Student Learning Outcomes for Student Services

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Student Learning Outcomes for Student Services

• Modesto Junior College
• January 2005
• Sue Granger-Dickson
• Counselor
• Bakersfield Community College
• Terrence Willett
• Director of Research
• Gavilan Community College

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Learning Outcomes for Today

• Summarize history of accountability and how new
  standards came to be
• Define learning outcomes and explain the
  underlying philosophy
• Describe the assessment cycle and its role in the
  college
• Write appropriate student learning outcomes for
  your program
• Explain at least two methods to assess at least
  one student learning outcome including needed
  resources and potential barriers
• Identify at least 3 resources to help you succeed
  in the learning outcomes challenge

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Your expectations and needs
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History

• 1960s
• In the past, year-end reports demonstrated proper
  management but not whether the programs directly
  aided student learning
• Colleges measured enrollments, participation
  rates, budget expenditures
• 1990s
• More recently have expanded to measure success,
  retention, persistence, graduation, and transfer
• Focus has also been on instructional delivery
  versus student learning
• 2000s
• Student Learning Outcomes
• Present state of MJC

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Standard IIB

• The institution recruits and admits diverse
  students who are able to benefit from its
  programs, consistent with its mission. Student
  support services address the identified needs of
  students and create a supportive learning
  environment. The entire student pathway through
  the institutional experience is characterized by
  a concern for student access, progress, learning,
  and success. The institution systematically
  assesses student support services using student
  learning outcomes, faculty and staff input, and
  other appropriate measures in order to improve
  the effectiveness of these services.

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What are Learning Outcomes?

• Learning outcomes not a new concept
• Used in California in K-12, special ed, voc
  programs
• Used in other college systems (i.e. Maryland,
  England)
• Barr and Tagg called for learning outcomes in
  1995
• Focuses more on students learning rather than
  just how we instruct or support them outcome
  based
• Emphasis on higher more complex level of learning
• Clearly states educational intentions for
  students
• See example SLO in Appendix E in handout

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Sounds like behavioral objectives!

• Learning outcomes differ from behavioral
  objectives by
• Being broadly stated
• Having instructors assess gains in skills rather
  than creating detailed list of specific topics
  and abilities to be mastered (Harden 2002)
• Some authors do not perceive that the difference
  between learning outcomes and behavioral
  objectives is important (Prideaux 2000)
• Important to distinguish the two to gain
  acceptance

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6 Principles OBanionThe Learning College

• creates substantive change in individual
  learners
• engages learners in the learning process as full
  partners who must assume primary responsibility
  for their own choices
• creates and offers as many options for learning
  as possible
• assists learners to form and participate in
  collaborative learning activities
• defines the roles of learning facilitators in
  response to the needs of the learners
• succeeds only when improved and expanded
  learning can be documented for learners

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Levels of Analysis

• Institutional
• Department or Program
• Class or Service
• Assignment or Student Interaction

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New Perspective

• We must treat the college as a learning
  laboratory John Baker, VP SS Gavilan
• Dealing with whole student-their uncertainty,
  response to that uncertainty, and their wisdom
  and courage-all matters of being (Harden 2002)
• Shift from instruction as core of the college
  towards learning as central focus
• True marriage between academic and life skills
  learning

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Institutional Concerns

• Students have a fundamental right to services and
  if these services are not or cannot be related to
  learning outcomes, their existence could be
  unfairly jeopardized (Collins 2002)
• Uncritical application of business models and
  concepts to education
• Fear all this measuring will be a waste of effort
  and not enhance student achievement Luna,
  Gavilan College Academic Senate
• Do students really care about learning? - Borden

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Assessment at Bakersfield College

• 2001-Outside audit-impetus to become a learning
  college
• 2002-Program Budget review transformed into IEC
• 2002-Faculty sent for training
• July, 2002-New accreditation standards

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BC Assessment continued

• 2003-Campus wide audit
• Development of mission statement
• Description of how they IMPROVE student learning
• Opening Day workshop-each faculty member write
  one SLO

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BC Assessment continued

• 2003-Campus-wide cross disciplinary instruction
  workshops on writing SLOs
• Academic Senates adopts assessment as one of its
  goals
• Philosophy statement developed
• Creation of assessment plan at AAHE
• Interviews of 41 concerned faculty members

