NSE Assessment (Session 1): The Academic Plan Assignment for MEP What Will We Learn About Our Students? NSE Assessment (Session 1): The Academic Plan Assignment for MEP Welcome, This workshop is intended to move us all forward in knowing more about student learning, so with that in mind we should begin by introducing a student (or two). Since we are focused on the activities related to students’ educational plan, would one of you please volunteer an example of one of your students who has an exciting or unique educational goal that they have already shared with you? Thank you (or another example), and since you got us started would you mind introducing yourself and the campus where you teach. Throughout the workshop we hope you will get to know a few of your colleagues across campuses. Facilitators introduce themselves (faculty who are present Anna Saintil, Christy Cheney, Daniel “Chip” Turner, Larry Herndon, Lavonda Walker & learning assessment, assistant director Nichole Jackson).

Overview Introduction to the NSE Assessment Assessing for Critical Thinking MEP Assignment and Activity Faculty Role in Assessment The Tool to Assess (BlackBoard Rubric) 10:00 New Student Experience Assessment – Nichole 10:00 Assessing for Critical Thinking 30:00 My Education Plan Assignment and Activity- Christy or Anna/Larry 10:00 (or less to stop at end of first hour, can include brief break) Faculty Role in Assessment – Nichole with Christy or Anna/Larry 45:00 Uploading MEP Rubric in Blackboard – LaVonda or Chip 15:00 (or less with time for Q&A) What’s next? - Christy or Anna/Larry

We will be able to… Introduction to the NSE Assessment Recognize components of the NSE Program Evaluation Identify outcomes of the NSE Assessing for Critical Thinking Compare indicators of critical thinking MEP Assignment and Activity Apply the steps students follow to complete the assignment Faculty Role in Assessment State how assessment improves your work The Tool to Assess (BlackBoard Rubric) Use the assignment feature in Bb to collect student work Use the digital rubric uploaded within Bb to grade There are concrete outcomes that should result from this two-hour workshop. Upon completion, you should feel confident with all of these. If you still have questions or are unsure how to meet the outcomes, contact the lead NSE faculty member on your campus or Nichole Jackson, Assistant Director, Learning Assessment njackson18@valenciacollege.edu.

NSE Program Evaluation Assessment Results are not used …to grade students …for faculty evaluations …to limit access to programs Results are …from sampled students …representative of faculty on all campuses …evidence of the measures that faculty create and implement When thinking about assessment, it is important to remember it is to prove or improve existing practices. In order for a program to evaluate itself, it is not necessary to single out individuals who receive or provide the services.

Types of Assessments Course-Level Assessment Program-Level Assessment Assess student learning outcomes at the end of the course Assign a grade to individual students Grading often involves only one faculty member who is teaching the course Program-Level Assessment Assess student learning outcomes at the end of the program Evaluate aggregate student artifacts for purposes of program Improvement Evaluation involves faculty teams across the program/discipline In this workshop we will be considering two types of assessment. The kind you use to guide each individual students’ learning—Course-Level, and the kind we will collectively use to describe the overall student learning—Program-Level.

NSE Student Learning Outcomes Assessment (NSE course and co-curricular) SLS 1122, the New Student Experience Course and the New Student Experience Co-Curricular activities combined are intended to lead students to mastery of the stated outcomes, the six Ps. In addition, there are academic skills within the New Student Experience Course that build student mastery of outcomes beyond those six Ps.

NSE Student Learning Outcomes Assessment (NSE course and co-curricular) Purpose Pathway Plan Preparation Personal Connection Place NSE Course SLO Assessment (six outcomes - Ps) The NSE Co-Curricular activities were specially designed to support three of the Ps that are most related to skills beyond the cognitive learning in a classroom—Purpose, Personal Connection, and Place. The NSE Course design resulted in learning opportunities for students that fall within three of the General Education Learning Outcomes—Critical Thinking (assessed for in all General Education courses), Ethical Responsibility, and Communication, both oral and interpersonal.

