Evidence and Assessment of Student Learning April 25, 2008 Satellite Student Union Shoshone Room 8:50 a.m. to 1:00 p.

1. Evidence and Assessment of Student Learning April 25, 2008 Satellite Student Union Shoshone Room 8:50 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

2. Today’s Agenda

3. The Why and How of Assessment Harry Hellenbrand Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

4. WE HAVE HIDDEN LEARNING BEHIND METAPHOR AND AUTHORITY—A BLACK BOX.

5. ASSESSMENT DISCLOSES LEARNING; OR DOES IT?

7. W A S C IL TRENDS, CHANGE CULTURE FSL KNOW THYSELF THY STUDENT THY TESTS SL DIRECT, INDIRECT; TRIANGULATION OF EFFECTS, NOT ESSENCE

9. Ns • TRAINING • GE AND MAJOR • NAEP, CLA, LOCAL • ENTRY • EXIT

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12. More Can Be Less:Assessing Academic Competencies Common to All Undergraduates and Specific to Programs Vicki Pedone Interim University Assessment Coordinator and Associate Dean College of Science and Mathematics

13. Problems with assessment of SLOs developed by each program Redundancy Lack of expertise in assessment Lack of common database Inability to compare data across programs

14. Standardized vs. Campus-based Measures CSU accountability measures include nationally standardized CLA and NSSE. These do not replace assessment of student performance in our programs. But we need to do it more efficiently and effectively.

15. University Assessment Task Force The charge of the Task Force is to identify the abilities and intellectual traits that all students are expected to gain through their educational career at CSUN. Two categories of characteristics: • academic core competencies • personal core values

16. Can more assessment be less? Increase faculty workload? Replace program assessment? common core competencies program competencies

17. Core Competency Miracle Cure A multidisciplinary workgroup will determine: • SLOs of a particular core competency • assessment instruments • student populations to assess over time Assessment in a variety of settings: • WPE • GE Basic Skills • Gateway courses in majors • Upper-division GE • Capstone courses in majors Program instruments of same competency include basic components--and more.

18. Advantages: making more less • Programs can focus on SLOs fundamental to their discipline. • Faculty can improve/replace homegrown assessment tools and strategies. • Longitudinal measurement is facilitated. • Differences between student groups can be used to focus programs. • Student learning is evaluated “holistically.” • Implementation can be slow and deliberate.

19. Challenges Agreement to measure a subset of common SLOs using common instruments. Common data management system for assessment a MUST Who will analyze data? Who will make recommendations to improve student learning? Resources needed?

20. Thanks to Assessment Task Force Tami Abourezk Kim Badrkhan Kira Bracero Kathy Dabbour Paula DiMarco Jordan Eickman Hilda Garcia-Putzel Melissa Giles Steve Graves Bob Lingard Leah Marcel Renee Martinez Vicki Pedone

21. Student Engagement and Learningat Cal State Northridge Bettina J. Huber Director of Institutional Research

22. NSSENational Survey of Student Engagement Engagement: teaching and learning activities fostering intense involvement with one’s studies Eighth annual survey: Spring 2007 Entering and exiting students at 523 colleges and universities participated 1,903 Cal State Northridge students participated (1,040 first time freshmen & 863 graduating seniors)

23. NSSENational Survey of Student Engagement Relied on two comparison groups: Respondents from six other participating CSU campuses (Bakersfield, Dominguez Hills, Fresno, Long Beach, Los Angeles, and San Francisco) Respondents from 51 “Carnegie Peers” (large, public, and primarily non-residential)

24. Figure 1. Percentage of Respondents Beginning College Elsewhere by Respondent Group

25. Table 1. Percentage of Respondents Belonging to Different Age Groups by Respondent Group

26. Table 2. Percentage of Respondents Belonging to Different Racial and Ethnic Groups by Respondent Group

27. Figure 2. Percentage of Respondents Reporting That They A. Do Not Live Within Walking Distance of Campus. B. Spend at Least 6 hours per Week Commuting to Class

28. Figure 3. Percentage of Respondents Reporting That They A. Work Off Campus for More Than 10 Hours per Week B. Care for Dependents on a Weekly Basis

29. Figure 4. Percentage of Respondents Reporting That They Participate in Co-Curricular Activities on a Weekly Basis(e.g., campus organizations, student government, sports, fraternities/sororities)

30. Figure 5. Percentage of Respondents Saying A. My entire educational experience at this institution has been excellent or good. B. I would definitely or probably attend the same institution if I were starting college over again.

