Student Learning
Outcomes
Handbook
Cosumnes River College January 2008 edition
Vision Statement
To provide the best
overall education
in California’s
community colleges,
Cosumnes River College
is committed to
teaching excellence,
student success, and
educational leadership.
Cosumnes River College is an innovative educational and
community center that prepares and empowers students to realize
their unique potential to transform their lives and contribute to a
just and democratic society as global citizens. CRC strengthens
the cultural, social, and economic well-being of the region through its
development of an educated and engaged citizenry whose decisions
are informed by intellectual inquiry and scholarship, a pluralistic
world view, and respect for humanity and the environment.
Mission Statement
Cosumnes River College is an open access, student-centered,
comprehensive community college that prepares students to realize
their educational and career aspirations through exemplary transfer,
general, and career education in an academically rigorous and
inclusive environment. CRC also offers exceptional instruction in
basic skills and English for non-native speakers, as well as a broad
array of life-long learning, community service, and workforce
development programs.
Values Statement
Affirmed by the Academic Senate and
the College Planning Committee (6/23/08)
Approved by the LRCCD Board (7/16/08)
As a community of scholars and practitioners with a deep
commitment to equity and social justice, CRC values teaching and
learning excellence and high academic standards sustained by
academic integrity, fairness and mutual respect, and an ethic of care.
The College’s core values of cultural competence and diversity,
continuous learning and assessment, exceptional student services,
and innovation are central to our collegial and environmentally
responsible academic setting.
Contents
I. Introduction
Overview of SLOs at CRC (p. 4)
• the outcomes cycle
• levels of student learning outcomes
• developing outcomes
• assessing outcomes
• using outcomes for dialogue and planning
• reporting assessments
• outcomes and assessment
SLO Glossary (p. 13)
II. Course and Activity SLOs
Frequently Asked Questions (p. 17)
Writing course/activity outcomes ( p.19)
• defining course/activity outcomes
• recording outcomes in SOCRATES
Assessing course/activity outcomes (p.21)
• assessment tools
• documenting course outcomes assessment results
Using the results of course and activity outcomes assessment (p. 26)
III. Program SLOs
Frequently Asked Questions (p. 29)
Introduction: What is a “program”? (p. 31)
• defining programs
• program structure
Writing program outcomes (p. 34)
• defining program outcomes
• recording outcomes in PrOF
Assessing program outcomes (p. 36)
• assessment tools
• documenting program assessment results
Using the results of program outcomes assessment (p. 39)
IV. General College-wide and General Education SLOs
Frequently Asked Questions (p. 41)
Current general college-wide outcomes
Current GE outcomes
Assessing college-wide and GE outcomes
Using the results of college-wide and GE outcomes
3
Note: This document is designed so that any section can be useful alone, without reading the entire
document. Because of this a certain amount of repetition of information is intentionally present. Thank
you for your patience with this redundancy.
4
Introduction
Overview of SLOs at CRC
The Outcomes Cycle:
Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s) state the major skills and abilities, as defined by CRC
faculty, which a student will possess upon successfully finishing a course or a program of study
at the college. These skills may be gained, and assessed, at any point during the course or
program. SLOs are a way of identifying and explicitly stating what we consider most important
for our students to learn. This process ties very directly to the core of teaching and reflects the
expertise of the college faculty. When we teach, we are helping our students achieve the
outcomes of the course.
SLO “assessment” refers to the ways in we measure the success of students at achieving the
measurable skills described by the SLOs. SLO assessment involves multiple ways of evaluating
student learning: exams, yes, but also many other things - term papers, problem sets,
presentations, performance evaluations, “practical” exams, lab reports, essays, journals,
portfolios, creative projects, reflective essays, etc. SLO assessment can also involve the student
feedback techniques that we’ve been calling “classroom assessment” – short responses from
students that tell the professor how a particular lecture or lab is working.
Outcomes assessment leads to ongoing dialogue and informs our planning. We measure what
our students are learning, talk to one another about what we find out and then use that
information to improve student success. This involves outcomes development that defines
outcomes for our courses/programs/college, outcomes assessment, in which we assess student
success on those outcomes, development of dialogue to help us analyze and share the results of
that assessment, and responsive change that uses the results to plan and make improvements.
The diagram below shows the cycle:
RESOURCES
DEFINE/REFINE
Student
Learning
Outcomes
DOCUMENT
Process
and
Results
MAKE
Changes
(Instruction,
Curriculum
Program,
Etc.)
PLANNING
DESIGN
Assessment
Tools
THE OUTCOMES
ASSESSMENT
CYCLE
Share findings with
others and
IMPLEMENT
Assessment
Tools to Gather
Evidence
ANALYZE and
Evaluate the
Collected Data
IDENTIFY
Strengths
and Gaps
5
Levels of Student Learning Outcomes
College faculty define and assess student learning outcomes at the course/activity, program, and
college levels:
Course outcomes describe what we, the faculty, have defined as most important for
students to learn through our classes. Our course outcomes state the measurable skills
and abilities that form the basis of student success in our classes. They are rather like
course objectives, but are broader in scope and fewer in number. Course outcomes are
defined and assessed by the teachers of the courses; they are formally stated on the course
outlines and typically included on class syllabi. Assessment of student success on course
outcomes is used to improve teaching, promote dialogue among colleagues, and support
planning and resource requests related to course delivery.
Activity outcomes are similar in many ways to course outcomes, but reflect the skills
and abilities gained by students participating in college activities other than courses
(student government, counseling activities, use of the library, athletic teams, etc.). They
are defined by the faculty and staff who conduct the activities and are stated on the
Program Review documents (PrOF) for the program. Assessment of activity outcomes is
used to improve the way activities support student learning, promote dialogue among
colleagues and support planning and resource requests that are related to the activities.
Program outcomes reflect the cumulative result of learning throughout an entire
program of study. The “program” could be the set of courses leading to a degree or
certificate. However, there may be programs that do not lead directly to degrees or
certificates. For example, “Counseling” can be defined as a program with respect to
being able to identify student outcomes, but is not associated with any particular degree
or certificate. Outcomes are defined by the faculty of a program. The assessment of
program outcomes may occur across the courses/activities of the program, in “capstone”
courses or activities, or through studies of program completers. Program outcomes are
stated, and the results of outcome assessment are reviewed and discussed in the program
review documents (PrOF). Assessment of program outcomes is used to promote
dialogue, improve the program courses/activities and support planning and resource
requests from the program.
College outcomes reflect the overall college experience. They describe the major skills
and abilities that a successful student will take with them “out there” as a result of their
time here. This includes both overall college outcomes and more specific outcomes
defined for the areas of general education at the college. The assessment of college
outcomes will involve class-embedded assessments, institutional measures, and surveys.
In large part, it will be done with the assistance of the college Research Office. The
results will be used to promote dialogue, improve processes across the college, and
support planning.
6
Summary of the different levels of outcomes assessment
Course or
activity
outcomes
Program
outcomes
Tools
Course-embedded
assessments:
• analysis of student work
on assignments, exams,
quizzes
• direct observation of
skills through projects,
creative products,
performances,
discussions,
• student self-reflections
such as journals, surveys,
etc.
Course-embedded
assessments
Capstone projects, portfolios,
etc.
Dialogue
Professors teaching
sections of the course or
leading the activity via
formal and informal
meetings
Department/Program
faculty and staff via
meetings and in PrOF
Curriculum committee
via course outlines
College community via
PrOF, etc.
Department/Program
faculty and staff via
department meetings and
in PrOF
Response
Improve methods that support
student learning in classes and/or
activities outside of the classroom
Inform curriculum revisions and
changes in related processes
Inform classroom or activity
related resource requests
Inform PrOF and unit planning
Improve processes and practices,
both in and out of the classroom
Inform department planning and
curriculum review
Division via unit plan
College
outcomes
Inform PrOF and unit planning
Surveys of program
completers and alumni follow
up studies
Planning committee via
PrOF
Passing rates on National
Certification Exams
College community via
PrOF, etc.
Inform college strategic planning
Research office studies
Course-embedded
assessments
Professor
Improve processes and practices,
both in and out of the classroom
Inform program resource requests
Department
Overall
college
outcomes
Surveys of program
completers
Planning committee via
PrOF
Inform unit planning
Institutional measures
GE
outcomes
Research office studies
Inform department planning and
curriculum review
College community via
PrOF dissemination, etc.
Inform college strategic planning
Inform GE course review
process of curriculum committee
Inform review of College-wide
outcomes by Academic Senate
7
Developing outcomes
Faculty are the primary developers of student learning outcomes. The determination of learning
outcomes for courses and instructional programs is the purview of the faculty teaching in those
courses or programs. CRC staff other than faculty may provide useful input into the
development of activity SLOs. For example, the development of activity (not course) SLOs,
particularly in administrative service areas, may rely mainly on staff other than faculty.
Student learning outcomes focus on the big picture rather than the details of tasks. SLOs describe
the major goals of the student’s experiences at the college. For courses and programs, outcomes
identify the things that the instructors feel are the most important skills that a successful student
will take away from the educational experience for use in his/her future life.
SLO’s are written to describe measurable skills and abilities. SLOs focus on what the students
can do, that is, how they can apply the knowledge gained. The knowledge gained during the
course, activity, or program forms the underlying basis of these skills and abilities.
Checklist for SLO development:
‰ Was the outcome developed via dialogue among those faculty associated with the
course, activity, or program? [Note: some activity outcomes may be developed
mainly by staff other than faculty, e.g. in administrative services.]
‰ Is the focus on the big picture – a fundamental result of the course, activity, or
program?
‰ Does the SLO describe what the student can DO with the knowledge they have
acquired?
‰ Can the outcome feasibly be assessed?
‰ Do the SLOs represent skills and abilities that the students need to carry with them to
the next stages of their lives and education?
‰ Is the language of the SLO clear enough so that it can be used by all of the faculty or
staff associated with its implementation?
‰ Are the SLOs broad enough to support the academic freedom of individual
professors to develop the details of the work to be completed in their classes,
activities, and programs?
Student learning outcomes for courses are listed on the course outline. Usually a course will
have only a few SLOs –often between two and five. Some courses, e.g. in occupational areas,
may have more SLOs due to the requirements of an advisory committee or accrediting body.
Each SLO that is on a course outline will normally be inclusive of two or more course objectives
(which are already in SOCRATES). Other sections of the course outline, especially the Methods
of Instruction, Methods of Evaluation, and Typical Homework sections, should clearly align with
the course outcomes. The Curriculum Committee will provide additional information on the
expected formatting for SLOs in the course outline.
Checklist for entering course SLOs into the course outline
‰ Do the Methods of Instruction, Methods of Evaluation, and Typical Homework
sections of the course outline clearly link to the SLOs?
‰ Is enough information provided in these sections so that it can guide the teaching of a
course or the writing of a syllabus?
‰ Is there enough flexibility for individual professors teaching the course?
8
Student learning outcomes for programs are stated in the program review documents (PrOF). A
“program” is a set of courses or other activities that can be aligned with a cohesive set outcomes;
it need not result in a degree or certificate. Each program typically have several (perhaps 4-6)
student learning outcomes. The students achieve the program SLOs through the aggregate
experiences of the program activities. The program SLOs should answer the question, “What
will the students be able to do out there based on what they have learned here?” Objectives can
be listed under each SLO to provide details.
Program outcomes should clearly map to the courses and activities of the program and this
alignment should be evident from the PrOF documents. The structure of the program will
determine if program outcomes are reflected in each course/activity or if some program
outcomes map to only one course/activity. However, the curriculum of the program should be
cohesive; that is, all program outcomes should be clearly supported by courses and/or activities.
The PrOF reporting documents are currently under review – look for updated information about
how to format program SLOs from the CRC Planning Committee.
Checklist for stating program SLOs in the PrOF
‰ Do the courses and activities in the program clearly map to the program outcomes?
‰ Are all program outcomes clearly supported by courses and/or activities?
‰ Have the formatting guidelines for PrOF been followed?
‰ Can the outcome feasibly be assessed for students currently in the program and/or for
students who have recently completed the program?
Assessing outcomes
Assessment of outcomes can include both course or activity embedded assessments and broader
assessments based on institutional tools. Course or activity embedded assessments occur as part
of a class or an activity and focus on what the students learn during that class or activity. Broad
institutional assessments focus on outcomes that aggregate over more than one course or activity
(e.g. college-wide outcomes) and are implemented using institutional tools such as surveys
conducted by the college research office.
The determination of appropriate methods of assessment of student learning outcomes for
courses is the purview of the faculty teaching those courses. Exams are recognized as an
important part of the appropriate assessment of student learning, and many other methods of
assessment are also appropriate assessment of student learning e.g. term papers, problem sets,
presentations, performance evaluations, “practical” exams, lab reports, analytical essays,
reflective essays, journals, portfolios, creative projects, etc. Informal classroom assessments,
guided discussion, and other non-graded assessments may also be used to provide outcomes
assessment information.
Course-embedded assessment of outcomes uses many of the same tools as assessing student
work for grades, but these processes are not the same. Assessment for grades evaluates the work
of individual students across the entire set of course outcomes. Assessment of outcomes
evaluates the work of the entire set of students on an individual outcome. The same tool can be
used simultaneously for both purposes, for example designing an exam so that item analysis can
yield outcomes assessment.
9
Assessments should be unbiased and show validity and be feasible to implement. An
assessment is unbiased if it measures the same thing for all groups. An assessment shows
validity if it measures the outcome it is intended to measure and not some other, possibly covarying, factor. Of course, assessments must be feasible; that is, they should not add an
unacceptable amount to the workload or cost to the faculty or staff.
