1 Ginni May – Facilitator, Sacramento City College Marie Boyd – Chaffey College Aimee Myers – Sierra College Michelle Pilati – Rio Hondo College 12015

1

Ginni May – Facilitator, Sacramento City CollegeMarie Boyd – Chaffey CollegeAimee Myers – Sierra CollegeMichelle Pilati – Rio Hondo College

12015 Curriculum Institute

What’s the big deal? Says who?

◦ Title 5◦ ASCCC◦ ACCJC

How are/should objectives and outcomes be related?

Positions, considerations, and models Where should SLO’s live?

2015 Curriculum Institute 2

“Outcomes” or “Objectives”? Is there a difference? Does it matter? Can we call the whole thing off? Let’s review what we know and what we don’t

know…


Both degree applicable and non-degree applicable courses require course outlines of record (CORs).

CORs must include:◦ Unit value◦ Expected number of contact hours as a whole◦ Pre-req, co-reqs, & advisories◦ Catalog description◦ OBJECTIVES◦ Content◦ Should include examples of reading, writing and other outside-

of-class assignments◦ Instructional methodology◦ Methods of evaluation


5

ASCCC’s Course Outline of Record: A Curriculum Reference Guide

http://www.asccc.org/sites/default/files/publications/Curriculum-paper_0.pdf




Stated in terms of what students will be able to do.

Clearly connect to achievement of the course goals.

Concise but complete: ten objectives might be too many; one is not enough.


Use verbs showing active learning. Theory, principles, and concepts must be

adequately covered. Skills and applications are used to

reinforce and develop concepts. Each objective should be broad in scope,

not too detailed, narrow, or specific.



21 references to learning outcomes in the new Standards.

Among them: STANDARD I.B.2:The institution defines and assesses student learning outcomes for all instructional programs and student and learning support services.

ACCJC does not tell us how to define.


10

So What is an Outcome? Student Learning Outcomes (SLO). Student

learning outcomes (SLOs) are the specific observable or measurable results that are expected subsequent to a learning experience. These outcomes may involve knowledge (cognitive), skills (behavioral), or attitudes (affective) that provide evidence that learning has occurred as a result of a specified course, program activity, or process.

Academic Senate, “SLO Terminology Glossary,” 2009

http://www.asccc.org/sites/default/files/publications/SLO-Glossary-2010_0.pdf



Title 5 states that OBJECTIVES must be a component of the COR – § 55002(a)(3).

ACCJC requires OUTCOMES – II.A.3: …officially approved and current course outlines that include student learning outcomes. In every class section students receive a course syllabus that includes learning outcomes from the institution’s officially approved course outline.

We also must do things with those outcomes…Good things.


Neither dictates the relationship between the two.

So, what is the relationship?


Spring 2009 (09.10)

Whereas, Curriculum and student success are areas where ASCCC has professional responsibility;

Whereas, Approximately 50% of the CCCs that responded to surveys about placing SLOs in the COR reported their decision not to include SLOs on the COR, while other colleges either did not respond or have not decided; and…


Whereas, Housing SLOs in some other public domain entity can still allow students, community members, and accrediting agencies to review and track progress of SLOs at community colleges;

Resolved, That ASCCC encourage local senates to publish SLOs in any appropriate public domain entity such as the COR, database, webpage, etc.


Objectives are the nuts and bolts of a subject.

Outcomes are what we expect students to be able to do with the nuts and bolts in terms of Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs).

While objectives are what students will learn, outcomes demonstrate the specific observable and measurable product of that learning – the higher order application of knowledge and skills.


Course SLOs have always been separated from course objectives.

Course SLOs are crafted differently than course objectives which rely on Bloom’s Taxonomy.

Course SLOs are limited to 3-5 statements; objectives can be up to 20 items;


Course SLOs are housed on an addendum and do not appear on the word report of the COR in Curricunet.

Course SLOs are scaffolded, aligning with program SLOs and the institution’s Core Competencies.

Folding SLOs into the curriculum process in this limited way guarantees “sustained, substantive and collegial dialog about student outcomes…” required in Standard I.B.1.


Core Competencies

1. Communication

2. Critical Thinking and Information Competency

3. Community/Global Awareness and Responsibility

5. Personal, Academic, and Career Development

Program SLOs:

1. Demonstrate familiarity with major concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical findings, and historical trends.

