STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES & UAS Accreditation

Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

NWCCU Accreditation Standards 7-year review process Year 1: Mission & Core Themes Year 3: Resources Year 7: Educational Resources & Mission Fulfillment

NWCCU Accreditation Standards Focus on CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

NWCCU Accreditation Standards Coming up: Educational Resources

NWCCU Accreditation Standards EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES The institution identifies and publishes expected course, program, and degree learning outcomes. Expected student learning outcomes for courses, wherever offered and however delivered, are provided in written form to enrolled students. (Standard 2.c.2)

NWCCU Accreditation Standards Student Learning Outcomes Why they matter: 1) For the student 2) For faculty teaching subsequent courses 3) For clarity when offered at multiple campuses & in multiple formats

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES The basics…

Goals, Objectives, Outcomes Goals: Broad, general statements about what you intend to accomplish in the course. Objectives: Similar, but usually subordinate to the goal. Often these are ‘progress’ steps toward the goal. Usually they are stated as what you are going to do. Outcomes: What the student will be able to do, know, value.

Writing Learning Outcomes Describe what students will be able to do when they complete the learning. Use active verbs that describe observable, identifiable, measureable actions. Avoid nebulous terms (know, understand). Think about how you will assess the learning. Consider time frame and conditions (aiding or limiting). By the end of this course… At the end of this unit… When a given prompt… With no additional outside assistance…

Examples of outcome statements By the end of this course, students will be able to categorize macroeconomic policies according to the economic theories from which they emerge. By the end of this course, students will be able to develop data collection instruments for conducting sociological research. Upon completing this assignment, students will be able to provide accurate diagrams of eukaryotic cells, including intracellular organelles, and be able to classify cells from microscopic images.

Student Learning Outcomes: How much is enough? Up to you and your colleagues. What is the minimum that you expect all instructors teaching the same course to require/ensure? What should the student be able to do in the next course? What you put ‘on file’ does not need to be all- inclusive of what you choose to teach in your course. What you provide to your students should be.

Student Learning Outcomes: Resources: Deans and directors SLO powerpoint in packet Curriculum Committee

Student Learning Outcomes: A suggested process for reviewing/updating: Fall semester: 100- and 200- level courses 600-level Spring semester: 300- and 400- level

Student Learning Outcomes: Our goal: Faculty review of all student learning outcomes by the end of AY14-15