Assessment of college-wide outcomes may be conducted through the agency of the college
Research Office. Some outcomes, such as the broad college-wide outcomes, accrete gradually
over the course of a student’s experiences at CRC and are very difficult to assess in any one
course or activity. For these outcomes, the college Research Office can be useful in developing
and analyzing assessments such as surveys, studies of alumni, etc.
Faculty use outcomes assessment to judge how well the students are learning; the outcomes
assessments are not used to judge the professors. Student Learning Outcomes are appropriately
used as both self-referential evaluative tools and tools for evaluating student performance. This
means that faculty evaluate the students’ learning and use this information as appropriate.
‰
‰
‰
‰
‰
Checklist for developing outcomes assessments
Do the assessments clearly link to the SLOs?
Do the assessments show reliability and validity
Are the assessments feasible? Can they be implemented within a reasonable
workload and minimal cost?
Are multiple measures for assessment listed (when appropriate)?
Is it clear that the results of the assessments will be used to improve the course,
activity, or program but not to judge the professor?
Using outcomes for dialogue and planning
Dialogue between colleagues about student learning is an essential component of the
implementation of SLOs at CRC. Dialogue about student learning and discourse about “best
practices” both inside and outside of the classroom is a professional activity for CRC professors
and other college staff. This dialogue may be informal discussion between colleagues (e.g. those
great “hallway conversations” we all have) or it may involve more formal processes such as
attendance at CASSL workshops, departmental meetings, events sponsored by the Professional
Development Committee, etc.
Analysis of outcomes assessment data is used to make changes that support student learning.
When we change our teaching methods because of what we understand about our student’s
learning, we “close the assessment loop”. This could include many types of change such as
requests for resources, curriculum actions, budgetary changes, changing information
communicated to other departments, changing advice given to students, disseminating
information about “best practices” to departmental faculty, modifying the mentoring of new staff
and adjunct faculty, implementing new teaching strategies, etc.
10
Implementation of SLOs at CRC is a central part of college planning processes. Outcomes
assessment allows us to plan changes that will help our students succeed. The results of our
outcomes assessments inform our planning and resource requests. Our PrOF planning sections
should link to our outcomes analyses. Our Unit Plans are, in turn, based on the planning
described in the PrOF. These plans guide our resource requests. The college strategic planning
process, in turn, incorporates what we learn through our outcomes assessment processes.
Diagram of Outcomes Assessment Flow
Outcomes Assessment Processes
A. Research Office surveys of college-wide and GE outcomes (student self-assessment)
B. Faculty and staff reports of course or activity embedded assessments
Local Planning
Unit Plans
Program Review documents (PrOF)
dialogue
Dialogue
Departmental & Area dialogue
Integrated analysis & College
Institutional Planning
College Planning
Shared Governance planning
Responsive Change
Changes in practices, resource use,
professional development, etc.
11
Reporting assessments
Overview:
The Outcomes Assessment Taskforce is currently developing processes for reporting
assessments. From these discussions we have identified a proposed structure for outcomes
assessment at the college. This structure is based on two types of assessment: Surveys conducted
by the college research office and assessments chosen by individual faculty and staff. It
includes:
o Research Office surveys for college-wide outcomes: College wide outcomes will be
assessed periodically through the Research Office using a student self assessment
survey and a sampling methodology. Results will be shared via a college-wide dialogue
with the campus community and will be discussed with the Academic Senate.
o Course or activity embedded assessments of issues identified by the college or the
program as critical: Each year programs will each identify a critical issue for assessment.
o Faculty from programs already involved in detailed assessment and reporting
procedures due to outside accreditation will not be required to duplicate these efforts
(although a mechanism to integrate these efforts with the college's processes will need to
be developed).
Annual Reporting Cycle
Processes for reporting assessments have been developed by the Outcomes Assessment
Taskforce. The key part of the process is that program faculty and staff identifies the most
important learning issues affecting the success of their students and focuses their
assessment reporting efforts on outcomes related to those issues. Brief reporting forms will
be collected each semester. The forms will be collected by the OATF. Samples of the OATF
forms can be found in the appendix to this handbook. The information will be collated for use in
program review, planning processes, and collegial dialogue. In Fall 2008, we will implement
these processes for the first time on a college-wide basis. The process consists of two stages in
each academic year:
Fall Semester: At the beginning of the fall semester programs will be asked to identify the most
important learning issues facing their students and the outcomes that align with those issues.
More than one issue may be identified. Programs will focus their outcomes assessment reporting
for the year on those outcomes. These may be college-wide, GE, program, course, or activity
outcomes. Each program will complete a brief form that describes the following:
• the important issues identified by the program faculty and staff
• the outcomes associated with those issues
• a summary of plans to assess, and report the assessment of, those outcomes
Spring Semester: In the spring programs will report on their assessments of the outcomes
identified in the fall. They will complete a brief form that reports the following
• the important issues and related outcomes identified in the fall
• the methods used to assess those outcomes
• the results of the assessments
• what was learned from that assessment; i.e. what was identified as effective and what
can be changed to improve student success based on the fall assessment
12
Some important notes:
o The faculty and staff of a program use their best professional judgment to identify learning issues
important to the success of students in the program, to determine what outcomes reflect those
critical issues, and to design assessments of those outcomes.
o A subset of course SLOs can be assessed and reported each year; not all of the course SLOs need
to be assessed and reported annually
o One or a few program SLO(s) may be the focus of assessment one year; not all of the program
SLOs need to be assessed annually.
o SLO assessment does not require any specific research design; assessment may be based on
narrative accounts, descriptive information and/or quantitative data and will often include
multiple measures.
o SLO assessment in instructional programs should be conducted for a sample of classes or students
in a course, program or service area; however, SLO assessment does not mandate any minimum
number of sections analyzed, does not require a particular method of assessment, and does not
specify a minimum sample size.
o An instructor is encouraged to save a record of the assessment privately to be able to describe the
assessment to faculty in a department or program area. SLO assessment does not require the
identification of individual instructors’ data in any reports or analyses.
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) complete the statement “students completing program
activities will be able to…” . Service Area Outcomes (SAOs) complete the sentence “In order to
support learning, CRC employees will…”
Outcomes and accreditation
The new accreditation standards emphasize:
• Documentation of a dialogue about outcomes development
• Evidence of outcomes assessment and a dialogue about the results of that assessment.
• Evidence of responsive change that closes the loop between what we learn from
outcomes assessment and what we do in our classes and activities.
The accreditation team will look for evidence (qualitative or quantitative) that outcome
assessment occurs on an ongoing basis across the college. However, while outcome assessment
is ongoing, we do not need to collect and store reports & documentation of the assessment of
every outcome, at every level, every semester.
Evidence of our dialogue with respect to outcomes development and assessment might come
from a variety of sources. The accreditation team will look for evidence of the processes used,
samples of student work showing assessment of outcomes, documentation of the dialogue
involved, and examples of the tangible changes we’ve made in response to outcomes assessment.
For example the accrediting team may look at:
• information from program review (PrOF) documents
• samples of work from classes
• minutes from department meetings, committee meeting, etc.
• email strings from the CASSL, or other discussions
• examples of changes to course materials (e.g., syllabus, text, assignments, etc.)
• examples of professional development opportunities sought out and/or attended
• examples of resource requests based directly on outcomes assessment
• results of projects such as the Education Initiative projects, classroom research, etc.
13
Much of what we learn from assessing outcomes is directly useful for us and our students. While
the documentation and reporting are not all directly useful to us, there is a great deal of overlap
between what accreditation requires and what is directly helpful to student success. The diagram
below shows one view of the overlap.
Required for a accreditation
Records of data analyses
Evidence of assessment
Documentation of dialogue
Evidence of responsive change
Direct effect on student success
Dialogues about learning
Clear learning goals
Shared best practices
Planning focused on student
success
Effective teaching practices
Collegial mentoring
Curriculum development
Effective resource requests
14
SLO Glossary
General SLO Terms
College SLO: A general statement of the skills and abilities a student will possess upon
successfully graduating from a college. Examples:
• General Education: The student will be able to utilize the basic methods of the discipline
studied and apply those tools to personal and community issues.
• Cultural competence: The student will be able to undertake thoughtful consideration of
divergent points of view and utilize multiple perspectives in considering information.
Course or activity SLO: A general statement of the skills and abilities a student will possess
upon successfully finishing a course. Examples:
• Non-majors biology course: The student will be able to draw reasonable conclusions from
scientific data and apply the information to personal and community issues.
• Computer applications course: The student will be able to choose the appropriate software
application to use in a variety of situations and will use that application with precision.
• Counseling appointments: The student will be able to complete a Student Education Plan and
modify that plan as needed.
Mapping (alignment) grid: A mapping or alignment grid is a table showing how parts of a
course of study fit together with one another. Such a grid may include course objectives, student
learning outcomes, methods of instruction, methods of evaluation, course themes, etc. An
example of a table that could be used to show which courses/activities have major or minor
emphases related program outcomes is shown below:
SLO supported by course or activity
(major or minor component):
Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Activity 1
Activity 2
SLO 1
SLO 2
Major
Minor
SLO 3
Major
Minor
Major
SLO 4
Major
Minor
Major
Major
Minor
Objective: More narrowly focused than an SLO, course objectives are directed toward specific
tasks. Course objectives can be found on our course outlines. As do outcomes, objectives also
finish the sentence “Upon successful completion of this course the student will be able to…”
• Examples: Biology course: solve problems in Mendelian genetics using Punnett Squares.
• Computer applications course: enter data into Excel and produce clear graphs.
Program SLO: A general statement of the skills and abilities a student will possess upon
successfully finishing a program. Examples:
• AS in Psychology: The student will be able to analyze patterns of human behavior,
developing thorough and complex explanations consistent with the major psychological
perspectives.
• Tutoring Program: Students who utilize tutors will increase success in basic skills courses as
measured by improved scores on assignments and/or exams.
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Student Learning Outcome (SLO) - An SLO is a general statement of the measurable skills
and abilities a student will possess upon successfully finishing a course of study. It includes or
refers to a plan to incorporate feedback and “close the loop” by changing the course of study.
Broader in scope than “objectives”, SLOs focus on the important general abilities a successful
student will take away from the class, program, or college for use in his/her future life.
Taxonomies: In the context of SLOs, a taxonomy is a classification of skills and abilities based
on level of achievement. The levels move from very simple processes to very complex ones.
• Cognitive taxonomy: A classification of cognitive skills and abilities ranging from
relatively simple tasks such as recognition to very complex processes such as critical
analysis.
• Psychomotor taxonomy: A classification of physical (motor) skills and abilities ranging
from relatively simple imitation to creative mastery of a physical skill.
• Affective taxonomy: A classification of skills and abilities that relate to values and
emotions; levels range from relatively simple recognition of value to complex processes
such as critical evaluation of ethical situations.
Outcomes Assessment Terms
Assessment of outcomes - Outcomes assessment is a process by which we evaluate our
students’ mastery of the skills and abilities learned in their college activities, analyze the results
of that process, and use those results to improve the learning environment for future students.
Assessment loop - The assessment loop is closed when we use the results of our assessments to
improve what we do in the future.
Bias – Bias occurs if an assessment measures different things for different groups of subjects or
has different levels of validity for different groups. For example, if an assessment depends on
background knowledge (unrelated to the course material) that is possessed by some groups and
not others, it may produce biased results.
Direct assessment: This includes (1) any assessment tool that involves directly observing
students as they utilize the skills taught in the class and (2) evaluation of student work that was
produced using the skills taught in the class. For example, students in an Art class may be
assessed based on their drawings, those in a Communication class on their public speaking
performances, those in a Biology class on inquiry project work.
Formative assessment - Formative assessment is conducted early in the learning process when
mastery of the skill or concept is not yet expected. The purpose of formative assessment is to
allow the student to improve performance on similar learning tasks in the near future.
Multiple measures – Many outcomes can be assessed using a wide variety of tools (exam
questions, papers, assignments, direct observation of student skills, portfolios, creative work,
etc.). Typically, the use of multiple measures to assess an outcome increases the validity of the
assessment.
16
Reliability – This reflects the degree to which an assessment would give the same results if
given to a matched group of subjects at another time.
Rubric -A detailed description of the criteria that will be used to grade students’ work or
activities and the grading scheme based on these criteria.
Analytical rubric: A rubric listing the traits on which the work will be evaluated each
of which is associated with a specific number of points. The score on each trait will be
added to produce the overall grade for the work or activity
Holistic rubric: A rubric that provides holistic descriptions of the type of work
producing each grade level (A-F)
Self assessment – Measures the students’ own assessment of their knowledge or ability. This
may include surveys, focus groups, discussions, brief classroom assessments, etc.
Summative assessment - Assessment that is used to evaluate “completed” learning on a single
objective, a group of tasks, or the overall course. Summative assessment occurs after the
learning process for the given task is essentially complete and mastery of the skill or concept is
expected. This type of assessment forms the basis for the grade in the course.
Criteria-referenced summative assessment - In criteria-referenced evaluation the grade
is based on previously criteria specified and is not affected by the score distribution
within the group (i.e. the grade is not "curved" to the class norm).
Norm-referenced summative assessment - In norm-referenced evaluation the grade is
based on the score distribution within the group; also called "curved” grading.
Validity – This reflects the degree to which an assessment measures what it is intended to
measure and not some other, possibly co-varying, factor. For example, a timed exam may not be
‘valid’ if it measures the student’s ability to perform a task quickly when it was not intended to
measure this (but was intended, instead, to measuring the student’s overall understanding of a
subject).
Accreditation Documentation & Reporting Terms
ACCJC (WASC) – The organization that accredits community colleges in the western United
States--including CRC. This organization establishes the standards that we must meet to be
accredited.