2. Understand and apply basic research methods including research design, data analysis and interpretation.

3. Show insight into one’s own and others’ behavior and mental processes and apply effective strategies for self-

management and self-improvement.

4. Recognize, understand and respect the complexity of socio-cultural and international diversity.

5. Respect and use critical and creative thinking, skeptical inquiry and the scientific approach.

COURSE SLOs:Upon successful completion students will be able to identify the major theoretical perspectives in Psychology.

Upon successful completion students will be able to ….

Upon successful completion students will be able to ….


Course Objectives for PSYCH 1 (aligned with C-ID PST 100 Introduction to Psychology)A. Gain mastery of major concepts, theoretical perspectives, research methods, core empirical findings and historic trends in psychology.

B. Contrast and compare scientific and non-scientific views on the nature and origins of behavior.

C. Contrast and compare major theoretical perspectives of psychology (e.g., behavioral, biological, cognitive, evolutionary, humanistic, psychodynamic and socio-cultural).

D. Gain mastery of the following nine general domains: (1) biological basis of behavior and mental processes, (2) sensation and perception, (3) learning and memory, (4) cognition, consciousness, (5) individual differences, psychometrics, personality, (6) social processes (including those related to socio-cultural and international dimensions), (7) developmental changes in behavior and mental processes that occur during a lifespan, (8) psychological disorders, and (9) emotion and motivation.

E. Describe various activities of psychologists (both experimental and clinical).

F. Describe and demonstrate an understanding of applied areas of psychology (e.g., clinical, counseling, forensic, community, organizational, school, health);

G. Think scientifically about behavior including one’s own behavior and draw a distinction between scientific and non-scientific methods of understanding and analysis.

H. Think scientifically about behavior including one’s own behavior.

I. Recognize and understand the impact of diversity on psychological research, theory and application, including (but not limited to): age, race, ethnicity, culture, gender, socio-economic status, disability and sexual orientation.

J. Understand and analyze the ethics involved within the field of psychology (both experimental & clinical).

K. Apply course material to everyday life experience.

L. Characterize psychology as a discipline and a science.

M. Understand and analyze the causes, functions and mechanisms of behavior in animals and humans.

N. Critically think about concepts and issues within the field of psychology.


Upon the successful completion of PSYCH 1 (grade C or higher), students will:

identify the major theoretical perspectives in psychology.

differentiate between major research methods in psychology.

identify and explain the major parts and functions of the brain

and central nervous system.


Page 2: How do course SLOs relate to learning objectives?

Most of the confusion about the difference between SLOs and learning objectives lies in the term “objectives.” Generally, objectives specify discrete steps taken within an educational program to achieve an outcome. They are the means, not the ends. So the “course” objectives specified by the California public college system’s Academic Senate, for example, are defined as follows: “Objectives are the key elements which must be taught each time the course is taught.”1 Course SLOs are the intended learning outcomes; objectives are the things that must be taught/covered in order to achieve those learning outcomes. Sometimes, these things are very close; often, they are quite distinct.

1. The Course Outline of Record: A Curriculum Reference Guide, adopted Spring 2008 by the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges.


Los Rios Community College District has their own curriculum management system call SOCRATES.

•It houses all Course and Program Outlines of Record (CORs and PORs).

•Each COR and POR template has a section labeled: Learning Outcomes and Objectives.


Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:•compose effective college-level essays using a variety of rhetorical strategies and applying appropriate citations and formatting standards.•research, evaluate, and synthesize sources to support a thesis.•critically analyze, compare, and evaluate various complex works.•apply the conventions of standard written English, employing a variety of sentence structures and college-level diction.


Objectives are small steps that lead toward a goal, for instance the discrete course content that faculty cover within a discipline.

Objectives are usually more numerous and create a framework for the overarching student learning outcomes which address synthesizing, evaluating and analyzing many of the objectives.


Student learning outcomes (SLOs) are the specific observable or measurable results that are expected subsequent to a learning experience.

http://www.sierracollege.edu/slo/_resources/img/docs/Assessment-Guidebook-10-5-14.pdf





Relationship between Standing Committees that handle curriculum and outcomes (SLOs)

Relationship between SLOs and the Course Outline of Record

Processes - Cycles on Campus◦Curriculum Review◦SLO Assessment◦Program Review



Thank you!

29

Documents

1 Ginni May – Facilitator, Sacramento City College Marie Boyd – Chaffey College Aimee Myers – Sierra College Michelle Pilati – Rio Hondo College 12015