How to Prepare Faculty for Learning Outcomes Assessment and Program Review

1. Association for Institutional Research Chicago, Illinois May 31, 2010 How to Prepare Faculty for Learning Outcomes Assessment and Program Review Terri Manning and Denise Wells Central Piedmont Community College

2. Some History • Central Piedmont Community College • Large Urban College in Charlotte, NC • Approximately 20,000 fall curriculum headcount • Total annual headcount 63,000 • 1,000 full time faculty and staff • 50/50 minority/majority • Departments with one fulltime faculty member up to some with 25-30 fulltime faculty • The College offers 197 associate degrees, certificates and diplomas in 47 program areas

3. Some History • Started doing assessment in various processes in 1998. • Program Review • General Education • Administrative and Student Services Unit Review • We’ve learned a lot over the years.

4. Training • Identifying and measuring learning (and other) outcomes is not new – but somewhat new to higher education • Been part of program evaluation for a long time • It is a new way of thinking for faculty • Takes several iterations for them to be satisfied with the product and results

5. Step One - Orientation • Instructional administration attends to show support • Review process • Review of timelines • Preview of program review • Introduce players and their skills • Have added marketing and recruitment

6. Step Two: Workshops • Nuts and Bolts of Outcome Assessment • Defining outcomes – learning, program, administrative and institutional • Understanding outcome assessment – what it is and is not - how outcome assessment is different that course grading • Using logic models • Setting outcome targets, writing objectives, etc. • How to use results (get the most bang for the buck)

7. Six Step Process Lots of hand-holding and assistance • During the discovery phase, faculty members are involved in a working session where they are trained on learning outcomes assessment. They move into an activity on identifying “reasons for being, what we want them to get out of it and overall benefits for students.” • During the prioritization phase they begin the narrowing of a long list of potential outcomes to the critical ones. This process involves them working through 1) what would be useful for faculty and departments to know, 2) what the faculty/department values, 3) what would inform decision-making and 4) what is most critical for student success.

8. Six Steps (cont.) • During the mapping phase, faculty look at the natural fit between 1) courses and outcomes and 2) assessments/projects and outcomes. They create assessment processes where good ones are lacking. • During the operationalization phase they create operational definitions of each outcome based on the curriculum course or program (e.g. effective writing is defined differently for English faculty than it is for early childhood faculty).

9. Six Steps (cont.) • The measurement phase involves setting realistic outcome targets, developing/using assessment tools, the process of distribution and collection of data and the reporting chain of command. • The final phase involves analysis among appropriate faculty, determining a plan of action and writing up results. Follow-up reporting is strongly recommended.

10. Some Forms We’ve Created to Help Them • Outcome Identification Form • Outcome Prioritization Form • Outcome Statements Form • Outcome Assessment Form

11. Another Workshop • How to Read Your Data • Using data to make decisions • Looking at day vs. night • Seated vs. online vs. hybrid • Retention within and between terms • Full and part-time students • Analysis of student success data

12. Working through the process… • Face-to-face meetings • Meeting on their turf • Credit and non-credit programs • What IE will provide and what we will help with • External Accreditation correlation • Website review • IE website – http://www.cpcc.edu/IE • Forms and templates online

13. Working through the process… • Mentoring • Reviewing data, reviewing what research is, inputting and formatting data • Calendars • Reviewing deadlines/Learning Unit (Instructional) involvement • Putting learning and program outcomes into action • Using data for results

14. Working through the process… • Culture of Evidence • Surveys – Graduate/Employer/Current student • SWOT’s – Advisory groups/ Faculty/Student/Grads/Other • Resources Needed • Budget requests • Presentations to VP • One-Year Follow-up • Did you do what you said you would do

15. Number of Academic Programs Reviewed per Year (Credit and Non-credit)

16. Non-instructional Units – 3 Year Cycle

17. Working on Teaching Evaluation • Working with faculty group now • Revise summative evaluation tool • Also to create a set of formative tools they can you to analyze learning, what is and is not working, etc. • Why can’t we use “evaluation” type tools to get a feel for learning in the classroom?

18. What’s Needed to Get the Job Done? • Training • Time Saving Short-cuts • Templates and processes • Survey/assessment assistance

19. Contact Us: • Presentation Posted • http://www.cpcc.edu/planning • Click on “studies and reports” • Terri Manning • terri.manning@cpcc.edu • (704) 330-6592 • Denise Wells • denise.wells@cpcc.edu • (704) 330-6617