1. Student Learning Outcomes Assessment
Plans and Summaries

2. OVERVIEW OF OUR PROCESS
The program faculty prepare a report/summary every two years, summarizing the SLOA plan for each certificate and degree program offered by that department. Please see Student Learning Outcomes Assessment (SLOA) Instructions and Templates for completing reports/summaries.
The report/summary should be presented to the dean or director's office during the month of May every other year (even years) and ed to the Provost's Office. At least some information gathering for this process shall occur annually.

3. WHY DO WE ASSESS STUDENT LEARNING?
It allows continuous improvement of student learning based on evidence.
It provides the program with important information about how to improve the learning experience for students.
It gives you a picture of what your students (collectively) are learning or not learning.
It is required for accreditation.

4. What is Student Learning Assessment?
Assessment is the ongoing process of:
Establishing clear, measurable expected outcomes of student learning.
Ensuring that students have sufficient opportunities to achieve those outcomes.
Systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well student learning matches our expectations.
Using the resulting information to understand and improve student learning.

5. STEPS TO A HEALTHY PLAN PROGRAM FACULTY…
IDENTIFY LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR THE PROGRAM
DETERMINE THE TOOLS THAT WILL BE USED TO ASSESS THE OUTCOMES
DECIDE WHO WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT PARTS OF THE PLAN & WHAT THE TIMELINE WILL BE
GATHER THE DATA ON A YEARLY BASIS
PREPARE SUMMARIES EVERY OTHER YEAR
USE THE INFORMATION TO MAKE PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES

6. GENERAL ADVICE Program Review Committees check the following:
Is there a program-specific SLOA plan?
Are there multiple measures of student outcomes?
Is there at least one direct measure of student outcomes?
Is assessment information collected regularly and submitted on schedule?
Are measures described in the plan addressed in the summary?
Is the department sharing the results and collaborating on the reports?
Has the assessment process resulted in critical reflection and curricular improvement?
Is the program making significant progress toward meeting the outcomes that it has set for itself?

7. IDENTIFY LEARNING OUTCOMES
Student Learning Outcomes ask the question “What knowledge, skills, attitudes, or competencies do we expect our students to have acquired when they finish our program?”
Learning Outcomes should:
Be action oriented (“write,” “demonstrate,” “create”)
Be measurable and assessable
Be simple and singular (don’t “bundle” outcomes)
Be specific to the program

8. For example…
Broad: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the history, literature and function of the theatre, including works from various periods and cultures. More specific: Students will be able to explain the theoretical bases of various dramatic genres and illustrate them with examples from plays of different eras. Even more specific, specifying the conditions: During the senior dramatic literature course, the students will be able to explain the theoretical bases of various dramatic genres and illustrate them with examples from plays of different eras.

9. THINGS TO AVOID Fuzzy terms: “students will be aware of…”
Teaching goals vs. student learning: “Students will learn appropriate laboratory techniques”
Actions rather than outcomes: “students give presentations”
Very broad goals: “students will understand critical thinking”
Programmatic goals: “program will enroll 5 new majors each year”

10. DETERMINE THE TOOLS THAT WILL BE USED
DIRECT EVIDENCE:
Embedded course assignments scored on a rubric (through capstones, portfolios, specific assignments)
Supervisor reports of lab experiences & internships
Scores or pass rates on a state or national examination
INDIRECT EVIDENCE:
Student and employer surveys
Graduation rates; retention rates; pass rates; job placement rates

11. WHAT ABOUT GRADES? OR PASSING A COMP?
Grades may not assess precisely what a student has and has not learned.
For example: The learning outcome is “near-native oral proficiency in Spanish.” The course grade also includes written work, homework, participation…
Grading criteria may not be standardized across courses.
Grades on a particular assignment can be an measure under the right circumstances.
A comp is by nature holistic and broad- it measures many outcomes. If rubrics and scores are closely tied to certain components, it could be a measure.

12. SLOA resources UAF Assessment page:
Past reports, templates and examples are available

13. REPORTING
The most current plan and submitted summaries are posted on the Provost’s website (and for this reason should include no identifying student information per FERPA regulations).
They are reviewed by the ALO, Accreditation & Assessment Coordinator (and UAF Assessment Committee).
They are included as part of your program review.
Multiple faculty members should be involved in the preparation.
They are due by May 11, 2018.
Please use the template available on the website.
They can (and should) be brief and succinct.

14. Communication plan reporting
Communication plan motion passed by Faculty Senate calls for plans to be ”continuously reviewed as part of the Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Plan.”
All baccalaureate programs should have plans in place, approved through School or College Curriculum Council
This year, the template asks either for Communication Plan results, or for a timeline for incorporating the Communication Plan into the SLOAs
Learning Outcomes are included in the Faculty Senate motion (on the SLOA website)

15. CLOSING THE LOOP Common problems include:
No discussion of curricular change
Discussion of changes that (while they may be positive and important) are not related to the learning outcomes
Stock statements like “no changes needed”
Discussion limited to changes to assessment itself
This is the most important step, and the one that is most often left out!

16. QUESTIONS? CONTACT: ALEX FITTS affitts@alaska.edu 474-6253
MICHELLE STRICKLAND