Mission-Centered Learning Outcomes: Overcoming the Assessment Challenge

Diane Jonte-Pace, Vice Provost, Undergraduate Studies

Carol Ann Gittens, Director of Assessment

Tom Plante, Professor of Psychology

The Santa Clara Vision ~

“Santa Clara University will excel in educating men and

women to be leaders of competence, conscience, and

compassion. By combining teaching and scholarship of

high quality, an integrated education in the Jesuit

tradition, and a commitment to students as persons, we

will prepare them for professional excellence,

responsible citizenship, and service to society,

especially on behalf of those in greatest need.”

Challenges and Strategies

Developing operational definitions of broad conceptual learning outcomes– How do we know we are graduating knowledgeable, compassionate, and

engaged global citizens? WASC Self Study Theme: “Competence, Conscience and Compassion” Assessment of the Core Curriculum Strategic Planning Process

Engage in meaningful and manageable assessment– Develop measureable student learning objectives language– Use existing data whenever possible– Seek combination of benchmark data and self-study data to triangulate– Engage the campus community in the effort

Triangulation: Three Examples

SCU Core Curriculum– Development of Learning Goals and Objectives– Example of Experiential Learning for Social Justice– Assessment Strategies being piloted in 2008-09

National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)

Campus-wide survey of Compassion

Educating students of Competence, Conscience, and Compassion for a globalizing world

Santa Clara’s new Core Curriculum prepares students for professional excellence, responsible citizenship, and service to society, especially on behalf of those in greatest need.

Developed by a faculty committee during the 2006-2007 academic year, and approved by the Santa Clara University Board of Trustees in May 2007

Phased in over a two-year period starting in fall quarter 2009

Emphasizing knowledge, habits of mind and heart, and engagement with the world, the Core explores relationships among ideas and cultures;

Encourages intentional choices that bring coherence to the undergraduate experience; and it develops students’ commitments to intellectual inquiry, moral reflection, and active engagement.

Overarching Core Learning Goals

Knowledge

Habits of Mind and Heart

Engagement with the World

Learning Goals in the Core

KNOWLEDGE Global Cultures

Arts and Humanities

Scientific Method

Science and Technology

Diversity

Civic Life

HABITS OF HEART & MIND

Critical Thinking

Mathematics and Quantitative Reasoning

Complexity

Ethical Reasoning

Religious Reflection

Communication

ENGAGEMENT WITH THE WORLD

Perspective

Collaboration

Social Justice

Civic Engagement

The New Core

Engaging Faculty through Core Committees

The role of the Faculty Core Committees (FCC) ~

Clarify goals & articulate learning objectives– Measureable learning objectives statements– Utilize Bloom’s Taxonomy

Encourage faculty participation and curriculum development

Provide general recommendations for course level assessment

Review proposals for Curriculum Development funds; work with faculty who receive funding

Develop criteria for submission of syllabi for core approval

Review syllabi, recommend approval when appropriate

Developing Measurable Learning Objectives

Experiential Learning for Social Justice

1.1 Be able to recognize the benefits of life-long responsible citizenship and civic engagement in personal and professional activities. (Civic Life)

1.2 Be able to interact appropriately, sensitively, and self-critically with people in the communities in which they work and to appreciate the formal and informal knowledge, wisdom, and skills that individuals in these communities possess. (Perspective)

1.3 Be able to recognize, analyze, and understand the social reality and injustices in contemporary society, including recognizing the relative privilege or marginalization of their own and other groups. (Social Justice)

1.4 Be able to make vocational choices in light of both their greatest gifts and the world's greatest needs. (Civic Engagement)

A Direct Connection to Mission

Experiencing the “gritty reality of the world,” thinking critically about the world, responding to its suffering, and engaging it constructively.

~ Fr. Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J.

Experiential Learning for Social Justice (ELSJ) cultivates Social Justice, Civic Life, Perspective, and Civic Engagement. All ELSJ courses involve substantial contact with marginalized groups.

