Honing Student Learning Objectives: Beginning the Assessment Process

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November 4, 2009

Assessment Council Membership

Nancy Dubetz (ECCE) nancy.dubetz@lehman.cuny.edu Salita Bryant (English) salita.bryant@lehman.cuny.edu *Robert Farrell (Lib) robert.farrell@lehman.cuny.edu Judy Fields (Econ) judith.fields@lehman.cuny.edu Marisol Jimenez (ISSP) marisol.jimenez@lehman.cuny.edu Teresita Levy (LA&PRS) teresita.levy@lehman.cuny.edu Carl Mazza (SWK) carl.mazza@lehman.cuny.edu Vincent Prohaska (Psych) vincent.prohaska@lehman.cuny.edu Lynn Rosenberg (SLHS) lynn.rosenberg@lehman.cuny.edu Robyn Spencer (History) robyn.spencer@lehman.cuny.edu Minda Tessler (Psych) minda.tessler@lehman.cuny.edu Janette Tilley (Mus) janette.tilley@lehman.cuny.edu Esther Wilder (Soc) esther.wilder@lehman.cuny.edu*Committee ChairAdministrative Advisor – Assessment Coordinator• Ray Galinski - raymond.galinski@lehman.cuny.edu

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Committee Charge Develop written strategic plan for campus assessment of

student learning, which will include:• definitions of key terms for campus assessment practices• articulation of reporting procedures• articulation of responsible parties• recommendations for departmental processes for assessing learning goals• recommendations on incentives for faculty participation in assessment

Develop and promote a culture of assessment on campus Act in an advisory capacity to Provost [Deans’ Council] for

developing campus assessment goals Act in an advisory capacity to departments and individual

faculty to facilitate assessment efforts Work with campus Assessment Coordinator to create cross-

departmental assessment teams and partnerships.

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Middle States Standards & AccreditationStandard 14: Assessment of Student Learning:

Assessment of student learning demonstrates that, at graduation, or other appropriate points, the institution’s students have knowledge, skills, and competencies consistent with institutional and appropriate higher education goals.

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Timeline

Fall 2009• Articulate learning goals and objectives for majors and programs.

• Identify learning opportunities in curriculum and places where students demonstrate learning of objectives. (February 16 target date)

Spring 2010• Programs begin

gathering evidence.

• Supporting workshops

Fall 2010• First completed assessment

cycle of student learning goals• Analyze evidence• Report on how

assessment results were used (Jan)

• Identify 2nd goal and begin to gather evidence on second goal

• Supporting workshops through fall semester.

Spring 2011• Middle States report due April

1• Second completed

assessment cycle of student learning goals

• Analyze evidence• Report on how assessment

results were used (May)

Ongoing assessment

This semester – Fall 2009Again, this fall we will have:articulated our learning

objectives for our programs/majors.

identified the learning opportunities in our curricula where students demonstrate learning objectives. This will be sent in to your associate deans by February 19.

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Next SemesterDevelop a way of

measuring/evaluating student performance in the mastery of that objective.

Gather evidence of student learning related to the objective you’ve selected.

Analyze this evidence (or plan to do so in Summer / Fall 2010).

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Fall 2010We’ll continue (or start) analyzing

data/results from evidence evaluated.We’ll be acting on the assessment results

this process has yielded. (This may include curricular tweaks to improve students’ opportunity to master the objective assessed, designing new learning opportunities, rethinking content sequencing between courses, etc.) This will need to be documented by January and reported in the April 2011 report.

Begin gathering evidence on the next objective your program will want to look at.

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Workshop Refining Learning Goals & Objectives

Goals, Objectives, OutcomesGoal - A broad statement of desired outcomes – what we hope

students will know and be able to do as a result of completing the program/course. They should highlight the primary focus and aim of the program. They are not directly measurable. Rather, they are evaluated directly or indirectly by measuring specific objectives related to the goal.

Objective - Sometimes referred to as intended learning outcomes, student learning outcome (SLO) or outcome statements. They are clear, brief statements used to describe to a specific, measurable action or task that helps achieve the target (goal).

Outcomes - the learning results – the end results -- the knowledge, skills, attitudes and habits of mind that students have or have not taken with them as a result of the students’ experience in the course(s) or program. 9

EXERCISE 1(Set Up Groups)Work on Reviewing Outcomes for

Programs/Departments using the rubric provided.

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AssessmentAssessment really begins with 1)

selecting a learning objective you’re particularly concerned about, 2)looking for the key learning opportunities and work produced by your students related to that objective, 3) then finding a tool to evaluate the work in order to see if students are in fact mastering the objective. 11

Direct vs. Indirect EvidenceDirect evidence of student learning is

tangible, visible, self-explanatory evidence of exactly what students have and haven’t learned.

Indirect evidence provides signs that students are probably learning, but evidence of exactly what they are learning may be less clear and less convincing.

While indirect evidence (feedback/surveys) can be useful, direct evidence is often best for getting concrete indications that students are learning what we’re hoping they’re learning.

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Direct vs. Indirect EvidenceExamples of Direct Evidence: Embedded course assignments (written/oral) Department wide exams (blueprinted) Standardized tests (blueprinted) Capstone projects (with rubric) Field experiences Pre-Test Post-Test

Examples of Indirect Evidence: Student satisfaction results Alumni perceptions Exit interviews Placement rates into careers and/or graduate school Honors, awards and scholarships Course grades

(Refer to the green sheet for additional examples)

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EXERCISE 2: Connecting Outcomes to Curriculum and Identifying Appropriate Assessment Instruments

Outcome/Learning Objective

Evidence Course

1.

2.

3.

4.

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Learning OpportunitiesDo our courses provide the

learning opportunities for students to master your program’s objectives?

If so, identify specific assignments or exercises where students demonstrate the mastery of those objectives.

If not, such opportunities can be designed.

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How This All Fits Together!

16http://assessment.uconn.edu/mapping1.htm

Curriculum MappingCurriculum mapping gives you a picture

of where the learning opportunities for students to acquire, develop, and demonstrate mastery of learning objectives are located in your course offerings.

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What we’ll be doing next semester!Two workshops:

• Developing tools to evaluate and measure our evidence.

• Using assessment results to

improve student learning.

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The Next WorkshopDeveloping… RubricsChecklistsRating scales...to evaluate evidence collected.

Blueprinting exams for assessment.

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How Can Rubrics Be Used to Assess Program Learning Goals?

Embedded course assignmentsCapstone experiencesField experiencesEmployer feedbackStudent self assessmentsPeer evaluations

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Action ItemsNow:Select objective of concern to assess.Identify the learning opportunities in

curricula where students perform the learning objective.

Next semester: Develop a way of

measuring/evaluating student performance of that objective.

Gather evidence of student learning related to the objective you’ve selected. 22

Parting thought…..The purpose of defining goals and

assessing learning is to improve learning through teaching. Teaching lies primarily in the hands of the faculty members, and good learning cannot happen without their commitment and dedication. Assessment, first and foremost, is a tool for faculty members to use as they do their very best to teach their student well.

Middle Commission of Higher Education

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Please share your thoughts with us!You will find a small sheet on which to

jot a few thoughts. Take a minute to let us know:

• Some things you’ve learned from these workshops.

• Some things you’d like to know more about.

• Topics for other workshops going forward.

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK! 24

ReferencesSuskie, L. (2004). Assessing student learning:

A common sense guide. San Francisco: Anker Publishing Co., Inc.

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