Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

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Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement
Plan (QEP)
Department of Academic Effectiveness and
Assessment

• Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting

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Progress on the QEP

• Review QEP timelines
• Defining Critical Thinking
• QEP Initiatives and Goals
• Progress and Areas of Opportunity

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Review of QEP Timelines

• Efforts began in Spring 2008 at program levels
• As of 2011, all disciplines institution-wide (33)
  have participated in learning to teach Critical
  Thinking (via Champions and ARTs)
• One year remaining until we start finalizing the
  report

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Defining Critical Thinking

• QEP Focus Enhancing student learning by
  improving students ability to think critically.
• SPCs definition of Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is the active and systematic process of communication, problem-solving, evaluation, analysis, synthesis, and reflection, both individually and in community, to foster understanding, support sound decision-making, and guide action.
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Defining Critical Thinking

• Six elements of Critical Thinking, thirteen
  student learning outcomes. Students will be able
  to

I. Communication demonstrate the ability to communicate ideas effectively.
II. Problem-solving identify inappropriate conclusions.
II. Problem-solving use mathematical skills to solve real-world problems.
III. Evaluation interpret numerical relationships in graphs.
III. Evaluation understand the limitations of correlational data.
III. Evaluation identify and evaluate evidence for a theory.
IV. Analysis separate factual information from inferences.
IV. Analysis separate relevant from irrelevant information.
V. Synthesis identify new information that might support or contradict a hypothesis.
V. Synthesis explain how new information can change a problem.
V. Synthesis integrate information in order to solve a problem.
VI. Reflection use journaling as a tool for in depth reflection of course their thinking
VI. Reflection learn and apply new information that can change a problem.
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Defining Critical Thinking

• The outcomes of the current definition of
  critical thinking are intended to
• Foster understanding
• Support sound decision-making
• Guide Action

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QEP Initiatives

• Initiative 1 Student Success (primary focus of
  the QEP)
• Initiative 2 Professional Development
  (culminates with student success)
• Initiative 3 Critical Thinking Resources
  (supports student success)

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Initiative 1Student Success

• Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting

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Initiative 1 Student Success
Goals
1-1. Enhance students critical thinking skills through teaching for critical thinking classroom activities across the curriculum.
1-2. Develop and use general and discipline-specific assessment tools and strategies for measuring students critical thinking skills.
1-3. Collect student artifacts through ePortfolio.
1-4. Implement critical thinking programs supported by key student organizations.
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Initiative 1 Student Success

• Goal 1-1 Enhance students critical thinking
  skills through teaching for critical thinking
  classroom activities across the curriculum.

Direct Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT)
Measures ETS iSkills (due to modifications, iSkills is no longer being used)
ETS Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress (MAPP)
Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking (ARC)

Indirect Recent Alumni Survey
Measures Employer Survey
Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)
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Initiative 1 Student Success

• Goal 1-2 Develop and use general and
  discipline-specific assessment tools and
  strategies for measuring students critical
  thinking skills.
• Faculty Champion Portfolios, Academic Round
  Tables, Scenarios
• Goal 1-3 Collect student artifacts through
  ePortfolio.
• Feasibility study reviewed current LMS (Angel)
  and others. Determined that the ePortfolio would
  not meet our needs. CT subcommittee of Ed
  Oversight recommended using ePortfolio allocated
  funds towards CCSSE.
• Goal 1-4 Implement critical thinking programs
  supported by key student organizations.
• Great debate of 2008, SPC Reads, The Cuban Guy,
  Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour. WITS forms for
  Student Life and Leadership and students

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Student Success Opportunities

• Administer MAPP (institution-wide direct measure,
  last administered in 2007)
• Consider critical thinking items on the SSI
• Documentation of student journaling (V.
  Reflection) (aligned to ePortfolios, also single
  demonstration aligned to foster understanding)
• Increase documentation of Critical Thinking
  programs/events and feedback
• Clean up of faculty champion portfolios
  explicitly document discipline-specific
  assessment examples
• Conduct audit of all SPC programs (curricular and
  others) (SACS IE Reviewers template)

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Initiative 2Professional Development

• Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting

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Initiative 2Professional Development
Goals
2-1. Provide professional development opportunities to assist faculty in developing class activities to support teaching for critical thinking.
2-2. Develop in-house critical thinking expertise (i.e., faculty champions) using the train-the-trainer approach.
2-3. Institute Academic Roundtables (ARTs) to investigate teaching for critical thinking strategies.
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Initiative 2Professional Development

• Goal 2-1 Provide professional development
  opportunities to assist faculty in developing
  class activities to support teaching for critical
  thinking.
• Thirteen Critical Thinking Institutes and
  retreats, CAT scoring workshops, ARC scoring
  workshops, Online seminars, evaluations
• Goal 2-2 Develop in-house critical thinking
  expertise (i.e., faculty champions) using the
  train-the-trainer approach.
• Faculty Champion meetings, six external experts
  on campus, online training seminars, development
  of RLO and assessment checklists
• Goal 2-3 Institute Academic Roundtables (ARTs)
  to investigate teaching for critical thinking
  strategies
• ART Beach Retreats, meetings with Faculty
  Champions, evaluations by ARTs

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Professional Development Opportunities

• In fall 2011, advanced CT seminars will be held
  as part of the CT Institute, where disciplines
  will have individual meetings to discuss the
  day's presentations and discuss how it applies to
  their discipline.
• In 2011-12, QEP office will work with CETL to get
  in touch with new faculty about CT
• Look at CI 3-yr course review process for
  opportunity to develop a teaching for critical
  thinking checklist as a tool for faculty to use
  when modifying courses or class activities.
  Checklist for activities are being developed in
  partnership with CETL.
• During 2011-2012, survey SPC faculty regarding
  availability and effectiveness of professional
  development opportunities.

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Initiative 3Critical Thinking Resources

• Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting

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Initiative 3Critical Thinking Resources
Goals
3-1. Compile electronic resources for SPC faculty and staff organized through a College gateway website.
3-2. Create and collect critical thinking reusable learning objects (RLOs) for SPC and other institutions in Florida and across the world who are seeking multimedia/electronic critical thinking materials.
3-3. Contribute to the critical thinking literature through presentation and publication of instructional portfolios of strategies that support teaching for critical thinking.
3-4. Acquire and use print and multimedia critical thinking library resources available at Critical Thinking Resource Centers housed in campus libraries.
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Initiative 3Critical Thinking Resources

• Goals 3-1 (electronic resources), 3-2 (RLOs), and
  3-4 (CT Resource Centers)
• Gateway Website, instructional portfolios,
  partnership with WITS, designated space at each
  campus library, as well as online. Approx 30 RLOs
  as of 2010-2011.
• Goal 3-3 Contribute to the critical thinking
  literature
• Faculty champion presentations at CT Institutes,
  33 different instructional portfolios that
  include discipline-specific research.

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Critical Thinking ResourcesOpportunities

• Survey faculty champions to identify RLOs they
  implemented in their courses.
• Consider focus groups of students
• Survey SPC faculty to obtain feedback regarding
  Faculty Champions portfolios (literature,
  activities, resources)