Student Learning Outcomes

1
Student Learning Outcomes

• Los Angeles Valley College
• Training, Spring 2008 part II
• SLO Coordinator Rebecca Stein
• steinrl_at_lavc.edu [phone]

2
Review - Why SLOs?

• New Accreditation Standards
• Covering material does not guarantee students
  have learned it
• Success is determined by students leaving a
  course/program with integrated, higher learning
  skills they can demonstrate
• Establishes clear and transparent expectations
  for students

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Review - What is this thing called SLO?

• SLO means Student Learning Outcome.
• They represent broad themes beyond specific
  course content.
• They cut across the curriculum.
• They are measurable or observable.

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Review - How is an SLO different from an
objective?

• Objectives
• Tied directly to specific course content.
• Address skills, tools, or content that enable a
  student to engage in a particular subject.
• 5 7 per course.

• Outcomes
• Overarching understanding and application beyond
  specific course content.
• What students take away from the course that they
  can use in other courses or in life.
• 1 2 per course.

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Assessment
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Whats Assessment All About?

• An ongoing process aimed at understanding and
  improving student learning.
• Faculty making learning expectations explicit and
  public.
• Faculty setting appropriate standards for
  learning quality.

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What is Assessment All About?

• Systematically gathering, analyzing and
  interpreting evidence to determine how well
  student performance matches agreed upon faculty
  expectations and standards.
• Using results to document, explain and improve
  teaching and learning performance.
• Tom Angelo
• AAHE Bulletin, November 1995

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Roles of Assessment

• Assess to assist, assess to advance, assess to
  adjust
• Assist provide formulative feedback to guide
  student performance
• Advance summative assessment of student
  readiness for whats next
• Adjust continuous improvement of curriculum,
  pedagogy
• Ruth Stiehl (2007)

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Questions for Assessment

• What do students need to DO out there that we
  are responsible for in here? (Stiehl)
• How do students demonstrate the intended learning
  now?
• What kinds of evidence must we collect and how do
  we collect it?

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The Assessment Smorgasbord

• When SLOs are well-written, the method of
  assessment is often clear.
• One-size doesnt fit all!
• To select appropriate tools, need to understand
• Types of tools available
• Nature of the data
• Potentials and limitations of each tool

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Quality Data

• Quality data
• Based upon best practices
• Answer important questions
• Benefit the students institution by providing
  evidence to complete loop
• The assessment loop is a data-driven method of
  decision-making.
• Questions are posed concerning what works and
  what does not.

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Quality Data Are Results Valid and Reliable?

• Valid - the data accurately represents what you
  are trying to measure. For instance the numbers
  of people that graduate don't necessarily
  represent good data on what has actually been
  learned.
• Reliable - the data are reproducible. Repeated
  assessment yields the same data.
• Authentic - the assessment simulates real-life
  circumstances.
• Relevant - the data answers important questions,
  and is not generated simply because it is easy to
  measure.
• Effective - the data contributes to improving
  teaching and learning.

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Types of Assessment Data
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Direct vs. Indirect

• Direct
• What can the student do or actually demonstrate
  they know
• Can witness with own eyes
• Setting is structured/ contained

• Indirect
• What students say they can do
• Things from which learning is inferred
• Setting is not easily structured/ contained

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Qualitative vs. Quantitative

• Qualitative
• Words
• Broad emergent themes
• Holistic judgments
• Bulky to store and report
• Often most valuable and insightful

• Quantitative
• Numbers
• Individual components and scores
• Easier calculations and comparisons
• Easy to store and manage
• Often has limited value
• Must be carefully constructed to be valid

16
Formative vs. Summative

• Formative
• Assessment for learning
• In-progress
• Provide corrective feedback
• Establish foundational learning for next step

• Summative
• Assessment for evaluative purposes
• After the fact
• Determine progress/ achievement/ proficiency
• Readiness for next step/role/learning experience

17
Criterion-based vs. Norm-Referenced

• Criterion-based
• Evaluated/scored using set of criteria
• Based on proficiency not subjective measures such
  as improvement

• Norm-referenced
• Assessment of individual compared to other
  individuals or individuals improvement over time
• Rank, median
• Addresses overall mastery but gives little detail
  about specific skills

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Standardized vs. Homegrown

• Standardized
• Assessments created, tested, sold by an
  educational testing company
• Usually scored normatively

• Homegrown/Local
• Developed and validated for a specific purpose,
  course, function
• Usually criterion-referenced to promote validity

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Embedded Assessments

• Occurs within regular class or curricular
  activity
• Class assignments linked to SLOs
• Individual questions on exams can be embedded in
  numerous classes
• Immediate feedback

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Grading vs. Assessing
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Grading vs. Assessing

• A course grade is based on student achievement of
  course objectives.
• It is possible for a student to pass a class but
  not meet a specific course outcome and vice
  versa.
• Various assessment techniques can be used in a
  class that may or may not be part of a grade.