Qualitative evidence – Evidence that is not numerical. In the case of accreditation, this may
include minutes of meetings, examples of student work, case studies, results of focus groups,
records of discussions, reflections by faculty, etc.
Quantitative evidence – Evidence that can be analyzed numerically. In the case of accreditation,
this includes such things as numerical measures of student success in specific courses, survey
results, graduation rates, statistical analyses of research studies, etc.
17
Course and Activity SLOs
Frequently Asked Questions
What are course or activity SLOs?
Course or activity SLOs are statements of principal skills and abilities a student will possess
upon successfully finishing a class or a college nonclass activity
• Broader in scope than “objectives”, SLOs describe the major goals of the class – things that a
student who successfully achieves the goals of the course will take away from the class for
use in his/her future life
• SLOs focus on measurable skills and abilities that can be directly assessed using student
work in the class.
Where do we state our course or activity SLOs?
At CRC, we are going to list the course SLOs on course outline in SOCRATES; it is also good
practice to state them on class syllabi
• In the “Learning Outcomes and Objectives” section of SOCRATES you will be given a
series of text boxes. You can enter one SLO or one objective in each text box.
• The objectives are already in SOCRATES.
Activity outcomes will typically be stated on the program review forms and may be on other
program documents (e.g. planning documents).
Who assesses course or activity SLOS?
The selection of assessment tools and collection of assessment data for course or activity
outcomes is done by the professor teaching the course or the CRC faculty or staff member
leading the activity. Many tools can be used for the assessment, including:
• Direct observation of student skills through discussion, projects, portfolios, role-plays,
presentations, creative projects, practical exams, etc.
• Summative assessment through exams, quizzes, problem sets, homework
• Student self-assessment through reflective journals, surveys, discussions, informal classroom
assessment techniques, etc
18
Is assessing SLOs different form determining grades for students?
Assessing outcomes in classes may use many of the same tools used for determining grades.
However, the analysis process is different when these tools are used for outcomes assessment.
• Assessment for grades we look at the performance of a given student across all of the course
outcomes to arrive at his or her grade.
• Assessing outcomes, however, occurs when we look at the performance of all of the students
in a class relative to a given outcome.
How do we use the results of our assessment of SLOs?
The results of our outcomes assessment for the basis of dialogue about teaching and learning
with our colleagues.
• This dialogue may be informal discussion between colleagues
• It may involve more formal processes such as workshops, departmental meetings, etc.
• Analysis of outcomes assessment data is used to make changes that support student learning.
• Changes based on SLO analyses could include many things, such as requests for resources,
curriculum actions, budgetary changes, modifying the mentoring of new staff and adjunct
faculty, implementing new teaching strategies, etc.
• The results of our outcomes assessments inform our planning and resource requests.
Do we have to report the results of SLO assessments? If so, how do we do that?
We will need to periodically report the results of our assessments for accreditation purposes.
The Outcomes Assessment Task Force is currently working to make recommendations
concerning the reporting of outcomes assessment for courses and activities. More information
will be forthcoming in the next semesters. The charge of this Task Force is to:
• develop a proposal that outlines the strategies and tools we could use to document the
assessment of student learning outcomes at the course, program, and college levels.
• recommend a system that meets the accreditation guidelines and is consistent with
our campus culture, supports academic freedom, is useful to faculty and staff, and
is easy to implement.
19
Writing course/activity outcomes
Defining the outcomes for course and activities:
Each SLO briefly describes a major skill or ability that successful students will gain from the
course or activity. The focus is on the skills and abilities needed in the next course in the
sequence, on the job, after transfer, etc. SLO’s provide the big picture; objectives are used to
describe more specific skills or details of how the work done during the course/activity achieves
the SLO. Each SLO for the course or activity will be inclusive of two or more of the course
objectives (which are already listed in SOCRATES for courses). Each course or activity will
usually have only a few SLOs – probably between two and five. For courses, it is often very
helpful to review the course objectives to see if they can be grouped cleanly under the draft
SLOs. This provides the opportunity to see if an important outcome was accidentally neglected
when the objectives were written.
Course and activity outcomes can include college-level abilities of three kinds: cognitive (e.g.
critical thinking), psychomotor (e.g. proficiency in performing motor tasks), and affective (e.g.
evaluation of ethical situations and making value judgments). The number of SLOs and the exact
format will vary from discipline to discipline in ways that reflect the norms of the discipline, the
requirements of relevant organizations (e.g. advisory committees for occupational disciplines)
and the practices of our transfer institutions. This provides the opportunity to inform external
groups (e.g. UC, CSU, accrediting bodies) of the way in which our SLOs align with their
priorities. Most courses will have only a few SLOs per course, however, some disciplines will
have a great many SLOs because of the requirements of their disciplinary organizations. The
detail included in SLOs will also vary according to disciplinary standards. Some SLOs will be
very “big picture” – e.g. “students will be able to apply critical thinking techniques to
philosophical problems”. Other SLOs may be somewhat more focused – e.g. “the student will be
able to evaluate medical records in order to assess compliance with regulations for health care
services including Medicare, Medicaid, and Managed Care.”
Entering SLOs in to SOCRATES.
In the Learning Outcomes and Objectives” section of SOCRATES you will be given a series of
text boxes. You can enter one SLO or one objective in each text box. The objectives are already
in SOCRATES. See the publications of the Curriculum Committee for formatting details.
The Methods of Instruction section should align with the SLOs. This section explains what
methods will be used to teach the course and how those methods tie back to the SLOs.
When writing this section, be clear and specific and tie the wording directly to the language of
the course outcomes. For example, saying “Guided discussion emphasizing the analysis of
cultural pattern will be used to develop critical thinking skills” is much better than saying
“Discussion”. Remember, though, that the details of instructional methodology (topics within
lectures, instructions for group work, etc.) do not have to be given on the course outline; these
are up to each professor teaching the course.
Assessment of course outcomes is reflected in two sections of the course outline: Evaluation
Methods and Typical Homework Assignments. When writing these sections of the course outline
20
indicate what general types of assessments will be used to evaluate student work. Be sure to list
a variety of measures that may be used in the course.
This is more than just a list of types of assessment. Use complete sentences and make the
connection to the outcomes quite obvious, even repeating the language of an outcome if needed.
For example, saying “Students will write essays comparing and contrasting the basic components
of the major psychological perspectives” is much better than saying “Assigned essays”. The
connection of the assessment to the SLOs should be obvious. Remember, though that details of
assessment (e.g. rubrics for grading, specific assignments, etc.) do not have to be given on the
course outline; deciding these is the prerogative of each professor teaching the course.
Example of outcomes and objectives from the syllabus for Bio 350 Fall 2007:
These outcomes and objectives are also found on the course outline, but the information about
how they are to be assessed is specific to the syllabus for this section.
SLO (1) Apply the principles of ecology to the analysis of populations, communities, and
ecosystems. Assessed by exam questions (typically essay questions) that require the application
of ecological principles to communities and ecosystems and by questions that demonstrate the
understanding of ecological terminology (these may be multiple choice questions).
o Correctly utilize the basic vocabulary of environmental biology.
o Describe the major processes involved in ecosystem functioning.
o Analyze situations involving interactions between two species.
o Describe the graphs describing exponential and logistic populations growth and the
factors affecting each type of population growth
SLO (2) Evaluate the impacts of human activities for local and regional environmental issues.
Assessed by exam questions that require analysis of environmental impacts and by the semester
project.
o Analyze the components of effective environmental resource management
o Describe the impacts of pollution for communities, ecosystems, and human populations
o Discuss global environmental issues such as global warming, the ozone hole, etc.
o Provide examples of the relevance of environmental biology to personal interests and
community issues.
SLO (3) Use the scientific method to pose questions and understand information and interpret
scientific data as applied to environmental problems. Assessed by exam questions that require the
evaluation of scientific data (these may be multiple choice or essay questions) and by the
reflective essays.
o Assess the results of scientific investigation into biological questions.
o Draw reasonable conclusions from biological data
Note: The final exam in this course is cumulative and designed specifically to allow students to
demonstrate the ability to meet the outcomes of the course as described above. It includes an inclass exam and a take-home assignment.
21
Assessing course/activity outcomes
Activity outcomes assessment:
Many of the non-course activities are important to student learning at the college. Students learn
valuable skills from their interactions with student services faculty and staff, from tutoring, from
their work in the library, and from participation in athletic and artistic events, student
government, etc. Many of these activities do not currently employ formal assessment tools,
partly because the activities are not graded. We are working to develop useful assessments for
these activities. The list of assessment tools in this chapter of the handbook suggests some tools
that may be useful. Student self-assessment tools and the direct observation of student work may
be particularly useful for the assessment of activity outcomes.
As we develop outcomes assessment for non-class activities the focus is on assessing measurable
skills and developing dialogue and analyses that will allow us to improve student learning. The
results of outcomes assessment are used to identify “best practices” for the college faculty or
staff who run the activities. The goal is to identify those ways of interacting with students that
produce the most effective learning environment, be that in a counselor’s office, a tutoring
center, or on the baseball field.
When we change our practices because of what we understand about our student’s learning we
“close the assessment loop”. For activities might change the methods used to interact with
students, update materials used in the activity, change the mentoring of new faculty and staff,
seek out professional development activities, develop new coaching/teaching/tutoring methods,
etc. It is indications of these changes that the accrediting team will be looking for when they are
here.
The faculty and staff who lead the activities develop activity outcomes. While course outcomes
will be listed on the course outlines (see below), activity outcomes will be stated on program
documents such as the program review (PrOF) forms. They may also be listed on internal
departmental documents as determined by the departments involved with the activities.
Course outcome assessment:
When we teach, we are helping our students achieve the outcomes of the course. When we give
a graded assignment or test, we are measuring student learning and their success at reaching
course outcomes. When we assign a grade to a student, we are really providing a single-time
summary of how well he or she has achieved the course outcomes. In other words, we look at
the performance of a given student across all of the course outcomes to arrive at his or her grade.
Assessing outcomes, however, occurs when we look at the performance of all of the students in a
class relative to a given outcome. For example, if a test includes a set of items pertaining to a
course outcome, an item analysis of this set of items can tell us how our students as a whole are
doing with respect to that outcome. Similarly, if a rubric for an assignment has one or more
areas that correspond to a course outcome, analyzing the overall scores of students in these areas
can tell us how our students as a whole are doing with respect to that outcome. The diagram
22
below illustrates this for a course that has four outcomes and assesses student learning with
homework, three tests, a presentation, a course project, direct observation of students during
group activities, and a student self-assessment.
Outcome 1
Course project
and Items from
test #1, and #2
Outcome 2
Presentation
and items
from test #2
and #3
Outcome 3
Items from Test
#2, student selfassessment and
course project
Outcome 4
Direct
observations,
presentations
and homework
Student 1
Grade
A
Student 2
Student 3
D
B
Student 4
C
Outcome
High success
assessment
Hurray! Results of consider using
outcomes
the same
assessment methods for
other outcomes.
Low
success
Revise
teaching
methods for
this
outcome
Moderate
success
Keep what
worked, but
consider
changes to
increase
success
High success
Hurray! consider using
the same
methods for
other outcomes.
The results of outcomes assessment in our courses are used to improve how we teach. We note
what worked well and celebrate that our students are succeeding on some outcomes. Then we
work on improving student success on those outcomes on which they are struggling. When we
change our teaching methods because of what we understand about our students learning, we
“close the assessment loop”. We might change our teaching methods, update our course outline,
change the course prerequisites, rewrite our assignments or rubrics, modify our handouts, choose
a new text, add more group work, etc. It is indications of these changes that the accrediting team
will be looking for when they are here.
Obviously, the summary statement of a student’s achievement of course outcomes is his/her
grade at the end of the course. The overall grade in the course will directly reflect an assessment
of an individual student’s global achievement across the set of course SLO’s. However, a single
overall grade doesn’t provide much information about aggregate student success on individual
course outcomes. At CRC, we already use a number of measures that can help us assess student
achievement on individual outcomes:
• Grades on exams that measure a specific subset of SLOs, particularly if this includes an
analysis of specific exam items that relate to a given SLOs.
• Problem-based class projects, especially those that reflect what the student will need to
do on the job or following transfer.
• Portfolios reflecting skills and knowledge acquisition
23
•
•
•
Direct observation of performance or psychomotor skills (e.g. oral communication,
theater performance, athletics, lab skills, etc. )
Ungraded classroom assessments of the type developed by Cross and Angelo
Student surveys and discussions
Class embedded assessment of course outcomes for grading purposes
Assessment tools (examples)
Developed and
Results shared and reported
reviewed by
by
o Exams and quizzes
Professor (may
o Provide grades to students
o Projects, papers, etc
include shared
during course.
o Presentations
o Grade reports at the end
rubrics or
o Skills demonstrations
of the semester by the
departmental
o Assignments
professor.
exams).
Class-embedded assessment of course outcomes for SLO analyses
Assessment tools (examples)
Developed and
Results shared and reported
reviewed by
by
o Exams and quizzes
Professor (may
o Review results as part of
o Projects, papers, etc
include shared
the dialogue within the
o Presentations
rubrics or
program or department.
o Skills demonstrations
o Brief reports filed by the
departmental
o Assignments
department or program.
exams).
o Student self-assessment
o Dialogue with colleagues
o Informal classroom
assessment
Used to
o
o
Assign grades
Improve teaching methods
Used to
o
o
o
o
o
o
Assess course outcomes
Improve teaching methods
Review and revise curriculum
Inform unit planning & PrOF
Support resource requests
Inform departmental dialogue
Outcomes assessment tools for course or activity outcomes
Direct observation of student skills through, projects, discussions, portfolios, role plays,
presentations, etc.: This category of assessment tools includes a wide variety of “active” work
by students ranging from classroom presentations to the production of portfolios. They provide
direct measures of student skills and can involve “authentic” problems similar to those done in
the professional pursuit of the discipline. They may have reliability and/or validity problems
unless good rubrics are used since evaluation of student work of some types may have a strong
subjective component. These tools work well for assessment of psychomotor skills (e.g. use of
lab equipment, ability to fill out financial aid forms, music performance, public speaking
abilities, etc.). Some examples of these tools are:
•
Role plays and case studies: These are the best way to assess some affective or
psychomotor outcomes because they are direct measure of the skill. However, reliability
problems may interfere with the use of these techniques for outcomes assessment. Detailed
rubrics, checklists, and rating forms, are helpful in solving this problem.
•
Guided discussion: Direct observation of student response during guided discussion
individually or in groups can make evident both thinking skills and foundation knowledge.
This tool can also be useful for the assessment of affective skills of importance to student
services such as the student’s self-efficacy in his/her ability to plan for future goals. Guided
24
discussion is relatively difficult to grade or to use to produce quantitative outcomes
assessments. It can be used to provide a reflective qualitative assessment of some outcomes
if rubrics are used to define levels of success for the group.
•
Performances, structured practical assessments, and psychomotor skill
demonstrations: These effectively assess skills which are usually psychomotor in nature
(e.g. lab equipment use, dance steps, construction techniques, ability to fill out a financial
aid form). Validity may be increased by specifying criteria on a rubric, providing clear
instructions for the tasks, and allowing a task to be performed multiple times.
•
Portfolios: Collection of student work in portfolios is an important student centered
assessment in the arts, and has been used in many disciplines. Portfolios may have trouble
with reliability and validity in some disciplines. In this case, it is helpful to (1) have a clear
evaluation system and rubrics (2) have students do more than just "turn in" items, e.g. have
them explain and evaluate the importance of each item in the portfolio.
•
Projects, reports, papers, etc.: The assessment tools in this category include research
papers, lab reports, inquiry projects, creative projects, term papers, etc. These are common
tools in evaluating student learning in many disciplines and, thus, there are many models to
follow. Because they typically represent a major amount of work, these assessment tools
can reflect more than one skill – in that case, a rubric may be needed to map outcomes to
work product.
Exams and Homework Questions: This category of tools includes (1) exams and quizzes
ranging from blue-book essay exams, to multiple choice objective exams, to oral exams and (2)
homework problem sets that are composed of items similar to those found on exams. These are
very familiar methods to professors as they are very often used to conduct assessment designed
to evaluate individual students in order to assign grades. They can also be used to assess
individual outcomes across the class. Exam or homework questions can be linked directly to
outcomes for assessment purposes. Each question can be linked to a specific outcome or
objective and, thus, an item analysis can provide an outcome assessment. In a course, mapping
of content to outcomes may allow each exam to focus on one or a few outcomes. Alternatively,
the final exam or final homework set can be used as a summative assessment of all course
outcomes.
•
Essays (blue book exams, homework essays, etc.): The assessment of student essays can
measure outcomes related directly to writing skills but can also be linked to outcomes
reflecting critical thinking, recall, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis skills. Long essays are
time consuming to grade, and, since marking may be subjective; clear rubrics are very
important.
•
Short-answer (including calculation) questions or problem sets: Short answers to
specific prompts or problems can be used to assess some writing skills and to allow students
to demonstrate problem solving and concept knowledge. They are moderately easy to grade
and not too time consuming to write. Rubrics are helpful, especially when there is a need to
be very clear about what alternatives of the answer are acceptable.
25
•
Objective questions (multiple choice, true/false, matching): These provide a high
reliability of scoring and are easy to grade, but are time consuming to write well. They are
probably most useful for allowing students to demonstrate content knowledge and/or an
understanding of terminology. They can be used to measure critical thinking or problemsolving abilities but this requires considerable work on the part of the professor writing the
exam. Context-dependent questions often help with this.
•
Oral exams: Although rarely used, oral exams can be valid and reliable measures of some
types of outcomes. This tool is most often used to assess outcomes related to interpersonal
skills (e.g. interview skills) and speaking skills (e.g. foreign language classes). If questions
are unrestricted, the reliability can be low and good rubrics and checklists are very important.
Student self-assessments: This category includes a variety of tools that ask students to assess
how well they can perform the skills and abilities learned in the activity or course. It also
includes measures of student self-confidence regarding their ability to use those skills. They can
be graded or can be used to help generate a rubric for future assessments and to provide feedback
or outcomes assessment without producing grades. These methods can be fairly quick and easy
to implement or include more extensive methods. Validity and reliability can be major problems
with student self-assessments unless students are trained in how to assess their own success.
•
Quick classroom assessment techniques such as short surveys immediately following an
activity: These tools include many quick-feedback techniques such as the one minute paper,
think-pair-share, etc. They allow for modifications of teaching strategies in a rapid turnaround basis. While good for formative assessment, these tools may not be as useful for
summative assessment.
•
Student journals or reflective essays: These provide rich information on student progress
and allow the assessment of affective outcomes in a detailed way. Only a few disciplines
(e.g. ECE) have a tradition of using these tools.
•
Surveys conducted at the completion of a course, activity, or program. These can be used
to ask students about their confidence in their ability to successfully conduct the task learned
in the course, activity, or program. They are useful for summative assessment, particularly of
program outcomes. Long surveys are time intensive and require substantial resources to
implement.
•
Student self-grading of an assignment or project: Students benefit from learning how to
assess their progress and can apply this to future work. Validity can be major problems with
student self-assessments unless students are trained in how to assess their own success.
•
Individual discussions between a student and a teacher: One-on-one discussions provide a
rich source of affective information. It requires substantial planning to assess outcomes using
these tools.
26
Using the results of course and activity outcomes
assessment: dialogue, change, and planning
We analyze student success on course and activity outcomes so that we can utilize that
information to identify what works well and improve what doesn’t. When the data indicates the
need, we can improve our students’ learning by modifying:
• Materials provided to students
• Mentoring of new faculty and staff
• Course assignments
• Methods used to assess student learning
• Readings and texts assigned in courses
• Methods used in lecture
• Methods used in laboratory classes
• Methods used in non-class activities
• Instructions for student work
Dialogue, dissemination, and documentation for course and activity outcomes
assessment
The OATF has developed a formal process for reporting the assessment of those outcomes
aligned with the most important issues affecting student success in each program. (see page 11).
As part of this process, each program will be using brief forms to report the assessment results of
selected program, course, or activity outcomes each year. . Samples of the OATF forms can be
found in the appendix to this handbook.
Processes for reporting assessments have been developed by the Outcomes Assessment
Taskforce. The key part of the process is that program faculty and staff identifies the most
important learning issues affecting the success of their students and focuses their
assessment reporting efforts on outcomes related to those issues. Brief reporting forms will
be collected each semester. The forms will be collected by the OATF. Samples of the OATF
forms can be found in the appendix to this handbook. The information will be collated for use in
program review, planning processes, and collegial dialogue. In Fall 2008, we will implement
these processes for the first time on a college-wide basis. The process consists of two stages in
each academic year:
Fall Semester: At the beginning of the fall semester programs will be asked to identify the most
important learning issues facing their students and the outcomes that align with those issues.
More than one issue may be identified. Programs will focus their outcomes assessment reporting
for the year on those outcomes. These may be college-wide, GE, program, course, or activity
outcomes. Each program will complete a brief form that describes the following:
• the important issues identified by the program faculty and staff
• the outcomes associated with those issues
•
• a summary of plans to assess, and report the assessment of, those outcomes
27
Spring Semester: In the spring programs will report on their assessments of the outcomes
identified in the fall. They will complete a brief form that reports the following
• the important issues and related outcomes identified in the fall
• the methods used to assess those outcomes
• the results of the assessments
• what was learned from that assessment; i.e. what was identified as effective and what
can be changed to improve student success based on the fall assessment
We can also learn from one another and conduct dialogue about student success on our learning
outcomes in many less formal ways. There are a number of ways, other than the OATF forms, in
which we can record and/or disseminate our efforts.
o During department meetings, we can set aside time to share with one another methods that
have helped our students and gather advice on ways to improve where needed.
o Modifications to materials provided to students (e.g. syllabi, student services materials, etc.)
will show the changes in our classes over time. For course outcomes, if syllabi are kept on
file in a location open to all professors, this would result in a record that we could access to
get good ideas.
o Revisions of course outlines will show the evolution of courses over time. Archived versions
of the course outline in SOCRATES or in department files result in a record of these
changes.
o Workshops offered through the CASSL, and other staff development activities, could be set
up so that we can share the wisdom we have gained over our semesters of teaching
experience.
o Various sections of courses in some department share common grading rubrics for some
tasks. Similarly, the outcomes of some activities conducted by numerous faculty or staff (e.g.
counseling sessions, tutoring, etc.) can be assessed using common rubrics. The professors
conducting those courses/activities could meet to examine student success on these tasks and
brainstorm on what methods could improve class outcomes.
o In the self-study we complete as part of our evaluation process, we could reflect on what the
data shows as the strengths of our methods at encouraging student success, on our growth as
teachers, and on the new techniques that we have employed to improve our students’
learning.
28
CHECK LIST FOR COURSE SLO DEVELOPMENT
Writing Outcomes:
‰ Is the focus on the big picture – a fundamental result of the course?
‰ Do you describe what the student can DO with the knowledge they have acquired in
the class?
‰ Can the outcome be assessed based on work produced by the student?
‰ Do the SLOs represent skills and abilities that the students need to carry with them to
the next stages of their lives and/or education?
‰ Is the language clear?
Designing Assessments:
‰ Do the assessments clearly link to the SLOs?
‰ Are multiple measures for assessment listed?
‰ Is it clear that the results of the assessments will be used to improve the course?
Aligning course elements:
‰ Do the Methods of Instruction, Methods of Evaluation, and Independent
Assignments sections of the course outline clearly link to the SLOs?
‰ Is enough information provided in these sections so that it can guide the teaching of a
course or the writing of a syllabus?
‰ Is there enough flexibility for individual professors teaching the course?
29
Program SLOs
Frequently Asked Questions
What are program SLOs?
Program outcomes reflect cumulative learning throughout an entire program of study.
• The “program” could be the set of courses leading to a degree or certificate. However, there
may be programs that do not lead directly to degrees or certificates.
• Program outcomes answer the question “What will they be able to do out there based on what
they have learned here?”
• Program outcomes define the major skills and abilities that a student completing a program
will take with him or her after leaving CRC.
• Program outcomes are defined by the faculty and staff of a program.
Where do we list our program SLOs?
Program outcomes are stated, and the results of outcome assessment are discussed, on the
program review documents (PrOF).
• Assessment of program outcomes should be clearly reflected in our planning and resource
requests as given in PrOF.
• The PrOF forms are currently being revised; more information will be available from the
Planning Committee.
• It should be clear how the activities within the program support specific program SLOs. This
can be done by filling out a simple “mapping” grid
• All program outcomes should be supported by one or more courses or activities
How is the assessment of program SLOs done?
Depending on the structure of the program, the assessment of program outcomes may occur in a
variety of ways.
30
•
•
•
The “normal” assessments done in courses or activities across program, e.g. using the same
tools used for the assessment of course or activity outcomes that map to the program
outcomes,
Summative assessments in “capstone” courses or activities such as capstone projects,
portfolios, exams, etc.
Assessments of those students who have completed the program, including surveys of current
program completers, follow up studies of alumni, etc.
How do we use our assessments of program SLOs?
Assessment of program outcomes is used to promote dialogue, improve the program
courses/activities, and support planning and resource requests from the program. In response to
outcome assessment, we may change:
• Intra-departmental processes such as budget allocation, mentoring, teaching strategies,
program offerings, etc.
• Curriculum actions, including program options, new courses, requisites for courses, program
descriptions, course or activity format (e.g. on ground versus on line), etc.
• Requests for resources including equipment, faculty, staff, or tutoring positions, facilities,
outreach resources, staff development resources, etc.
Do we have to report the results of SLO assessments? If so, how do we do that?
We will need to periodically report the results of our assessments for accreditation purposes.
The Outcomes Assessment Task Force is currently working to make recommendations
concerning the reporting of outcomes assessment for courses and activities. More information
will be forthcoming in the next semesters. The charge of this Task Force is to:
• develop a proposal that outlines the strategies and tools we could use to document the
assessment of student learning outcomes at the course, program, and college levels.
• recommend a system that meets the accreditation guidelines and is consistent with
our campus culture, supports academic freedom, is useful to faculty and staff, and
is easy to implement.
31
Introduction: Defining programs
Functional definition of programs:
Historically, we have identified programs either by looking at a list of degrees and certificates or
by grouping related academic disciplines. We are moving to a more functional identification of
programs. At CRC, a collegiate “program” is a group of related courses or other activities
that align with a cohesive set of student learning outcomes. It may help to begin by thinking
about this question: What are the roles of your program in the broader context of the college?
Here, “roles” are defined broadly as the functions of the program with respect to the students and
the college. With respect to the students the question is “why do students participate in your
program?” Why do they take your classes? Why do they participate in other activities in the
program? Finally the most important question: can you write a single set of outcomes that apply
to all students in the program?
In order to make this process more flexible for the many things we do at CRC, three types of
programs are identified. [A list of programs is available from the college Research Office].
Instructional Programs: These are programs in which the major interaction between
students and CRC faculty/staff occurs in credit-granting courses. Examples include
programs from Business to Social Science and departments from Accounting to Work
Experience. In the catalogue, these are usually called “Areas of Study”.
Non-instructional Programs - Student Services/Student Support Programs: These
are programs in which CRC faculty/staff work directly with students in a variety of
settings other than credit granting classes. The catalogue defines student support services
as those which “…assist students with career decision-making, problem resolution, and
goal achievement” (catalog p.9). This includes a wide range of services such as
Assessment Services, Counseling, DSPS, EOPS, CARE, Heath Services, Library, Math
Center, Reading Writing Center, MESA/CCP, Student Development, Tutoring, etc.
These programs may have Service Area Outcomes instead of, or in addition to, Student
Learning Outcomes.
Non-instructional Programs - Instructional Support/Administrative Services
Programs: These are program that indirectly support teaching and learning. They
include Admissions and Records, Bookstore, Business Services, CASSL, Research
Office, Custodial Services, Instruction Office, etc. These programs may have Service
Area Outcomes instead of, or in addition to, Student Learning Outcomes.
Notes on instructional programs:
Degrees or certificates typically relate to a cohesive set of outcomes, and so we will retain many
of our traditionally identified programs. However, some departments may want to revisit how
their programs are defined. For example, an English Department may decide that they are two
programs: Developmental English and Transfer English, or they may decide that they are all one
English Department.
32
There may be instructional programs that do not lead directly to degrees or certificates. For
example, there is no current CRC degree or certificate in “History”. Nonetheless, there is a
group of courses that could clearly align with a set of student learning outcomes. Alternatively,
the History and Political Science departments may find that they support a single cohesive set of
outcomes and so could be considered together as one program. Similarly, “Counseling” is
clearly a program with respect to being able to identify student outcomes, but is not associated
with any particular degree or certificate.
One instructional program may include more than one degree or certificate. For example, there
are three Biology Degrees available at CRC and students take courses in Biology for several
reasons: to transfer to a four-year school in as a biology major, to prepare for the eventual goal
of attending a professional school in medicine, to work toward more immediate employment in
health care (e.g. as LVNs), or to fulfill GE requirements. Nonetheless, the Biology Department
has identified a single set of outcomes that applies to all students in Biology classes and
“Biology” has identified as only one program.
Program structure:
After a program has been defined in general, it is useful to think about the overall structure of the
program in terms of the course and activity sequences. Programs, or parts of programs, can be
thought of as having one of three structures: horizontal, vertical, or mixed. This is relevant to
how program outcomes are reflected in the course outcomes.
Horizontal program structures are those in which students may participate in courses or activities
in any order. In some cases, students typically take only one or two courses in the discipline,
although many more courses may be offered. There is not prerequisite sequence that steps
students through the courses in a specified sequence. In the most extreme example, if students
take only one of the courses or activities in the program, then whichever one they take will have
to move them to achievement of all of the program outcomes. In this case, program outcomes
and the outcomes of each course/activity may be essentially the same. If student have to take
either courses A+B or courses C+D, then we would expect that those combination of courses
include all of the course outcomes. It is seldom that simple, but may be in some cases.
The GE component of the college-wide outcomes works in this horizontal fashion. Students are
required to take GE courses in several areas, but in no particular sequence.
GE
option
1
GE
option
2
GE
option
3
GE
option
4
Some non-instructional programs may have a similarly horizontal structure, where a student is
required to participate in all of the activities, but chooses the various activities in any order:
Activity
A
Activity
B
Activity
C
Activity
D
33
In this case, we would expect that sum of all of the course/activity outcomes will contain all of
the program outcomes.
Vertical program structures are those in which there is a linear sequence of courses or activities,
which students move through in a specified order. A sequence of courses may be defined by
prerequisites. For example, Math, English, and Foreign Languages contain some linear
sequences of courses. Vertical structures may also be based on students moving through a set of
non-course activities in a specified sequence.
Capstone
Prereq
3
Prereq
2
Prereq
1
In this case, the “capstone” course or activity in the sequence may capture all of the program
outcomes, or each of the prerequisite courses may incorporate some of the outcomes of the
program. For example, in a tightly linked vertical program, each course or activity may have the
same general outcomes, with the student working at progressively more advanced levels as the
student moves through the sequence. In this case, the capstone course or activity may include a
summative assessment of all of the program outcomes. Alternatively, each course or activity in
the sequence may develop very different skills and abilities. In this case, each course or activity
would align with a subset of the program outcomes. It is more likely, in this example, that each
course or activity would assess the subset of programs outcomes that it covers.
Mixed program structures contain some vertical components and some horizontal components.
Many of our degree and certificate programs work this way. For example, students may take one
or two introductory courses defined by prerequisites and then have a broad choice of more
advance courses that can be taken in any order. Such a mixed structure can be quite complex
and may involve courses from more than one discipline (for example, Math or Chemistry as part
of a Biology degree). Mapping courses to program outcomes may also be complex for these
programs.
Disc.
2
Disc.
2
Core
Core
Core
Disc.
2
Disc.
3
Disc.
3
Disc.
3
Elect
Elect
Req. 1
34
In such complex situations, a map showing which program outcomes are supported by which
course is essential. Our program review (PrOF) documents include such mapping. A
hypothetical example is shown below:
Outcomes for a hypothetical “Water Art” Program
M = major component, m= minor component
Course 1: Underwater basket-weaving
Course 2: Synchronized swimming theory
Course 3: Pool and fountain design
Course 4: Advanced water arts studio
Activity 1: Water tasting sensory experience
Activity 2: Synchronized swim meets
Activity 3: Water theatre performance
Art Design Taste Swim
M
M
m
M
m
m
M
M
M
M
m
m
m
M
M
M
m
35
Writing program outcomes
Defining program outcomes
Program SLOs answer the question “what will they be able to do out there based on what they
have learned here?” SLOs describe the major outcomes – things that a student who successfully
completes the program will take away for use in his/her future life. They may include three kinds
of abilities: cognitive (critical thinking), psychomotor (proficiently conducting specific motor
tasks), and affective (evaluating ethical situations and making value judgments).
Before developing specific SLOs for the program, it is helpful to define the overarching
expectations and goals of the program for its students. Another way to think about this is to ask
about the major results of the program if is working in an ideal fashion. What are the
expectations of the broader world “out there”? What do the “receivers” of our student expect? If
the students are leaving here for immediate employment, what skills are they expected to arrive
with on the first day of the job? If students are transferring from here to a four-year school, what
skills will they need in their classes after transfer? Some external institutions (e.g. IMPAC,
transfer schools, accrediting agencies, advisory groups, etc.) may provide direct information on
the skills and/or knowledge expected from our students. These should definitely be considered
when writing program SLOs. For example, if many of the students in a CRC program transfer to
CSUS, the CRC program SLOs should make it clear that our transfer students are prepared to
succeed at CSUS. This is a chance to strengthen our relations with transfer institutions and
employers.
It is also useful to consider the elements that are shared across many of the courses/activities
within the program.
• Common content themes: Many of the courses or activities within a program will
reflect the same broad content themes or ideas. For example, many Biology classes
may include content related to the functioning of cells, many Art courses may include
content related to the importance of color and line, many Library activities may
include content related to use of online information sources, etc. These common
themes suggest areas that are of broad and significant importance for student learning.
• General skills: Many of the courses or activities within a program may share an
emphasis on the development of related skills, perhaps at increasingly sophisticated
levels. These common skill sets suggest areas that are of broad and significant
importance for student learning.
• Typical assessment tasks: It is useful to compare and contrast the typical assessment
tasks within the program. In some cases, it may be important that similar tasks and
scoring rubrics are used in sequential courses. In other cases, it may be important that
different activities or courses develop the students’ ability to respond to multiple
assessment measures.
It should be clear how the activities within the program link to specific program SLOs. This can
be done, perhaps within the program review, by a narrative description, and/or by a grid showing
the program SLOs on one axis and the aligned activities on the other. Some departments at CRC
are developing models for doing this. If it is obvious which courses support specific program
outcomes, then the link between course performance and program outcome will be
36
straightforward. For example, if there is a program SLO in a PE degree program concerning a
psychomotor skill it should be clear which course(s) develops that skill. If a CIS certificate
program has an SLO concerning knowledge of a specific operating system, it should be obvious
which course(s) develops that knowledge.
“Mapping” is a term that refers to showing how courses or activities relate to specific outcomes.
For example, the courses in a program can be “mapped” to the program outcomes. This would
show which courses support specific program outcomes. One relatively easy way to do this is
with a simple table, as shown below:
Outcomes for a hypothetical “Water Recreation” Program
M = major component, m= minor component
Course 1: Intermediate Swimming
Course 2: Synchronized swimming theory
Course 3: Water parks design
Course 4: Canoeing and Kayaking
Activity 1: Surfing field trip
Activity 2: Synchronized swim meets
Activity 3: Water theatre performance (capstone)
Art Team Ind. Swim
skills skills
M
M
m
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
M
m
m
M
M
37
Assessing program outcomes
Assessment tools
Course-embedded assessments: For many CRC programs courses are the main activity in
which students participate as part of the program and, thus, an analysis of student performance in
courses will form the major part of assessing students’ achievement of program SLOs. Many of
the tools used for assessing courses and activities can be used to assess those program outcomes
that map to the course or activity. See the list of course/activity assessment tools in the previous
chapter.
It should be noted that while the same data may be used, analysis for program outcomes isn’t
exactly the same as that used in assessing course outcomes. While the data in program
assessment may be based on performance in courses, the context of the analysis is the program,
not a single course. In a program assessment, course performance data may be used to ascertain
in which courses students achieve the greatest success, to identify gatekeeper courses, to validate
course requisites and course sequences, to analyze the placement of disciplinary content into
specific courses, or to develop guidelines for capstone projects or portfolios.
Information about program completers: The examination of student performance in courses
will not provide full assessment measures for all SLOs. This likely because (1) Some program
outcomes will be too broad to be measured in one course or activity, but are supported by a
variety of activities and will need to be measured broadly and (2) Some CRC programs do not
have courses as the main activity within the program. For example, Counseling is clearly a
program that impacts students through activities other than just courses. Again, it should be clear
how the activities of the program support program outcomes, but measurement will plainly not
involve looking at performance in courses as the major measure of outcome achievement. It may
be necessary to devise new assessments for these SLOs, which could be part of program review.
These might include both direct and indirect measures such as:
• Evaluation of capstone project or portfolios
• Specific assessments built into end-of-program courses
• Reports from employers
• Pass rates on licensing or certification exams.
• Follow up studies of students after transfer
• Exit surveys or interviews of student near or at completion of the program
• Analyses of student success based on direct observations of students by the faculty who
teach those courses that occur near the end of a program.
• Evaluations of students in internships or work experience courses related to the program.
• Interviews or surveys of instructors, program coordinators, tutors, and others that work
with students completing the program.
Some of this data can be easily gathered, other data cannot. Much of this is new to our
processes. It will take some time to adjust to gathering data on global/cumulative outcomes that
cannot be assessed by an analysis of student performance in individual courses. Fortunately, not
all, perhaps not many, program SLOs will be of this nature.
38
Measures of student participation in activities on campus and use of campus resources:
These may be useful to assess student service outcomes and may provide direct assessment of
some skills (e.g. ability to fill out financial aid forms, ability to utilize campus resources, etc.).
They can also be indirect measures of student skills. For example, measures of student
activity/participation on campus may provide indirect measures of college-wide or program
outcomes related to student interaction with the college.
Program completion rates: These are useful measures of student success in some ways, but are
only indirect measures of student success in specific program SLOs. Such information is more
useful if it provides a greater level of detail than simply an aggregate measure for all students in
a program. Such data can be more useful if information concerning program completion also
provides data on why students do or do not complete the program, or which groups of students
are more/less likely to complete the program. For example, course success data might provide
information on the “gatekeeper” courses that are the most limiting factor in progress toward
program completion. In another example, we may be able to begin to understand which students
fail to complete programs if we break down the data by demographic variable (e.g. economic
status, ethnic group, etc.).
39
Using the results of program outcomes
assessment: dialogue, change, and planning
Dialogue, dissemination, and documentation for program assessment
Major changes to a program are seldom undertaken without substantial dialogue among program
faculty and staff. However, assessment of program outcomes provides for an ongoing dialogue,
rather than periodic meetings that are held only when a major decision is to be made. The
assessment of program outcomes can be used to answer many questions leading to improvements
in student success. For example, in programs that have sequential courses, comparisons of the
progress of students through the sequence will provide an overall view of where “gatekeeper”
courses occur. A closer analysis can be undertaken, perhaps as part of a program review, to
identify the SLOs that act as “keys” to the gates and the practices that support student success in
those key outcomes.
Evidence of our dialogue with respect to outcomes development and assessment might come
from a variety of sources. For example, records of data analysis, records of department or
committee meetings, email strings from the department, examples of changes to program
structure, examples of professional development sought out and attended, etc.
Closing the loop by making changes:
Assessment of program outcomes allow us to “close the loop” by revising the way the program
functions. The program can respond to the information from outcomes assessment in many
ways. Responses to program outcomes assessment can include (but are certainly not limited to):
Intra-departmental changes
° Changing how budget is allocated within the program
° Modifying mentoring of new staff and adjunct faculty
° Implementing new teaching strategies
° Expanding/decreasing offerings in some parts of the program
Curriculum actions:
° Developing new programs or new program options
° Developing new courses
° Changing the requisites for courses
° Modifying program descriptions
° Developing suggested sequences of courses within programs
° Moving courses to new formats such as changing lecture/lab units, moving a course
to a distance education format, etc.
° Revising course outlines (and syllabi) with respect to course content, topics, methods
of instruction, or methods of evaluation.
Requests for resources
° Purchasing new equipment or technology
° Adding faculty or classified staff
40
°
°
°
°
°
Increasing tutoring opportunities within the program
Updating of facilities or develop new facilities
Increasing outreach both externally and within CRC
Increasing staff development activities
Developing more effective links to services to students, library activities,
matriculation activities, etc.