NSE Program Evaluation Implementation + Impact General Education NSE Program Evaluation Implementation + Impact NSE Student Learning Outcomes Assessment (NSE course and co-curricular) NSE Course SLO Assessment (six outcomes - Ps) Starting in the Fall of 2015, the NSE Course will be part of the General Education curriculum as a required course for all seeking their AA degree at Valencia. Other divisions of the college that support General Education also assess for the learning outcomes The whole NSE Program Evaluation includes assessing for the six Ps (through the course and the co-curricular) as well as assessing for the three General Education Outcomes (through the course). In addition, there are seven student outcomes that should result from the complete New Student Experience. Critical Thinking Oral Communication Interpersonal Communication

NSE Program Evaluation (QEP) General Education NSE Program Evaluation (QEP) Implementation + Impact NSE Student Learning Outcomes Assessment (NSE course and co-curricular) Purpose Pathway Plan Preparation Personal Connection Place NSE Course SLO Assessment (six outcomes - Ps) Starting in the Fall of 2015, the NSE Course will be part of the General Education curriculum as a required course for all seeking their AA degree at Valencia. Other divisions of the college that support General Education also assess for the learning outcomes designated on this tiny map that you get to read later in the workshop. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT Name another division of the college that assesses one of the outcomes we assess in the NSE Course. The whole NSE Program Evaluation includes assessing for the six Ps (through the course and the co-curricular) as well as assessing for the four General Education Outcomes (through the course). In addition, there are seven student outcomes that should result from the complete New Student Experience. Which student outcome (result of the NSE) do you think is the best indicator of college success? AT THIS POINT IN THE WORKSHOP YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO— Recognize components of the NSE Program Evaluation Identify outcomes of the NSE complete college-prep classes and be prepared for college-level work. develop an educational plan and course schedule to ensure timely success. develop academic behaviors associated with success in college. successfully complete the first 15 college-level credits at Valencia. discover a plan for college as part of a purpose in life. engage Valencia as a place for learning and community. successfully complete a college-credit bearing course designed to facilitate a comprehensive introduction to Valencia and the skills associated with success in college. Critical Thinking Oral Communication Interpersonal Communication

Assessing For Critical Thinking In order to have evidence of critical thinking, we need to… define it identify some elements compare models designate indicators create a tool Now that you know the larger assessments you are a part of, we turn to the specific focus of this workshop—the assessment of critical thinking within the NSE.

This is the General Education map that we previewed earlier This is the General Education map that we previewed earlier. Notice the outcomes along the left-hand side and the divisions within the college along the top. The NSE is listed along the right side. The map is intended to show areas within a students’ 36 General Education credit hours where they would be engaged in learning activities that strengthen their mastery of the outcomes. Notice each outcome is being strengthened by more than one division. This means that students exercise and improve their skills over time. Any division that is documented as supporting an outcome is expected to assess for that outcome so that they have evidence of student learning which guides improvement processes for learning.

Phases of Assessment Faculty teaching the New Student Experience course began work in the spring of 2014 to identify assessments that would best provide evidence of student learning related to the General Education outcomes. The cycle above represents the process. For example. Starting at Phase 1, the General Education Program Learning Outcome of Critical Thinking. The faculty spent time aligning the critical thinking learning opportunities with an assessment that would provide evidence of critical thinking. The design of the MEP Assignment resulted in sequencing to make sure the indicators of critical thinking are taught and assessed. This workshop is another step in the sequencing as all faculty leading the learning opportunities are becoming more aware of the indicators and how to assess student artifacts. FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT When do you think we will begin Phase II?

