Report from the COC-SACS mtg—July 2008
The Institute on Quality Enhancement
and Accreditation
Sponsored by the Commission on
Colleges Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools (COC-SACS)
July 27-30, 2008
Orlando, FL
Goals
• Working directly with SACS staff and
reviewers
• Networking with colleagues at other
SACS institutions
• Clarify my own thinking about the QEP
process
Lessons Learned
QEP is not an imposition imposed by
those outside of our institution, it is a
vehicle by which we can increase our
overall quality by focusing on
improving student learning.
Lessons Learned
QEP is a “transformative campus
process” and is designed to enhance
the “climate for student learning”
QEP needs to be part of an “ongoing and
integrated institution-wide planning
process.”
Lessons Learned
Accreditation is about:
• Mission
• Continuous Improvement
• Ensuring the curriculum leads to student
learning
Lessons Learned
• QEP needs to be centered in a strong
framework of micro- and macroassessment
• Assess the process *and* the product
• Integrate Gen Ed systems into QEP
plans
Lesson Learned
“You cannot solve all of your institutional
problems through a QEP.”
Lessons learned about
“process”
“If you can recognize the QEP as an
intentional process that you can work at
as an institution, you can accomplish
the same with less anxiety.”
Introductions
• I2A Team
Dr. Patty Payette
McFall
Executive Director
Dr. Cathy Bays
I2A Specialist
for Assessment
Dr. Edna Ross
I2A Specialist
for Critical Thinking
Dr. Eileen
I2A Specialist for
Culminating Experiences
Hannah Anthony, Program Assistant Senior
Welcome & Today’s Objectives
Objectives:
• Review the introductory facts & concepts about I2A
• Explore: What is Critical Thinking?
• Discuss the “learning curve” for college students
• The “how & why” of Student Learning Outcomes
Introductions of participants
Introduce yourself and your role at UofL
and answer this:
“One thing I enjoy about my job is
__________ because _____________.”
What is Ideas to Action?
Using Critical Thinking to Foster Student
Learning and Community Engagement
Ideas to Action (I2A) is our Quality
Enhancement Plan (QEP), and we
need to show measurable progress
to the Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools (SACS) by
April 2012.
From student focus groups:
One student even
suggested that student
learning could be
improved by offering a
course that would aid in
memorization.
“Reduce the amount of
memorization required for
tests, I feel I don’t learn as
much by doing this.”
“Decrease the
memorization
required, can’t
remember it all.”
“Too much
memorization and no
sufficient critical
analysis.”
“Regurgitated material
(can just read
chapters for tests).”
“The subject testing is not
challenging due to
memorization.”
I2A and “Connecting the Dots”
“Our extensive consultation with all University constituencies
yielded a surprisingly strong and clear call for education
focused on the skills and knowledge needed to deal with
real-world issues and problems, an education in which
students can see the importance of the parts (the
courses) to the whole (their education as citizens and
workers).” [QEP Report, 2007]
skills and
knowledge
real-world issues
& problems
the parts to the
whole
http://louisville.edu/ideastoaction/files/finalreport.pdf
I2A: What are the components?
Sharpen our
existing focus
on building
critical thinking
skills in the
general
education
program…
…..continuing
through
undergraduate
major courses
with an emphasis
on applying and
refining those
skills…
…resulting in a
culminating
experience, such
as a senior
thesis, research,
service learning
project,
internship, or
capstone project
that fosters
engagement
I2A Thematic Priority: Community Engagement
What is I2A?
I2A is…
A vehicle for institutional
transformation through
enhancement of the
undergraduate experience.
How can we help you do this?
Learning Reconsidered &
Learning Reconsider 2
Learning Reconsidered and
Learning Reconsidered 2 are the
ACPA/NASPA Guides that encourage
college personnel to rethink our
ideas about learning—how it
happens, what supports it and what
the outcomes are
So what?
“Learning is a complex, comprehensive, holistic,
transformative activity that occurs throughout and
across the college experience…learning,
development and identity formation can no longer
be considered as separate from each other; they
are interactive and shape each other as they
evolve.”
- Learning Reconsidered
What is your role in promoting
student learning?
First, explore the difference between education and
training. Think about this & jot down some notes.
