Transcript SLO’s: Financial Aid: - Imperial Valley College

Identifying
Student Learning Outcomes
& Assessments
Toni Pfister, MS, EdD
Imperial Valley College
Instructor, Exercise Science
Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) Coordinator
Spring 2011
• The new ACCJC-WASC Accreditation
Standards and the California Master
Plan for Education both incorporated
expectations for student learning
outcomes (SLOs) and assessment
plans in every course and program in
California community colleges
– ACCJC-WASC, 2002: California Master Plan for Education (2002).
Rubric for Evaluating Institutional
Effectiveness:
Student Learning Outcomes
•
•
•
•
Level 1 “Awareness”
Level 2 “Development”*****
Level 3 “Proficiency”
Level 4 “Sustainable Continuous
Quality Improvement”
WASC Rubric for SLOs:
Proficiency Level
• SLOs and Authentic Assessments in place for courses,
programs, degrees
• Assessment results are being used for improvement campuswide
• Widespread dialogue about assessment results is occurring
• Decision-making includes dialogue on results of assessment &
is purposely directed toward improving student learning
• Appropriate resources continue to be allocated & fine-tuned
• Comprehensive reports exist & are completed on a regular
basis
• Course-level outcomes are aligned with degree-level outcomes
• Students demonstrate awareness of goals & purposes of
courses & programs in which they are enrolled
What’s In It for Us?
▪Better information for those of us working in education
▪Evidence that what we do WORKS
▪Improved campus-wide communication
▪Evidence-based administrative decisions ($)
▪Demonstrate program quality
•To ourselves
•To others--be accountable to the
community/society and demonstrate quality and
student success.
Incremental program improvement!!
IVC’s
Institutional Learning Outcomes
ILO1:
ILO2:
ILO3:
ILO4:
ILO5:
Communication Skills
Critical Thinking Skills
Personal Responsibility
Information Literacy
Global Awareness
Student Learning Outcomes are
• knowledge
• skills
• abilities
• attitudes (?)
…that students should have at the
completion of a course, program, or activity
• The presence and quality of which can
be measured and evaluated.
Objectives…
are small steps that lead toward a goal,
for instance the discrete course content
that faculty cover within a discipline.
Objectives are usually more numerous
and create a framework for the
overarching SLOs which address
synthesizing, evaluating and analyzing
many of the objectives.
Student Learning Outcomes…
are the specific observable or measurable
results that are expected subsequent to a
learning experience. These outcomes may
involve knowledge, skills, or attitudes that
provide evidence that learning has
occurred as a result of a specific course,
program activity, or process. An SLO
refers to an overarching outcome and
usually encompasses a gathering together
of smaller discrete objectives.
SLOs are “Over-arching” Outcomes
• What can students do by the end of the
semester?
• How can students demonstrate this?
• What can they produce to show they
have learned to apply their new
knowledge?
Student Learning Outcomes:
• SLOs define what will be measured and
dictate what assessment tool is
appropriate.
• SLOs represent both the target for our
service or teaching and the expectation
for student achievement as a result of
our effort.
♦ Currently, informally completed
need to be formally written down &
assessed
Develop or Modify
Student Learning Outcomes &
Assessments
Develop, Modify, or
Review a Curriculum,
Course, Program, or
Service.
Determine
Refinements
Based on
Outcomes
Data.
Measure Student
Learning as a Result of
the Course or Program
Collect,
Discuss, &
Analyze
Data.
Scientific Method vs.
SLO Assessment Model
In the Student Learning Outcome Assessment
Cycle we are doing SMALL SCALE tests
• Looking for trends that are applicable to our
students and programs that will result in
incremental program improvement.
• This is NOT the search for the ultimate truth
found in scientific research; we are NOT looking
for statistical significance.
Assess “Visible” Indicators
• Translate objectives into associated,
tangible learning outcomes.
• Examples: Math SLOs
– Manipulate mathematical symbols and
notations independently to solve problems
logically. (ILO2)
– Determine and present how concepts of trig
are applied to solve real world problems in a
mathematical setting. (ILO1 + ILO2 + ILO5)
Automotive Tech / AC, Refrig
• Analyze abnormal
charging system
symptoms for
possible causes;
inspect the system
for damage and
defects; and repair
or replace as
required.
• Develop and
implement
strategies for
problem diagnosis
and repair of
common comfort
A/C equipment.
IVC SLO Examples
Admin. Of Justice
• Analyze and apply the
issues of ethics and
professionalism in law
enforcement (ILO1, ILO2)
• Assessment tool: Role
Playing Activity & Rubric
English
• Compose a short story
with adequate
development of plot,
theme, and character
development, with
properly formatted dialog,
descriptions, and literary
devices (ILO1, ILO2)
• Assessment tool: Rubric
for plot, theme, character
dev, dialog, descrip, lit
devices
Hypothetical Scenario
• Admissions and Records demonstrates that students are
having difficulty with applications (not answering the
question that the form was asking)
• Admissions and Records may have anecdotal evidence
that students are having trouble reading the catalogue
• Bio Dept. learns that students with Reading Levels 1-3 are
not passing GE Bio classes
• History Dept. finds that student who take History classes
concurrently with or following English 100 perform better
• Correlation between different departmental findings?
– Do you see how various studies in different departments
may provide information that may lead to dialogue and
investigation into a potential opportunity for learning
improvement institutionally?
• Placement tests?
• Advisory committee on reading?
• Prerequisites?
Activity
• Consider your favorite course. What
is the very best thing you do in your
course or program? What is the
activity that leads students to
produce their best work?
• How do you know it is the BEST work?
• How do you know it is EFFECTIVE?
Writing SLOs
1. Consider your big ticket course activities as your
assessment tool
2. Write an outcome from this activity by describing
what the student will be able to do after
participating in your course
3. Start with an action verb
4. Make sure outcome is assessable
5. Review w/ others (inc Dean/Chairs) & include in
CurricUNET
6. Include on syllabus & collect data once per year
per course.
Authentic Assessment…
• …simulate real world experience by evaluating
the student’s ability to apply critical thinking and
knowledge or to perform tasks that may
approximate those found in the workplace or
other venue outside of the classroom
• Use assessments that provide you with
meaningful data on student learning:
simulations, performances, complex activities,
exit surveys, capstones, team projects, rubrics
The SLO Plan
• One lead person per course (plan, coordinate, submit pprwk)
• Minimum # of outcomes per course = unit number (3 unit
course = 3 outcomes)
• Outcomes are included in CurricUNET along with ILOs
• All outcomes must be assessed within 3 year period so they
can be used for Comprehensive Program Review
• Generally, assess one outcome per year – Plan ahead!
• Include all outcomes on Syllabi
• Collect data, complete Cycle Assessment form (email & send
hard copy to Toni
• Cycle Assessments are due the 14th week of the semester
after they are collected.
• Dialogue: discuss outcomes & assessments with others!!
IVC continues moving toward
SLO Proficiency

Quote to remember:
“Though accountability
matters, learning still
matters most.”
Tom Angelo (1999)
former Dir, Am Assoc for Higher Ed Assessment Forum
Contact information
Toni Pfister
Office 716 Northwest Corner of Gym
(760) 355-6546
Email: [email protected]
Committee website: SLO Committee