– Advanced Journalism– Globalization and Inequality– Globalization and Culture Change– Teaching the Performing Arts– Intercultural Communication– Psychology of Aging– Management 8– Casa de la Solidaridad, El Salvador– Housing and Homelessness Policy– Some Campus Ministry experiences– Ulistac Natural Area Restoration and Education Project

Core: Direct Assessment of Student Learning

– Inform Core Area faculty of learning objectives and process – Provide Core Rubric(s) in advance to faculty– Request student permissions – Randomly select student participants and communicate names to faculty – Gather five work products from each class (a single assignment)– Schedule and invite participants to Rubric Scoring Party (compensated with

stipend) – Host rubric scoring parties (begin with calibration on rubrics)– Analyze data and prepare Core report– Distribute for FCC and faculty comment– Make report public to campus community ~ post on the Web

Triangulation Using Existing Data: NSSE

A national effort to assess student behavior and effective educational practice (four-year institutions)

Five Benchmark Scales– Level of Academic Challenge– Active and Collaborative Learning – Enriching Educational Experiences– Supportive Campus Environment– Student – Faculty Interaction

Peer comparison group of other NSSE-participating Jesuit universities (i.e. the Jesuit consortium) selected in 2005. Consortium-specific questions administered starting in 2006.

NSSE Indicators: Contribution to Educational and Personal Growth

“Quite a Bit” or “Very Much”:

First YearStudents

Seniors

Understanding people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds

61% 67%

Solving complex real-world problems 69% 77%

Developing a personal code of values and ethics

71% 80%

Working effectively with others 80% 88%

Developing a deepened sense of spirituality

46% 51%

Contributing to the welfare of your community

62% 74%

Understanding yourself 70% 78%

Comparison group information provided by NSSE to aid interpretation…

Examples of NSSE Jesuit Consortium Questions

Mean comparisons: [FY] = Freshmen [SR] = Seniors

Santa Clara

Jesuit

Devoting effort to help others in need [FY][SR]

2.963.03

3.023.00

Understanding the Jesuit principle of being “men and women for others”

[FY][SR]

2.792.79

2.902.88

Increasing your awareness of the relationship between global and local issues

[FY][SR]

3.06**3.16**

2.912.94

Actively working to further social justice [FY][SR]

2.872.97**

2.852.84

Demonstrating respect for others’ differences

[FY][SR]

3.223.21*

3.133.11

Leading by example [FY][SR]

3.11**3.18**

2.963.03

Actively working toward a more inclusive community

[FY][SR]

2.97**2.89**

2.822.75

Internal Campus Surveys ~ Compassion

Compassion is identified as that state in which one is “being moved by another’s suffering, and wanting to help” (Lazarus, 1991, p. 289).

Relative lack of direct research on students’ compassionand the impact of college experiences on development of caring for others.

The Santa Clara Brief Compassion Scale (Hwang, Plante, & Lackey; 2008)

Compassion scores found to increase after Immersion experience (Lackey, Plante & Hwang)

The Santa Clara Brief Compassion Scale

1. When I hear about someone (a stranger) going through a difficult time, I feel a great deal of compassion for him or her.

2. I tend to feel compassion for people, even though I do not know them.

3. One of the activities that provides me with the most meaning to my life is helping others in the world when they need help.

4. I would rather engage in actions that help others, even though they are strangers, than engage in actions that would help me.

5. I often have tender feelings toward people (strangers) when they seem to be in need.

~ Currently being assessed longitudinally among freshmen and seniors as well as graduate / professional students on campus

Strategies and Solutions

How can we effectively assess the “ineffable” learning outcomes that appear in our mission statements and core institutional commitments?

Engage in meaningful and manageable assessment– Specificity: Develop measureable student learning objectives language – Efficiency: Use existing data whenever possible; Seek combination of

sources of evidence to triangulate– Effectiveness: Engage the campus community in the evidence collection

and utilization of result

SCU Resources on the Web

Core 2009:

http://www.scu.edu/Core2009

WASC

http://www.scu.edu/WASC (select “Resources”)

Office of Assessment:

http://www.scu.edu/provost/assessment/