Assessing Sustainability Learning Outcomes at Two Community Colleges Jason Lijewski & J. Gabe...

Assessing Sustainability Learning Outcomes at Two

Community Colleges

Jason Lijewski & J. Gabe Estill AASHE Conference 2012

October 16, 2012

About Our Institutions

Moraine Valley’s Sustainability Statement

Moraine Valley Community College will carry out actions in all operations, academics, and our community that meet current needs while taking care to protect and enhance the social, environmental, and economic resources needed by future generations to enjoy a quality of life equal to or greater than the present.

Moraine Valley’s Center for Sustainability

Green CampusGuides the college's operational and structural procedures and policies between the environment, our people and future prosperity. Green CareersSupports green jobs training, awareness of green businesses in the local area, and building the capacity for the community to create a local green economy. Green CurriculumSupports infusing sustainability across curriculums creating a larger population of the workforce that understands sustainability and how it relates to their work and lives. Green CommunitiesServes as a resource to Moraine Valley students, staff, faculty, business members and residents.  

General Education Assessment

• The Driver: AQIP Action Project– Academic Quality Improvement Program

through the Higher Learning Commission

– Reaccreditation effort

• The Task: Assess college’s 11 general education outcomes– Sustainability void in 2003 outcomes

redraft

What Is Assessment?

• Measuring, documenting, and improving student learning

• How do we do perform assessment of student learning?

• What questions can assessment help answer?

Project’s Origins and Rationale

• Sustainability at the college• SMHEC Symposium on Sustainability

2011• Opportunity through General

Education Assessment Project

The Process

• Team tasked with creating rubric for measuring student learning of sustainability

• Two 90 minute sessions• Address first need: learning outcome

– Needs to be measureable• Address second need: assignment criteria• - Inform instructors what will fit

Measurement Device

• Sustainability Rubric• Courses

– BIO 111 – EAS 120 – EAS 125 – NAT 111

• Sample (N = 312)

Spring 2012 Results

• Strengths• Opportunities

What’s Next

• Fall 2012• Using the Results

Faculty Feedback

• Survey on rubric’s functionality

What’s Next

• Fall 2012• Using the Results

Delta’s DNADelta’s DNA

• Delta’s Guiding Principal• Delta is committed to promoting

learning actions and practices that incorporate social, environmental, and economic sustainability in our communities

Students are interested in helping the planet, but they don't necessarily know how to do it, It's not just, Go out there and plant a tree. There's more to it.

““Sustainability Related” Sustainability Related” CoursesCourses

Academic Sustainability Team (AST)

40+ Course Sections each semester

• Biology• Chemistry• Engineering• English• Environmental Science• Management / Marketing• Math• Political Science• Residential Construction• Social Science

Assessment 1.0

• Analysis1. Which of the below statements best define sustainability:

• 67% “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

   4. The term social sustainability refers to:

• 63% “The role of social justice and equity, encouraging involvement at the local level while considering the global population.”

 5. The term economic sustainability refers to:

• 80% “How business can be structured to be sufficiently profitable without generating financial profit at the expense of the ecosystem, local or world communities

6. The term environmental sustainability refers to:• 71% “Understanding the ecological processes and how our choices affect the

environment.”

Assessment 1.0• Analysis

7. This class covered what sustainability content:• 60% “All of the above (social, economic, environmental)

8. I have covered some of these concepts before in:• 45% “High school and college.”

 9. To what extent did the sustainability activities of this class help build your understanding of sustainability?

• 36% “Moderately well”• 30% “Average”

 10. Would you consider taking another sustainability relates course:

• 43% “Yes”• 14% “No”• 40% “Maybe”

Assessment 2.0

• Assessment Tool 2.0 – Began Winter 12– Focus on assessment and growth

Assessment 2.0

• Academic Majors

Administrative Assistant

Criminal Justice

Communication

Cosmetology Management

Broadcasting

Art

AdvertisingGeneral Education

FinanceMedical Billing

Graphic Design

Surgical Tech

Sonography

BIT

Merchandise Management

ChemistryRetail Management

Pre-Med

Chemical Engineering

Small Business Management

Management

Nursing

AccountingChemical Tech

Marketing

Undeclared

Business Management

Pharmacy

Assessment 2.0

Results

– 89% of students stated “This Sustainability Related course added to my learning experience”

– 85% view sustainability in the curriculum as “very important or important”

– 87% of students agreed or strongly agreed “This class helped me build a more complete understanding of sustainability”

Assessment 2.0

• Sustainability– 36% “Meeting the needs of the present…”– 40% “A guiding principle that actions taken by

individuals and business must consider consequences their actions have on people, planet, and profit.”

• Learning– 60% stated “Sustainability” course

should be “much higher or higher”– 65% “Very likely or somewhat likely” int

taking additional “Sustainability” courses

What’s Next

• Build the sample• Share data• Learn from other institutions

Thoughts

• What have you done?• Results• Opportunities• Challenges

Thank You

• Gabe EstillMoraine Valley Community College708-974-5349estillj@morainevalley.edu

• Jason LijewskiDelta College989-686-9288jasonlijewski@delta.edu