Identifying and Assessing Learning Outcomes in Psychology

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Identifying and Assessing Learning Outcomes in
Psychology

• Kari Tucker, PhD
• Bari Rudmann, MS, MFT
• Jerry Rudmann, PhD
• Irvine Valley College Psychology Department
• April 27, 2006
• 86th Annual Convention of the
• Western Psychological Association
• Palm Springs Riviera Resort

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Reconfiguration of the APA Psychology Learning
Outcomesby Jerry RudmannIrvine Valley College
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Psychologys 10 Categories of Student
Learning From the Task Force on Learning Goals
OutcomesBoard of Educational Affairs, American
Psychological Association2002
Each of the 10 major SLOs include a subset of
specific SLOs for the psychology major
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1 - Theory and Content of PsychologyMajor
concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical
findings, and historical trends.2 - Research
Methods in PsychologyUnderstand and apply basic
research methods in psychology, including
research design, data analysis, and
interpretation.3 - Critical Thinking Skills in
Psychology Respect and use critical thinking,
skeptical inquiry, and, when possible, the
scientific approach to solve problems related to
behavior and mental processes.4 - Application of
PsychologyUnderstand and apply psychological
principles to personal, social, and
organizational issues.5 - Values in
PsychologyWeigh evidence, tolerate ambiguity,
act ethically, and reflect other values that are
the underpinnings of psychology as a discipline.

First 5 Categories
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6 - Information and Technological
LiteracyDemonstrate information competence and
the ability to use computers and other technology
for many purposes.7 - Communication
SkillsCommunicate effectively in a variety of
formats.8 - Sociocultural and International
AwarenessRecognize, understand, and respect the
complexity of socio-cultural and international
diversity.9 - Personal Development Insight into
their own and others behavior and mental
processes and apply effective strategies for
self-management and self-improvement.10 - Career
Planning and DevelopmentEmerge from the major
with realistic ideas about how to implement their
psychological knowledge, skills, and values in
occupational pursuits in a variety of settings.

Category 2 Knowledge, Skills and Values
Consistent with a Liberal Arts Education that are
Further Developed in Psychology
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Task Force on Strengthening the Teacher and
Learning of Undergraduate Psychological
SciencesBoard of Educational Affairs, American
Psychological Association (2005)
Task Force Members Drew C. Appleby, Indiana
University-Purdue University, Indianapolis Theodor
e N. Bosack, Providence College Jane S. Halonen,
University of West Florida Joseph A. Mayo,
Gordon Community College Retta E. Poe, Western
Kentucky University Patricia Puccio, Community
College of DuPage Jerry L. Rudmann, Irvine Valley
Community College Maureen A. McCarthy, American
Psychological Association and Kennesaw State
University APA Staff Liaison Martha Boenau,
American Psychological Association
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Purpose

• Bridge the gap between the National Standards for
  the Teaching of High School Psychology (1999) and
  the Undergraduate Psychology Major Learning Goals
  and Outcomes (2003) from Task Force 1.
• Provide developmentally appropriate learning
  outcomes for 2-year programs.
• Facilitate a closer match of expected learning
  outcomes between 2-year colleges and receiving
  universities.
• Provide a more coherent learning experience for
  swirling students.

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The New Accreditation Standards (ACCJC1 / WASC2)

• Institutions must identify student learning
  outcomes (SLOs) at the course, program and
  degree level
• Institutions must measure their ability to
  facilitate student achievement of SLOs
• Institutions must engage in broad-based dialogue
  about the SLOs and student learning
• Institutions must provide evidence of this focus
  on SLOs as part of the Self-Study and
  comprehensive accreditation cycle
• All accreditors have added requirement for SLOs
  in response to demands for accountability / HEA
• There is federal pressure for change from the US
  Department of Education.
• 1 Accrediting Commission for
  Community and Junior Colleges
• 2 Western Association of
  Schools Colleges

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The 5-Minute University
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Back to the recent APA Task Forces WorkThe
Tripartite Curricular Model

• Three increasing levels of proficiency that
  students encounter throughout an undergraduate
  psychology curriculum
• Basic (skills acquired in the introductory
  course)
• Developing (skills emerging as students progress
  through lower and upper division psychology
  curriculum)
• Advanced (skill levels consonant with completing
  capstone educational experiences and nearing the
  end of a psychology major)

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Approach Taken by Task Force

• The task force worked on the first 5 outcome
  categories, not all 10
• Blooms taxonomy suggested action verbs for the
  three outcome levels (basic, developing,
  advanced)
• Suggested outcomes were placed into tables
• Jane Halonen worked her magic!

