1 Student Learning Outcomes 101: Basics for Curriculum Chairs and SLO Beginners Marcy Alancraig, Cabrillo College Janet Fulks, Bakersfield College Lynne Miller, MiraCosta College Janice Tomson, Long Beach City College Bob Turner, MiraCosta College

2 Today’s Questions What’s an SLO? How is it different from an objective? How do you evaluate how well one is written? How many should a course have? Do SLO’s belong in the COR? How do you get started assessing SLO’s? How do SLO’s relate to student services?

3 Today’s Goals Demystify the process

4 Today’s Goals Demystify the process Develop a common vocabulary

5 Today’s Goals Demystify the process Develop a common vocabulary Help you to assess the quality of SLO’s

6 Today’s Outcomes After completing this workshop, curriculum committee chairs and faculty will be able to recognize good SLO’s, and explain how dialogue about SLO’s and assessment can help to improve curriculum.

7 Things to Remember

8 There is a lot of room for variation.

9 Things to Remember There is a lot of room for variation. It is an iterative process.

10 Things to Remember There is a lot of room for variation. It is an iterative process. The process thrives on dialogue!

11 Things to Remember There is a lot of room for variation. It is an iterative process. The process thrives on dialogue! It is all about student learning.

12 ACCJC Expectations for Instructional Assessment in 2010

13 ACCJC Expectations for Instructional Assessment in 2010 SLO’s widely spread across courses, programs, and the institution.

14 ACCJC Expectations for Instructional Assessment in 2010 SLO’s widely spread across courses, programs, and the institution. Complete feedback loops (assessment used to inform curricular revision, as needed).

15 ACCJC Expectations for Instructional Assessment in 2010 SLO’s widely spread across courses, programs, and the institution. Complete feedback loops (assessment used to inform curricular revision, as needed). Faculty designed processes (with evidence of broad faculty input).

16 Student Learning 4. Incorporate SLO’s And assessment tasks into instruction 3. Develop means of assessment and criteria for success for evaluating SLO’s 2. Write intended Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s) 6. Use results to refine instruction (close the feedback loop) 5. Evaluate assessment results The Assessment Process  Plan-Do-Review 1. Establish goals and missions For courses and programs

17 “Refining Instruction” Refining instruction (i.e., closing the feedback loop) can be accomplished in a number of ways, including

18 “Refining Instruction” revising SLO’s Refining instruction (i.e., closing the feedback loop) can be accomplished in a number of ways, including

19 “Refining Instruction” revising SLO’s revising assessment methods Refining instruction (i.e., closing the feedback loop) can be accomplished in a number of ways, including

20 “Refining Instruction” revising SLO’s revising assessment methods revising instruction (e.g., more chances for students to practice the desired outcome) Refining instruction (i.e., closing the feedback loop) can be accomplished in a number of ways, including

21 Remember: The assessment process doesn’t require anything that good teachers don’t already do!

22 Good teachers... develop expectations for what their students will learn, design curriculum to meet those goals, design assignments appropriate to the curriculum, assess student success, revise instruction as needed.

23 How is this process different?

24 How is this process different? This process... formalizes assessment (all instructors in a given course participate; students across sections are assessed on agreed upon learning and standards),

25 How is this process different? This process... makes assessment more transparent (all faculty and students know what students are expected to learn),

26 How is this process different? This process... makes collaborative decisions about the desired outcomes of learning (SLO’s and assessments are the product of discourse among discipline experts).

27 How is this process different? This process... facilitates alignment of instruction (SLO’s are aligned with prerequisites and program requirements).

28 Student Learning Outcomes (see workbook)

29 Questions that Drive Outcomes Assessment and the Writing of Student Learning Outcomes

30 Questions that Drive Outcomes Assessment What must my students be able to do “out there” with what they’ve learned “in here”? “in here” is the classroom. “out there” is wherever our students go after they take our classes – the next course in a sequence, a transfer institution, a career.

31 Questions that Drive Outcomes Assessment How do we know students can do what we expect them to with what they’ve learned?

