Student Learning Outcomes and
Assessment Summit
Cañada College, Spring 2008
Welcome Comments
Martin Partlan, ASGC President
Tom Mohr, Cañada College President
Ernie Rodriguez, AFT President
SLOAC Orientation Workshop
Based on a workshop presented by Marcy Alancraig & Sid Burks at the
Senate Vocational Leadership Conference, March 2008
Ray Lapuz, Mathematics Professor
SLOAC Coordinator
Patty Dilko, Early Childhood
Education/Child Development Professor
ASGC Past President
To Deal with Student Learning
Outcomes You Need:
• Sense of Play
• Willingness to Experiment
• Healthy Dose of Skepticism
• Ability to translate assessment theory and
jargon into the language of our college
Accreditation Standards:
The 5 Stages of Faculty Grief
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Denial
Anger
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
Why Are We Here?
• ACCJC/WASC – 2 year rule
• Maintain Full Accreditation Status
• Progress: Awareness, Development,
Proficiency
• The Goal: Sustainable Continuous Quality
Improvement
Quickie Review: Standards
Require
• SLOs for all courses
• SLOs for all programs
• SLOs for all certificates and
degrees
More Review
• All SLOs must be assessed regularly
• Assessment results must be discussed
(dialogue &
documentation
are key elements!)
• SLOAC must be tied
into Program Review
and College Planning
What the X?!& is an SLO?
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Knowledge
Skills
Abilities
Attitudes
that a student can demonstrate by the end of a
course, program, certificate or degree
So what else is new?
• Haven’t we always done this?
Yes!!!
• Now, however, we are being asked to
articulate and document our process in a
new way.
SLOs: The Big Picture
• Require HIGHER LEVEL thinking skills
• May synthesize many discreet skills
• Require students to APPLY what they’ve
learned
• Result in a product
• Product must be evaluated or assessed by
faculty
Choose 1-3 most important concepts per class
Objectives: Nuts and Bolts
• Describe small, discreet skills
• Require basic thinking skills
• Do not necessarily result in a product
SLOs v. Objectives
• The Official Course Outline of Record at
Cañada
• Many of us have written objectives that
would qualify as SLOs
• Pick the best, modify Official Outlines later
Closing the Assessment Loop
• Assessment must feed back into processes
to improve teaching and learning
• In the classroom
• In the department
• Across the entire campus
• Assessment activities
should be useful and easy
The
Assessment
Loop
Gather
Evidence
College Mission
Interpret
Evidence
Goals for the Teaching
and Learning
Environment
How well do
students achieve
the learning
outcomes that we Enhance teaching/
learning; inform
set?
institutional decisionmaking, planning,
– adapted from:
budgeting
Peggy Maki, AAHE
Key Point!
• Our college must design the
assessment process and loop to fit
our college’s culture.
Assessment Made Easy
• Write SLOs that you are truly interested in
learning more about.
• When possible, use assessment tools that
are already embedded into your course.
• Write SLOs that allow you to gather
meaningful data.
• Vocational programs should use available
external certification process.
Reporting on Your Progress
• All forms for reporting are available on the
SLOAC web page:
http://www.smccd.net/accounts/canslo/
• Forms should be submitted electronically to your
dean and the SLOAC Coordinator
• 3 Forms
1. SLOAC Proposal
2. Report of Assessment Results
3. Reflection on Assessment Results
Where Does the Data Go?
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Turn in data to your Dean
Analysis will be facilitated
Data will be reported in aggregate
Data will not be used in personnel
evaluations
• Senate will establish a policy next year
The Packet
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Cañada College SLOAC Philosophy
Descriptive documents
Handy worksheets
Paper copies of forms
SLOAC Facilitators Available To
Work With Groups Today
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SLO Development:
Sandra Comerford, College of San Mateo
Ray Lapuz, Cañada College
Karen Wong, Skyline College
Assessment Development:
Cathy Hasson, Skyline College
Ben Stefonik, Cañada College
Katie Townsend-Merino, Cañada College
Instructions for Today
• As soon as you choose a room, call Joan Murphy
at: 306-3336
• Create at least one SLO for each current class
• Identify an assessment technique for one SLO in
each class
• Remember to stop for lunch at 12:30
• Digitally submit SLOAC Form #1 for at least one
SLO per class to your Dean and Ray Lapuz
By the End of the Semester
• Be sure that your SLOs are complete for all
classes
• Complete the assessment on at least one
class and submit data to your dean
During Next Semester
• Complete the reflection process on
assessment data from sp 08.
• Complete assessment on at least one class
• Be on the look out for updated and revised
forms and a Handbook
• Participate in department, division, and
college-wide SLOAC activities
ACCJC: Sustainable Continuous Quality
Improvement
The Cycle Renews Itself Every Semester
Building on the Last Semesters Work
We like to call it: Becoming Overtly
Responsive to Student Learning in Our
Classrooms, Programs and College.
Student Learning Outcomes and
Assessment Summit
Cañada College, Spring 2008