The Role of Learning in Student Affairs’ Outcomes

1. The Role of Learning in Student Affairs’ Outcomes Marilee J. Bresciani, Ph.D. Professor, Postsecondary Education and Co-Director of the Center for Educational Leadership, Innovation, and Policy San Diego State University 3590 Camino Del Rio North San Diego, California, U.S.A. 619-594-8318 Marilee.Bresciani@mail.sdsu.edu

2. Outcomes for this Session • Define outcomes-based assessment • Describe the role that learning plays in student affairs • Explain how learning can be facilitated within your program • Explain how to write learning outcomes for your program

3. Ask Yourself These Questions • How would you explain what outcomes-based assessment of student learning is to your colleagues? • How would you help your colleagues identify where they can evaluate student learning within their programs? Bresciani, M.J.

4. The Assessment Cycle(Bresciani, 2006) • The key questions… • What are we trying to do and why? or • What is my program supposed to accomplish? or • What do I want students to be able to do and/or know as a result of my course/workshop/orientation/program? • How well are we doing it? • How do we know? • How do we use the information to improve or celebrate successes? • Do the improvements we make contribute to our intended end results? Bresciani, M.J.

5. The IterativeSystematicAssessment CycleAdapted from Peggy Maki, Ph.D. by Marilee J. Bresciani, Ph.D. Gather Data Interpret Evidence Mission/Purposes Goals Outcomes Implement Methods to Deliver Outcomes and Methods to Gather Data Make decisions to improve programs; enhance student learning and development; inform institutional decision- making, planning, budgeting, policy, public accountability

6. The Focus on Assessing Student Learning “The concepts of learning, personal development, and student development are inextricably intertwined and inseparable.” – The Student Learning Imperative

7. Given this context, what is the role that learning plays within the program for which you are responsible?

8. Importance of Assessing Student Learning • Demonstrates contributions to institutional mission and goals • And contributions to institutional priorities (e.g., goals) • Assists in informing prioritization of your time as well as other resources

9. Some Questions about Student Learning and Development(Bresciani, Moore Gardner, & Hickmott, 2009) • What do you expect your students to know and be able to do by the end of their education at your institution? And how is your program designed to contribute to that expected learning? • What do you do in your programs to promote the kinds of learning and development that your institution seeks? Bresciani, M.J.

10. Some More Questions (Bresciani, Moore Gardner, & Hickmott, 2009) • How do I influence student learning? • Is it through the education of my colleagues? • Of faculty? • Of parents? • Of community participants? Bresciani, M.J.

11. Reflection Questions (Bresciani, Moore Gardner, & Hickmott, 2009) • How are you directly or indirectly contributing to student learning? • How are you directly or indirectly supporting student learning? • How are you directly or indirectly interfering with student learning? Bresciani, M.J.

12. The Ideal for Student Learning Establish collaborations between academic and student affairs to • facilitate student learning • facilitate student engagement and socio-academic integration • evaluate professional development for faculty and staff about effective learning environments • Articulate priorities and leverage/re-allocate resources accordingly Bresciani, Zelna, & Anderson, 2004 Bresciani, M.J.

13. Where is the most appropriate place for you to contribute to student learning in your program? What outcomes would best represent that learning?

14. Outcomes • You may want to start with articulating outcomes that are more manageable. • For instance, articulate outcomes for your outreach programs first; • then later, move to your individual consultations; • than your information pieces, if at all. Bresciani, M.J.

15. Outcomes • Outcomes are more detailed and specific statements derived from the goals. • These are specifically about what you want the end result of your efforts to be. In other words, what do you expect the student to know and do as a result of your one hour workshop; 1 hour individual meeting; website instructions; etc. • It is not what you are going to do to the student, but rather it describes how you want the student to demonstrate what he or she knows or can do. Bresciani, M.J.

16. Constructing Learning Outcomes • Outcomes use active verbs such as articulate, illustrate, conduct, synthesize, analyze, construct, etc. • Depending on what level of learning you expect from your learning delivery method. • http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.html

17. Examples of Outcomes • Students will identify at least two examples of social group identities • Students will explain the way unearned privilege may negatively impact performance and cross-cultural relationships Bresciani, M.J.

18. Another Take on Bloom • Knowledge = workshops • Skills = opportunities to apply • Attitudes/Values Clarification = facilitated reflection • Behavior Change = facilitated interventions Bresciani, M.J.