Next, in a group of 3, put on a flip chart and draw a
picture of the difference between “training” and
“education”.
Education vs. Training
Discuss:
How do we as student affairs staff understand this
and live this distinction?
How do we see classroom work or the mission of
the University as doing either or both?
So what?
Training: What to think and do.
Education: How to think and do.
But it’s not that easy…
What is critical thinking?
What does it look like?
How can we capture it?
Define Critical Thinking
In groups of 2 or 3, write down each of your thoughts
on two separate sticky notes filling in the blanks
below.
Critical thinking is ________________________.
Critical thinking is not _____________________.
Key Concept: Critical Thinking
Critical thinking can be described,
modeled and measured.
A Well-Cultivated Critical Thinker:
(Richard Paul and Linda Elder, the Foundation for Critical Thinking:
http://www.criticalthinking.org/)
 Raises vital questions and problems, formulating them
clearly and precisely
 Gathers and assesses relevant information, using abstract
ideas to interpret it effectively
 Comes to well-reasoned conclusions and solutions, testing
them against relevant criteria and standards
 Thinks open mindedly within alternative systems of
thought, recognizing and assessing, as needs be, their
assumptions, implications, and practical consequences
 Communicates effectively with others in figuring out
solutions to complex problems
Key Concept: Critical Thinking
1) Describe the quality of a well-cultivated
critical thinker in your own words. What is
this really saying?
2) Why is this challenging for students in a
classroom setting?
3) Why is it challenging in a campus setting?
4) Give an example of what this looks like?
5) Come up with strategies of how you can
promote this thinking with your students.
The student “learning curve”
Why is CT and “grappling with
open-ended problems” so
hard for students?
Perry Scheme of Development
Stage 1:
Duality – Uncertainty doesn’t exist.
Authorities hold the right answers.
Perry Scheme of Development
Stage 2:
Multiplicity – We don’t have all the
answers/multiple answers to problems.
Authorities may be fallible.
Perry Scheme of Development
Stage 3:
Relativism – Uncertainty is inherent and I
must negotiate, compare evidence, and
weigh choices.
Perry Scheme of Development
Stage 4: Commitment
Making and adjusting commitments
becomes part of the life-long pursuit of
personal growth and wisdom. Life is
uncertain; it’s all relative; I must make
choices and be responsible for them.
“A Nudge is Best”
Robert Kloss, “A Nudge Is Best, Helping
Students through the Perry Scheme of
Intellectual Development”
http://dhc.ucdavis.edu/fh/ct/kloss.html
Disequilibrium is part of learning to function in
the complex world around us.
Student Learning Objectives
What are they?
SLOs move us from fuzzy goals to
specific skills and behaviors we
want to cultivate and measure in our
students.
Student Learning Objectives
Goals vs. Objectives
Goals are broad;
objectives are narrow.
Goals are general
intentions; objectives
are precise.
Goals are intangible;
objectives are tangible.
Goals are abstract;
objectives are
concrete.
Goals can't be
validated as is;
objectives can be
validated.
Student Learning Objectives
Examples
“After studying the processes of photosynthesis and
respiration, the student should be able to trace the carbon
cycle in a given ecosystem.” (Academic)
“Students will recognize the purpose of this session is to
raise their awareness of the question/issue at hand
(behaviors that reinforce safety) and strengthen their sense
of self efficacy about thinking critically and making informed
decisions.” (PEACC)
SLOs in Student Affairs
In Student Affairs, we have goals related
to:
• Effective Communication
• Social Responsibility
• Appreciating Diversity
A SLO lets you describe what this looks
like.
The SLO Cycle
Learning
Outcomes
Identify Evidence,
Measures, &
Timeline
Plans for
Improvement
Observation/
Evaluation
Results
Student learning via Student Affair programs is reflected
by the SLO Cycle
Continuous learning process
Quality improvements will happen automatically
SLO Exercise
What is one way you want your students or student
staff to be different at the end of this year?
What will that look like, sound like?
How will you know it?
How will you foster that behavior and measure it?
How will you know you and your staff made a
difference?
Write one goal and one objective focusing
on a measurable skill or specific behavior.
Wrap up
What are the top 10 things
you learned today?
For more information
Please visit:
http://louisville.edu/ideastoaction