STUDENT LEARNING ASSESSMENT · Why SLO Assessment in Student Affairs? # 1 Reason – It’s in your...
Transcript of STUDENT LEARNING ASSESSMENT · Why SLO Assessment in Student Affairs? # 1 Reason – It’s in your...
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STUDENT LEARNING ASSESSMENTStudent Affairs
Presented by: Dr. Tara Rose, DirectorOffice of University AssessmentUniversity of Kentucky
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Overview Levels of Assessment
Why Student Learning Assessment
Importance of Student Learning Assessment
Importance of Intentional Planning
Student Learning Outcomes in Student Affairs
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Levels of Assessment Classroom assessment
• Determination of individual student performance at course level by instructors
Course assessment• Determination of how well a course is meeting student learning
outcomes
Program/Unit assessment• Determination of how well an academic program is meeting student
learning outcomes• Determination of how well an administrative or educational support
program is meeting its objectives
Institutional assessment• Determination of institutional performance
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Why do Assessment? External drivers
• Regional and program-level accreditation criteria– Documentation that you have established an effective assessment process that
leads to continuous improvement– SACSCOC, ABET, AACSB, NCATE
Internal drivers• Good management• Quality motivation• Knowing where you are• Knowing where you have been• Knowing what is possible and how to get there
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Importance: Assessment and the University Recruitment—better identify students, help students know
expectations
We deliver on our promises
Continuous improvement
Be part of a learning and teaching community that is interested in improving programs
Supports decisions regarding resource allocation
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Importance: Assessment and the University / Administrators Accreditation - Federal Funds
Accountability - need to be able to prove you are delivering what is promised. External recognition of the quality.
Be consistent in providing the education
Forces the identification of the learning goals for the university
Preventing the institution from becoming static. Focuses on improvement
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Importance: Assessment and Faculty To improve your own teaching
Provides ideas for growth and development of the course
Allows a group to see how well courses are doing to achieve the goals of a program (compare)
Discover what support services are missing for the course
See if the students are learning what is intended
How teaching translates into learning
Find weaknesses in the course and program and delivery
Find weaknesses in student preparation
Assess what was really learned compared to what was intended
Are students learning what they are supposed to learn
Think critically about why students are or are not meeting the learning outcomes and the student needs
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Importance: Assessment and Students Working together to ensure that they are getting value out of the program/unit. A commitment to the
student
A feeling they have a role to play in the program/unit
Confidence that the current course prepares them for the next course
Ability to determine whether the students understand goals of outcomes/objectives
Students gain value from assessment. Gives them an idea of how they are graded.
Students learn their strengths and weaknesses
Transparency - they know whether or not they are meeting the outcomes/objectives
Students take charge of their learning
Better information about what is being asked of them
Grading is less arbitrary if tied to learning outcomes
Helps the professor teach them better
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Intentional Planning: Mechanics of Assessment Plan
• Mission – purpose
• Objectives or Outcomes – what you intend to achieve
• Methods– how you plan to get there
Measure • how well are you doing
Act• Analyze your results • Plan changes• Take action• Assess impact
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Intentional Planning: Identify Scope of Assessment What should assessment include?
• Assess resources (facilities, space, students, faculty)• Assess processes (curriculum, advising, co/extra curricular activities)• Assess results (outcomes/objectives – learning, impact, satisfaction,
service)• Who receives feedback and how (faculty, program, alumni,
community)
Academic program assessment typically focuses on student outcomes (learning and program)
Administrative unit assessment typically focuses on quality of products, processes, and services as well as a focus on student learning outcomes
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Checklist for Assessment What are you assessing?
Why are you assessing?
What do you want to know?
From whom will you collect the data?
Who will see the results?
How will the data be used?
How often will the data be collected?
Who will collect the data?
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Planning is KEY Integrate assessment and improvement processes into existing
unit strategic planning and budgeting• Assessment is part of continuous improvement
– Assessment results drive planning and budgeting in the form of annual assessment reporting
Continuous Improvement of
Learning
Strategic Planning
Budgeting
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Assessment in Student Affairs
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Students Affairs Mission
In order to enhance the academic mission, the Division of Student Affairs collaborates with the University and beyond to create a supportive and challenging environment that provides opportunities for student learning, engagement, and success. Through the provision of high quality programs, services, and facilities, the Division promotes student development and lifelong discovery; celebrates differences; and promotes global citizenship.
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Why SLO Assessment in Student Affairs?
# 1 Reason – It’s in your Mission Statement.
We have integrity in following our mission, vision, and goals. If you claim to promote learning, or have a mission related to student learning, then you must assess learning.
Is it a struggle? YES!
Find ways to connect to some kind of student learning
Operational outcomes are important – need both to tell your story.
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Why SLO Assessment in Student Affairs? While it is clear from the standard that assessment is at the program level
for academic programs, institutions should determine the organizational levels at which assessment is useful and efficient for administrative and for academic and student support units. It is incumbent on the institution to explain how this determination follows from its mission and organizational structure (SACSCOC)
Student affairs professionals are also among the most knowledgeable people on campus for designing and implementing programs to enhance the student learning and success of these students
It is important to find opportunities where faculty and student affairs can work together in assessing student learning so that the students’ total learning experience can be understood for both accountability and improvement purposes.
Student affairs staff members need to have more than programs, activities, and experiences they think would contribute to student learning. They need to have the empirical evidence to be confident that these programs, activities, and experiences actually do contribute to student learning.
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Institutional Mismatch
Academic units articulate and assess student learning outcomes aligned with the institution’s academic expectations
Where are the institution’s other expectations – like “tolerance,” “teamwork,” and “the ability to function in an increasingly diverse world” taught and assessed?• Is “taught” even the right word?
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Shifting Perspectives
Substitute “learned” for “taught” – and the question becomes: Where are these other outcomes learned and assessed?
This shifts our perspective to:• Student demonstration emphasis instead of topic-covering• Ability to do or apply supersedes knowing• Shared responsibility for learning• Site of learning becomes less specific; boundaries become more a like
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After Learning Reconsidered Learning is not exclusively classroom-based
• Many important outcomes are:– Not taught in the classroom– The result of processes outside the classroom
“Learning” is a process based on three interdependent student experiences:• Understanding academic content and processes• Student development• Identity formation
Responsibility for learning:• Exists outside the classroom• Doesn’t always take the same form
Some entities on campus produce learning, some facilitate learning, some support learning• Thus, responsibility for assessing learning exists outside the classroom as well
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Learning in Non-Classroom Settings Critical thinking
Working with others
Global competence
Communication
Adaptability
Preparation for life-long learning
Ethical behavior
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Co-Curricular Learning Outcomes The cognitive and affective competencies we intend students to be
able to acquire with what they have learned
Achievement of outcomes indicates institutional and departmental effectiveness• Examples of co-curricular learning outcomes
Must be:• Intentional• Carefully planned and designed• Coordinated• Carefully implemented• Part of the structure of a student’s experience• Assessed
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Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) Model
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Co-Curricular Assessment
The “Effectiveness Model”• Focus on student performance as a result of – or even within – a
planned, structured co-curricular activity• Can be based on observation or objective measures• Requires carefully designed and consistent measuring practices
Apply external standards, like CAS
Use surveys and questionnaires
Develop direct measurement strategies
All of the above
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Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS) Standards for 44 functional areas
Student Outcomes Domains• Knowledge acquisition, construction, integration and application• Cognitive complexity• Intrapersonal development• Interpersonal competence• Humanitarianism and civic engagement• Practical competence
Dimensions of Outcome Domains
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Standard(Subject Area)
(44 total)
Domains
Knowledge Acquisition
Understanding knowledge from a
range of disciplines
Connecting knowledge to other knowledge, ideas, and experiences
Constructing Knowledge
Relating knowledge to daily life
Cognitive Complexity
Critical Thinking
Reflective Thinking
Effecting Reasoning
Creativity
Intrapersonal Development
Realistic self-appraisal, self-
understanding, and self-respect
Identity Development
Commitment to ethics and integrity
Spiritual Awareness
Interpersonal Competence
Meaningful relationships
Interdependence
Collaboration
Effective Leadership
Civic Engagement
Understanding and appreciation of
cultural and human differences
Global perspective
Social responsibility
Sense of civic responsibility
Practical Competence
Pursuing goals Communicating effectively
Technological competence
Managing personal affairs
Managing Career Development
Demonstrating Professionalism
Maintaining health and wellness
Living a purposeful and satisfying life
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Example of Student Learning Outcomes
Domain: • Knowledge acquisition, construction, integration, and application
Dimension:• Connecting knowledge to other knowledge, ideas, and experiences
Learning Outcome:• Uses multiple sources of information and their synthesis to solve
problems; knows how to access diverse sources of information such as the internet, text observations, and data bases
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Example of Student Learning Outcomes
Domain: • Intrapersonal development
Dimension:• Realistic self-appraisal, self-understanding, and self-respect
Learning Outcome:• Assesses, articulates, and acknowledges personal skills, abilities, and
growth areas; uses self-knowledge to make decisions such as those related to career choices; articulates rationale for personal behavior; seeks and considers feedback from others; critiques and subsequently learns from past experiences; employs self-reflection to gain insight; functions without need for constant reassurance from others; balances needs of self with needs of others
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CAS – Assessment & Evaluation
Program & Services • Assessment Plan
– clearly articulated stated goals and learning outcomes– demonstrate accountability– evidence of improvement– describe resulting changes
• Adequate fiscal, human, professional development, and technological resources to develop and implement assessment plans.
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CAS – Assessment & Evaluation Assessments must include:
• direct and indirect evaluation • qualitative and quantitative methodologies• existing evidence, as appropriate, to determine whether and to
what degree the stated mission, goals, and intended outcomes are being met as effectively and efficiently as possible
• must employ sufficient and sound measures to ensure comprehensiveness.
• data collected must include responses from students and other constituencies
• aggregated results must be shared with those groups. • results of assessments must be shared appropriately with
multiple constituents
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CAS – Assessment & Evaluation Results of assessments and evaluations must:
• identify needs and interests in revising and improving programs and services
• recognizing staff performance• maximizing resource efficiency and effectiveness• improving student achievement of learning and development
outcomes• improving student persistence and success
Changes resulting from the use of assessments and evaluation must be shared with stakeholders.
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Student Affairs Resources The Role of Student Affairs in Student Learning Assessment
• By: John H. Schuh and Ann M. Gansemer-Topf• http://www.learningoutcomeassessment.org/documents/StudentAffairs
Role.pdf
Student Leader Outcomes and Rubrics• Texas A&M University • http://sllo.tamu.edu/rubrics
Student Affairs Assessment Academy • North Dakota State University • http://www.ndsu.edu/vpsa/assessment/resources_for_assessment/stu
dent_affairs_assessment_academy/
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http://www.learningoutcomeassessment.org/documents/StudentAffairsRole.pdfhttp://sllo.tamu.edu/rubricshttp://www.ndsu.edu/vpsa/assessment/resources_for_assessment/student_affairs_assessment_academy/
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Discussion and Questions
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STUDENT LEARNING ASSESSMENT�Student AffairsOverviewLevels of AssessmentWhy do Assessment?Importance: Assessment and the UniversityImportance: Assessment and the University / AdministratorsImportance: Assessment and FacultyImportance: Assessment and StudentsIntentional Planning: Mechanics of Assessment Intentional Planning: Identify Scope of AssessmentChecklist for AssessmentPlanning is KEY�����Assessment in Student Affairs�Students Affairs Mission Why SLO Assessment in Student Affairs?Why SLO Assessment in Student Affairs?Institutional MismatchShifting PerspectivesAfter Learning ReconsideredLearning in Non-Classroom SettingsCo-Curricular Learning OutcomesCollaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) ModelCo-Curricular AssessmentCouncil for the Advancement of Standards (CAS)Slide Number 25Example of Student Learning Outcomes Example of Student Learning Outcomes CAS – Assessment & EvaluationCAS – Assessment & EvaluationCAS – Assessment & EvaluationStudent Affairs Resources�����Discussion and Questions