance • Measurable -It is feasible to get data: data are accurate and reliable; it can be assessed in more than one way • Aggressiveand Attainable -The outcome has the potential to move the program or unit forward • Results – oriented -Describe what standards are expected from students or the functional area being assessed • Time-bound -Describe a specified time period for accomplishing the outcome From Peter Drucker, 1954
7 Steps for Creating Student Learning Outcomes Step 1 Faculty/Staff Meeting or form a committee and begin brainstorming about what an ideal student/graduate should know, understand, or have the ability to do. Step 2 Draft a list of outcomes contingent upon several possible revisions depending upon the changes in the course, program, or major. Step 3 List student learning outcomes on every course syllabus
7 Steps for Creating Student Learning Outcomes (cont’d) Step 4 Gather and report feedback from faculty, staff, and students on how well the outcomes have been addressed. Step 5 Assess student learning (assignments, projects, quizzes, etc.) Step 6 Meet with faculty and staff at the end of the semester of academic year to discuss data and revise the list of outcomes, teaching strategies, and curriculum. Step 7 Repeat steps as often as needed.
Formulate statements of intended learning outcomes Discuss and use assessment results to improve learning Develop or select assessment measures Create experiences leading to outcomes The Assessment Process (Huba & Freed, 2000)
Levels of Learning Basic to Complex
Examples of Student Learning Outcome for Program or Major Student Outcomes for Hotel & Restaurant Administration: • Graduates apply their knowledge regarding the hospitality industry to whatever career track within the industry they pursue. • Graduates demonstrate a synthesis of knowledge and a capacity to think critically, which is reflective of a strong liberal education and a solid grounding in the content of their desired area of specialization. • Graduates are effective users of recent research and theory in hospitality operations management and can assess new advances in their specialties.
Example of Student Learning Outcome for a Course (Nutrition) Upon completion of the course students will be able to analyze a documented nutritional problem, determine a strategy to correct the problem, and write a draft nutritional policy addressing the broader scope of the problem.
Student Learning Exercise: Use the S.M.A.R. T Method to determine whether or not the Student Learning Outcomes are properly written. • Students will develop the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to become Licensed Practical Nurses. • Upon completion of ENG 101, students will demonstrate an increase in their ability to develop and use strategies for writing essays from development of subject through revision of the essay. • Upon completion of the A.S. program in Nursing, students will
References • http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html • http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/misc07/BloomsTaxonomyVerbs.pdf • Huba, M. & Freed, J. 2000. Learner-centered assessment on college campuses. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. • http://uat.okstate.edu/assessment/assessment_plans/outcome_statements.html