GST 101 Planning Retreat

Pre-Workshop Evaluation Form

Who’s Here?

Retreat Objectives Finalize outcomes for Fall 2007 First-Year Seminar Pilot Courses Briefly discuss teaching each outcome Select outcome(s) to formally assess in Fall 2007 Refine rubrics for assessment of relevant outcomes As time permits, refine rubrics for other FYS outcomes

What are outcomes? See Tab 1, pp. 2-4 Outcomes tell us how students can demonstrate to us that they learned what we wanted them to learn.

Keep the list short and simple! We want the course to make important contributions to students’ development. We don’t want to put unnecessary constraints on ourselves or our colleagues. Students’ grades should reflect their mastery of course outcomes. We can add details in the rubrics.

Things to Review and Do List from February retreat. Paul’s redraft of outcomes related to writing, reading, and info lit. Consider adding an outcome related to the advising component of the FYS. Consider what we have learned about the current FYS. Add content-specific outcome(s). Keep the list short!

Goals for 1 st -Semester FYS Drafted in February Retreat Critical Thinking (overarching), through: Writing (2 outcomes) Reading (2 outcomes) Information Literacy (2 outcomes) Collaboration (2 outcomes) Integration (2 outcomes)

Draft Goals for FYS, 2 nd Semester Critical Thinking (overarching), through: Writing (again; 2 outcomes) Reading (again; 1 outcome) Ethics/Self-Awareness and Reflection (2 outcomes) Oral Communication (2 outcomes) Integration (again; 1 outcome) (repeat 3 goals, add 2 new ones, drop info lit and collaboration)

February List and Paul’s List Show respect for the work completed in the February retreat. Attempt to simplify and shorten the list, if possible. Remember that details can be added in the rubrics.

Consider the Advising Component’s Impact See Teagle List, especially Goal A (Tab 10, after p. 61 and colored page)

Survey and Focus Group Findings: Brief Summary Integration—made connections between GST 101/102 & other activities At least a majority had made connections with another class, a current event, another perspective than their own Weakest: community service activity, campus activity (co-curriculum)

Survey and Focus Group Findings: Brief Summary Intentional learning— most influential on learning goals & how to accomplish them Family Professors Friends RC catalog Advisor CCLS group O group mentor How much GST 101/102 helped 2/3s or 47% (47% not much or at all)

Content-Specific Outcome(s)? What deep and lasting learning do you want students to take away from this course? Example: Students who complete this course can discuss social, political, and economic issues related to global warming. July 17 and 19 workshop will follow-up on this.

Final List Length. Is the list of reasonable length? Realistic. Can we make progress on these outcomes in one semester? Practicality. Can we base grades on student achievement of these outcomes?

Retreat Progress Developed list of common outcomes, six for the course and one for advising/CCLS (see peach- colored paper) Reviewed the purpose of assessment and characteristics of effective assessment (e.g., generating valid, reliable results) Will now talk briefly about the kinds of activities and assignments we will use to encourage student learning, to provide formative feedback, and to grade and to assess. These ideas will be developed in more detail in subsequent meetings.

Teaching, Learning, and Grading What kinds of assignments and activities can be used to encourage student learning? (will do more in July retreats) What kinds of assignments and activities will allow us to give students formative feedback? (will do more in July retreats) What kinds of assignments and activities will allow us to grade and assess students? (will do more in July retreats)

Assessment: Which Outcome(s) Perhaps: The integration outcome—details to be developed today The intentional learning outcome (the advising/CCLS outcome)—to be discussed at a later workshop Outcome(s) related to writing—details to be developed at the July 17 meeting

Data Evidence What will we ask students to do to demonstrate their mastery to us? How will we collect the relevant evidence? Pre-Post Design to Demonstrate Course Impact? Control Group Design to Show Impact of FYS Course Revision?

Assessing the Evidence: Rubrics Review relevant existing rubrics. Revise them to ensure that we have valid, reliable, actionable results.

Rubrics See Tab 1, pp. 5-10

Two Types of Rubrics Holistic (e.g., Tab 10, p. 11) Analytic (e.g., Tab 10, p. 57)

Using Rubrics for Grading and Assessment Tab 1, p. 7 Can put numbers in the cells if you use numerical grading Can omit numbers in the cells if you prefer holistic grading

Integrating Rubrics Into Courses Tab 1, page 9

Create/Revise Rubric for Our Assessment Project Integration Rubrics. See Roanoke draft outcomes and rubrics from February retreat, page 5, #2 Teagle rubric, landscape format, page 5, #10

What’s Next? Develop assessment procedures and writing rubric on July 17. Course design and advising workshops on July 17, 19, 24, and 26. Things to collect for the FIPSE and Teagle grants (e.g., syllabus, assessment data) Assess collected evidence in January 2008 (dates to be determined) Revise courses based on this year’s findings and help other faculty develop their revised FYS courses (assuming new GE program will begin in Fall 2008)

Homework Develop your course-specific learning outcome(s)

Workshop Evaluation Forms