NSE Program Evaluation (QEP) General Education NSE Program Evaluation (QEP) Implementation + Impact NSE Student Learning Outcomes Assessment (NSE course and co-curricular) NSE Course SLO Assessment (six outcomes - Ps) Critical thinking is probably the most often referenced activity in higher-education, and there are constant discussions at the national and international level to try to specify what it means. In 2002 Valencia adopted this set of definitions of critical thinking for its Learning-Centered Reference Guide. Notice the seven key components from Dr. Richard Paul’s model as they are often referenced, and you may have seen the small, blue critical thinking booklets he and Dr. Linda Elder publish through the Foundation for Critical Thinking. Critical Thinking Ethical Reasoning Oral Communication Interpersonal Communication

Critical thinking occurs in context Another important model, building on Paul and Elder’s work is Gerald Nosich’s circle. Nosich visited Valencia a few years ago and his work continues to be the resource for several faculty development workshops related to critical thinking. The important aspect of his image is the way it represents context as the underlying factor for all critical thinking. Gerald Nosich adapted Richard Paul’s components

Influence of Context Bias Use of Evidence These external models that have been adopted by Valencia have influenced the development of tools for assessing for critical thinking. In General Education, the divisions of Communications and Humanities have developed a checklist which is used to evaluate student essays for evidence of three indicators. Notice context is the first indicator. Use of Evidence

AT THIS POINT IN THE WORKSHOP YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO— Evidence Influence of Context and Assumptions Another assessment tool is a rubric that gives the evaluator the ability to designate levels of student mastery. The Association of American Colleges and Universities has developed more than 16 rubrics to guide student learning outcomes assessment. These are called VALUE rubrics (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education). Notice the three indicators that are evaluated on the General Education checklist at Valencia are also indicators on this rubric. AT THIS POINT IN THE WORKSHOP YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO— Compare indicators of critical thinking Student’s position … Bias

My Education Plan Assignment and Activity Step 1 – Select Major and Compare Institutions Step 2 – Action Plan Reflection Step 3 – Research Degree, Prerequisites & Plug into AA Program Handout Step 4 - Complete My Education Plan Activity that connects critical thinking to the rubric for MEP assignment. AT THIS POINT IN THE WORKSHOP YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO— Apply the steps students follow to complete the assignment

Faculty Role in Assessment When we engage in assessment activities we can… more readily notice areas in need of improvement. commit to emphasizing instruction related to specific outcomes. play a critical role in helping establish a community of practice. participate in the continuous cycle of improvement which makes us more aware of the successes and necessary improvements. Now that you know the steps students complete within the learning activity, you can consider how an intentional assessment of the critical thinking indicators can improve the work.

Questions about your role… If you are reviewing this later and have questions related to learning assessment, please feel free to call or email Nichole Jackson, Assistant Director, Learning Assessment 407-582-3829 njackson18@valenciacollege.edu

Your role is important… The Valencia community will begin to understand what the students are experiencing and learning as a result of the NSE. Faculty, staff, and administrators will be able to have conversations about best practices in implementation. The evaluation activities will support continuous improvement of the experience for both faculty and students. We hope that all part-time and full-time faculty teaching the NSE Course across the college will find meaningful ways to stay involved with the assessment activities and informed about the full evaluation of the NSE. AT THIS POINT IN THE WORKSHOP YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO— State how assessment improves your work

Upcoming Opportunity… General Education Critical Thinking and Assessment Session and Workshops - Oct. 10, 2014 East AM Session Location: 6-110 8:30- 9 am light breakfast 9 am - 10 am critical thinking 10 am - noon (A) Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) - 6-110 (2 PD) or (B) Essay Question Development - 6-217 (2 PD) West PM Session Location: 11-106 1:30- 2 light snack 2 pm - 3 pm critical thinking 3 pm - 5 pm (A) Multiple Choice Question MCQ - 11-106 (2 PD) or (B) Essay Question Development - 11-216 (2 PD) We hope that all part-time and full-time faculty teaching the NSE Course across the college will find meaningful ways to stay involved with the assessment activities and informed about the full evaluation of the NSE. AT THIS POINT IN THE WORKSHOP YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO— State how assessment improves your work RSVP - http://www.tiny.cc/Oct-10

AT THIS POINT IN THE WORKSHOP YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO— BlackBoard AT THIS POINT IN THE WORKSHOP YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO— Use the assignment feature in Bb to collect student work Use the digital rubric uploaded within Bb to grade

What’s next… Final Story Project: General Education Assessment Training October 15, 2014: 6pm-8pm at Lake Nona Campus or October 17, 2014: 9am-11am at West Campus Upcoming Final Story Project Training