Student
Services
Assessment
Workshop
College of the Redwoods
Angelina Hill & Cheryl Tucker
Nov 28th & 30th, 2011
The Assessment Movement
 To
become learner centered
 Learners,
faculty, and institutions all need
feedback in order to improve
 Institutions
demonstrate accountability by
evaluating student learning.

Ideally, the institution benefits, and
accreditors are satisfied as well.
Assessment Cycle
Student Learning Outcomes
(SLOs)

Structured events that occur outside of the
classroom, complement the academic programs, &
enhance the overall educational experience by:






Encouraging involvement in the campus community and
society
Encouraging exploration of activities that provide
opportunities for growth in individual and group settings
Exposing students to various cultures and experiences, ideas
and issues, art and musical forms, and styles of life
Informing students regarding college policies and
procedures and how these relate to their lives and activities
Aiding in the awareness and utilization of college facilities
and resources
Assisting with developing leadership, decision-making and
related skills
Source: Student Life/Leadership, Maricopa Community Colleges, Arizona
(www.maricopa.edu, 7/23/07)
SLOs
 ACCJC
definition: the knowledge, skills,
abilities or attitudes that students have
attained by the end of any set of college
experiences – classes, programs, degrees
and certificates or encounters with
college services.
Objectives vs. SLOs




Objective – students will be self-directed learners
by exploring career options
SLOs – students will demonstrate the ability to
access basic career information (job description,
salary, and occupation outlook) on the website
Objective – Assist self-directed learners by
enhancing the one-stop shop operations
SLOs – Students will demonstrate the ability to
navigate registration process in subsequent
semesters
Developing Objectives & SLOs
 Develop

objectives for your area
Objectives are general statements about
aims of education that are broad.
 Students
will effectively use technology.
 Students will have an awareness of support
services.
Developing Objectives & SLOs
 Developing


SLOs for your area
Look back at one of your objectives
What, specifically, do you want students to
know or be able to do?
 Essential
and enduring abilities (skills) and
attitudes (values, dispositions)
Developing SLOs


Keep it simple. More is not better (3 max).
How will we know if students have attained the
outcome?


Must be measureable
Use active, measurable words.

Avoid words such as understand, learn, know.
These reflect mental processes that can’t be
directly measured.
Example SLO

Students will be able to calculate his/her
32-hour weekly requirement of education,
supervised study time, and work-study
activities as a result of participating in a
CalWORKs counseling session.
New Blooms Taxonomy
Taxonomy circle based on: Clark,
B. (2002). Growing up gifted:
Developing the potential of
children at home and at school.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill
Prentice Hall.
Learning Outcome?






Students will be able to submit an application for
admissions on line with or without staff assistance.
Students will be self-directed learners.
Students will develop an education plan outlining
steps necessary to reach goals.
Students will demonstrate information literacy.
Students will collect information for research
assignments using library internet search tool.
Students will be provided with multiple
opportunities to engage with a diverse student
body.
SLO Group Activity
Assessment Cycle
Developing Assessment
Instruments
 Common




tools to measure your outcomes
Surveys
Focus groups
Pre and post measurements
Frequency of specific student
activities/behaviors
Assessment Instruments/Tools
 Evidence



can be quantitative:
Numeric data is collected
Several individuals are measured
Provides descriptive or inferential
information
 Better
describes a group
 Compare groups to each other
 Explore trends over time
Assessment Instruments/Tools
 Evidence



can be qualitative
Open-ended questions, observations,
interviews, document analysis, audiovisual
materials
Involves fewer students
Used to explore themes and search for
larger meaning
Assessment Instruments/Tools
 Evidence

can be Direct
Students are required to display their
knowledge and skills
 Quiz,
analysis of student work (rubric),
observation
 Example:
Students asked where they would
go on campus to ask a question about
registering for courses next semester.
Assessment Instruments/Tools

Evidence can be Indirect


Student or faculty/staff provide a perception
(reflect on) student learning, behavior, attitudes.
Survey, focus group, interviews

Example: To what extent do you agree with the
following: I know where to go on campus if I
have a question about registering for courses
next semester.
Other Examples
 Time
to complete a task
 Number and type of student requests
 Frequency of using particular program,
process, etc.

Students or staff
 Job
placement statistics
Available from IR
 Retention
rates
 Completions and transfers
 Enrollment trends
 Diversity of student body
 Course statistics

Success, withdrawals, GPA
Examples
 SLO–
students will demonstrate
knowledge of general education
requirements.

Can be measured by:
 Survey
item: “I understand what courses are
required for general education”
 Quiz question: Which of the following courses
meet a general education requirement?
Example
 SLO
– Students will pay their registration
fees in a timely manner.

Can be measured by number of
deregistered students over time
Sharing your Findings
 Important



considerations
Audience
Timeline
How to keep it consistent
Closing the Loop
 Taking
actions based on your results