Student Learning Outcomes 101

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Student Learning Outcomes 101

• Foundations of the Student Learning Outcomes
  Assessment Cycle

Presented by Jenny Simon and Lars Kjeseth
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Reflect...

• What are some of your concerns about student
  learning in your program or classroom?

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What are Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)?

• Robust student learning outcomes incorporate
• behavioral objective- what a student should know,
  value and be able to demonstrate/ perform
• conditions under which performance will be
  assessed (simulation, lab, portfolio, writing
  task)
• Criteria/ performance standards/ primary traits
  for assessing student performance
• Rubric for scoring student performance

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Course Objectives vs SLOs

• Course objectives versus student learning
  outcomes
• Generally, a course objective states what student
  will demonstrate, represent or produce at end of
  course.
• SLO also incorporates the conditions under which
  assessment will occur (test, portfolio,
  demonstration, etc) as well as evidence/criteria.
  That is an SLO suggests an appropriate
  assessment (evidence) that the student has
  learned.

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Example

• Course Objective By the end of the semester,
  students will be able to write a well-organized,
  thesis-driven essay. (English)
• SLO Given an in-class writing task based on an
  assigned reading (context), demonstrate
  appropriate and competent writing which
  (objective) states a thesis, supports assertions,
  maintains unity of thought and purpose, is
  organized, and is technically correct in
  paragraph composition, sentence structure,
  grammar, spelling and word use (traits).

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Example

• Course Objective By the end of the semester,
  students will be able to analyze behavior
  following the major accepted theories.
  (Psychology)
• SLO Given a particular behavior and its context
  (e.g., playing incessantly with ones hair when
  under pressure in the presence of the opposite
  sex) (context), describe how the perspectives of
  behaviorism, humanistic, psychoanalytic, and
  biological psychology would interpret that
  behavior and what methods might each use to alter
  that behavior (objective). The answer includes
  theoretical basis, description of causality, and
  treatment program (traits).

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Example

• Course Objective By the end of the semester,
  students will be able to understand and apply the
  scientific method (Biology).
• SLO Given a hypothesis (context), design
  experiments and interpret data according to the
  scientific method in order to evaluate the
  hypothesis (objective). Include the ability to
  approach the scientific method in a variety of
  ways, formulate questions, design experiments
  that answer the questions and manipulate and
  evaluate the experimental data to reach
  conclusions (traits).

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Example

• Course Objective Compare and contrast the text
  and film versions of a literary work. (Film)
• SLO After viewing an assigned film based on a
  literary text (context), write a review of the
  film (objective). Include an appraisal of the
  directors selection and effective translation of
  content from the literary text and the dominant
  tone othe director seems to be trying to achieve,
  supporting each statement with detail from the
  text and film and the students personal reaction
  to the cited scenes.

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Pop Quiz

• Course objective or SLO?
• Students will understand that individuals (and
  their families) must be regarded as being unique
  due to multicultural issues and other variables.
  (Sociology course)
• If you answered objective, youre right!

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Pop Quiz

• Course objective or SLO?
• In a written research report, students will
  critically review the scientific literature,
  synthesize the findings across studies, and make
  appropriate ecological recommendations based on
  current knowledge. (Ecology Course)
• If you answered SLO, youre right!

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Pop Quiz

• Course objective or SLO?
• Functioning as a member of a team, the student
  will design and present a concrete structure
  which complies with engineering standards.
  (Engineering Course).
• If you answered SLO, youre right!

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At What Levels Do We Assess SLOs?

• Lesson/ unit of study
• Course
• Program
• Occupational certificate
• Major
• Department/ Division
• Associate degree (A.A./A.S./A.A.S)
• Institutional

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Practice Writing SLOs

• Turn to Appendix 1
• Read the example SLO
• Work on the example SLO
• Write your own SLO with a group of colleagues
  from the same or similar discipline
• Material in Appendices 2 3 will also help you
  write your SLO
• Your SLO should contain
• Performance Context
• Measurable Objective
• Primary traits

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Once weve written an SLO, whats next?

• Writing an SLO is only the first step in the
  process
• The next steps include assessing the SLO,
  analyzing the data, and reflecting on the
  findings to suggest improvements

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Reflect...

• How could you and your program solve your
  concerns about student learning through SLOs and
  assessing SLOs?
• What other questions do you have?