1. 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

2. 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 and death rates

3. 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 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.

4. 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)

5. Example: Critical Thinking Factor

6. Indirect Assessment: Factor Analysis of LEAP Learning Outcome’s (Fall 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.

7. How LEAP has performed over the years

8. 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

9. 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

10. 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

11. The LEAP student that is getting the most connection, lives on campus, works 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 N=14, 1-10 N=33),
The least connected
Lives off campus, doesn’t work, rarely participates. This might be the International student.

12. 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.

13. 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?

14. 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.

15. 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

16. 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.

17. 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

18. 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)