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

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan Progress on the QEP  Review QEP timelines  Defining Critical Thinking  QEP Initiatives and Goals  Progress and Areas of Opportunity September 2, 2011Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting2

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan 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)all disciplines  One year remaining until we start finalizing the report September 2, 2011Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting Instructional Portfolios First Cohort: 4 programs 2009 Instructional Portfolios 2 nd Cohort: 5 programs 2010 Instructional Portfolios 3 rd Cohort: 15 Programs 2011 Instructional Portfolios 4 th Cohort: 9 Programs

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan Defining Critical Thinking  QEP Focus: Enhancing student learning by improving students’ ability to think critically.  SPC’s definition of Critical Thinking: September 2, 2011Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting4 “ 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.”

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan Defining Critical Thinking  Six elements of Critical Thinking, thirteen student learning outcomes. Students will be able to… September 2, 2011Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting5 I. Communicationdemonstrate the ability to communicate ideas effectively. II. Problem-solvingidentify inappropriate conclusions. II. Problem-solvinguse mathematical skills to solve real-world problems. III. Evaluationinterpret numerical relationships in graphs. III. Evaluationunderstand the limitations of correlational data. III. Evaluationidentify and evaluate evidence for a theory. IV. Analysisseparate factual information from inferences. IV. Analysisseparate relevant from irrelevant information. V. Synthesisidentify new information that might support or contradict a hypothesis. V. Synthesisexplain how new information can change a problem. V. Synthesisintegrate information in order to solve a problem. VI. Reflectionuse journaling as a tool for in depth reflection of course their thinking VI. Reflection learn and apply new information that can change a problem.

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan Defining Critical Thinking  The outcomes of the current definition of critical thinking are intended to:  Foster understanding  Support sound decision-making  Guide Action September 2, 2011Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting6

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan 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) September 2, 2011Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting7

Initiative #1: Student Success Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan Initiative #1: Student Success September 2, 2011Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting9 #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.

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan Initiative #1: Student Success  Goal 1-1: Enhance students’ critical thinking skills through “teaching for critical thinking” classroom activities across the curriculum. September 2, 2011Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting10 DirectCritical 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) IndirectRecent Alumni Survey Measures:Employer Survey Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan 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 September 2, 2011Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting11

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan 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 Reviewer’s template) September 2, 2011Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting12

Initiative #2: Professional Development Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan Initiative #2: Professional Development September 2, 2011Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting14 #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.

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan Initiative #2: Professional 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 September 2, 2011Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting15

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan 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 , QEP office will work with CETL to get in touch with new faculty about CT  Look at C&I 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 , survey SPC faculty regarding availability and effectiveness of professional development opportunities. September 2, 2011Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting16

Initiative #3: Critical Thinking Resources Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan Initiative #3: Critical Thinking Resources September 2, 2011Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting18 #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.

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan Initiative #3: Critical 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  Goal 3-3: Contribute to the critical thinking literature…  Faculty champion presentations at CT Institutes, 33 different instructional portfolios that include discipline-specific research. September 2, 2011Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting19

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan Critical Thinking Resources: Opportunities  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) September 2, 2011Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting20