1. Moving Forward: Taking Charge of SLO Assessment Marcy Alancraig English Professor and Learning Outcomes Coordinator Cabrillo College

2. To Deal with Student Learning Outcomes You Need: Sense of Play Willingness to Experiment Healthy Dose of Skepticism Ability to translate assessment theory and jargon into the language of your college

3. Why Assess SLOs? It’s what you’ve been doing informally all along It’s good teaching practice It’s better for students It can make your teaching life better

4. New Accreditation Standards: The 5 Stages of Faculty Grief Denial Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance

5. Quickie Review: Standards Require SLOs for all courses SLOs for all programs SLOs for all certificates and degrees

6. More Review All SLOs must be assessed regularly Assessment results must be discussed (dialogue is key!)

7. Enhance teaching/ learning; inform institutional decision- making, planning, budgeting How well do we achieve our educational objectives? Gather Evidence Interpret Evidence Mission/Purposes Educational Objectives – Peggy Maki, AAHE The Assessment Loop

8. Closing the Assessment Loop Assessment must feed back into processes to improve teaching and learning In the classroom In the department Across the entire campus Activity should be useful and easy

9. Key Point! Each school must design the assessment process to fit that school’s culture

10. Key Decisions How much time do you want to spend? Will the assessment be something extra you require of students beyond class work? Will the assessment be something extra you expect of faculty?

11. More Key Decisions Do you want the same method used to assess SLOs across the entire campus? Who will analyze the results? How will you close the feedback loop?

12. A suggestion: Use the KISS method Keep it simple, sweetheart!

13. Rubrics Rock! A Simple Method of assessment for all SLOs

14. So What’s a Rubric? A very detailed grading scale for one assignment A descriptor of each level of achievement

15. Why Rubrics Rock Great for students Doesn’t impinge on your academic freedom May make your teaching life easier Caveat: Doesn’t work for multiple choice exams

16. Bonus Plus Can be easy assessment method for SLOs But only if the loop is closed And the results are discussed

17. How do Rubrics Work? Rows: Criteria of rating Columns: Levels of mastery Beginner Developed Accomplished Cells: Describes work at each level of mastery Build from strengths and weaknesses teachers see in student work over the years

18. Activity Create a Chocolate Chip Cookie rubric

19. Sample Rubrics Grid Narrative with points Combined with Grading Sheet

20. Advice: Rubrics are As individual as instructor and assignment Works in progress, always changing Something students should see in advance?

21. Activity Choose one particular major assignment Use workbook to create a rubric for it Share with folks at your table

22. Where do you go from Here? Next Steps