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Table Example
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Table Example
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Resources Available for You

• Draft of Task Force 2 Report
• Why and how the psychology SLOs have been further
  developed
• The Five New Tripartite SLO Tables
• A Curriculum to SLO Mapping Matrix
• A Psychology Department SLO Auditing Procedure by
  Drew Appleby
• http//research.ccc.cccd.edu/wpa.htm

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Guide to Map Curriculum to APA SLOs
B Beginning, DDeveloping, AAdvanced
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Grade Yourself Projectby Drew Appleby

• Place all department SLOs into a survey
• Include a standard A to F grading scale on the
  survey
• Distribute survey to students in your capstone
  course
• Have students grade themselves in terms of
  their perceptions of how well theyve attained
  the departments SLOs
• Arrange data in table having of assignments by
  level for each outcome, and GPA

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Appleby SLO Audit

• Data in the table can be used to help the
  department answer these questions
• How many opportunities you provide your majors to
  accomplish your SLOS
• The cognitive level you require your students to
  engage in SLOs
• How well students believe they have accomplished
  your SLOs

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Status of Task Force 2s Work

• Bureau of Educational Affairs (BEA) may endorse
  the Tripartite Curricular Model in October
• Spin-off project creation of an online SLO
  database having
• SLOs organized by the 10 psychology outcome
  domains
• Teaching activities which address the SLO
• Corresponding assessment tools and strategies

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The Psychology Careers Course A Positive Outcome
of SLO Planningby Bari RudmannIrvine Valley
College
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Psychology 160Psychology as a Major and Career

• Class Structure - 8 week, 1.5 semester units
• Assignments
• Texts
• Speakers
• Graduate School Emphasis
• Transfer Information
• Local universities and Transfer Patterns
• Course SLOs Evidence of Course Success
• How to Create Your Own Course

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Textbooks

• Main Textbook
• The Psychology Major (2003) by E. Landrum and S.
  Davis. Published by Pearson/Prentice-Hall.
• Supplemental Textbooks (in College Career
  Center)
• Career Paths in Psychology (1997) by R.
  Sternberg. Published by APA.
• Opportunities in Psychology Careers (2001) D.
  Super C. Super. Published by APA.
• Great Jobs for Psychology Majors (2001) J.
  DeGalan S. Lambert. Published by McGraw-Hill.
• How to Flunk Out of A Community College (2005)
  by C. Cannon. Published by Kendall/Hunt.

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Speakers

• Marriage Family Therapist
• Community College Counselor
• High School Counselor
• Institutional Researcher
• Clinical Psychologist
• Industrial/Organizational Psychologist
• Sports Psychologist
• Community College Teaching
• Forensic Psychologist
• Police Psychologist
• School Psychologist
• Local University Representatives (e.g., CSU
  Fullerton, UC Irvine)
• Preparing for Graduate School Building a
  Curriculum Vita
• Librarian How to find search engines for
  psychology research
• Career Center Director (onsite visit)

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Assignments

• Chapter critiques
• Speaker critiques
• Career research report
• Interview a psychologist
• Curriculum vita

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In Addition

• Graduate School Emphasis
• Transfer Information
• Local universities Transfer Patterns
• How to Create Your Own Course
• Download the course documents at
• http//research.ccc.cccd.edu/SLO_Menu.htm

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SLOs
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• Syllabus
• Show 4 column model

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Career Information Websites

• www.apa.org (American Psychological Association)
• www.chronicle.com (Chronicle of Higher
  Education)
• www.aaup.org (American Association of
  University Professors)
• http//www.ocpapsych.org (Orange County
  Psychological Association)
• http//www.psywww.com/index.html (Psychology
  resources lot of links)
• http//www.apa.org/science/nonacad_careers.html
  (Non-academic careers in psych)
• http//www.psychwww.com/careers/ (Careers in
  Psychology)
• http//www.significantdifference.org/index.html
  (Psychs research contributions to society)
• www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ (US Dept of Eds
  site for accredited institutions)
• www.collegesource.org/ (Resources on college
  information)
• www.assist.org (Articulation between Community
  Colleges, CSUs, UCs majors)
• www.psichi.org/content/publications/eye/category/f
  ields.asp (Fields in Psych)
• www.psichi.org (Psi Chi)
• www.psibeta.org/ (Psi Beta)
• www.westernpsych.org/ (Western Psychological
  Association)

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Assessment for Learning
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Robust SLOs

• Robust SLOs add sophistication and challenge
• What was the course about? (Janet Fulks)
• Faculty more readily reach agreement
• Avoids trivializing the identification of SLOs
• Poses a challenge for instructors
• Robust SLOs lead to embedded, authentic
  assessment, use of rubrics
• Many robust outcomes address course, program,
  degree level learning outcomes
• Robust outcomes can be useful for marketing the
  course, program, and college

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Some Insights

• Simplicity helps
• Four column model
• Limited assessment options
• Focusing on Student Learning Outcomes is an
  important form of professional development for
  faculty
• Many have had limited training in assessment
  (Item analysis? Rubric?)
• Some have completely changed how they assess
  learning
• It is critically important that faculty meet the
  SLO challenge
• It is unclear if this will happen
• A good to great study is needed (Jim Coopers
  book)

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Some Concerns

• Secretary of Educations Commission on the Future
  of Higher Education, chaired by Charles Miller
• Seeking greater accountability for financial aid
  (Higher Education Act)
• Accreditation reports should be more
  transparent and public?
• What are students learning?
• National standardized tests for higher education?
• A single national accreditation body?