32 Questions that Drive Outcomes Assessment How do we know students can do what we expect them to with what they’ve learned? How can we use that information to improve learning in future semesters?

33 Important to Remember

34 Important to Remember Different courses emphasize different learning domains (i.e., cognitive, affective, psychomotor).

35 Important to Remember Different courses emphasize different GE-level outcomes (e.g., critical thinking, aesthetic appreciation).

36 Important to Remember Outcomes should be consistent across sections of a given course (both on-ground and on-line).

37 Individual faculty determine the scope of instruction (i.e., SLO’s do not limit what can be covered in a class). But...

38 Individual faculty determine the scope of instruction (i.e., SLO’s do not limit what can be covered in a class). Individual faculty determine how students are taught. But...

39 Individual faculty determine the scope of instruction (i.e., SLO’s do not limit what can be covered in a class). Individual faculty determine how students are taught. Individual faculty determine how assessment scores will impact students’ grades for their classes. But...

40 SLO – a Working Definition A student learning outcome is what students can do at the end of instruction with the knowledge they have gained.

41 Strong SLO’s... (see workbook)

42 Strong SLO’s... use language with active verbs (e.g., analyze, interpret, distinguish), with an emphasis on Bloom’s higher order thinking skills,

43 Strong SLO’s... use language with active verbs (e.g., analyze, interpret, distinguish), with an emphasis on Bloom’s higher order thinking skills, are measurable or observable,

44 Strong SLO’s... use language with active verbs (e.g., analyze, interpret, distinguish), with an emphasis on Bloom’s higher order thinking skills, are measurable or observable, combine discrete skills into an overarching task,

45 The best SLO’s also... explicitly or implicitly address the conditions under which the performance will be assessed (e.g., simulation, case study),

46 The best SLO’s also... explicitly or implicitly address the criteria, or primary traits, to be used in assessing student performance (e.g., design a sales plan that includes...),

47 The best SLO’s also... are generally amenable to assessment using a scoring rubric. Adapted from Kari Tucker & Jerry Rudmann ABC Criterion #1 Criterion #2 Criterion #3

48 Objectives vs. Outcomes Objectives Outcomes Discrete, teachable Combine discrete skills, tools, or content objectives into (the nuts and bolts) overarching results Can be numerous Limited in number

49 Some objectives may already use “outcomes language.” Objectives vs. Outcomes

50 Some objectives may already use “outcomes language.” Some objectives may feed multiple SLO’s. Objectives vs. Outcomes

51 Some objectives may already use “outcomes language.” Some objectives may feed multiple SLO’s. Some objectives may not feed any SLO. Objectives vs. Outcomes

52 Examples of Strong SLO’s (Active verbs are in pink.) (See workbook for more examples.)

53 Library Resources and Research Given specific websites to evaluate, students will be able to assess each website's authority, currency, bias, and accuracy.

54 Basic Computer Skills Given a sample dataset, the student will use Excel to create a spreadsheet that incorporates simple mathematical formulas.

55 Beginning Spanish By end of the course, the student will demonstrate the ability to ask and answer questions related to self, work, and courtesy.

56 Art History The student will be able to compare and contrast various periods in European art, distinguishing historic influences of the major art epochs.

57 SLO’s That Don’t Work So Well

58 Too prescriptive: Given data on three Pre-Columbian cultures, the student will write a word essay analyzing the geographical influences on the development of those societies.

59 Too prescriptive: Given data on three Pre-Columbian cultures, the student will write a word essay analyzing the geographical influences on the development of those societies. Better: Given data on three Pre- Columbian cultures, the student will analyze the geographical influences on the development of those societies.

60 Too broad: Students will analyze global political systems.

61 Too broad: Students will analyze global political systems. Better: Students will analyze 20th century western democracies and responsibilities of citizens in those democracies.

62 Too narrow: Students will use a microscope.

63 Too narrow: Students will use a microscope. Better: Students will use laboratory equipment to analyze tissue samples.

64 Not measurable: Students will understand the causes of World War II.

65 Not measurable: Students will understand the causes of World War II. Better: Students will evaluate the causes of World War II.