31. Figure 6. Percentage of Respondents Saying That, Overall, the Quality of the Academic Advising They Have Received Has Been Excellent or Good

32. Figure 7. Percentage of NSSE Respondents SayingA. Contact Among Students of Differing Socio-Cultural Backgrounds Receives Substantial Encouragement on Their Campus B. They Frequently Have Serious Conversations with Students Belonging to Racial and Ethnic Groups Differing From Their Own C. They Frequently Include Diverse Perspectives in Coursework

33. Figure 8. Percentage of NSSE Respondents Saying TheyA. Wrote One or More Long Papers (i.e., 20 pages or longer) in 2006-07B. Frequently Prepared Several Drafts of a Paper Before Submitting It

34. Figure 9. Percentage of NSSE Respondents Frequently A. Making Class Presentations B. Working with Others on Projects During ClassC. Working with Others on Projects Outside of Class

35. Figure 10. Percentage of NSSE Respondents Saying Their College Education Has Contributed Substantially to Their Ability to:A. Speak Clearly & Effectively B. Write Clearly & EffectivelyC. Solve Complex Real-World ProblemsD. Understand People of Other Racial & Ethnic Backgrounds

36. NSSE Responses by College:To Whom Do the Respondents Belong? Arts, Media, & Communication 112 Business & Economics 194 Engineering & Computer Science 73 Health & Human Development 131 Humanities 131 Science & Mathematics 80 Social & Behavioral Sciences 125

37. NSSE Responses by College:What Do The Tables Cover? Table 1 : Student Satisfaction with Their Education Table 2: Writing-Intensive Curriculum Table 3: Active and Collaborative Learning Table 4: Emphasis on Abstract Thinking Skills Table 5: Diversity Table 6: Job-Relevant Experiences Table 7: Students’ Self-Assessments of Their Learning

38. Items Discussion Might Focus On • Aspects of diversity that we are not strong on (e.g., conversations with different values or opinions, understanding others’ point of view) • Aspects of writing that we are not strong on (e.g., short and mid-sized papers, integrating ideas from several sources) • Aspects of active and collaborative learning that we are not strong on (e.g., discussing ideas from readings, contributing to class discussion) • Abstract thinking skills • Analyzing the Basic Elements of Ideas or Theories • Applying Theories or Concepts to Practical Problems • Making Judgments About the Value of Arguments or Methods • Synthesizing and Organizing Information or Experiences • On-the-Job Experience

39. AAC&U Employer Survey • Commissioned in mid-2007 • Peter D. Hart Research Associates interviewed 301 employers in November/December period. • respondents’ companies have at least 25 employees • 25% or more of new hires have baccalaureate degree • respondents included CEOs, presidents, and vice presidents • Issued Report in late January 2008 (How Should Colleges Assess and Improve Student Learning?: Employers’ Views on the Accountability Challenge)

40. Table 3. Employers' Views of Various Forms of Student Assessment

41. Figure 11. Percentage of NSSE Respondents Planning to A. Acquire On-the-Job Experience B. Do Community Service or Volunteer WorkC. Complete a Culminating Senior ExperienceD. Work with a Faculty Member on a Research Project

42. Table 4. 2005-06 Cross-Sectional CLA Administration

43. At Expected Above Expected At Expected

44. Table 5. 2005-07 Longitudinal CLA Administration

45. Table 6. Two Freshmen CLA Cohorts

46. The Learning Habits Project • Inaugurated in late Fall 2007 • Purpose: to track newly enrolled students likely to succeed at CSUN in an effort to gain insight into the characteristics and practices of the most effective among them – that is, we seek to find out about their learning habits. • Initial Cohort: 82 freshmen entering in Fall 2007 • High School GPA of 3.5 or higher and/or • Fully proficient in Mathematics and English at entry • Will track this cohort, and two subsequent ones, over a 4-6-year period

47. The Learning Habits Project – Data Being Gathered • Selected class assignments • Course-taking patterns and performance • Demographic information • End-of-term responses to a brief set of open-ended questions (e.g., characteristics of courses that provided particularly good learning experiences) • In-depth interviews in which participating students are asking to reflect on their learning

48. Assessment and WASC Elizabeth Say Dean College of Humanities

49. FEW Let’s Take a Break!

50. Team/Table Assignments