Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment Summit
Cañada College, Spring 2008
Welcome Comments
Martin Partlan, ASGC President
Tom Mohr, Cañada College President
Ernie Rodriguez, AFT President
SLOAC Orientation WorkshopBased on a workshop presented by Marcy Alancraig & Sid Burks at the
Senate Vocational Leadership Conference, March 2008
Ray Lapuz, Mathematics Professor
SLOAC Coordinator
Patty Dilko, Early Childhood Education/Child Development Professor
ASGC Past President
To Deal with Student Learning Outcomes You Need:
• Sense of Play• Willingness to Experiment• Healthy Dose of Skepticism
• Ability to translate assessment theory and jargon into the language of our college
Accreditation Standards: The 5 Stages of Faculty Grief
• Denial• Anger• Bargaining• Depression• Acceptance
Why Are We Here?
• ACCJC/WASC – 2 year rule• Maintain Full Accreditation Status• Progress: Awareness, Development,
Proficiency• The Goal: Sustainable Continuous Quality
Improvement
Quickie Review: Standards Require
• SLOs for all courses• SLOs for all programs• SLOs for all certificates and
degrees
More Review
• All SLOs must be assessed regularly• Assessment results must be discussed
(dialogue & documentationare key elements!)
• SLOAC must be tied into Program Reviewand College Planning
What the X?!& is an SLO?
• Knowledge• Skills• Abilities• Attitudes
that a student can demonstrate by the end of a course, program, certificate or degree
So what else is new?
• Haven’t we always done this?
Yes!!!
• Now, however, we are being asked to articulate and document our process in a new way.
SLOs: The Big Picture
• Require HIGHER LEVEL thinking skills• May synthesize many discreet skills• Require students to APPLY what they’ve
learned• Result in a product• Product must be evaluated or assessed by
facultyChoose 1-3 most important concepts per class
Objectives: Nuts and Bolts
• Describe small, discreet skills• Require basic thinking skills• Do not necessarily result in a product
SLOs v. Objectives
• The Official Course Outline of Record at Cañada
• Many of us have written objectives that would qualify as SLOs
• Pick the best, modify Official Outlines later
Closing the Assessment Loop
• Assessment must feed back into processes to improve teaching and learning
• In the classroom• In the department• Across the entire campus
• Assessment activities should be useful and easy
Enhance teaching/ learning; inform institutional decision- making, planning, budgeting
How well do students achieve the learning outcomes that we set?
Gather Evidence
Interpret EvidenceCollege Mission
Goals for the Teaching and Learning Environment
– adapted from: Peggy Maki, AAHE
The Assessment
Loop
Key Point!
• Our college must design the assessment process and loop to fit our college’s culture.
Assessment Made Easy
• Write SLOs that you are truly interested in learning more about.
• When possible, use assessment tools that are already embedded into your course.
• Write SLOs that allow you to gather meaningful data.
• Vocational programs should use available external certification process.
Reporting on Your Progress
• All forms for reporting are available on the SLOAC web page: http://www.smccd.net/accounts/canslo/
• Forms should be submitted electronically to your dean and the SLOAC Coordinator
• 3 Forms 1. SLOAC Proposal 2. Report of Assessment Results 3. Reflection on Assessment Results
Where Does the Data Go?
• Turn in data to your Dean• Analysis will be facilitated• Data will be reported in aggregate• Data will not be used in personnel
evaluations• Senate will establish a policy next year
The Packet
• Cañada College SLOAC Philosophy• Descriptive documents• Handy worksheets• Paper copies of forms
SLOAC Facilitators Available To Work With Groups Today
SLO Development:• Sandra Comerford, College of San Mateo • Ray Lapuz, Cañada College • Karen Wong, Skyline College
Assessment Development:• Cathy Hasson, Skyline College • Ben Stefonik, Cañada College • Katie Townsend-Merino, Cañada College
Instructions for Today
• As soon as you choose a room, call Joan Murphy at: 306-3336
• Create at least one SLO for each current class• Identify an assessment technique for one SLO in
each class• Remember to stop for lunch at 12:30• Digitally submit SLOAC Form #1 for at least one
SLO per class to your Dean and Ray Lapuz
By the End of the Semester
• Be sure that your SLOs are complete for all classes
• Complete the assessment on at least one class and submit data to your dean
During Next Semester
• Complete the reflection process on assessment data from sp 08.
• Complete assessment on at least one class• Be on the look out for updated and revised
forms and a Handbook• Participate in department, division, and
college-wide SLOAC activities
ACCJC: Sustainable Continuous Quality Improvement
The Cycle Renews Itself Every Semester Building on the Last Semesters Work
We like to call it: Becoming Overtly Responsive to Student Learning in Our Classrooms, Programs and College.
Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment Summit
Cañada College, Spring 2008