June 23, 2010 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

 A quick review of what we covered in the last session.  Tips, hints and time to practice writing learning outcomes.  A conversation about assessment and how to assess learning outcomes.  Time to chat with colleagues about how to work together on this initiative.

PARTICIPANTS WILL: 1. Learn how to write learning outcomes within the context of your unit. 2. Write 2-3 learning outcomes (for your unit and/or a specific program/initiative). 3. Understand the importance of, and how to, assess student learning. 4. Outline 2-3 ways that your learning outcomes might be assessed.

Quick Review: Why Are We Here? Prepare students for productive lives in their careers and communities UW System Growth Agenda Goals More graduates Obtain well-paying jobs Build stronger communities Assist students in creating an E-portfolio or Alternative Transcript Implementation of LEAP.

UWM Graduate Shared Learning Goals/ LEAP Outcomes Curricular ExperienceCo-Curricular Experience The shared learning goals define what the UW System and UWM believe an educated person to be able to value, know, and do upon graduation. Student learning occurs intentionally and unintentionally across their varied set of experiences. Majors; Minors; Certificates; Study Abroad; Undergraduate Research; Health and Wellness; Union Programming; Campus Jobs; Undergraduate Core Curriculum; First Year Initiatives; Learning Communities; Student Organizations; Residence Halls; Campus Life Division-level learning outcomes must be aligned with and contribute to what UWM has defined at the shared learning goals – connecting the unit- level outcomes to institutional level outcomes desired of all UWM graduates. Academic Departments & Colleges Student and Academic Affairs Unit level outcomes should emerge from the following: UWM Mission, Values, & Shared Learning Goals Mission and Strategic Priorities of the Division Mission and Priorities of the Unit/Department Professional Association Guidance National Best Practice Just a few examples of the many places student learn

Outcomes assessment is the most valid way of demonstrating the effectiveness of services, programs, and facilities, especially in defending and promoting higher education, and also in meeting accreditation standards. It is also most difficult, complex and misunderstood of all the assessment methodologies. (Upcraft & Schuh, 1996)

Clarifies divisional and departmental “fit” with institutional vision, mission, goals and/or strategic plans Clarifies to students and other constituents what students can expect to gain and what the program will accomplish Provides different kinds of data and evidence about services -moves beyond satisfaction and tracking use to describing effectiveness Links Student Affairs and Academic Affairs; links curricular and co-curricular

It’s All A Process

Quick Review: What are Learning Outcomes?  Measurable, observable knowledge and skills that a students should be able to demonstrate as a result of a directed activity, project, lesson or course  Knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes that a student attains at the end (or as a result of) his/her engagement in a particular set of collegiate experiences.

 Meaningful: think of what is most important for students to learn and know  Measurable: how will you be able to document, provide, and demonstrate that learning has occurred, what evidence will you provide  Manageable: SLOs should be achievable and the effort of implementation reasonable  Sustainable: SLOs should occur on a continuum, they are not an episodic event

 Embody skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are necessary and significant for the student to succeed  Be both realistic and achievable by post- secondary students and are at the appropriate level for the developmental student  Are verifiable and measurable  Are understandable to learners, educators, employers, and the public  Reflect principles of equity and fairness and accommodate the needs of diverse learners

 Audience/Who ◦ Who does the outcome pertain to?  Behavior/What ◦ What do you expect the audience to know/be able to know?  Condition/How ◦ Under what conditions or circumstances will the learning occur?  Degree/How much ◦ How much will be accomplished, how well will the behavior need to be performed, and to what level? (Heinich, et al, 1996)

AStudents will… B C D

Audience, Behavior, Condition, Degree As a result of service as a leader of a student organization, students will be able to identify one or more strategies to manage group conflict.

Learning Outcome Example Audience, Behavior, Condition, Degree As a result of service as a leader of a student organization, students will be able to identify one or more strategies to manage group conflict.

Time to Practice Working either by yourself, with colleagues from your unit, or with others around you… Write 1-2 learning outcomes. Do not focus on perfection. We will be revising these during the session. Remember, this is our first attempt with many more to follow.

 Describe program outcomes, rather than learning outcomes  Too vast/complex, too wordy  Multiple outcomes in one learning outcome statement (the word “and” is usually your first clue)  Not specific enough (e.g., effective communication skills)  Not measurable Reminder! Learning outcomes describe what students will learn. Activities describe what students will do.

Students will develop leadership skills.