19. Outcomes, Cont. • Make a conscious decision to articulate outcomes that infer pre- and post-tests • Make a conscious decision to be held responsible for behavior • Remember that your outcomes may look different for your various constituents - - you may want to start with your more manageable population first, such as your Para-professionals Bresciani, M.J.

20. Outcomes, Cont. • Regardless of whether your goals are top down – the outcome is where you operationalize the goal. • Therefore, the outcome or end result of the doing allows you to “personalize” the goal to your own program. Bresciani, M.J.

21. Ideas for Learning Outcomes • NASPA/ACPA Learning Reconsidered and Learning Reconsidered II • CAS Outcomes • Your Prof. Assoc. Outcomes • AACU Essential Outcomes • Your College’s General Education Outcomes

22. So, now that you have identified the role of student learning in you program - How do you know you are contributing to student learning?

23. The IterativeSystematicAssessment CycleAdapted from Peggy Maki, Ph.D. by Marilee J. Bresciani, Ph.D. Gather Data Interpret Evidence Mission/Purposes Goals Outcomes Implement Methods to Deliver Outcomes and Methods to Gather Data Make decisions to improve programs; enhance student learning and development; inform institutional decision- making, planning, budgeting, policy, public accountability

26. Key Things to Remember(King, 2003; Komives & Assoc., 2003; Mentkowski & Assoc, 2000, Kuh et al., 2005; Astin, 1996; Bresciani et. al., 2009) • Student learning must be intentionally designed • Activities to support intentional student learning must be planned and made systematic • Learning must be facilitated

27. Key Things to Remember, Cont.(King, 2003; Komives & Assoc., 2003; Mentkowski & Assoc, 2000, Kuh et al., 2005; Astin, 1996; Bresciani et. al., 2009) • Learning must be evaluated at the point of the facilitation prior to evaluating the transferability of learning • Evaluate the learning when you expect it to occur first; then evaluate how well it transferred

28. Key Things to Remember, Cont.(King, 2003; Komives & Assoc., 2003; Mentkowski & Assoc, 2000, Kuh et al., 2005; Astin, 1996; Bresciani et. al., 2009) • In order to systematically improve learning, we must systematically design and evaluate the opportunities to improve student learning • Outcomes-based assessment is not research

29. Given this presentation, what are your next steps in evaluating student learning within your program/institution?

30. Questions? Marilee.Bresciani@mail.sdsu.edu

31. One Minute Evaluation • What is the most valuable lesson that you learned from this session? • What is one question that you still have? Bresciani, M.J.

32. References • Astin, A.W. (1996). Involvement in learning revisited: Lessons we have learned. Journal of College Student Development, 37(2), 123-133. • Blake, J.H. (2007). The crucial role of student affairs professionals in the learning process. In Moore, E.L. (Ed.) Student Affairs Staff as Teachers: New Directions for Student Services (117). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Bresciani, M.J., Zelna, C.L., and Anderson, J.A. (2004). Techniques for Assessing Student Learning and Development in Academic and Student Support Services. Washington D.C.:NASPA. • Maki, P. (2001). Program review assessment. Presentation to the Committee on Undergraduate Academic Review at NC State University.

33. References, Cont. • Bresciani, MJ.(2006). Outcomes-Based Undergraduate Academic Program Review: A Compilation of Institutional Good Practices. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing. • Bresciani, M. J., Gardner, M. M., & Hickmott, J. (2009). Demonstrating student success in student affairs. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing. • University of Victoria, Counseling Services. (2003) Learning Skills Program: Blooms Taxonomy. Taken from the World Wide Web September 13, 2003: http://www.Coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.html • King, P.M. (2003). Student Learning in Higher Education. In Komives, S.R., Woodard, D. B. & Associates. Student Services: A Handbook for the Profession, 4th Edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass. • Kuh, G.D., Kinzie, J., Schuh, J.H., & Whitt, E.J. (2005). Student Success in College: Creating Conditions that Matter. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.

34. References, Cont. • Mentkowski, M., & Associates. (2000). Learning that lasts: Integrating learning, development, and performance in college and beyond.San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Papert, S. (1991). Situating constructionism. In Papert & Harel (Eds.), Constructionism. Cambridge, MA:MIT Press. • Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How college affects students, Volume 2. A third decade of research. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.