SLO/PLO Assessment Support Resources Frequently Asked Questions Why do we need to assess student learning outcomes? Fundamentally, it answers the question that each instructor has, “Are the students ‘getting’ it?” A. At the course level: To identify and address areas for improvement to help students learn better and acquire the knowledge and skills of the courses; B. At program level: To identify and address areas for improvement so that students can master the competencies required from the workforce or 4year institutions; C. At the institutional level: To ensure students have the general education competencies to further their education or careers; To champion a culture of scholarly inquiry and continuous improvement; To be in compliance with SACS/COC accreditation requirement. What’s the difference between SLOs and PLOs? At Lone Star College: SLO Assessment: Refers to the course-level learning outcome assessment – what a student should know, think, or do after taking the course; PLO Assessment: Refers to the Programlevel learning outcome assessment – what a student should know, think, or do after completing the program; SLO assessment should support the PLO assessment. What do Curriculum Teams need to do on the Curriculum Team Work Day (CTWD)? Spring CTWD: A. The Curriculum Teams need to review Fall 2015 SLO assessment data and decide if system-wide recommendations need to be made for curricular changes. B. If system-wide recommendations are made, please document the recommendations in the Curriculum Team Form and communicate the recommendations to programs or disciplines impacted so as to implement the recommendations. C. If courses selected for assessment in Fall 2015 had not been assessed due to various reasons, inform the programs or disciplines impacted to make up the assessment in Spring 2016. Fall CTWD: A. Select the courses and SLOs for assessment; B. Curriculum Team chairs fill out the Curriculum Team Forms; C. Curriculum Team liaisons communicate the selected courses and SLOs to campus leaders and faculty. D. If there are courses assessed in Spring or Summer, then the Curriculum Teams need to review Spring or Summer SLO assessment data and decide if systemwide recommendations need to be made and implemented. How do SLOs relate to PLOs? The graph below illustrates how the SLO assessment supports the PLO assessment: Just as one lesson supports the learning of the entire course, SLOs/course level learning supports the learning for the entire program What are the differences among the Curriculum Team Form, E-Form for Section Selection, SLO Data Collection Tool, and Compliance Assist?