Student Learning Outcomes 101: Basics for Curriculum Chairs and SLO Beginners

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Student Learning Outcomes 101 Basics for
Curriculum Chairs and SLO Beginners

• Marcy Alancraig, Cabrillo College
• Janet Fulks, Bakersfield College
• Lynne Miller, MiraCosta College
• Janice Tomson, Long Beach City College
• Bob Turner, MiraCosta College

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Todays Questions

• Whats an SLO? How is it different from an
  objective? How do you evaluate how well one is
  written? How many should a course have? Do
  SLOs belong in the COR? How do you get started
  assessing SLOs? How do SLOs relate to student
  services?

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Todays Goals

• Demystify the process

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Todays Goals

• Demystify the process
• Develop a common vocabulary

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Todays Goals

• Demystify the process
• Develop a common vocabulary
• Help you to assess the quality of SLOs

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Todays Outcomes

• After completing this workshop, curriculum
  committee chairs and faculty will be able to
  recognize good SLOs, and explain how dialogue
  about SLOs and assessment can help to improve
  curriculum.

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Things to Remember
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Things to Remember

• There is a lot of room for variation.

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Things to Remember

• There is a lot of room for variation.
• It is an iterative process.

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Things to Remember

• There is a lot of room for variation.
• It is an iterative process.
• The process thrives on dialogue!

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Things to Remember

• There is a lot of room for variation.
• It is an iterative process.
• The process thrives on dialogue!
• It is all about student learning.

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ACCJC Expectations for Instructional Assessment
in 2010
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ACCJC Expectations for Instructional Assessment
in 2010

• SLOs widely spread across courses, programs,
  and the institution.

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ACCJC Expectations for Instructional Assessment
in 2010

• SLOs widely spread across courses, programs,
  and the institution.
• Complete feedback loops (assessment used to
  inform curricular revision, as needed).

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ACCJC Expectations for Instructional Assessment
in 2010

• SLOs widely spread across courses, programs,
  and the institution.
• Complete feedback loops (assessment used to
  inform curricular revision, as needed).
• Faculty designed processes (with
  evidence of broad faculty input).

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The Assessment Process ? Plan-Do-Review
1. Establish goals and missions For courses and
programs
6. Use results to refine instruction (close the
feedback loop)
2. Write intended Student Learning Outcomes
(SLOs)
Student Learning
5. Evaluate assessment results
3. Develop means of assessment and criteria for
success for evaluating SLOs
4. Incorporate SLOs And assessment tasks into
instruction
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Refining Instruction
Refining instruction (i.e., closing the feedback
loop) can be accomplished in a number of ways,
including
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Refining Instruction
Refining instruction (i.e., closing the feedback
loop) can be accomplished in a number of ways,
including

• revising SLOs

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Refining Instruction
Refining instruction (i.e., closing the feedback
loop) can be accomplished in a number of ways,
including

• revising SLOs
• revising assessment methods

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Refining Instruction
Refining instruction (i.e., closing the feedback
loop) can be accomplished in a number of ways,
including

• revising SLOs
• revising assessment methods
• revising instruction (e.g., more chances for
  students to practice the desired outcome)

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Remember

• The assessment process doesnt require anything
  that good teachers dont already do!

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Good teachers . . .

• develop expectations for what their students
  will learn,
• design curriculum to meet those goals,
• design assignments appropriate to the
  curriculum,
• assess student success,
• revise instruction as needed.

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How is this process different?
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How is this process different?

• This process . . .
• formalizes assessment (all instructors in a
  given course participate students across
  sections are assessed on agreed upon learning and
  standards),

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How is this process different?

• This process . . .
• makes assessment more transparent (all faculty
  and students know what students are expected to
  learn),

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How is this process different?

• This process . . .
• makes collaborative decisions about the
  desired outcomes of learning
• (SLOs and assessments are the product of
  discourse among discipline experts).

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How is this process different?

• This process . . .
• facilitates alignment of instruction
• (SLOs are aligned with prerequisites and
  program requirements).

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• Student Learning Outcomes
• (see workbook)

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Questions that Drive Outcomes Assessmentand the
Writing ofStudent Learning Outcomes
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Questions that Drive Outcomes Assessment

• What must my students be able to do out there
  with what theyve learned in here?
• in here is the classroom.
• out there is wherever our students go after
  they take our classes the next course in a
  sequence, a transfer institution, a career.

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Questions that Drive Outcomes Assessment

• How do we know students can do what we expect
  them to with what theyve learned?

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Questions that Drive Outcomes Assessment

• How do we know students can do what we expect
  them to with what theyve learned?
• How can we use that information to improve
  learning in future semesters?

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Important to Remember
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Important to Remember

• Different courses emphasize different learning
  domains (i.e., cognitive, affective,
  psychomotor).

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Important to Remember

• Different courses emphasize different GE-level
  outcomes (e.g., critical thinking, aesthetic
  appreciation).

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Important to Remember

• Outcomes should be consistent across sections
  of a given course (both on-ground and on-line).

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But . . .

• Individual faculty determine the scope of
  instruction (i.e., SLOs do not limit what can be
  covered in a class).

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But . . .

• Individual faculty determine the scope of
  instruction (i.e., SLOs do not limit what can be
  covered in a class).
• Individual faculty determine how students are
  taught.

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But . . .

• Individual faculty determine the scope of
  instruction (i.e., SLOs do not limit what can be
  covered in a class).
• Individual faculty determine how students are
  taught.
• Individual faculty determine how assessment
  scores will impact students grades for their
  classes.

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SLO a Working Definition

• A student learning outcome is what students can
  do at the end of instruction with the knowledge
  they have gained.

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Strong SLOs . . .

• (see workbook)

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Strong SLOs . . .

• use language with active verbs (e.g.,
  analyze, interpret, distinguish), with an
  emphasis on Blooms higher order thinking skills,

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Strong SLOs . . .

• use language with active verbs (e.g.,
  analyze, interpret, distinguish), with an
  emphasis on Blooms higher order thinking skills,
• are measurable or observable,

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Strong SLOs . . .

• use language with active verbs (e.g.,
  analyze, interpret, distinguish), with an
  emphasis on Blooms higher order thinking skills,
• are measurable or observable,
• combine discrete skills into an overarching task,

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The best SLOs also . . .

• explicitly or implicitly address the
  conditions under which the performance will be
  assessed (e.g., simulation, case study),

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The best SLOs also . . .

• explicitly or implicitly address the
  criteria, or primary traits, to be used
  in assessing student performance (e.g., design a
  sales plan that includes . . .),

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The best SLOs also . . .

• are generally amenable to assessment using a
  scoring rubric.
• Adapted from Kari Tucker Jerry Rudmann

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Objectives vs. Outcomes

• Objectives Outcomes
• Discrete, teachable Combine discrete
  skills, tools, or content
  objectives into (the nuts and bolts)
  overarching results
• Can be numerous Limited in number

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Objectives vs. Outcomes

• Some objectives may already use outcomes
  language.

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Objectives vs. Outcomes

• Some objectives may already use outcomes
  language.
• Some objectives may feed multiple SLOs.

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Objectives vs. Outcomes

• Some objectives may already use outcomes
  language.
• Some objectives may feed multiple SLOs.
• Some objectives may not feed any SLO.

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Examples of Strong SLOs

• (Active verbs are in pink.)
• (See workbook for more examples.)

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Library Resources and Research

• Given specific websites to evaluate, students
  will be able to assess each website's authority,
  currency, bias, and accuracy.

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Basic Computer Skills

• Given a sample dataset, the student will use
  Excel to create a spreadsheet that incorporates
  simple mathematical formulas.

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Beginning Spanish

• By end of the course, the student will
  demonstrate the ability to ask and answer
  questions related to self, work, and courtesy.

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Art History

• The student will be able to compare and contrast
  various periods in European art, distinguishing
  historic influences of the major art epochs.

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SLOs That Dont Work So Well
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• Too prescriptive Given data on three
  Pre-Columbian cultures, the student will write a
  1000-1200 word essay analyzing the geographical
  influences on the development of those societies.
  

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• Too prescriptive Given data on three
  Pre-Columbian cultures, the student will write a
  1000-1200 word essay analyzing the geographical
  influences on the development of those societies.
  
• Better Given data on three Pre-Columbian
  cultures, the student will analyze the
  geographical influences on the development of
  those societies.

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• Too broad Students will analyze global
  political systems.

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• Too broad Students will analyze global
  political systems.
• Better Students will analyze 20th century
  western democracies and responsibilities of
  citizens in those democracies.

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• Too narrow Students will use a microscope.

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• Too narrow Students will use a microscope.
• Better Students will use laboratory equipment
  to analyze tissue samples.

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• Not measurable Students will understand the
  causes of World War II.

