Designing and Assessing an Integrated
Educational Experience: Alignment of
Student Learning Outcomes across
Curricular and Co-Curricular Units at
Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC)
Juliana S Lancaster
Georgia Gwinnett College
A Brief Review of GGC
• 4-year, State College in the University System of Georgia
• Authorized by GA Legislature in May 2005, Opened in August 2006
Year
Enrollment
Faculty
Fall 2006
Fall 2007
Fall 2011
Fall 2012
Enrollment: 118
Enrollment: 787
Enrollment: 7784
Estimate: 9300
11
100
500+ (305FT, 200PT)
• Degree Programs
• Fall 2006: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology
• Fall 2007: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology, Information
Technology
• Fall 2011: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology, Information
Technology, Mathematics; BA English, History, Political Science;
BSEd: Early Childhood Ed, Special Ed
Why?
Inform
Senior
Leadership
The Higher Learning Commission
Address
Accreditor
Expectations
How?
Build a structure
from the top
down
Begin with the Vision, Mission
and Strategic Plan
GGC Mission
Georgia Gwinnett College provides access to
targeted baccalaureate level degrees that meet
the economic development needs of the
growing and diverse population of the
northeast Atlanta metropolitan region. It
emphasizes the innovative use of technology
and scheduling flexibility and a variety of course
delivery options. Georgia Gwinnett’s
outstanding faculty and staff actively engage
students in various learning environments,
serve as mentors and advisors, and assist
students through programs designed to
enhance their academic, social, and personal
development. GGC produces contributing
citizens and future leaders for Georgia and the
nation. Its graduates are inspired to contribute
to the local, state, national, and international
communities and are prepared to anticipate
and respond effectively to an uncertain and
changing world.
Begin with the Vision, Mission
and Strategic Plan
Integrated Educational Experience Outcomes
Clearly communicate ideas in written and oral
form
Establish Institutional Student
Learning Outcomes derived
from Vision, Mission and Plan
Demonstrate creativity and critical thinking in
inter- and multidisciplinary contexts
Demonstrate effective use of information
technology
Demonstrate an understanding of diversity and
global perspectives leading to collaboration in
diverse & global contexts
Demonstrate an understanding of human and
institutional decision making
Demonstrate an understanding of moral and
ethical principles
Demonstrate and apply leadership principles
Demonstrate competence in quantitative
reasoning
Begin with the Vision, Mission
and Strategic Plan
Establish Institutional Student
Learning Outcomes derived
from Vision, Mission and Plan
Establish Program-level
Student Learning Outcomes
linked to Institutional
Outcomes
Major
IEE
1
IEE
2
IEE
3
IEE
4
IEE
5
IEE
6
Biology








