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I N S T I T U T I O N A L E F F E C T I V E N E S S A N D A S S E S S M E N T

N O R F O L K S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y

2004-2005 ACADEMIC YEAR

Information Session

Statements of Intended Student Learning Outcomes

February 10, 2005

ACHIEVING WITH EXCELLENCE:

FOCUSING ON RESULTS

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Agenda

• Importance of Statements of Intended Learning Outcomes

• Elements of Effective Statements of Intended Learning Outcomes

• Resources

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Learning Outcomes: Definition

Intended effects of the college experiencethat are stated in terms of

specific, observable, and measurablestudent performance.

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Learning Outcomes vs Program Goals

• Program Goals– Identify content or learning domains – what students

should know, understand, be able to do, or appreciate

• Learning Outcomes– Identify what students should be able to demonstrate

or represent or produce as a result of what and how they have learned in the program

– Statements of learning outcomes translate learning into actions, behaviors, and other texts from which observers can draw inferences about the depth and breadth of student learning

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Learning Outcomes vs Program Goals: Example

• Program Goal– Understand ways political and economic relationships

are shaped by history and geography

• Learning Outcome– Differentially analyze colonialism according to

geographical and scalar variation: how different colonial regimes and technologies have affected development in different places – how structural tools look and are used differently in various places

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Learning Outcomes: Fairness

• Changing expectations of students / Student as a customer or client

• Statements of learning outcomes– Inform students about the intentions of the faculty– Inform external stakeholders about the educational

experience in a given program

• Form the operational basis of assessment at the course, program, and institutional levels

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Learning Outcomes: Intentionality

• Provide framework for curricular developments

• Provide foundation for curriculum mapping, alignment, and coherence (SACS CR 2.7.2)– Coherent curriculum ensures that students are provided

with appropriate guidance and opportunities to develop, synthesize, and practice increasingly complex ideas, concepts, and values in the desired order and with enough repetition so that intended student learning outcomes and university competencies are achieved

• Inform the choice of pedagogies

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Learning Outcomes: Quality

• Quality institutions– Identify clear statements of intended learning

outcomes– Demonstrate that students are engaged in– activities that lead to intended outcomes– Demonstrate that students achieve those outcomes

(Ewell / CHEA, 2002; see also AAC&U, 2004; Massy, 2003; Tagg, 2003)

• “The concept of quality enhancement is at the heart of the Commission’s [SACS] philosophy of accreditation.”

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Learning Outcomes: SACS

• “The institution – identifies expected outcomes for its educational

programs and administrative and educational support units;

– assesses whether it achieves these outcomes; and– provides evidence of improvement based on an

analysis of assessment results” (CS3.3.1)

• “The institution demonstrates that each educational program . . . establishes . . . program and learning outcomes” (CS3.4.1)

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Learning Outcomes:Representative SACS Reviewer

Comments to the 2004 Institutional Cohort• “Evidence of the establishment of learning

outcomes for each of the specific degree programs was not available”

• “The offsite team instructed the onsite team …, to ensure that all units have plans with outcomes …. In addition, the offsite team found the relationship between university goals and academic thrusts confusing”

• “Evidence of how learning outcomes are determined and evaluated must be clarified”

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Learning Outcomes:Representative SACS Reviewer

Comments to the 2004 Institutional Cohort (Cont’d)

• “The institution does not provide sufficient documentation to demonstrate that assessment and evaluation processes are implemented and enforced for learning outcomes”

• “The off-site reviewers wanted to see clearer evidence of the use of outcomes assessment in planning, particularly in the academic programs”

• “Evidence that data have been collected to measure each outcome and that the data were used for improvementwas not available”

• “No evidence of the use of assessment results to improve learning outcomes”

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Learning Outcomes:Representative SACS Reviewer

Comments to the 2005 Institutional Cohort (Cont’d)

• “Most of the development of the outcomes occurred in Spring 2003 and Spring 2004. As a consequence, the institution has not yet assembled documentation that it has made improvements to its operations”

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SACS Re-Accreditation Timeline for Assessment

2006 – 2007– Assess 3rd set of

outcomes, implement changes based on 2005-2006 assessment data, and document improvements madethrough changes based on 2004-2005 data

September 2007-Compliance Certification

2004 – 2005– Develop Assessment

Plan and assess 1st set of outcomes

2005 – 2006– Assess 2nd set of

outcomes and implement changes based on 2004-2005 assessment data

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Assessment Report

• Format– Program Mission and Description– Program Goals– Intended Student Learning Outcomes– Program Outputs

• Due – July 1 (Academic Programs)– August 1 (Educational Support and Administrative

Units)

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Learning Outcomes: Sources• University, School, Program mission

statements• State-mandated core competencies

– Written communication / Information technology literacy / Scientific reasoning / Quantitative reasoning / Critical Thinking / Oral Communication

• University, School, Program goals• Accrediting agencies (e.g., ABET, APA,

NCATE, AACSB)• Peer programs

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Learning Outcomes: Faculty Consensus

• “The institution places primary responsibility for the content, quality, and effectiveness of its curriculum with its faculty” (SACS CS 3.4.12)

• “Evidence of how learning outcomes are determined and evaluated must be clarified” (SACS reviewer comment)

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Learning Outcomes: Elements

• Essential Components

– Behavior: specify actions or behaviors that follow instruction and could serve as evidence that the goal has been achieved

– Object: identify the focus of learning –content, concept(s), skill, or attitude

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Learning Outcomes: Elements (Cont’d)

• Optional Components– Target groups– Condition

• information about situations in which the student will be required to demonstrate the behavior – how, when,or where

– Performance criteria– Performance stability

• provide information about how often the behavior must be observed in order to be a true indicator that the behavior is a stable part of the student’s achievement repertoire

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Learning Outcomes: Elements: Ideal Example

“After analyzing and interpretinginformation from public opinion polls, thegraduating journalism major will be able tocommunicate the results to at least threedifferent groups in written, oral, andgraphic forms.”

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Learning Outcomes: Best Practices

• Student-focused rather than instructor-focused• Focus on the learning resulting from an activity

rather than on the activity itself• Focus on non-trivial aspects of learning that are

credible to the public• Reflect state mandates and institutional

expectations about learning• Effectively worded• Reflected in program curriculum (curriculum map)• Translated into course specific objectives

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Resources

• NSU Assessment Manual -- www.nsu.edu/iea • SACS Principles of Accreditation --

www.sacscoc.org/pdf/PrinciplesOfAccreditation.PDF

• NSU Assessment Library --www.nsu.edu/iea/html/library_books.htm

• Internet resources for outcomes assessment www.nsu.edu/iea/online_resources.php

– http://www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/assmt/resource.htm

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Contact Information

• Alexei Matveev, Associate Director, IEA– 823-8375– agmatveev@nsu.edu– E.L. Hamm Fine Arts Bldg., 214

• Junelle Banks, Program Assessment Specialist – 823-2928– jbanks@nsu.edu– E.L. Hamm Fine Arts Bldg., 214