WEAVEonline Basics for Academic Assessment Steven H. Wilson, Ph.D. Dean, Academic Assessment Part Two: How to Establish Mission, Outcomes, Objectives,

WEAVEonline Basics for Academic Assessment

Steven H. Wilson, Ph.D.Dean, Academic Assessment

Part Two: How to Establish Mission, Outcomes, Objectives,

and Measures for Your TCC Division or Discipline

ObjectivesLearn how to enter, review, edit, and

use goals, outcomes, measures, and results

Assessment Tools & Tabs

Mission

Term Synonyms WEAVE definition

Mission PurposeVision

Highest aims, intentions, and activities of the entity.

An academic program mission/purpose statement should identify what the program will help students and others learn and do within a particular context and state how the program contributes to its wider communities.

An administrative unit mission/purpose statement should focus on the reason the unit exists within the institution, the people it serves, and the value its work brings to the institution. A mission/purpose statement should be specific, identifying the important things a unit or program does that separates it from others.

Mission / Purpose1

Mission / Purpose2

Mission / Purpose3

Mission / Purpose4

Goals vs. Outcomes/Objectives

Goals Outcomes/Objectives

General intent Specific intent

Long term Short term

Can’t be measured as precisely Measurable

Where we want to be Steps to get to goal

Example: Students will learn conversational Spanish.

Example: Students will use 50 vocabulary words in conversation with another student.

Goals and Outcomes

Term Synonyms WEAVE definition

Goals ObjectivesOutcomesInitiativesPriorities

Broad statement about desired ends; what you aim to achieve. More the destination than the path.

Outcomes/Objectives

Goals Active-verb description of a desired end result related to the entity mission – can be assessed.

Student Learning Outcomes are the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits of mind that students take with them from a learning experience.

Program Outcomes are not directly related to what students learn or can demonstrate.

Assessment WorksheetAcademic Division: Contact person: Assessment cycle/year:

Discipline or Program: Email address:

Mission/PurposeMission/Purpose: highest aims, intentions, and objectives.

[Course, Discipline, or Program] Goals:Goal: broad statement(s) about desired ends.

Goal 1.

Goal 2.

Goal 3.

Assessment Summary

Student Learning Outcomes

Measure(s) Achievement Targets Findings Action Plans

Student Learning Outcome: measurable active-verb description of a desired result related to goal(s).

Measure: method to gauge achievement of expected

outcome.

Achievement Target: faculty-set level for satisfactory

performance on a Measure-Outcome combination.

Findings: assessment results for comparison of actual vs. expected achievement level. Plus: # of students assessed.

Action Plan: specific activity designed to help accomplish intended outcomes in future.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Questions [Longer-term needs or objectives developed by faculty/discipline/division]

Ex. Based on your findings and action plans, what primary changes will you make for student learning? Program outcomes? Changes to the assessment process?

Annual Report Items [developed by Assessment Office]

Ex. Contributions to other initiatives, Executive Summary, Annual Highlights, Teaching and Research Activities, etc.

Outcomes/Objectives Worksheet

Administrative Unit vs. Academic Program

Outcomes/Objectives11




Measures, Targets, and Findings, i.e.,

What data you are looking for, How you will weigh it

Measures, Targets, FindingsTerm Synonyms WEAVE definition

Measures MetricsAssessmentsInstrumentsSources of evidenceIndicatorsTools

Method to gauge achievement of expected results. Measures are related to Outcomes/Objectives, and split into categories – Direct and Indirect, and Administrative and Academic.

Achievement Targets

Levels of successBenchmarks

Overall level for satisfactory performance on a Measure-Outcome/ Objective combination.

Findings ResultsDataOutcomes

Assessment results for comparison of actual vs. expected achievement level.

Measures & Findings1


Types of EvidenceDirectTangible, visible, self-

explanatory, compellingSkeptics usually acceptScores and pass rates

on licensure / certification exams

Portfolios of student work

Capstone experiences

IndirectProxy signs,

indicators, less convincing

GradesStudent self-ratingsStudent / alumni

satisfaction with learning

Honors, awards, and scholarships

Sources of Evidence








Examples of how Goals, Outcomes, etc.,

can be useful for an Administrative Unit

Associations, i.e., Accrediting and Certification Standards,

Regulations, and the TCC Strategic Plan

AssociationsTerm Synonyms WEAVE definition

General Education

Core Curriculum

Selected General Education / Core Curriculum associations.

Institutional Priorities

Vision Items of urgency or importance to the institution.

Standards Accreditation, regional or discipline-specific

Acknowledged set of requirements fostering excellence.

Strategic Plans

AlignmentPlanning

A long-term, practical, action-oriented document resulting from strategic planning.

Examples of Associations already available for TCC, and how they appear and are used in the goals & outcomes view

Document Repository for Storage, Support, and

Reference

Document Repository1



Questions?

Contact: Steven H. Wilson, Ph.D.

Dean, Academic Assessment

[email protected]

Documents

WEAVEonline Basics for Academic Assessment Steven H. Wilson, Ph.D. Dean, Academic Assessment Part Two: How to Establish Mission, Outcomes, Objectives,