Assessment of Learning Outcomes LEAP learning outcomes (as defined by AAC&U): 1. Critical Thinking: “a habit of mind characterized by the comprehensive exploration of issues, ideas, artifacts, and events before accepting or formulating an opinion or conclusion”. 2. Information Literacy: “[T]he ability to know when there is a need for information, to be able to identify, locate, evaluate, and effectively and responsibly use and share that information for the problem at hand”. 3. Teamwork: “behaviors under the control of individual team members (effort they put into team tasks, their manner of interacting with others on the team, and the quantity and quality of contributions they make to team discussions)”. Learning community learning outcomes: 1. Intellectual connections: develops connections across ideas/concepts/courses 2. Internal/self-reflective connections: develops connections between self/other, self as student & self as citizen, family member, employee 3. Community connections: develops connections between self and LEAP classmates, other LEAP students, and the wider community on and off campus

Direct Assessment: Example Team Project from LEAP 1100 (Note: 1 of 4 assignments) Assignment description: In this assignment your team will look into the social aspect of health and use the information you find to construct an argument that explains the health outcomes of your population. Assignment is to write a research paper: 1. How does your population compare to mainstream averages in the US in terms of education, wealth, career achievement, joblessness, home ownership, family structure (typical living arrangements and relations between the generations), religion, access to healthcare, language, diet and lifestyle, and beliefs about health and wellness? (You don’t need to address all of these. Pick the ones that seem most relevant for your group.) 2. Use the demographic data from question 1 to explain why your selected population might have the particular health outcome noted in assignment 1. Background for the assignment: Student teams are looking at the health outcome of a particular population in the United States African American males and life expectancy Hispanic American males, unintentional injuries and insurance coverage LGBTQ youth, suicide and homelessness Native Americans, diabetes and food deserts War Veterans, suicide and homelessness White American males aged 45-54 and death rates

Learning Outcomes for LEAP Team Project Assignment 1 Primary LEAP Learning Outcomes: Critical Thinking: Requires students to explore demographic information and form a more informed opinion that can differ from an accepted opinion. (AAC&U rubric) Information Literacy: Requires students to use library databases and other sources of information to construct a picture of the team’s chosen population as it relates to mainstream average. (AAC&U rubric) Teamwork: Students work in teams of 4-6. Some assessment of how the students are working together in class can be made by the instructor and for out of class work, the Peer Evaluation provides assessable information. (AAC&U rubric) Primary Learning Community Learning Outcomes: Intellectual connections: Builds on the connections between the biological aspects of health and the social aspects of health. Links the physical sciences with the social sciences. Internal/self-reflective connections: Requires students to consider their relative position in American society in terms of health, social status and life experiences.

Indirect Assessment: Factor Analysis (Skyfactor) and Learning Community survey Skyfactor (LEAP has been doing this for 7 years): 106 question survey 16 Categorical questions 90 Scaled questions (1-7 scale) 23 Factors (E.g. Course improved critical thinking, course improved connections with peers, overall program effectiveness) Comparative results with 29 different Institutions throughout the United States. Comparative Institutions are separated into: Select 6 and Carnegie Class Select 6 are selected by me and if possible, for consistency, I use the same schools that LEAP has always used. Carnegie Class are very high research activity institutions (this year there were only 3 including the U)

Example: Critical Thinking Factor

Indirect Assessment: Factor Analysis of LEAP Learning Outcome’s (Fall 2015- Spring 2016) relative to other Institutions. There is no Teamwork Factor We administer the survey in the spring so we haven’t received the results yets.

How LEAP has performed over the years

Learning Community Learning Outcomes Community connections - develops connections between self and LEAP classmates, other LEAP students, and the wider community on and off campus. Factors: Factor 19: Course improved connections with peers Factor 20: Course increased co-curricular engagement Factor 22: Social integration Factor 19: Course improved connections with peers Q085. As a result of this course/experience, I am more likely to: Get to know other students at my institution Q086. As a result of this course/experience, I am more likely to: Meet new people who share my interests Q087. As a result of this course/experience, I am more likely to: Establish friendships with peers Factor 22: Social Integration Q094. To what degree: Are you accepted by students at this college/university? Q095. To what degree: Is it easy for you to make new friends at this college/university? Q096. To what degree: Are you able to identify other students with similar interests? Factor 20: Course increased co-curricular engagement Q088. As a result of this course/experience, I am more likely to: Participate in student organizations Q089. As a result of this course/experience, I am more likely to: Participate in student activities (e.g., games, lectures) Q090. As a result of this course/experience, I am more likely to: Participate in service-learning/civic-engagement activities