Reporting program outcomes assessments and responses:
Annual reporting process: The OATF has developed a formal process for reporting the
assessment of those outcomes aligned with the most important issues affecting student success in
each program. (see page 11). As part of this process, each program will be reporting the
assessment results of selected program, course, or activity outcomes each year. Samples of the
OATF forms can be found in the appendix to this handbook. Processes for reporting assessments
have been developed by the Outcomes Assessment Taskforce. The key part of the process is
that program faculty and staff identifies the most important learning issues affecting the
success of their students and focuses their assessment reporting efforts on outcomes related
to those issues. The information will be collated for use in program review, planning processes,
and collegial dialogue. In Fall 2008, we will implement these processes for the first time on a
college-wide basis. The process consists of two stages in each academic year:
Fall Semester: At the beginning of the fall semester programs will be asked to identify
the most important learning issues facing their students and the outcomes that align with
those issues. More than one issue may be identified. Programs will focus their outcomes
assessment reporting for the year on those outcomes. These may be college-wide, GE,
program, course, or activity outcomes. Each program will complete a brief form that
describes the following:
• the important issues identified by the program faculty and staff
• the outcomes associated with those issues
•
• a summary of plans to assess, and report the assessment of, those outcomes
Spring Semester: In the spring programs will report on their assessments of the outcomes
identified in the fall. They will complete a brief form that reports the following
• the important issues and related outcomes identified in the fall
• the methods used to assess those outcomes
• the results of the assessments
• what was learned from that assessment; i.e. what was identified as effective
and what can be changed to improve student success based on the fall
assessment
Reporting on the PrOF forms: A multi-year summary of the changes implemented in response
to program SLO assessment will be part of the program review process. The PrOF forms are
currently being revised and the Outcomes Assessment Taskforce is working to develop
recommendations for documenting outcomes. Look for more information from the Planning
Committee in the near future.
41
General college-wide
outcomes and GE SLOs
Frequently Asked Questions
When did we write the CRC college-wide outcomes?
General college-wide outcomes for CRC were approved by the Academic Senate in Spring 2005.
• The general college-wide outcomes were developed by faculty participating in focus groups,
meetings, email discussions and other processes led by CASSL.
• The general college-wide outcomes were submitted to, and approved by, the Academic
Senate during the 2004-2005 academic year.
• The general college-wide outcomes are considered a living document that will undergo
periodic review and revision.
What areas do the CRC college-wide outcomes address?
The college-wide outcomes are related to five broad areas, each of which has an overarching
goal and specified outcomes.
• Graduation competencies
• General education (these are further developed and expanded by the CRC GE outcomes)
• Program completion
• Student development as self-reliant learners
• Society, ethics, and pluralism
Who developed the GE outcomes?
GE outcomes, specific to each GE area, were developed by faculty in a process led by the CRC
Curriculum Committee.
42
•
•
These specify the major skills and abilities that a student will gain through completion of the
general education curriculum at Cosumnes River College.
The Curriculum Committee will work to ensure that courses approved to meet a GE area
align with the appropriate GE outcomes
How will we assess college-wide and GE outcomes?
Assessment of the general college-wide outcomes and GE outcomes will encompass a broad
range of assessment tools.
• Both institutional measures (including research office data and student services analyses) and
course-embedded assessments can be used.
• The Outcomes Assessment Taskforce is currently developing recommendations for the
assessment of general college-wide and GE outcomes.
• Assessment of college-wide outcomes may be coordinated by the college Research Office.
How will we use the results of the assessment of college-wide and GE outcomes?
The results of outcomes assessment at the college level will allow us to improve the overall
success of students at CRC.
• Results will be compiled and disseminated by the Research Office and CASSL.
• Faculty dialogue about the results of the assessment of college-wide and GE outcomes will
occur in departments, through the Academic Senate, and through CASSL.
43
Current General College-wide outcomes
Approved by the CRC Academic Senate, May 2005
Note: This is a living document and will be reviewed, and perhaps modified, on an annual basis.
Area 1: College Outcomes related to graduation competencies
Learning Expectation related to graduation competencies: Students will experience an
academically rigorous learning environment that challenges them to develop the critical verbal,
written, and quantitative skills needed to analyze complex issues.
College Outcomes: As the result of a variety of learning experiences, students will be able
to:
a. Use quantitative reasoning (e.g. mathematics) to solve problems.
b. Express ideas and facts clearly and completely in a variety of written formats.
c. Comprehend and analyze written material and evaluate arguments from reading material.
d. Speak and listen critically and recognize the value of a wide range of communication
styles.
e. Use the English language proficiently.
Area 2: College Outcomes related to general education
Learning expectations related to general education: Students completing any of the GE patterns
will develop an understanding of the basic concepts and major modes of inquiry used in a variety
of disciplines.
College Outcome: As the result of a variety of learning experiences, students will be able to:
a. Articulate an awareness of a variety of disciplinary perspectives and the relevance of
these perspectives to one’s own life.
b. Correctly utilize the basic vocabulary of several disciplines.
c. Utilize, at a basic level, the tools of inquiry and information acquisition of several
disciplines.
d. Demonstrate the intellectual skills, creative capabilities, values, and attitudes that will
make them effective learners and citizens.
e. Demonstrate an awareness of the connections between disciplines.
Note: These outcomes are further developed and expanded by the CRC GE Program
Outcomes
Area 3: College Outcomes related to program completion
Learning expectation related to program completion: Students completing a degree,
disciplinary transfer program, or certificate will develop a depth of understanding, including
critical cognitive, psychomotor and affective skills, in at least one discipline (transfer or
occupational).
College Outcomes Area 3: As the result of a variety of learning experiences, students will
be able to:
a. Use of the modes of analysis and critical thinking in the major discipline of study * as
applied to significant problems.
44
b. Communicate a complex understanding of content matter of the major discipline of
study.
c. Demonstrate competence in the skills essential to mastery of the major discipline of
study.
d. Use information resources to gather discipline-specific information.
e. Explain the importance the major discipline of study in the broader picture of society.
*“major discipline of study” = the discipline in which the student completes program
Area 4: College Outcomes related to student development as self-reliant
learners
Learning expectation related to student development as self-reliant learners: Students will
make progress toward becoming engaged and self-reliant learners demonstrating habits of
intellectual inquiry and striving toward their maximum potential.
College outcomes: As the result of a variety of learning experiences, students will be able
to:
a. Actively engage in intellectual inquiry beyond that required in order to pass classes.
b. Identify personal goals and pursue those goals effectively.
c. Confidently seek out the information and resources needed to develop academically and
personally.
d. Incorporate what is learned at school into daily life and use this information to make
positive personal, educational and career choices.
e. Utilize skills from the “academic tool kit” including time management, study skills, etc.
f. Be actively involved in campus life and express a sense of engagement with the campus
culture.
Area 5: College Outcomes related to society, ethics and pluralism
Learning expectation related to society, ethics and pluralism: Students will become more
prepared to contribute to a diverse democratic society with a pluralistic perspective of the world.
College outcomes Area 5: As the result of a variety of learning experiences, students will be
able to:
a. Participate in the larger community beyond campus in a positive manner demonstrating
an understanding of personal responsibility in the larger context.
b. Undertake thoughtful consideration of divergent points of view and utilize multiple
perspectives in considering information.
c. Develop a foundation for cultural pluralism, a rejection of previous personal prejudices,
and knowledge of and comfort with others unlike themselves.
d. Recognize the ethical dimensions of decisions and actions as well as demonstrate the
ability to engage in the ethical reasoning necessary to exercise responsibility as an ethical
individual, professional, local, and global citizen
e. Demonstrate civility, empathy, interpersonal competence, social responsibility, and
peaceful conflict resolution.
45
Current General Education Student Learning
Outcomes
Overarching goal: Students will experience a rich learning environment that assists them in
developing a habit of intellectual inquiry and a broad perspective of the world.
GENERAL SKILLS – Upon completion of the general education curriculum at Cosumnes
River College the student will have achieved proficiency in all of the following general skills.
I.
Critical Thinking
A. Students will identify important questions and points, distinguish interpretations and
opinions from more factual information, and construct an accurate interpretation of
the viewpoints and reasoning of a written or spoken text.
B. Students will present information in an organized manner.
C. Students will evaluate information or data for quality, validity and bias to determine if
it is objective and reliable.
II.
Information Acquisition and Analysis:
A. Students will access, synthesize and evaluate information using a variety of print and
electronic sources including computer networks.
B. Students will utilize technological resources in order to explore and express
information.
C. Students will determine the extent of information needed, evaluate the information
and its sources critically, and ethically and legally apply gathered information to
personal and community issues.
III. Ethical Capacities:
A. Students will apply ethical reasoning skills within the various GE areas and work
toward a personal resolution of ethical issues.
B. Students will show an appreciation of ethical principles as applied to personal and
civic choices.
C. Students will realize and apply the responsibility to use knowledge wisely.
D. Students will assume civic, political, and social responsibilities locally, nationally and
internationally.
DISCIPLINE SPECIFIC SKILLS (Graduation Requirements):
I.
Natural Sciences (C1) – Upon completion of this GE requirement the student will have
satisfied all of the following:
A. Students will explain the core perspectives of the scientific method and apply it to at
least one scientific discipline.
B. Students will solve introductory problems of a conceptual and/or numerical nature of
at least one scientific discipline.
C. Students will accurately apply the basic vocabulary and concepts of at least one
scientific discipline verbally and in writing.
46
D.
II.
Students will recognize the use and misuse of scientific concepts in society including
politics and the media.
American Institutions (C2) - Upon completion of this GE requirement the student will have
satisfied all of the following:
A. Students will describe both verbally and in writing the historical development of
American political, social and cultural institutions including the key individuals
and/or movements and their motivations.
B. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the basic national, state and/or local
political processes including the US Constitution and the rights and obligations of
citizenship through responsible engagement in civic duties.
C. Students will describe both verbally and in writing the role of diverse ethnic, religious
and social groups in American political, economic and social development.
III. Social and Behavioral Sciences (C3) - Upon completion of this GE requirement the student
will have satisfied all of the following:
A. Students will accurately apply the basic vocabulary and concepts of at least one social
or behavioral science discipline verbally and in writing.
B. Students will examine the possible causes and suggest solutions to introductory
problems of a conceptual nature using the methods of at least one social or behavioral
scientific discipline.
C. Students will recognize the use and misuse of social and behavioral science concepts
in society including politics and the media.
IV. Humanities and Arts (C4) - Upon completion of this GE requirement the student will have
satisfied all of the following:
A. Students will demonstrate an appreciation of artistic endeavors, cultural expressions,
ideas and/or institutions through non-empirical, analytic, interpretive studies and
critical thinking projects.
B. Students will articulate the development of and relationships between different
civilizations, cultural traditions, ideas and/or institutions through the application of
non-empirical, analytical reasoning.
C. Students will demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate analyses and interpretations
(including significant historical or contemporary analyses and interpretations) of arts,
ideas, skills (including language), and/or institutions.
D. Students will clearly express their own analyses and interpretations of arts, ideas,
skills (including language), and/or institutions, and will properly use the vocabulary
appropriate to the field.
V.
English Composition (C5a) - Upon completion of this GE requirement the student will
have satisfied all of the following:
A. Students will express their ideas clearly in well-organized written messages.
B. Students will use correct and appropriate conventions of mechanics, usage, and style
in written communication.
C. Students will comprehend main ideas and reasonably interpret written information.
D. Students will properly document sources of information.
47
VI. Communication (C5b) –Upon completion of this GE requirement with a communications
course (COMM, MGMT), the student will have satisfied all of the following:
A. Students will conduct audience analysis to design an appropriate purpose, topic, style
and speech structure within formal presentations.
B. Students will construct an effective presentation to a specific topic by collecting
relevant information and employing credible evidence with proper documentation.
C. Students will express appropriate nonverbal messages to audiences that adhere to
proper conventions of delivery (e.g., eye contact, movement, gestures, vocal qualities,
effective presentational aids, etc.).
D. Students will listen effectively to comprehend spoken messages, analyze information
critically and consider multiple perspectives.
E. Students will determine and use appropriate communications technologies to convey
information.
VII. Analytical Thinking (C5b) - Upon completion of this GE requirement with an analytical
thinking course (ACCT, CISC, CISP, ENGWR, ENGCW, HIST, JOUR, PHIL, PSYCH 335,
SOC), and dependent upon the courses taken to fulfill it, the student will have satisfied at least
two of the following:
A. Students will organize information utilizing logical structure of inductive and/or
deductive forms.
B. Students will construct an accurate and/or logical interpretation of reasoning while
applying a framework of analytic concepts.
C. Students will analyze reasoning processes to evaluate issues, value judgments or
conclusions that determine the quality, validity, and/or reliability of information.
D. Students will recognize and identify inference, bias, narrowness, and/or
contradictions within points of information.
VIII. Quantitative Reasoning (C5b) - Upon completion of this GE requirement with a
quantitative reasoning course (MATH, STAT, PSYCH 330) the student will have satisfied
all of the following:
A. Students will effectively organize, present, interpret and summarize quantitative
information using symbolic, numerical and graphical methods.
B. Students will solve problems by evaluating the available information and classifying
the type of problem, choosing an appropriate technique, applying the technique
accurately, and verifying whether or not the result is reasonable.
C. Students will use appropriate quantitative skills including arithmetic and basic algebra
to solve problems applicable to occupational and personal activities.
