Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment

An Overview of Purpose, Structures and Systems

Approved by Curriculum Committee 11.23.10Approved by Academic Senate 02.16.11

Bibliographic Sources

Suskie - Assessing Student Learning (2009)

Banta - Designing Effective Assessment (2009)

Woolvoord - Assessment Clear and Simple (2010)

Maki - Assessing for Learning (2004)

PurposeThe SLOA process:• Discipline faculty engage in discussions about

what a student in a course/program "should look like" after they complete the course/program.

• Faculty develop a shared vision of what course completers should know (content knowledge), be able to do (skills and processes), and dispositions (values, ethical positions, and attitudes) that are desirable.

Purpose

• Informs faculty about student learning in the major identified areas of a course deemed to be most important for student learning.

• SLOAs differ from the course grade which is a holistic, nonspecific assessment often including other things like class participation and time management (e.g., meeting deadlines etc.).

SLOA Component #1

Discipline Faculty will: Identify the knowledge or skill(s) that students will demonstrate (SLO/SLOS—The number depends on the course and the level of the outcome, how global or how particular it is) .

SLOA Component #2

Discipline Faculty will: Identify the assessment activity that students will perform to demonstrate the knowledge or skill(s) , (e.g., test item(s), test, essay, documented essay, research paper, project, performance, oral presentation, portfolio, etc.)

SLOA Component #3

Discipline Faculty will: Identify the assessment activity evaluation tool that all faculty teaching the specific course will use to measure the students demonstrated performance (mutually agreed-upon rubric, evaluation scale, description of performance levels, etc.) .

SLOA Component #4

Discipline Faculty will: Determine the desired minimum individual student performance, meaning the individual passing achievement (e.g, score, rubric level, evaluation scale, description of performance level, etc.) .

SLOA Component #5

Determine or Discuss the collective course performance (performance based on the total number of students who complete the course/course section) using one of the two alternate approaches.

Component #5 - Approach A

Set an initial collective course performance target. Assess the course outcome and analyze information (e.g., assessments, pedagogy, assessment activity, assessment instrument, outcome), in relationship to the initial collective course performance target. Collaborate on possible modifications (target as well as other factors) and strategies.

Approach A Example

“Students will demonstrate their knowledge and skills of operant conditioning by designing an operant conditioning program to increase a behavior chosen by the student.

50% of the students will score at the proficient level when evaluated by the Operant Conditioning Rubric.”

Component #5 Approach B

Assess the course outcome and analyzeinformation (e.g., assessments, pedagogy,assessment activity, assessment instrument,outcome), and in relationship to this analysisdiscuss collective course performance.

Approach B Example“Students will demonstrate their knowledge and skills of operant conditioning by designing an operant conditioning program to increase a behavior chosen by the student.

Students will score at the proficient level when evaluated by the Operant Conditioning Rubric. After analyzing information (e.g., assessments, pedagogy, assessment activity, assessment instrument, outcome), collective course performance shall be discussed.”

1.   Have faculty assess all outcomes in all courses.  Enter the assessment data for all sections of all courses and all outcomes into filemaker. 

2.  Have faculty assess one outcome in all courses.  Enter the assessment data for all sections of one outcome for all courses into filemaker. 

Assessment Options

Assessment Options

3.  Have faculty choose one course and assess all outcomes for that course   Enter the assessment data for all sections of all outcomes in one course into filemaker. 

4.  Have faculty choose one course and one outcome for that course to assess in each discipline or program.  Enter the assessment data for all sections of the chosen course and chosen outcome into filemaker. 

CurriculumCommitteedecides onOption #4

Start SLOA CycleOne Courses

One Outcomes

Course 1Input data forone outcome

into Filemaker

Outcome 1ADiscipline Faculty

Review aggregate outcome dataReview other information (e.g.,

assessments, assessmentinstruments, pedagogy, support

resources, curriculum, course SLO)

Decision tomodify

Aggregate assessmentdata and evaluation

summary entered intoCurricUNET

Discipline facultywork on

modification/s

Aggregate assessmentdata and modifications

and evaluation summaryentered into CurricUNET

EndSLOA cycle

YES

NO