1. 1 Assessing CORE Student Learning Outcomes Summer Assessment Institute August, 2005 Presented by Jerry Rudmann Coastline Community College

2. 2 Desired Outcomes of this Session Participants will be able to… 1. Explain why robust SLOs are appropriate for representing Institutional (or “CORE”) learning goals 2. Write a robust SLO statement 3. Create and use a scoring rubric for assessing a robust SLO 4. List and describe several ways to facilitate the assessment of CORE learning outcomes

3. 3 More specifically: A Student Learning Outcome or “SLO” is… A specific observable, measurable behavior stated in terms of what students should be able to do as a result of instruction.

4. 4 The Four Levels of Student Learning Outcomes Lesson or unit level Course level Program level College level

5. CORE Goal CORE SLO Students earning the AA degree and/or transferring into upper division coursework at ABC Community College will be able to… Communication Communicate effectively when speaking and writing. Critical Thinking Engage in critical and creative thinking to solve problems and make decisions. Information Competency Use technology to access, organize, and communicate information. Respect for Cultural Diversity Practice sensitive and respectful treatment of diverse groups and perspectives. Civic Engagement Identify and recognize opportunities to contribute to civic and environmental needs. Aesthetic Responsiveness Evaluate literary, visual, and performing arts using discipline-specific approaches and criteria.

6. 6 Two General Categories of CORE SLOs Content knowledge – facts, terms, concepts, dates, definitions, etc. Robust outcomes – products of complex behaviors and skills that students take with them and use later (e.g., a paper, a speech, an analysis of the merits and flaws in a persuasive message)

7. 7 5. The “Robust” Learning Outcome Meets These Criteria… A behavior or skill beyond content knowledge Bloom’s levels 3 to 6 Specifies the conditions / context A real life skill Experts agree on importance Standard of excellence Can assess with a rubric Global in scope Student is thinking, acting like a “pro”

8. 8 Robust Outcomes are Critically Important Products of Learning

9. 9 Handout – Robust Outcome Rubric The learning outcome statement… No or Unsure (0) Not Quite (1) Clearly YES (2) Points Describes a behavior or skill that is beyond recognition or recitation of content knowledge. Uses action verbs from Bloom’s level 3 or higher* (see Bloom guide below). Specifies the conditions (e.g., given a case study, a set of data, tools, materials, media explanations of behavior). Is a real life skill that students will use beyond the end of the course. Would be considered a high priority learning outcome by most experts in the discipline. Has an explicit or implied standard of performance (e.g., a benchmark for excellence). Is amenable to assessment using a scoring rubric. Is an overarching outcome (course or program) rather than smaller in scope (lesson or unit) Is a skill that represents thinking and/or behaving like the discipline expert (e.g., historian, neurologist, biologist, author) Total Points =

10. 10 Examples of Robust SLOs Written by College Instructors Course: DGA 166A Dreamweaver Course: DGA 166A Dreamweaver Based on customer needs and specifications, create an accessible, professional-looking five-page Website that reflects the nature of the business and the intended audience and that includes text, graphics, multimedia, and interactive elements.

11. 11 Eng 100 - English Composition Students will be able to write a well organized, well-developed essay of 650 to 1,000 words using standard written English.

12. 12 Psychology 1 – Introductory Psychology Given an explanation of behavior taken from the popular media, students will critically evaluate the explanation using the appropriate evaluation criteria (e.g., indications of non-random sampling, experimenter bias, lack of peer review, the confirmation bias, and a correlational research design).

13. 13 To Review: Robust Outcomes are Critically Important Competencies Meeting the Following Criteria The “robust” learning outcome… Is a behavior or skill beyond recitation Bloom’s Taxonomy level 3 or higher Specifies the conditions Is a real life skill Considered high priority by experts in your unit Has a benchmark of excellence Is amenable to assessment (e.g., by rubric) Is an overarching outcome rather that something minute

14. 14 Try Writing One 1. A CORE Student Learning Outcome defined: Knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes a student has attained upon transfer and/or graduation from your institution. 2. Try writing a robust outcome

15. 15 Share Draft Robust Outcomes

16. 16 Assessment Assessment of Content Knowledge Objective/multiple-choice Fill in the blank Matching Short answer essay Assessment of Robust SLOs Scoring rubric

17. 17 Embedded Assessment A clever way to do gather SLO evidence Minimal impact on current practices No problem with student motivation

18. 18 Introduction to the Rubric Scoring rubrics are ideally suited for assessing robust learning outcomes.

19. Let’s Develop an Assessment Rubric for a Resume Factor Needs Improvement 0 points Satisfactory 1 point Excellent 2 points Lists educational background

20. Chocolate Chip Cookie Rubric

21. 21 A Rubric is Good! Facilitates staff dialogue regarding satisfactory performance. Creates a more objective assessment. Makes expectation explicit to the student. Encourages metacognitive skill of self- monitoring own learning. Facilitates scoring and reporting of data.

22. 22 Design Your Own Rubric Use the worksheet in your packet to design a scoring rubric for one of your new robust SLOs

23. 23 Brainstorm – Strategies for Moving Forward in Assessing CORE SLOs

24. 24 Assessment of CORE SLOs – Strategies for Moving Forward Look for existing sources of data Multiple measures – triangulation Embedded assessment Map CORE SLOS to courses, programs, services Assessing a sample versus population Theme years Technology tools Commercial instruments Qualitative assessment (exit surveys, interviews, focus groups) Create an implementation plan Make SLO assessment report part of an annual Institutional Effectiveness Report (?)

25. 25 The Implementation Plan Who, how, where and when will your college gather CORE SLO assessment data? Who will review this assessment data? Who will write and file a SLO report?

26. 26 Email: jrudmann@coastline.edujrudmann@coastline.edu Work phone: 714-241-6338