IX. Living Skills (C6) – Upon completion of this GE requirement and dependent upon the
courses taken to fulfill it, the student will have satisfied at least one of the following:
A. Students will demonstrate concepts of physical and emotional wellness to make wise
lifestyle choices and will develop the skills and competencies to understand
themselves as whole persons (integral to their environment).
48
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
Students will establish daily habits for caring for their bodies including appropriate
physical activities in order to maintain or improve physical and mental health and
prevent illnesses.
Students will identify aspects of social, physical, and/or emotional well-being for the
community while considering present and future conditions in society.
Students will recognize the need for healthy personal relationship and lifestyle with
members of their family and community.
Students will be able to understand and apply the scientific method to health, fitness
and nutrition information to determine the validity of that information and in so
doing, understand the relationship between scientific research and established
knowledge.
Students will develop skills and competencies for effective and competitive
workforce performance.
Students will demonstrate information competency through the ability to locate,
evaluate, and effectively use needed information ethically and legally, while
understanding the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of
information.
X.
Ethnic/Multicultural Studies (D) - Upon completion of this GE requirement the student
will have satisfied all of the following:
A. Students will become effective citizens of a diverse and multicultural society, will
demonstrate thoughtful consideration of divergent points of view, and will develop a
foundation for cultural democracy based on a respect for cultural diversity.
B. Students will critically analyze cultural issues to recognize tendencies towards bias
and stereotyping, understand the implications of bias on societal and individual
health, and will stand up for themselves or others in the face of bias.
C. Students will recognize, appreciate and understand intra-cultural diversity and the
cultural practices of historically underrepresented groups in the United States as well
as the contributions of non-Eurocentric cultures to world civilization or the United
States.
D. Students will demonstrate verbally and in writing an understanding of the various
aspects of culture beyond race and ethnicity.
E. Students will demonstrate comfortable, empathetic interaction with people from
diverse backgrounds.
F. Students will construct a knowledgeable and confident self-identity, and will exhibit
through their actions, speech, or writing, a foundation of cultural understanding and
respect.
49
Assessment of general college-wide outcomes and
GE outcomes
Broad institutional assessments: Some college-wide or GE outcomes are expected to
accrete gradually over the course of a student’s experiences at CRC and are, thus, very difficult
to assess in any one course or activity. For these outcomes, the college Research Office can be
useful in developing and analyzing assessments.
• Some information could be gathered by road-based surveys that gather selfassessment data from a cross section of students at the college.
• Surveys of program completers (e.g. graduating students or certificate completers)
may be developed which allow us to gather information through student selfassessments of their summative experience.
• Additional, indirect, data could come from institutional measures such as student
success rates or completion rates in courses, course sequences, or activities that
support the college-wide or GE outcomes.
Assessment of college-wide outcomes and GE outcomes may be mainly coordinated with the
assistance of the college Research Office. The Outcomes Assessment Taskforce is currently
working with the Research Office to develop methods to assess the general college wide and the
GE outcomes which have been defined at CRC and ways in which we might best use the
information from this assessment.
Class or activity embedded assessments:
Some ongoing assessments of outcomes that are part of courses or activities may also be
assessments of college-wide or GE outcomes. This may occur because the outcomes of a course
or activity may map directly to a college-wide or GE outcome. For example:
• A class in Ethics may have outcomes that map directly to the college-wide outcome
5d that states that a student will be able to “recognize the ethical dimensions of
decisions and actions as well as demonstrate the ability to engage in the ethical
reasoning necessary to exercise responsibility as an ethical individual, professional,
local, and global citizen”.
• In Biology 307 (a GE class), one outcome states that students will be able to “utilize
the scientific method and evaluate the scientific validity of information presented by
the media and other sources.” The course assessments for this outcome include
inquiry projects and exam/quiz questions. The course outcome maps directly to GE
Outcome IA, which states that students will be able to “explain the core perspectives
of the scientific method and apply it to at least one scientific discipline.”
Programs may also find that that the most critical issues affecting the success of their students in
specific areas are related to college-wide or GE outcomes. In this case, these outcomes may be
chosen for the annual assessment reporting via OATF forms. The key part of the process is
that program faculty and staff identifies the most important learning issues affecting the
success of their students and focuses their assessment reporting efforts on outcomes related
to those issues. Brief reporting forms will be collected each semester. Samples of the OATF
50
forms can be found in the appendix to this handbook. The process consists of two stages in each
academic year:
Fall Semester: At the beginning of the fall semester programs will be asked to identify the most
important learning issues facing their students and the outcomes that align with those issues.
More than one issue may be identified. Programs will focus their outcomes assessment reporting
for the year on those outcomes. These may be college-wide, GE, program, course, or activity
outcomes. Each program will complete a brief form that describes the following:
• the important issues identified by the program faculty and staff
• the outcomes associated with those issues
• a summary of plans to assess, and report the assessment of, those outcomes
Spring Semester: In the spring programs will report on their assessments of the outcomes
identified in the fall. They will complete a brief form that reports the following
• the important issues and related outcomes identified in the fall
• the methods used to assess those outcomes
• the results of the assessments
• what was learned from that assessment; i.e. what was identified as effective and what
can be changed to improve student success based on the fall assessment
51
Using the results of general college-wide and GE
outcomes
Data gathered to assess the college-wide and GE outcomes provide vital information about the
cumulative effect of students’ experiences at the college. As such, it will be of interest to many
groups across campus and all college faculty and staff. It will inform our campus planning
efforts in many ways. A college-wide dialogue, including all members of the college community
will help us understand the implications of what we learn from our assessment of college
outcomes and how we can improve what we do to assist students in achieving those outcomes.
The college Research Office and CASSL will work to compile and disseminate the results of the
assessment of college-wide and GE outcomes and provide opportunities for dialogue. This could
include:
• Sending the results to each shared governance committee for dialogue and,
potentially, recommended actions.
• Reporting to the entire CRC faculty and staff via CASSL workshops, discussions, and
publications and Research Office publications.
• Including the information as part of the data packages that are provided to all
programs undertaking program review.
• Providing opportunities for faculty who teach GE courses to review and discuss the
GE outcomes assessment.
The results of college-wide and GE outcomes assessment, disseminated to the entire college
community, could be used to improve processes across the college, both in and out of the
classroom. Information from the assessment of college-wide and GE outcomes will inform
many of our planning processes including
• Department planning and curriculum review
• Unit planning
• College strategic planning
• GE course review
• Review of College-wide outcomes
Many of the changes listed in earlier chapters of this handbook as resulting from the assessment
of course/activity or program outcomes could also occur as the result of dialogue surrounding the
assessment of college-wide and GE outcomes.
52
Appendix: Sample OATF Forms
The cover page for the FALL 2008 draft forms is shown below followed by
several examples of forms filled out for hypothetical programs. The Spring
forms will be added to the appendix as they become available.
53
54
Fall SLO Dialogue – Agenda and Summary
Cover Page
In order to make our use of student learning outcomes valuable and constructive, let’s focus on assessing learning
related to those issues identified as most important by each program. The following form asks you, as a program, to
identify the key learning issues that are impacting your students. You can choose to focus on any learning issue that is
affecting your students. Some examples:
o Skills or abilities specific to your program:
o Student understanding of core program concepts or processes
o Skills that are essential to student success following program completion
o Abilities that students struggle to master
o Skills needed for gate-keeper processes or courses
o Tasks essential to student progress through the steps of the program
o General education outcomes important to success for students in your program
o College-wide outcomes important to success for students in your program.
In order to make this process more flexible for the many things we do at CRC, three types of programs are identified. [A
list of programs is available from the college Research Office].
Instructional Programs: These are programs in which the major interaction between students and CRC
faculty/staff occurs in credit-granting courses. Examples include programs from Business to Social Science and
departments from Accounting to Work Experience. In the catalogue, these are usually called “Areas of Study”.
Non-instructional Programs - Student Services/Student Support Programs: These are programs in which
CRC faculty/staff work directly with students in a variety of settings other than credit granting classes. The
catalogue defines student support services as those which “…assist students with career decision-making,
problem resolution, and goal achievement” (catalog p.9). This includes a wide range of services such as
Assessment Services, Counseling, DSPS, EOPS, CARE, Heath Services, Library, Math Center, Reading Writing
Center, MESA/CCP, Student Development, Tutoring, etc. These programs may have Service Area Outcomes
instead of, or in addition to, Student Learning Outcomes.
Non-instructional Programs - Instructional Support/Administrative Services Programs: These are program
that indirectly support teaching and learning. They include Admissions and Records, Bookstore, Business
Services, CASSL, Research Office, Custodial Services, Instruction Office, etc. These programs may have Service
Area Outcomes instead of, or in addition to, Student Learning Outcomes.
Important notes:
The faculty and staff of a program use their best professional judgment to identify learning issues important to the success
of students in the program, to determine what outcomes reflect those critical issues, and to design assessments of those
outcomes.
o A subset of course SLOs can be assessed and reported each year; not all of the course SLOs need to be assessed
and reported annually
o One or a few program SLO(s) may be the focus of assessment one year; not all of the program SLOs need to be
assessed annually.
o SLO assessment does not require any specific research design; assessment may be based on narrative accounts,
descriptive information and/or quantitative data and will often include multiple measures.
o SLO assessment in instructional programs should be conducted for a sample of classes or students in a course,
program or service area; however, SLO assessment does not mandate any minimum number of sections analyzed,
does not require a particular method of assessment, and does not specify a minimum sample size.
o An instructor is encouraged to save a record of the assessment privately to be able to describe the assessment to
faculty in a department or program area. SLO assessment does not require the identification of individual
instructors’ data in any reports or analyses.
o Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) complete the statement “students completing program activities will be able
to…” . Service Area Outcomes (SAOs) complete the sentence “In order to support learning, CRC employees
will…”
55
Fall SLO Dialogue – Agenda and Summary
Instructional Programs
Semester (e.g. Fall 2008) ____FALL 08____
Program: ____Oceanography________
1.
What are the most critical student learning issues impacting the success of students in your
program? Such issues could include: student understanding of key program concepts, skills that are
essential to success following program completion, abilities that students struggle to master, skills needed
for subsequent courses in a pre-requisite sequence, etc.
a. The ability to interpret data and draw reasonable conclusions from numerical or graphical information
continues to be something that students struggle to achieve.
b. Students in OCEAN 402 seem to be lacking one pre-requisite skill from OCEAN 401 (assessing the
impact of air flow and ocean currents on near shore ecosystems).
c. IMPAC has described a new list of content outcomes for transfer…student progress seems satisfactory
on these, but we might want to look at it more closely in the future.
2.
Which of these would you like to focus on at a program level this fall? What program and/or
course Student Learning Outcomes are related to the selected issue(s)?
ƒ A” is closely aligned with Program Outcomes #2…
ƒ “B” is directly related to the course outcomes # 3 for OCEAN 401.
3.
What might be done or is being done to facilitate student success in this area? (E.g. effective
strategies currently being utilized in the program or that you plan to implement.)
a. Increased use of in-class active learning techniques and problem-based homework assignments may
help students learn to interpret data, including that from numerical or graphical data.
b. Dialogue among full time and adjunct faculty teaching OCEAN 401, including shared examples of
class exercises and homework problems, may help. A common set of problems that could be used to
teach this skill could be developed. An exit assessment at the end of OCEAN 401 may be useful.
4.
How might you assess the effectiveness of these strategies? Please mark all that apply
□
Direct observation of student actions or performance (e.g. student skills during theatre performances
or athletic events, structured practice or drills, student work in laboratory or studio classes, results of
“practical” exams, etc.)
X Assessment of student products (e.g. review of semester projects, grades on inquiry projects, etc.)
□
Analysis of student creative work (e.g. art portfolios, creative projects in classes, student projects as
part of a campus cultural event, etc.)
X Exams, quizzes, and/or problem sets in courses (items linked to specific outcomes)
X Grading of assignments based on rubrics (essays, reports, case studies, etc.)
□
□
□
Student self-assessments (reflective journals, surveys, etc.)
Capstone projects or final summative assessment (e.g. final exams, capstone projects, etc.)
Guided discussion (group or individual)
X Other (please describe) – Intake assessments of students in the first week of OCEAN 401 to assess the
skills with which they enter the course.
Course Summary Note: In the spring, you will be asked to check off those courses in which learning
has been examined to evaluate and improve student success on course outcomes.
56
Fall SLO Dialogue – Agenda and Summary
Instructional Programs
Semester (e.g. Fall 2008) ___Fall 2008_
Program: ____Health Care for the Elderly__
1) What are the most critical student learning issues impacting the success of students in your
program? Such issues could include: student understanding of key program concepts, skills that are
essential to success following program completion, abilities that students struggle to master, skills needed
for subsequent courses in a pre-requisite sequence, etc.
ƒ A revision of the certification exam for “Providers of Health Care for the Elderly” has resulted in a need
to revise curriculum in some classes.
ƒ Dialogue among program faculty has indicated that students struggle with outcomes related to
conducting interviews to assess the health needs of frail elderly people.
2) Which of these would you like to focus on at a program level this fall? (You can choose more than
one). What program or course Student Learning Outcomes are related to the selected issue(s)?
o Curriculum revisions are in progress; assessment of outcomes for revised courses will occur next fall,
so we will focus on improving student success on the outcomes related to interviewing the frail elderly in
order to assess their health needs. These outcomes can be found in the course outlines for HCE 100:
Current Issues in Health Care for the Elderly, and HCE 130: Assessment of Health Care Needs for the
Frail Elderly.
3) What might be done to facilitate student success in this area? Include effective strategies currently
being utilized in department in this discussion.
o Increased use of problem-based learning assignments related to focal outcomes.
o Revision of materials for students related to the focal outcomes.
o Changes in labs during which interpersonal interview skills are practiced.