66 A strong SLO is... what students can do at the end of instruction with the knowledge they have gained.

67 Time to Work!

68 Time to Work! Look at the worksheet.

69 Time to Work! Look at the worksheet. Using the criteria, critique these SLO’s.

70 Time to Work! Look at the worksheet. Using the criteria, critique these SLO’s. SLO Creation Tools and Criteria are found in Appendix D of the workbook.

71 Determining the Quality of SLO’s Who makes this judgment on your campus?

72 Determining the Quality of SLO’s General Criteria (see workbook) Do use active verbs. Don’t use the word “understand” or inactive verbs.

73 Determining the Quality of SLO’s General Criteria (see workbook) Do use active verbs. Don’t use the word “understand” or inactive verbs. Go for higher level thinking skills.

74 Determining the Quality of SLO’s General Criteria (see workbook) Do use active verbs. Don’t use the word “understand” or inactive verbs. Go for higher level thinking skills. Make sure the outcome is assessable.

75 Determining the Quality of SLO’s General Criteria (see workbook) Describe the outcome in a way that suggests an assessment, but don’t allow the SLO statement to become too prescriptive.

76 Determining the Quality of SLO’s General Criteria (see workbook) Include the criteria for assessment.

77 Determining the Quality of SLO’s General Criteria (see workbook) Include the criteria for assessment. Think about the course as a whole.

78 Determining the Quality of SLO’s General Criteria (see workbook) Include the criteria for assessment. Think about the course as a whole. Use the outcomes to describe the major skills or knowledge.

79 Sticky Issues

80 Sticky Issues: SLO’s in COR?

81 Sticky Issues: SLO’s in COR? Yes Place to document SLO’s Available to everyone Quality control for adjuncts – bound to the same SLO’s Allows look at linked classes Helps filling out the annual report

82 Sticky Issues: SLO’s in COR? No What if outcomes change? Upkeep may be demanding The process of changing all COR’s may be overwhelming Could be too prescriptive if done wrong May conflict with SLO’s in transfer courses

83 Sticky Issues: SLO’s in COR? Yes Place to document SLO’s Available to everyone Quality control for adjuncts – bound to the same SLO’s Allows look at linked classes Helps filling out the annual report No What if outcomes change? Upkeep may be demanding The process of changing all COR’s may be overwhelming Could be too prescriptive if done wrong May conflict with SLO’s in transfer courses

84 Other Sticky Issues

85 Other Sticky Issues How many SLO’s per course or program?

86 Other Sticky Issues How many SLO’s per course or program? Who determines quality?

87 Other Sticky Issues How many SLO’s per course or program? Who determines quality? Who approves the SLO’s?

88 Other Sticky Issues How many SLO’s per course or program? Who determines quality? Who approves the SLO’s? How do we keep it real, not mechanistic?

89 Other Sticky Issues How many SLO’s per course or program? Who determines quality? Who approves the SLO’s? How do we keep it real, not mechanistic? How do we build in dialogue?

90 Take-Home Messages

91 Take-Home Messages There are many approaches to the process.

92 Take-Home Messages There are many approaches to the process. You are already doing much of this! (See the workbook for an SLO/assessment audit.)

93 Take-Home Messages There are many approaches to the process. You are already doing much of this! (See the workbook for an SLO/assessment audit.) The process encourages collegial dialogue and emphasis on what matters.

94 Take-Home Messages There are many approaches to the process. You are already doing much of this! (See the workbook for an SLO/assessment audit.) The process encourages collegial dialogue and emphasis on what matters. Drafting SLOs is just one step of the cycle.

95 Student Learning 4. Incorporate SLO’s And assessment tasks into instruction 3. Develop means of assessment and criteria for success for evaluating SLO’s 2. Write intended Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s) 6. Use results to refine instruction (close the feedback loop) 5. Evaluate assessment results The Assessment Process  Plan-Do-Review 1. Establish goals and missions For courses and programs

96 Final Take-Home Message: It’s all about student learning!

97 ABC Criterion #1 Criterion #2 Criterion #3