What the*!?# is an SLO? Workshop on Student Learning Outcomes For De Anza College Faculty

What do you Already Know? Quickie Quiz on SLOs Answer multiple choice questions with the best answer Answer the others as True or False

1. A Student Learning Outcomes refers to student demonstration of: A) Knowledge B) Skills C) Abilities D) Attitudes E) All of the Above

2. The ACCJC standards require that SLOs are written and assessed in: A) Courses B) Programs C) Degrees and Certificates D) Student Services and the Library E) All of the above Place where you think De Anza is at this moment

3. Course SLOs should cover: A) Discipline Knowledge B) Discipline Skills C) Discipline values and beliefs D) Answers A and B only E) All of the above

True or False 4. An SLO is really the same thing as an objective in our course

True or False 5. According the the Academic Senate and the ACCJC, writing SLOs and designing assessments for them is a faculty responsibility

True or False 6. Faculty members can write different SLOs for the same course

SLO 101 “This is an evolution of best teaching practices, not a revolution” Lars Kjeseth, El Camino College

What is an SLO? Knowledge Skills Abilities Attitudes that a student can demonstrate by the end of a course, program, certificate or degree

SLOs: The Big Picture Requires HIGHER LEVEL thinking skills Synthesizes many discreet skills Requires students to APPLY what they’ve learned Results in a product Product must be evaluated or assessed by faculty

Must be written for Courses Programs, including GE and vocational Degrees and Certificates Library and Student Services

Who? Faculty, as discipline experts, must write SLOs

Why? Covering material doesn’t guarantee that students learn it Must demonstrate it Transparency is key Practice is also key

Where Should SLOs live? Course Outline of Record? Addendum to COR? Somewhere else? According to ACCJC, objectives must be in syllabus Good idea if SLOs are also

Remember SLOs: The Big Picture Requires HIGHER LEVEL thinking skills Synthesizes many discreet skills Requires students to APPLY what they’ve learned Results in a product Product must be evaluated or assessed by faculty

Objective: Nuts and Bolts Describes small, discreet skills Requires basic thinking skills Do not necessarily result in a product

SLO versus Objective Activity Answer the questions on the handout Hint: Some of the examples are neither an SLO or objective

Sample SLOs

Course Outline Activity Look at your CORs Which objectives listed may actually be outcomes? Which could be combined to become an outcome? Which are objectives?

Writing SLOs Activity Look at Guide to Writing SLOs Access course outlines through ECMS Use the Bloom’s Taxonomy charts to write SLOs for both your classes, either creating new ones or revising what’s on your COR Afterwards, use the checklist to see how you’ve done Officially document SLOs on the Documentation Form

Let’s Get to Work and Write Some SLOs!

What the *&%#! Is Course Embedded Assessment? Assessing Course SLOs

Course-Embedded Assessment: Expanded Grading Uses assignments produced in class – papers, projects, portfolios, presentations Grades them with rubrics or other explicitly stated criteria shared with students in advance! Results analyzed, resulting in changes to improve student learning and teaching

How is this different from grading? Assignment analyzed for how it informs you about the SLO Is not the cumulative grade of the course May only use parts of the assignment Focus is on what it reveals about teaching and learning, not how individual students performed

Think “Sampling” Not every assignment in a class is used But enough evidence must be gathered and assessed to get a good sampling of students and their work

Choose An Assignment Look at the course SLOs you wrote earlier Choose a major assignment you already give in that class that you feel addresses the SLOs If you only give tests, choose specific questions that require higher level thinking skills and address the SLO

So What’s a Rubric? A very detailed grading scale for one assignment A descriptor of each level of achievement

Why Rubrics Rock Great for students Doesn’t impinge on your academic freedom May make your teaching life easier Caveat: Doesn’t work for multiple choice exams

How do Rubrics Work? Rows: Criteria of rating Columns: Levels of mastery Beginner Developed Accomplished Cells: Describes work at each level of mastery Build from strengths and weaknesses you’ve seen in student work over the years

Sample Rubrics Grid Narrative with points Combined with Grading Sheet

Advice: Rubrics are As individual as instructor and assignment Works in progress, always changing Something students should see in advance

Activity Choose one particular major assignment Use workbook to create a rubric for it Share with folks at your table

Where do you go from Here? Next Steps