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BC Assessment continued

• 2004-Student services SLO Workshops
• General Education Committee adopts draft SLOs
• Critical Thinking Committee adopts draft SLOs
• Assessment coordinator selected with reassigned
  time

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Gavilans Approach

• Discussion began in Student Services
• Had SLO presentations at convocation and meetings
  of department and program leads as well as
  attending external workshops
• Institutional learning outcomes selected
• Course level learning outcomes written
• Currently developing program level outcomes
• Next steps include publishing outcomes in catalog
  and implementing assessment of outcomes

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Gavilan Institutional Learning Outcomes (from
Palomar College)

• Communication
• Cognition
• Information Competency
• Social Interactions
• Aesthetic Responsiveness
• Personal Development and Responsibility

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Gavilan Institutional Learning Outcomes

• Communication
• Listening
• Reading
• Writing

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Gavilan Instutional Learning Outcomes

• Cognition
• Analysis Synthesis
• Problem Solving
• Creative Thinking
• Quantitative Reasoning
• Transfer of Knowledge Skills to a New Context

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Gavilan Instutional Learning Outcomes

• Information Competency
• Research
• Technological

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Gavilan Instutional Learning Outcomes

• Social Interaction
• Teamwork
• Effective Citizenship

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Gavilan Instutional Learning Outcomes

• Aesthetic Responsiveness
• Differentiate between people who can sing and
  people who cant
• e.g. Brittney Spears vs. Norah Jones
• Distinguish between art that offends you, art
  that is cheesy, art you cant understand, and art
  that is too expensive

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Gavilan Instutional Learning Outcomes

• Personal Development and Responsibility
• Students will develop individual responsibility,
  personal integrity, and respect for diverse
  people and cultures
• Self-management Students will demonstrate habits
  of intellectual exploration, personal
  responsibility and physical well being
• Ethics and Values Students will demonstrate an
  understanding of ethical issues that will enhance
  their capacity for making sound judgments and
  decisions
• Respect for Diverse People and Cultures Students
  will respect and work with diverse people
  including those with different cultural and
  linguistic backgrounds and different abilities

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Opportunities for Student Services

• Support students in taking more responsibility
  for their own learning framework for action
  (Barr and Tagg 1995)
• Acknowledges that Student Services personnel are
  also educators

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Your Turn!

• Think of an instance you directly observed a
  student learning while interacting with your
  program or service outside of a classroom
  experience
• Write a mission statement for your program or
  service

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Writing Learning Outcomes

• Should be based on our mission and values
• In an environment that nurtures creativity and
  intellectual curiosity, Gavilan College serves
  the community by providing a high quality
  learning experience which prepares students for
  transfer, technical and public service careers,
  life-long learning, and participation in a
  diverse global society

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Writing Learning Outcomes

• Outcomes must be observable so you can measure or
  record them
• Course level learning outcomes sound like
  behavioral objectives (or really are the same)
  but LO tie into institutional learning outcomes
• Keep in mind that outcomes are tools to guide
  evidence collection for assessment

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Assessment Cycle
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Draft BC Assessment Plan
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Closing the Loop
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Dimensions of Evidence

• Quantitative or qualitative
• Not everything that can be counted counts and not
  everything that counts can be counted -Einstein
• Direct or indirect
• Norm- or criterion-referenced
• Should be representative and relevant
• Need several pieces of evidence to point to a
  conclusion
• e.g. Student complains of fever and aches, their
  temperature is 102º F, tonsils are not inflamed,
  eyes are red and irritated, posture appears weak.
  Notice mix of types of evidence that all point
  to same conclusionflu!

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Common Assessment Methods

• Tests
• Locally developed or Standardized
• Performances
• Recital, Presentation, or Demonstration
• Cumulative
• Portfolios, Capstone Projects
• Surveys
• Attitudes and perceptions of students, staff,
  employers
• Database Tracked Academic Behavior
• Grades, Graduation, Lab Usage, Persistence
• Embedded Assessment
• Using grading process to measure ILO
• Narrative
• Staff and student journals, interviews, focus
  groups

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Embedded Assessment Example
Criteria Joe Jane Liam Celeste Avg
Arithmetic with fractions 3 4 5 4 4
Calculating basic areas 3 4 3 5 3.75
Order of operations 3 4 5 5 4.25
Right triangles 3 4 4 4 3.75
Total 12 16 17 18
Student Grade C B B A
Down for grades, across for outcomes assessment
after Nichols
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Assessment Tips

