IAC News
.
February 2009
Dear City College faculty staff and administrators,
Since last fall we have been focused on facilitating the development of
program level student learning outcomes (SLOs) and getting them placed in
the catalog. But, we don’t want you to lose sight of the big picture
of the SLO Assessment Cycle. To this end we are providing you with a brief
overview.
Ø
NOW and forever:
keep documentation of dialog that occurs in the department regarding what
they want students to learn and what is most valued by the department. This
can be done with department meeting agendas, meeting notes, brainstorming
lists or SLOs language that comes out of the meeting. The new software will
provide a place for this too.
Ø
NOW:
develop program level student learning outcomes for the catalog by 3/2/09.
Remember if you include the outcome it will need to be assessed and data
discussed in your department.
Ø
NOW & fall FLEX 2009:
develop a plan for when (what semester/year) SLOs will be assessed
and in what classes. This is an assessment plan with mapping to
classes so everyone knows where learning takes place for each outcome. This
includes where it is introduced, practiced and assessed. This is where
you create your timeline. A 3-5 year cycle is reasonable depending on
the number you have.
Ø
Spring & Fall 2009:
develop or choose assessment tools and criteria for success for their
outcomes. We have a wonderful new campus researcher that can help-Xi Zhang
Ø
Fall 2009 & spring 2010:
use the identified assessment tools.
Ø
Spring FLEX 2010: analyze data.
Don’t forget, Xi can help.
Ø
Spring 2010: use the data to
improve student learning by discussing assignments, strategies, curriculum,
prerequisites etc.
Accreditation agencies expect that the college will have a plan in place so
that course, certificate, degree and program level SLOs will be identified
and assessed with the data being used for improved student learning. By
2012 we need to be at a level so that the assessment process is on-going and
we have documentation that we are using results for program improvement.
Each of our official course outlines contains student learning outcomes or
objectives. Some people spend a lot of time trying to define the
differences between these two terms. But, in the institutional assessment
committee here at City we see course objectives and course SLOs as one and
the same. The objectives for each course were developed by extensive
faculty dialog. We see no need to create a new list of what students will
learn in each course.
What makes an objective an SLO is simply that a means for assessment and
criteria for success has been attached to it ( For example 80% of the
students in CHIL 151 will obtain at least 3 points out of a 4 point
faculty-developed rubric on facilitating conflict resolution with children.)
What makes the SLO part of an assessment cycle is that the faculty talk
about the assessment data once it is collected via student work; identify
strengths and gaps in learning, and use this information to make changes in
the program, curriculum or teaching to improve the outcome for students.
Remember that SLO assessment isn’t a measure of everything the student is
learning. They are specific sets of knowledge, skills, beliefs, and/or
abilities that your department has decided to take time to look at based on
your values and perspectives.
What the accreditation SLO requirements have brought to our campus is
increased dialog about our students and how program faculty and staff
support learning in the disciplines of our passions. What could be better?
Ok, lots of things but it’s really pretty rewarding and fun once you start
it!
Institutional Assessment Committee
Last Update:
02/26/2009