Learning Community Learning Outcome: Community Connections Factor 19: Course improved connections with peers Q085. As a result of this course/experience, I am more likely to: Get to know other students at my institution Q086. As a result of this course/experience, I am more likely to: Meet new people who share my interests Q087. As a result of this course/experience, I am more likely to: Establish friendships with peers Factor 22: Social Integration Q094. To what degree: Are you accepted by students at this college/university? Q095. To what degree: Is it easy for you to make new friends at this college/university? Q096. To what degree: Are you able to identify other students with similar interests? Factor 20: Course increased co-curricular engagement Q088. As a result of this course/experience, I am more likely to: Participate in student organizations Q089. As a result of this course/experience, I am more likely to: Participate in student activities (e.g., games, lectures) Q090. As a result of this course/experience, I am more likely to: Participate in service-learning/civic-engagement activities

Factor 19: Course improved connections with peers (by category) What is your place of residence? Residence hall N = 79 Fraternity/Sorority house N = 0 On-campus apartment N = 7 -Off-campus apartment N = 36 Living at home N = 103 Other N = 3 In an average week, how many hours do you spend working (i.e., in a paid job and/or work-study)? None N = 82 1 to 10 hours N = 33 11 to 20 hours N = 49 21 to 30 hours N = 41 31 to 40 hours N = 14 More than 40 hours N = 3 How often do you participate in programs/activities sponsored by your college/university? Rarely or never N = 68 Sometimes N = 124 Often or always N = 31  

The LEAP student that is getting the most connection, lives on campus, works 21-30 hours, and often participates in programs sponsored by the U. What is your place of residence? In an average week, how many hours do you spend working (i.e., in a paid job and/or work-study)? How often do you participate in programs/activities sponsored by your college/university? (Note: only 7 on campus, for work 31-40 N=14, 1-10 N=33), The least connected Lives off campus, doesn’t work, rarely participates. This might be the International student.

The LEAP student that is getting the least connection, lives off campus, doesn’t work and rarely participates in programs sponsored by the U. What is your place of residence? In an average week, how many hours do you spend working (i.e., in a paid job and/or work-study)? How often do you participate in programs/activities sponsored by your college/university? The least connected Lives off campus, doesn’t work, rarely participates.

Factor 22: Social integration Q086. As a result of this course/experience, I am more likely to: Meet new people who share my interests Q094. To what degree: Are you accepted by students at this college/university? Q095. To what degree: Is it easy for you to make new friends at this college/university? Q096. To what degree: Are you able to identify other students with similar interests?  

Factor 20: Course increased Co-curricular engagement Q088. As a result of this course/experience, I am more likely to: Participate in student organizations Q089. As a result of this course/experience, I am more likely to: Participate in student activities (e.g., games, lectures) Q090. As a result of this course/experience, I am more likely to: Participate in service-learning/civic-engagement activities This factor could be impacted by the phrasing “as a result of this course, I am more likely to” The off campus student is lower in every case.

Reported Race: Course improved connection with peers, course increased co-curricular engagement, social integration Hispanic N=33 American Indian N=4 Asian N = 35 Black or African American N =9 Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander N= 4 White N = 130 Two or more races N = 12 Unknown N = 1

By Gender: Course improved connection with peers, course increased co-curricular engagement, social integration Female N = 120 Male N = 104 The group that is getting the least amount of connection is the White and Asian male who lives off campus.

Learning Community Learning Outcomes Survey (administered on Campus Labs) 1) The two LEAP courses helped me understand ideas and concepts across a range of topics. 1 (strongly disagree) to 10 (strongly agree) In a sentence or two, please provide a specific example of an idea or concept that you were able to connect across your two LEAP courses. 2) The LEAP Program helped me deepen connections between my course content and other aspects of my personal, familial, and professional life. 1 (strongly disagree) to 10 (strongly agree) In a sentence or two, please provide a specific example of how course content was applied to better understand some aspect of your life as a student, citizen, family member, employee, or future professional. 3) The LEAP Program helped me develop connections with communities on or off campus. In a sentence or two, please provide a specific example of how the LEAP Program allowed you to make a connection to communities in your class, in the program, or on or off campus. 1. Intellectual connections- develops connections across ideas/concepts/courses 2 Internal/self-reflective connections-develops connections between self/other, self as student & self as citizen, family member, employee 3. Community connections-develops connections between self and LEAP classmates, other LEAP students, and the wider community on and off campus

Learning Community Learning Outcomes Intellectual connections: Builds on the connections between the biological aspects of health and the social aspects of health. Links the physical sciences with the social sciences. (Assessed from the students work). 1) The two LEAP courses helped me understand ideas and concepts across a range of topics. 1 (strongly disagree) to 10 (strongly agree) In a sentence or two, please provide a specific example of an idea or concept that you were able to connect across your two LEAP courses. (The survey instrument)