• Collect data from a representative sample rather
  than everyone in population
• Collect only a few well chosen pieces of data
• Have assessment stem from activities you already
  do if possible
• Team up with others to share assessment work
• Design activities and outcomes with assessment in
  mind
• Ask for advice from your colleagues - especially
  vocational faculty who relate to learning
  outcomes as core competencies

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Writing Learning Outcomes

• Good verbs (Blooms Taxonomy)
• Compile Arrange Classify
• Analyze Identify Operate
• Design Solve Write
• Apply Differentiate Calculate
• Demonstrate Formulate Compose
• Explain Predict Assess
• Compare Estimate Critique
• Bad verbs
• Know Understand Appreciate Learn
• Good verbs are clear and observable, bad verbs
  are vague states of mind

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Example Learning Outcomes at program/service level

• Disabled Student Services
• The student will be able to explain his/her
  individual academic strengths and weaknesses
• Maryland Health Education
• Students will demonstrate an understanding of
  health promotion and disease prevention concepts
  to establish a foundation for leading healthy,
  productive lives.
• Admissions and Records
• Students can work the system
• Demonstrate patience while waiting in line

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More Student Service Examples

• From Ventura College SLO Workshop
• DSPS Students will demonstrate self-advocacy
  skills with instructors and staff
• EOPS Student will identify and describe
  resources available on the campus.
• Counseling Student will be able to state
  informed academic goal(s).
• Financial Aid Faculty and staff will be able to
  describe basic aspects of financial aid available
  to students and how students can apply for
  financial aid.

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Gavilan Counseling SLOs

• Students will identify college resources,
  procedures, and policies that support their
  academic success. (Cognition)
• Students will complete the college orientation
  and score at least an 80 on the orientation
  quiz.
• Students will use technology to gather, process,
  and articulate career options and choices. (Info
  Comp)
• Students referred to the Eureka system
  (online/center) will complete the assessments and
  discuss outcomes with counselor. (track
  completion on SARS)
• Students enrolled in Guidance 1 will utilize the
  internet for research and declare a major at the
  end of the course.

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Instructional Program Level SLO Examples

• Sinclair College
• Math Apply mathematical models to real world
  problems
• Amer. Gov. Communicate the significance of
  facts, concepts, and ideas in spoken and written
  English, which is clear, precise, and logical
• ECE Demonstrate professionalism in the child
  care setting

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More Instructional PSLO

• Parkland Community College
• English Students will create college-level
  written text for multiple purposes and diverse
  audiences that demonstrate depth of critical
  thought and that observe the conventions of
  standard written English.
• Psychology Our students will apply major
  theoretical perspectives and methodological
  approaches used in the discipline of psychology
  to particular social phenomena or
  autobiographical circumstances.

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Your Turn!

• Write at least 2 learning outcomes for your
  program and at least 2 assessment strategies for
  each outcome

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Reflect on Your SLOs

• Will the student understand?
• Is this truly an overarching outcome?
• Can you blend?
• Does this take into consideration the other areas
  your program interfaces with?
• If you had only 6 outcomes for your program, is
  this one of them?
• In reality, can this be done?

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Questions to Contemplate

• Why should I use student learning outcomes for
  evaluating my program?
• What are some strategies for writing effective
  learning outcomes?
• What are some differences between qualitative and
  a quantitative measurements?
• How can anecdotal reports or case studies be used
  in program assessment?
• What are the pros and cons of using sampling
  methods for assessment?

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Remember

• Everyone is a learner when it comes to assessment

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Creating Venues for Dialogue

• Invite outside speakers
• Use department/committee meetings
• Hold lunch meetings
• Send people for training to create champions
• Hold cross disciplinary workshops
• Conduct campus-wide workshops

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Acknowledgements

• Gavilan Student Services Division especially
• John Baker, Margery Regalado, Jane Maringer
• Gavilan Instructional Division especially
• Marty Johnson
• Marlene Dwyer her Curriculum Committee
• Department Chairs
• Academic Senate, Enrique Luna
• Research and Planning Group especially
• Harriett Robles, Brad Philips, Fred Trapp, Bob
  Gabriner, Jerry Rudman
• WASC
• Darlene Pacheco, Barbara Beno

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Thank You