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Grading vs. Assessing

• What would we look at to grade this assignment?
  (columns)
• What would we look at for assessment? (rows)

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Assessment Examples
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Assessment Activity/Assessment Measure

• Need to address two components
• Assessment activity what will students do to
  show you they have achieved the SLO
• Assessment measure how will instructors
  evaluate what the students have done

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Assessment Activity Examples

• Licensing Exams (e.g., Nursing)
• Standardized Tests
• Reflective Self-Assessment Essay
• Satisfaction/perception surveys (student,
  faculty, staff, employer, community)

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Case Study Problem Solving

• Use an in situ approach to simulate real life
  situations and problems.

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Flowchart or Diagram

• Visual/graphic illustration of a process or
  system.
• High level cognitive achievement requiring
  analysis and synthesis.
• Draw a flowchart for whatever you do. Until you
  do, you do not know what you are doing, you just
  have a job. (W.E. Deming, quality guru)

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Capstone

• Capstone a culminating event or crowning
  achievement
• Capstone courses/projects

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Portfolios

• Portfolios are a collection of student work over
  a period of time, usually including student
  reflection on their achievement.
• Have strengths/weaknesses ask yourself if it
  will work for you
• ePortfolios

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Assessment Measures

• Checklist
• Rubric
• Calibrated Peer Review

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Checklists

• Determines whether a criterion is present or not.
  Good for simple psychomotor skills or low level
  recall.
• Example Hand Washing Checklist

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Rubrics

• A rubric
• is "a scoring tool that lists the criteria for a
  piece of work or 'what counts.' " (Heidi
  Goodrich)
• describes levels of quality for each of the
  criteria, usually on a point scale
• makes your expectations clear to students.
• reduces the time you spend grading student work
  and makes it easier for you to explain to
  students why they got the grade they did and what
  they can do to improve
• are most effective when you provide students with
  actual examples of poor, average, and good work

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Calibrated Peer Review

• Calibrated Peer Review (CPR) is a Web-based
  program that enables frequent writing assignments
  even in large classes with limited instructional
  resources. In fact, CPR can reduce the time an
  instructor now spends reading and assessing
  student writing.
• CPR offers instructors the choice of creating
  their own writing assignments or using the
  rapidly expanding assignment library. Although
  CPR stems from a science-based model, CPR has the
  exciting feature that it is discipline
  independent and level independent.

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Assessing Program-Level SLOs

• Licensing/Employment/Transfer
• Capstone Courses or Projects
• Student Surveys
• Portfolios

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Create an Assessment Tool

• Look at the SLOs for your course.
• Are there any assignments that provide good data
  on outcomes?
• If not, you need to create one!

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Create an Assessment Tool

• Determine which type of assessment tool would
  best assess that students can DO the outcome
• Should be authentic closely resembling a real
  life experience
• Will the student perform a task, create a
  product, analyze a case study, solve a problem?

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Identify the Purpose of the Assessment

• Will it be formative or summative?
• If formative how will feedback be given?
• If summative will the student have ample
  practice and feedback to do what is expected?

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What is a Successful Outcome?

• Identify the major traits that determine a
  successful outcome
• Describe the criteria relating to the traits and
  create a checklist, rubric or set of descriptive
  performance standards
• Set criteria at the appropriate level of thinking
  (Blooms taxonomy)

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Create an Assessment Tool

• Try out your assessment on student work and make
  appropriate modifications.
• Share the tool with other faculty and get
  feedback.

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Online Resources

• Calibrated Peer Review http//cpr.molsci.ucla.edu
  
• ePortfolios http//eportfolio.org,
  http//www.osportfolio.org
• Hot Potatoes http//hotpot.uvic.ca/
• Rubrics http//rubistar.4teachers.org.
  http//landmark-project.com/ rubric_builder/index.
  php, http//rubrics.coastline.edu,
  http//school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/
  assess.html

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Online Resources

• Internet Resources for Higher Education Outcomes
  Assessment http//www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/assmt/res
  ource.htm

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CLOSING THE LOOP

• The Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Cycle

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The Assessment Cycle (SLOAC)
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Reporting the SLOAC

• Goal to assess every course and program in your
  discipline within the five-year program review
  cycle.
• Annual reporting and Program Review reporting.
• Report includes
• SLO and assessment methods used
• Assessment Results
• How results were used for improvement of the
  course or program

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The Paper Trail

• Course and Program SLO forms need a Department
  Approval form.
• Submit to Erline Ewing in Academic Affairs (for
  VCCC approval).
• Other areas submit to area coordinator
• Student Services Walter Jones
• Administrative Services Brick Durley
• Presidents Office Cherine Trombley