Student Services Assessment Workshop College of the Redwoods Angelina Hill & Cheryl Tucker Nov 28 th & 30 th, 2011

The Assessment Movement  To become learner centered  Learners, faculty, and institutions all need feedback in order to improve  Institutions demonstrate accountability by evaluating student learning.  Ideally, the institution benefits, and accreditors are satisfied as well.

Assessment Cycle

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)  Structured events that occur outside of the classroom, complement the academic programs, & enhance the overall educational experience by:  Encouraging involvement in the campus community and society  Encouraging exploration of activities that provide opportunities for growth in individual and group settings  Exposing students to various cultures and experiences, ideas and issues, art and musical forms, and styles of life  Informing students regarding college policies and procedures and how these relate to their lives and activities  Aiding in the awareness and utilization of college facilities and resources  Assisting with developing leadership, decision-making and related skills Source: Student Life/Leadership, Maricopa Community Colleges, Arizona ( 7/23/07)

SLOs  ACCJC definition: the knowledge, skills, abilities or attitudes that students have attained by the end of any set of college experiences – classes, programs, degrees and certificates or encounters with college services.

Objectives vs. SLOs  Objective – students will be self-directed learners by exploring career options  SLOs – students will demonstrate the ability to access basic career information (job description, salary, and occupation outlook) on the website  Objective – Assist self-directed learners by enhancing the one-stop shop operations  SLOs – Students will demonstrate the ability to navigate registration process in subsequent semesters

Developing Objectives & SLOs  Develop objectives for your area  Objectives are general statements about aims of education that are broad.  Students will effectively use technology.  Students will have an awareness of support services.

Developing Objectives & SLOs  Developing SLOs for your area  Look back at one of your objectives  What, specifically, do you want students to know or be able to do?  Essential and enduring abilities (skills) and attitudes (values, dispositions)

Developing SLOs  Keep it simple. More is not better (3 max).  How will we know if students have attained the outcome?  Must be measureable  Use active, measurable words.  Avoid words such as understand, learn, know. These reflect mental processes that can’t be directly measured.

Example SLO  Students will be able to calculate his/her 32-hour weekly requirement of education, supervised study time, and work-study activities as a result of participating in a CalWORKs counseling session.

New Blooms Taxonomy Taxonomy circle based on: Clark, B. (2002). Growing up gifted: Developing the potential of children at home and at school. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Learning Outcome?  Students will be able to submit an application for admissions on line with or without staff assistance.  Students will be self-directed learners.  Students will develop an education plan outlining steps necessary to reach goals.  Students will demonstrate information literacy.  Students will collect information for research assignments using library internet search tool.  Students will be provided with multiple opportunities to engage with a diverse student body.

SLO Group Activity

Assessment Cycle

Developing Assessment Instruments  Common tools to measure your outcomes  Surveys  Focus groups  Pre and post measurements  Frequency of specific student activities/behaviors

Assessment Instruments/Tools  Evidence can be quantitative:  Numeric data is collected  Several individuals are measured  Provides descriptive or inferential information  Better describes a group  Compare groups to each other  Explore trends over time

Assessment Instruments/Tools  Evidence can be qualitative  Open-ended questions, observations, interviews, document analysis, audiovisual materials  Involves fewer students  Used to explore themes and search for larger meaning

Assessment Instruments/Tools  Evidence can be Direct  Students are required to display their knowledge and skills  Quiz, analysis of student work (rubric), observation  Example: Students asked where they would go on campus to ask a question about registering for courses next semester.

Assessment Instruments/Tools  Evidence can be Indirect  Student or faculty/staff provide a perception (reflect on) student learning, behavior, attitudes.  Survey, focus group, interviews  Example: To what extent do you agree with the following: I know where to go on campus if I have a question about registering for courses next semester.

Other Examples  Time to complete a task  Number and type of student requests  Frequency of using particular program, process, etc.  Students or staff  Job placement statistics

Available from IR  Retention rates  Completions and transfers  Enrollment trends  Diversity of student body  Course statistics  Success, withdrawals, GPA

Examples  SLO– students will demonstrate knowledge of general education requirements.  Can be measured by:  Survey item: “I understand what courses are required for general education”  Quiz question: Which of the following courses meet a general education requirement?

Example  SLO – Students will pay their registration fees in a timely manner.  Can be measured by number of deregistered students over time

Sharing your Findings  Important considerations  Audience  Timeline  How to keep it consistent

Closing the Loop  Taking actions based on your results