1. Presented by: Skyline College SLOAC Committee Fall 2007
SLO Assessment
Presented by:
Skyline College SLOAC Committee
Fall 2007
Consists of primarily faculty that represent every division on this campus

2. Learning Outcomes
By the end of the workshop participants will be able to:
Explain the purpose and principles of assessment. (Feedback, T/F exercise)
Distinguish between a direct and indirect measure. (Matching exercise, critique, assessment plan)
Create a draft of an assessment plan for one SLO that employs assessment criteria. (Checklist, Number of completed assessment plans)
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SLO Assessment

3. Why the SLOAC? Your thoughts? Improve student learning
Increase dialogue among colleagues
Make data-driven decisions about teaching and learning
Employ a systematic means of assessing student learning
Document evidence of student learning
Validate how well we are teaching
Meet accreditation standards
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SLO Assessment

4. What Are Student Learning Outcomes?
An SLO is a clear statement of what a student should learn and be able to demonstrate upon completing a course or program. It describes the assessable and measurable knowledge, skills, abilities or attitudes that students should attain by the end of a learning process. (14)
In other words, a SLO’s three primary characteristics:
1) state what a learned should know and be able to do;
2) is expressed with active verbs;
3) is assessable and measurable.
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SLO Assessment

5. Why Assess? Your thoughts?
To implement and evaluate strategies that are responsive to ever-changing student populations and new community demands.
To respond to heightened public accountability.
To continuously improve the effectiveness of our college.
To answer useful questions:
What abilities do graduates of our college possess?
How do we ensure students will get the experiences that develop their talents?
How can we tell if our students learn the skills and knowledge that promised if they do their part?
To be the best and our students to be the best!
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SLO Assessment

6. What is Assessment? (pg. 37)
Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning. It involves making our expectations explicit and public; setting appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches those expectations and standards; and using the resulting information to document, explain, and improve performance. When it is embedded effectively within larger institutional systems, assessment can help us focus our collective attention, examine our assumptions, and create a shared academic culture dedicated to assuring and improving the quality of higher education.
Tom Angelo. Reassessing and defining assessment. The AAHE Bulletin, 48 (2), November 1995, pp. 7-9).
Dialogue amongst SLOAC committee to create an infrastructure for a process whose ultimate purpose is to optimize student learning.
Purposeful data collection that is:
(1) faculty and student services staff driven-- faculty and student services staff articulate the outcomes, determine the best means to assess, and analyze the data to identify what needs to be improved and how to do it;
(2) analyses of data inform pedagogy, curriculum, and allocation of resources-- personnel and financial
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SLO Assessment

7. Statement of Principles on Assessment
Skyline’s Philosophy (37)
Why do assessment?
What is assessment?
What is assessment for?
What is assessment not for?
Who will do assessment?
How will we use assessment?
Nine Principles of Good Practices (Appendix D)
Why assess? Fulfill our institutional goals
What is assessment for?understand and thereby improve student learning
What is assessment not for? Not as an end in itself; not to reward or punish faculty; not to use any single mode of assessment; not to impinge upon academic freedom; not assumed to be comprehensive
Who will assess? Faculty and staff
How will we use assessment? Multiple measures; make criteria explicit; in consultation with stakeholders; ongoing
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SLO Assessment

8. Activity One
Refer to in The Skyline College SLOAC Framework to identify the following statements as True or False.
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SLO Assessment

9. Direct And Indirect Measures (40)
Direct: Methods of collecting information about student learning that require students to display their knowledge, skills and/or abilities.
Indirect: Methods of collecting information about student learning that ask students to reflect on their learning rather than demonstrate it.
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SLO Assessment

10. Assessment Plans: Guiding Questions (42)
Expected SLO
What is the student expected to do and/or know by the end of the course, program or service experience?
Approach, Activity, Method and Criteria
Who will be assessed?
Which major activity or service will be used for assessment?
Which measurement instrument(s) will be used to collect data on student progress or achievement?
What is the minimum performance expected?
Analysis and Action
How will the results be used?
Who will use the information?
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SLO Assessment

11. Activity Three
Refer to the checklist to evaluate the sample assessment plan that is provided or the assessment plan that is in the SLOAC Framework,
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SLO Assessment

12. Skyline’s Implementation Plan
Integration
Aligning SLO and assessment development and implementation with Program Review cycle.
Aligning course level outcomes with degree level outcomes (Matrix).
Suggested Timeline
Each Fall-Develop course level SLOs and assessment plans and instruments.
Each Spring-Develop instruments for assessment such as rubrics and surveys.
The Following Fall- Implement assessments.
The Following Spring-- Review and discuss findings.
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SLO Assessment

13. Stage II- Developing Assessment Plans
Fall 2007: Design a course-level assessment plan.
Spring 2008: Design any necessary instruments, such as rubrics or surveys.
Note that assessment template worksheets are available on the SLOAC web page:
Seek assistance from piloting faculty and members of the SLOAC Steering Committee.
Attend assessment workshops for flex credit.
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SLO Assessment

14. Questions?
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SLO Assessment