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• Not measurable Students will understand the
  causes of World War II.
• Better Students will evaluate the causes of
  World War II.

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A strong SLO is . . .

• what students can do
• at the end of instruction with
• the knowledge they have gained.

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Time to Work!
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Time to Work!

• Look at the worksheet.

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Time to Work!

• Look at the worksheet.
• Using the criteria, critique these SLOs.

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Time to Work!

• Look at the worksheet.
• Using the criteria, critique these SLOs.
• SLO Creation Tools and Criteria are found in
  Appendix D of the workbook.

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Determining the Quality of SLOs

• Who makes this judgment
• on your campus?

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Determining the Quality of SLOs

• General Criteria (see workbook)
• Do use active verbs. Dont use the word
  understand or inactive verbs.

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Determining the Quality of SLOs

• General Criteria (see workbook)
• Do use active verbs. Dont use the word
  understand or inactive verbs.
• Go for higher level thinking skills.

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Determining the Quality of SLOs

• General Criteria (see workbook)
• Do use active verbs. Dont use the word
  understand or inactive verbs.
• Go for higher level thinking skills.
• Make sure the outcome is assessable.

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Determining the Quality of SLOs

• General Criteria (see workbook)
• Describe the outcome in a way that suggests an
  assessment, but dont allow the SLO statement to
  become too prescriptive.

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Determining the Quality of SLOs

• General Criteria (see workbook)
• Include the criteria for assessment.

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Determining the Quality of SLOs

• General Criteria (see workbook)
• Include the criteria for assessment.
• Think about the course as a whole.

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Determining the Quality of SLOs

• General Criteria (see workbook)
• Include the criteria for assessment.
• Think about the course as a whole.
• Use the outcomes to describe the major skills or
  knowledge.

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Sticky Issues
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Sticky Issues SLOs in COR?
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Sticky Issues SLOs in COR?

• Yes
• Place to document SLOs
• Available to everyone
• Quality control for adjuncts bound to the same
  SLOs
• Allows look at linked classes
• Helps filling out the annual report

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Sticky Issues SLOs in COR?

• No
• What if outcomes change? Upkeep may be demanding
• The process of changing all CORs may be
  overwhelming
• Could be too prescriptive if done wrong
• May conflict with SLOs in transfer courses

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Sticky Issues SLOs in COR?

• Yes
• Place to document SLOs
• Available to everyone
• Quality control for adjuncts bound to the same
  SLOs
• Allows look at linked classes
• Helps filling out the annual report

• No
• What if outcomes change? Upkeep may be demanding
• The process of changing all CORs may be
  overwhelming
• Could be too prescriptive if done wrong
• May conflict with SLOs in transfer courses

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Other Sticky Issues
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Other Sticky Issues

• How many SLOs per course or program?

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Other Sticky Issues

• How many SLOs per course or program?
• Who determines quality?

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Other Sticky Issues

• How many SLOs per course or program?
• Who determines quality?
• Who approves the SLOs?

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Other Sticky Issues

• How many SLOs per course or program?
• Who determines quality?
• Who approves the SLOs?
• How do we keep it real, not mechanistic?

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Other Sticky Issues

• How many SLOs per course or program?
• Who determines quality?
• Who approves the SLOs?
• How do we keep it real, not mechanistic?
• How do we build in dialogue?

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Take-Home Messages
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Take-Home Messages

• There are many approaches to the process.

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Take-Home Messages

• There are many approaches to the process.
• You are already doing much of this! (See
  the workbook for an SLO/assessment audit.)

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Take-Home Messages

• There are many approaches to the process.
• You are already doing much of this! (See
  the workbook for an SLO/assessment audit.)
• The process encourages collegial dialogue and
  emphasis on what matters.

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Take-Home Messages

• There are many approaches to the process.
• You are already doing much of this! (See
  the workbook for an SLO/assessment audit.)
• The process encourages collegial dialogue and
  emphasis on what matters.
• Drafting SLOs is just one step of the cycle.

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The Assessment Process ? Plan-Do-Review
1. Establish goals and missions For courses and
programs
6. Use results to refine instruction (close the
feedback loop)
2. Write intended Student Learning Outcomes
(SLOs)
Student Learning
5. Evaluate assessment results
3. Develop means of assessment and criteria for
success for evaluating SLOs
4. Incorporate SLOs And assessment tasks into
instruction
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Final Take-Home Message

• Its all about student learning!

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