Business




English




CDAC


Student
Involvement





IEE
8


Early
Childhood
Education
Intramural &
Club Sports
IEE
7









STOP
Consider your institution-wide SLOs and those
of an academic major or Student Affairs office
on your campus (yours or another)
• Map connections between the two sets
of SLOs
• How does the program support the
institution’s attainment of the
institutional SLOs?
Share with 1-2 people near you
Begin with the Vision, Mission
and Strategic Plan
Establish Institutional Student
Learning Outcomes derived
from Vision, Mission and Plan
Establish Program-level
Student Learning Outcomes
linked to Institutional
Outcomes
Map the relationships
between Program-level
Outcomes and Courses
Begin with the Vision, Mission
and Strategic Plan
Establish Institutional Student
Learning Outcomes derived
from Vision, Mission and Plan
Establish Program-level
Student Learning Outcomes
linked to Institutional
Outcomes
Map the relationships
between Program-level
Outcomes and Courses
Select or create and
implement assessments of
each outcome
Outcome
Measure
Target
O 1: Correct
M 1: Common,
Outcome will
use of
embedded tasks in considered as met if
historical
survey courses 60% of students scored
sources
at least 60% of all
possible points on this
question.
O 1: Correct
M 2: Writing
Outcome will be
use of
assignments in
considered as met if
historical
upper-division 65% of students scored
sources
courses scored by
at least 65% of all
common rubrics
possible points
designated to this
element of the written
assignment by the
rubric.
O 1: Correct
M 5:
Outcome will be
use of
Capstone/Content considered as met if
historical
Methods Written 70% of students scored
sources
Assignment
at least 65% of all
possible points
designated to this
element of the
assignment by the
rubric.
STOP
Think of a course or program within the
major/office you thought of in Exercise 1
• List your learning outcomes for the
course/program
• Match them to the learning outcomes for
the major/office
• Add this to your map of program and
institutional SLOs
Share with 1-2 people near you.
The Integrated Educational Experience
Result:
An overall
integrated
structure
linking
all levels
of the
institution
Institutional Vision, Mission, Strategic Plan
Integrated Educational Experience SLOs
Student Affairs
Outcomes
Program of Study
Outcomes
Activity Objectives
Course Objectives
Assessment Measures
Assessment Measures
Aggregate Results
from the bottom
up
English
2011 Achievement Status Details:
Met (16)
Reports submitted on all
individual measures in each
program.
Outcome/Objective
Measure
Finding
Status
O 1: Critical and
Theoretical
Approaches
M 4: ENGL 3040
test
97% of all ENGL 3040
students scored
"competent" on a test
of their objective
knowledge of critical
and theoretical
approaches to the
study of the English
language.
Met
O 1: Critical and
Theoretical
Approaches
M 5: Capstone
Assignment
80% of seniors scored
at or above
"Competent' on the
rubric component(s)
for understanding
critical and theoretical
approaches.
Met
English
Outcome/Objective
Review data to determine
achievement status of each
program outcome
Reports submitted on all
individual measures in each
program.
2011 Summary
Status of individual Status of Outcome
Measure
O 1: Critical and
Theoretical Approaches
Met
O 1: Critical and
Theoretical Approaches
Met
O 2: Interpret / Evaluate
Met
O 2: Interpret / Evaluate
Met
O 2: Interpret / Evaluate
Met
O 2: Interpret / Evaluate
Met
O 2: Interpret / Evaluate
Met
Met
Met
Met
Academic &
Educational
Support Units
Compile summary of unit
level achievement in
general
Review data to determine
achievement status of each
program outcome
Reports submitted on all
individual measures in each
program.
Administrative
Units in
Academic &
Student Affairs
Advancement
Units
Resource Units
Educational
Technology
Units
Facilities and
Operations
2010 Totals
Partially Met
Not Met
Data Not
Available
IEE Goals
Program / Unit
Compile overall dashboardstyle view of achievement
status of each institutional
outcome
Compile summary of unit
level achievement in
general
Review data to determine
achievement status of each
program outcome
Reports submitted on all
individual measures in each
program.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Compile summary of action
plans including resources
needed
Unit
Action Plan Status
Need
Compile overall dashboardstyle view of achievement
status of each institutional
outcome
Have
Budget
X
Action Plan Focus
Content
or
Process
Staff
Materials
X
Modify
Plan
X
X
None
Listed
X
X
X
X
$1000
X
X
X
X
None
Listed
X
X
X
None
Listed
X
X
None
Listed
X
X
X
None
Listed
X
X
X
Compile summary of unit
level achievement in
general
Review data to determine
achievement status of each
program outcome
Reports submitted on all
individual measures in each
program.
X
X
X
The Integrated Educational Experience
Result:
An
institutionwide,
strategic
perspective
on academic
effectiveness
Institutional Vision, Mission, Strategic Plan
Integrated Educational Experience SLOs:
Institutional Patterns
Student Affairs
Results and Responses
Assessment Findings
Program of Study
Results and Responses
Assessment Findings
STOP
• What resources do you have or would you
need to produce a similar aggregation?
• What value might a structure like this have
for your office or institution (if you are not
already doing something similar)?
• What would be the major challenges for
your office or institution?
Share with 1-2 people near you.
Benefits
A comprehensive
and integrated
perspective on the
institution’s success
toward its vision &
mission
Results
Plans
Responses
Institutional
Outcomes
Supports
Student
Learning
For Students
Explicit, defined list of expected outcomes for each
major or general education course and for degree
program
For Faculty
Coordinated content for multi-section courses
Ease of communication between faculty teaching
multi-section courses
More clarity on expectations in course sequences
For Institution
Supports formative evaluation of INSTITUTIONAL
effectiveness
Supports
strategic
planning
and
decision
making
Participation rates
Identifies where in institution there may be a lack
of commitment to assessment
Evaluation of
Assessment Plans
Identifies those with strong plans and those
needing assistance – provides assessment of
assessment office
Compiled
Institutional Results
& Outcome Status
Identifies large-scale strategic issues on which
institution is either doing well or for which
coordinated, concentrated focus beyond the
individual unit might be needed
Response Plan &
Resource Need
Summary
Identifies commonalities in responses
Consolidates all budget/resource requests in one
place, supporting prioritizing or combining
Alerts leadership when units are not considering
resource implications of their responses
Challenges
Faculty may view
assessment as
indicator of their
teaching
Assessment processes
are difficult to
establish
•Potential for Inflated assessment scores
•100% success in all areas is not informative
•Must address concerns over academic freedom
•Need to establish consistency in embedded
assessments and standards across course sections
•Need to establish and adhere to timelines for
submission of assessment results from courses
•Need to build processes and provide time for
compilation and consideration of results within
academic disciplines and student affairs offices
Compiling and interpreting to the institutional level requires
time.
Thanks for your time and
attention!
Questions?