1. Student Learning Outcomes: Institution to Course
Candace Timpte
Juliana Lancaster
Georgia Gwinnett College

2. Origins 4-year, State College in the University System of Georgia
Authorized by GA Legislature in May 2005
President hired in September 2005
Campus opened with 118 students and 10 faculty in August 2006
Home of the Grizzlies!

3. Current Status Students: Faculty Degree Programs
Fall Enrollment: 118
Fall Enrollment: 787
Fall Enrollment: 5380
Faculty
Fall Total: 11 – all FT
Fall Total: 333 (196FT; 137PT)
Degree Programs
Fall 2006: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology
Fall 2007: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology, Information Technology
Fall 2010: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology, Information Technology, Mathematics; BA English, History, Political Science; BSEd: Early Childhood Ed, Special Ed

4. Institutional Effectiveness Starting Conditions
Advantages of starting from scratch
Strong executive level support for and understanding of IE
Limited number of programs and offices at start-up
Absence of legacy or standing processes and structures
Disadvantages to starting from scratch
Each individual brings a different set of assumptions and expectations
Rapid growth and hiring leads to continuous need for explanation/education

5. Institutional Effectiveness Initial Design (2006-07)
In order to get “…ongoing, integrated, and institution-wide research-based planning and evaluation processes…[SACS]” for we needed:
Structure and resources
Broad buy-in, consensus and agreement
Working “ground rules”
Institution-wide and pervasive
Integrated with institution’s mission & strategic plan
Faculty/staff participation and basic control
Interdisciplinary and developmental assessment of student learning

6. Institutional Effectiveness Initial Design (2007-07)
Program level student learning outcomes and assessment plans
General Education curriculum designed around learning outcomes
Agreement to develop and assess for institutional learning outcomes
Agreement to integrate curricular and co-curricular learning efforts
Leading to: Integrated Educational Experience (IEE) Student Learning Outcome Goals for GGC

7. Institutional Effectiveness Continuing Design
Conceptual Relationships Among Outcome Goals and Objectives
Institutional Goals
Integrated Educational Experience SLO Goals
Student Affairs Goals
Program of Study Goals
Course Goals
Student Affairs Activity Goals
Lesson Objectives

8. Our Terminology

9. Lesson Objectives
Define learning expectations for each unit in the course.
Each course has defined LO shared among all sections.
LOs ‘standardize’ multiple section courses
Students use LO as a study guide.

10. Course Goals
Defined as the critical educational components of the course
“At the end of this course, you will be able to…”
Content related goals
Skill related goals
Higher-order goals
All must be assessable!

11. Course Goals At GGC, listed as course description in course catalog.
Faculty determined.
All faculty teaching a course must buy-in to teaching these CG.
Living list, revise as needed.

12. Program Outcome Goals
Hallmarks of student achievement in a program of study.
Tripartite: content, skills, higher order goals
Majors with tracks have common POG + track specific POG.
Biology tracks in Biochemistry, General Biology and Secondary education
Share 6 general POG + 3 track specific POG

13. Integrated Educational Experience (IEE) Student Learning Outcomes
State the overarching knowledge, skills and attitudes that all GGC students are expected to achieve
In other words, the outcomes that the College as a whole endeavors to develop in graduates
In SACS terms: “College level Competencies”

14. Our IEE Outcomes Clearly communicate ideas in written and oral form
Demonstrate creativity and critical thinking in inter- and multidisciplinary contexts
Demonstrate effective use of information technology
Demonstrate an understanding of diversity and global perspectives leading to collaboration in diverse and global contexts
Demonstrate an understanding of human and institutional decision making from multiple perspectives
Demonstrate an understanding of moral and ethical principles
Demonstrate and apply leadership principles
Demonstrate effective quantitative reasoning

15. Building the Connections

16. Mapping outcomes across levels creates a coherent educational plan
Course Goals to Program Goals
Program Goals to IEE Goals
Not all major-specific courses and not all program goals will map to an IEE
Some IEE Goals satisfied by General Education Courses

17. Exercise 1
Take 5 minutes to think of a course you have taught and the program it was part of
List your learning goals for the course
Match them to the learning outcomes for the program
Share with two people near you.

18. Common Biology Program Goal Biol1107 Course Goals
6. Know the structures and functions of biomolecules (DNA, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates).
1. Describe the structure, function, and metabolism of macromolecules.
6. Apply Biological knowledge to real world problems.
4. Describe the molecular mechanisms that regulate gene expression from DNA to RNA to protein.
Common Biology
Program Goal

22. Exercise 2
Take five minutes and think now about the program outcomes you used in Exercise 1
Which of your institution’s overall learning outcomes would those program outcomes support?
Map your program outcomes to institutional outcomes
Share

23. Map to IEE Goals
IEE 2: Demonstrate creativity and critical thinking in inter- and multi-disciplinary contexts.
6. Know the structures and functions of biomolecules (DNA, proteins, lipids, carbohydrates).
1. Describe the structure, function, and metabolism of macromolecules.
6. Apply Biological knowledge to real world problems.
4. Describe the molecular mechanisms that regulate gene expression from DNA to RNA to protein.

25. Gathering and Aggregating Data

26. Course Assessment Report
Summary: overall grades, number of students and sections
Highlights: teaching or activity highlights
Assessments:
% achieved a C or better on assessment exercises
% of total points earned
Action plans: what didn’t work, what needs improvement, equipment or supplies

27. Course Assessment Report
Every semester, every course
Multi-section courses pooled
Standardized format essential
Courses used by several programs
Pass off to next instructor, alerts them to quirks of course
Use to support requests for equipment, infrastructure, improve program

28. Program Assessment Report
Annually compile all course reports
Are students meeting Program Outcome Goals?
What are faculty doing to enhance learning?
What needs are apparent?

29. Program Assessment Report

30. Institutional Report Measures Program or Unit Outcomes: 1 2 3 4 5 6 78 9
COMMON
Met
Gen Bio
Cell Bio UM
Not Met
Summary Judgment

31. Institutional Report Prg/Unit Outcomes IEE Goals 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Met
7GB
8GB
9GB
7CB
8CB
9CB
Summary Judgment

32. Institutional Report IEE Goals 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Program / Unit Business
Biology
Information Tech
Psychology
SS Math
SS English
SS Reading
SS EAP

33. Advantages:
Students have a defined list of educational accomplishments for each course, program and general education plan
Coordinated content
multi-section courses
semester to semester with different faculty
Pass-off courses more informative
Faculty goal: educating students!
Supports formative evaluation of INSTITUTIONAL effectiveness

34. Pitfalls: Faculty view assessment as indicator of their teaching
Inflated assessment scores
100% success in all areas is not informative
Standardized format critical
Timely submission
Assessment format
Standardized or faculty optional? Theme courses
Faculty Buy-in