Improve Student Learning Outcomes Students will develop leadership skills. Students will articulate three strategies for bringing a group to consensus after serving in a council position in Student Association. Audience, Behavior, Condition, Degree

College or University mission/goals ↓ Division mission ↓ Division/departmental goals ↓ Division/departmental objectives ↓ Outcomes for students and programs

UWM Graduate Shared Learning Goals/ LEAP Outcomes Curricular ExperienceCo-Curricular Experience The shared learning goals define what the UW System and UWM believe an educated person to be able to value, know, and do upon graduation. Student learning occurs intentionally and unintentionally across their varied set of experiences. Majors; Minors; Certificates; Study Abroad; Undergraduate Research; Health and Wellness; Union Programming; Campus Jobs; Undergraduate Core Curriculum; First Year Initiatives; Learning Communities; Student Organizations; Residence Halls; Campus Life Division-level learning outcomes must be aligned with and contribute to what UWM has defined at the shared learning goals – connecting the unit- level outcomes to institutional level outcomes desired of all UWM graduates. Academic Departments & Colleges Student and Academic Affairs Unit level outcomes should emerge from the following: UWM Mission, Values, & Shared Learning Goals Mission and Strategic Priorities of the Division Mission and Priorities of the Unit/Department Professional Association Guidance National Best Practice Just a few examples of the many places student learn

 Makes expectations explicit and public  Sets appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality  Requires systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches expectations and standards  Uses the resulting information to document, explain, and improve performance (Student Learning Outcomes, Pasadena City College)

 Direct Assessment – collects student products and information on their behaviors  Indirect Assessment – collects opinions and surveys  Formative Assessment – can be used to improve learning  Summative Assessment – is an end result of performance  Embedded Assessment – makes use of what students are already doing  Developmental Assessment – tracks students over a period of time  Authentic (performance based) Assessment – would be items or tasks that require students to apply knowledge in real-world situations

 Surveys – attitudes and perceptions of students  Narrative – focus groups, interviews  Pre/Post Tests  Rubrics - an explicit description of performance characteristics corresponding to a point on a rating scale, a scoring rubric makes clear expected levels of performance  Cumulative – portfolios, capstone projects, co-curricula transcript  Performance – recital, presentation, demonstration, role playing  Embedded Assessment – using grading process to measure  Observations/Check Sheets – recordings, tabulations  Database Tracking – grades, graduation, persistence (this should be used as secondary measure as databases record patterns and frequency of behavior not necessarily student learning)

 Demographic Data – an integral part of a department’s assessment efforts documenting participation levels (i.e., website registration, number of participants, race, gender, etc)  Satisfaction Surveys – when a survey evaluates the success of satisfaction level of a workshop, program, service  Needs Assessment – what respondents desire in a program  Benchmarking – comparing your programs and services with those of peer schools

It’s All A Process

UWM Graduate Shared Learning Goals/ LEAP Outcomes Curricular ExperienceCo-Curricular Experience The shared learning goals define what the UW System and UWM believe an educated person to be able to value, know, and do upon graduation. Student learning occurs intentionally and unintentionally across their varied set of experiences. Majors; Minors; Certificates; Study Abroad; Undergraduate Research; Health and Wellness; Union Programming; Campus Jobs; Undergraduate Core Curriculum; First Year Initiatives; Learning Communities; Student Organizations; Residence Halls; Campus Life Division-level learning outcomes must be aligned with and contribute to what UWM has defined at the shared learning goals – connecting the unit- level outcomes to institutional level outcomes desired of all UWM graduates. Academic Departments & Colleges Student and Academic Affairs Unit level outcomes should emerge from the following: UWM Mission, Values, & Shared Learning Goals Mission and Strategic Priorities of the Division Mission and Priorities of the Unit/Department Professional Association Guidance National Best Practice Just a few examples of the many places student learn

More Time to Practice Working either by yourself, with colleagues from your unit, or with others around you… (RE)Write 1-2 learning outcomes. Do not focus on perfection. This time, consider alignment with “The Big Picture” and provide some thoughts on how you might assess if you have achieved the outcomes and to what degree.

Wednesday, July 14: 11– 1 p.m., Union 345 B/C Wednesday, August 4 : 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., Union 240 No need to RSVP for these, just bring yourself, some colleagues, lunch, and we will convene to continue our work on writing outcomes and assessment plans. Be on the lookout for opportunities for additional training related to assessment!