4) How might you assess the effectiveness of these strategies? Please mark all that apply
X Direct observation of student actions or performance (e.g. student skills during theatre performances or
athletic events, structured practice or drills, student work in laboratory or studio classes, results of
“practical” exams, etc.)
X Assessment of student products (e.g. review of semester projects, grades on inquiry projects, etc.)
□
Analysis of student creative work (e.g. art portfolios, creative projects in classes, student projects as
part of a campus cultural event, etc.)
X Exams, quizzes, and/or problem sets in courses (items linked to specific outcomes)
X Analysis of student work on problem sets, homework, etc.
□
□
□
□
□
Grading of assignments based on rubrics (essays, reports, case studies, etc.)
Student self-assessments (reflective journals, surveys, etc.)
Capstone projects or final summative assessment (e.g. final exams, capstone projects, etc.)
Guided discussion (group or individual)
Other (please describe)
Course Summary Note: In the spring, you will be asked to check off those courses in which learning
has been examined to evaluate and improve student success on course outcomes.
57
Fall SLO Dialogue – Agenda and Summary
Instructional Programs
Semester (e.g. Fall 2008) _FALL 2007_____
Program: _____Pharmacology ___________
1. What are the most critical student learning issues impacting the success of students in your
program? Such issues could include: student understanding of key program concepts, skills that are
essential to success following program completion, abilities that students struggle to master, skills needed
for subsequent courses in a pre-requisite sequence, etc.
Abilities that students struggle to master
o proper use of significant figures
o logical development to problem solving
o naming chemical compounds
o manipulating formulas to solve problems
2.
Which of these would you like to focus on at a program level this fall? (You can choose more
than one). What program or course Student Learning Outcomes are related to the selected issue(s)?
Proper use of significant figures
P-SLO 1 Understand the Scientific Method which includes the ability to:
o Interpret, manipulate and quantify generated data
3.
What might be done to facilitate student success in this area? Include effective strategies
currently being utilized in department in this discussion.
o Continual reinforcement/reminders of proper use of significant figures
o every time a problem is worked on the board, the rules for significant figure use are covered
o Frequent checks of understanding (oral quiz, call and response, hard copy quiz/exams, lab
reports) followed by reinforcement of proper use
o Group activities allowing students to teach each other proper use of significant figures
4. How might you assess the effectiveness of these strategies? Please mark all that apply
√Direct observation of student actions or performance (e.g. student skills during theatre performances or
athletic events, structured practice or drills, student work in laboratory or studio classes, results of
“practical” exams, etc.)
□
□
Assessment of student products (e.g. review of semester projects, grades on inquiry projects, etc.)
Analysis of student creative work (e.g. art portfolios, creative projects in classes, student projects as
part of a campus cultural event, etc.)
√ Exams, quizzes, and/or problem sets in courses (items linked to specific outcomes)
□
Grading of assignments based on rubrics (essays, reports, case studies, etc.)
√ Student self-assessments (reflective journals, surveys, etc.)
□
□
□
Capstone projects or final summative assessment (e.g. final exams, capstone projects, etc.)
Guided discussion (group or individual)
Other (please describe)
Course Summary Note: In the spring, you will be asked to check off those courses in which learning
has been examined to evaluate and improve student success on course outcomes.
58
Fall SLO Dialogue – Agenda and Summary
Instructional Programs
Semester (e.g. Fall 2008) ___Fall 2008____
Program: _Forensics - Speech and Debate
1. What are the most critical student learning issues impacting the success of students in your
program? Such issues could include: student understanding of key program concepts, skills that are
essential to success following program completion, abilities that students struggle to master, skills
needed for subsequent courses in a pre-requisite sequence, etc.
o Students are lacking the ability to construct logical reasoning in their arguments for debate cases,
particularly in setting forth a criteria or key premises to uphold and support their case.
o Students are lacking in the ability to document substantial evidence in their debate cases that has
a breadth or depth of research and/or support for arguments that are constructed and presented
during a debate.
o Students new to the “Forensics” speech and debate team seem to need more time or exposure to
coaching to receive more training for the details and complexity of debate case construction.
2. Which of these would you like to focus on at a program level this fall? (You can choose more than
one). What program or course Student Learning Outcomes are related to the selected issue(s)?
o Students should be able to design and relate messages clearly for effective and appropriate oral
communication (Program SLO #1).
o Students should be able to analyze and formulate critical thinking within the evidence and
reasoning of spoken and written messages (Program SLO #4).
3. What might be done to facilitate student success in this area? Include effective strategies currently
being utilized in department in this discussion.
Currently students are required to meet with an instructor, forensics team coach or experienced team
captain for a certain number of hours as part of the course assignments to earn credit for their courses.
Per our discussion today, in our class sessions of Communication 373 and in our team meetings
(workshop sessions), it will be useful to have more experienced debaters and presenters “pair off” with
the newer or more novice debaters and team members for more practice debates and as they work on
researching for evidence to build their debate cases. In classes, there needs to be more elaboration on
how to develop a criteria (weighing mechanism or set of standards) when presenting and arguing a case in
a debate.
4. How might you assess the effectiveness of these strategies? Please mark all that apply
□
X Direct observation of student actions or performance (e.g. student skills during theatre
performances or athletic events, structured practice or drills, student work in laboratory or studio classes,
results of “practical” exams, etc.)
□
□
Assessment of student products (e.g. review of semester projects, grades on inquiry projects, etc.)
Analysis of student creative work (e.g. art portfolios, creative projects in classes, student projects as
part of a campus cultural event, etc.)
□
□
□
□
□
□
X Exams, quizzes, and/or problem sets in courses (items linked to specific outcomes)
X Grading of assignments based on rubrics (essays, reports, case studies, etc.)
Student self-assessments (reflective journals, surveys, etc.)
Capstone projects or final summative assessment (e.g. final exams, capstone projects, etc.)
X Guided discussion (group or individual)
Other (please describe)
59
Fall SLO Dialogue - Agenda and Summary
Student Support / Student Services Programs
Semester (e.g. Fall 2008) _Fall 2008__ Program: __ LESA (Languages and English Studies
Achievement)
1. What are the most critical student learning issues impacting the success of students in your
program? You might want to consider student understanding of key program processes, tasks essential
to student success, abilities that students struggle to master, skills needed to progress through the steps of
the program, etc.
o Many students who be eligible for and would benefit from LESA are not aware of the program.
o Students have difficulty completing the forms for the national LESA scholarships.
o The ability to effectively use the tutoring program at the LESA center is difficult for many
students.
2. Which of these would you like to focus on at a program level this fall? What Student Learning
Outcomes and/or Service Area Outcomes are related to the selected issue(s)?
o This is closely aligned with program outcome #1
o This is closely aligned with activity outcomes #3
o This issue is under study long term; we will focus on the tutoring program next year.
3. What might be done or is being done to facilitate student success in this area? (E.g. effective strategies
currently being utilized in the program or that you plan to implement.)
o Outreach efforts can be increased by providing additional materials at orientation, visiting beginning
English and Foreign Language classes, and updating the website.
o All LESA faculty and staff and LESA student coordinators and tutors should practice filling out the
scholarship forms. A step-by-step guide to filling out the form can be developed.
4. How might you assess the effectiveness of these strategies? Please mark all that apply
Direct observation of actions or performance (e.g. interactions during a counseling visit, activities
during a club meeting, etc.)
X
Assessment of student task results (e.g. completeness of student financial aid forms, student
success at registration at orientation, etc.)
Analysis of student creative work (e.g. student projects as part of a campus cultural event, etc.)
Student self-assessments (reflective journals, surveys, etc.)
Guided discussion (group or individual)
X
Other (please describe): interviews with students signing up for LESA to determine how they
heard about the program.
60
Fall SLO Dialogue - Agenda and Summary
Student Support / Student Services Programs
Semester (e.g. Fall 2008) _Fall 2008__ Program: __Student Mental Health Clinic
1. What are the most critical student learning issues impacting the success of students in your
program? You might want to consider student understanding of key program processes, tasks
essential to student success, abilities that students struggle to master, skills needed to progress
through the steps of the program, etc.
o Students referred to the clinic often misunderstand the services that are available
and/or are confused about their need for the services provided by the MHC.
o Student use of the clinic rises sharply in the two weeks preceding finals,
overstretching the ability of MHC staff to effectively see all students in a timely
fashion.
2. Which of these would you like to focus on at a program level this fall? What Student Learning
Outcomes and/or Service Area Outcomes are related to the selected issue(s)?
o These two issues are both related to Program SLO 2 “Students will become effective at
recognizing their need for mental health services and appropriately choosing to access the
MHC”.
o The second issue is related to SAO 1 “Staffing will be scheduled to meet student
demand”
3. What might be done or is being done to facilitate student success in this area? (E.g. effective
strategies currently being utilized in the program or that you plan to implement.)
o Outreach efforts can be increased by providing additional materials at orientation, visits to
classrooms to present information, additional training for all staff referring students to MHC.
o Scheduling problems might be addressed by allowing flexible work hours throughout the
semester, by hiring student assistants, and by seeing some student clients in groups when
appropriate.
4. How might you assess the effectiveness of these strategies? Please mark all that apply
Direct observation of actions or performance (e.g. interactions during a counseling visit, activities
during a club meeting, etc.)
Assessment of student task results (e.g. completeness of student financial aid forms, student success
at registration at orientation, etc.)
Analysis of student creative work (e.g. student projects as part of a campus cultural event, etc.)
X Student self-assessments - surveys of student awareness of the MHC services
X Guided discussion – focus groups of students to identify the common perceptions of mental health
services among various student groups.
X Other (please describe): Analysis of records of clinic demand and client-to-staff ratio at various times
in the semester
61
Fall SLO Dialogue Agenda and Summary
Instructional Support / Administrative Services Programs
Semester (e.g. Fall 2008) Fall 2008
Student Leadership
Program: TASSL - Team for the Advancement of Staff and
1.
What are the most critical student learning issues affected by the staff of your program?
You might want to consider student understanding of key program processes, tasks essential to student
success, abilities that students struggle to master, skills needed to progress through the steps of the
program, etc.
o Professional development activities related to best leadership practices have for the most part
been effective; however, additional TASSL activities related to cultural competence are
needed. Evaluation forms completed by CRC staff and students involved in TASSL activities
indicate that this area is rated lower than the others.
2.
Which of these would you like to focus on at a program level this fall? What Service Area
Outcomes are related to the chosen issue(s)? [Service Area Outcomes (SAOs) complete the sentence “In
order to support learning, CRC employees will…”]
o This issue is directly related to Program Outcome 1: As a result of TASSL activities CRC
staff and students in leadership positions will be able to demonstrate cultural competence,
work to reduce bias on campus, and engage in productive collegial interactions across the
college
3.
What might be done to facilitate student success in this area? Include effective strategies
currently being utilized in department in this discussion.
o Recruitment of CRC staff with expertise in anti-bias work, diversity training, and cultural
communication to co-sponsor TASSL events.
o Additional professional development for TASSL staff on best practices in supporting cultural
competence at college campuses.
4.
How might you assess the effectiveness of these strategies? Please mark all that apply
Direct observation of program processes (e.g. record keeping processes, staff training processes,
activities during program meetings, etc.)
Assessment of student work indirectly related to the program (e.g. completeness of student financial
aid forms, etc.)
X Staff assessments of program effectiveness
Analysis of program records
X Student self-assessments of their interactions with program processes (surveys, etc.)
Guided discussion among program employees (group or individual)
X Other (please describe) Increase in the number of TASSL events that focus on cultural competence
accompanied by the use of a modified evaluation form for TASSL events.
62
Fall SLO Dialogue Agenda and Summary
Instructional Support / Administrative Services Programs
Semester (e.g. Fall 2008) Fall 2008
Services
Program: Campus Placement Agency–Temp Staffing
1. What are the most critical student learning issues affected by the staff of your program?
You might want to consider student understanding of key program processes, tasks essential to
student success, abilities that students struggle to master, skills needed to progress through the
steps of the program, etc.
A. Students have difficulty with completing the forms needed for job application across the
district, reducing the number successfully placed in temporary jobs.
B. Staff often assist students with resume development. Staff keep records of student
temporary employment to assist with this task. Pulling records for students has become a
very time consuming task for program staff.
2. Which of these would you like to focus on at a program level this fall? What Student Learning
Outcomes and/or Service Area Outcomes are related to the chosen issue(s)?
Note: Student Learning Outcomes complete the statement “students completing program activities will
be able to”
Service Area Outcomes (SAOs) complete the sentence “In order to support learning, CRC employees
will…”
o Both of these issues will be a focus of our work this year. Issue “A” is aligned with
Program SLO 1, “students will successfully apply for and obtain temporary jobs”. Issue
“B” is reflective of both SAO 2 “Staff will assist students with resume development” and
SAO 3 “Staff will keep accurate records of student employment”.
3. What might be done or is being done to facilitate student success in this area? (E.g. effective
strategies currently being utilized in the program or that you plan to implement.)
o Development of workshops and/or handouts for students that teach them in how to fill out
the forms.
o Development of a process by which a student can access his/her own job records
electronically. Note: This will require funding and/or time for a programmer to develop
such a process.
o Providing job record forms for students and training them to keep their own employment
records.
4. How might you assess the effectiveness of these strategies? Please mark all that apply
Direct observation of program processes (e.g. record keeping processes, staff training processes,
activities during program meetings, etc.)
X Assessment of student work indirectly related to the program - e.g. review of completed job
application forms for accuracy.
X Staff assessments of program effectiveness – assessment of time needed for record production.
Analysis of program records
X Student self-assessments of their interactions with program processes – surveys of students confidence
in their ability to keep their own job records.
Guided discussion among program employees (group or individual)
Other (please describe)
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