Applying Learning
Assessment Results to
Strategic Planning
at Multiple Levels
Jannie R. Cobb, Librarian & Professor
Jennifer M. Harrison, Associate Professor & Director
of Learning Assessment
Learning Objectives
This session is designed to help you …

Understand how a focused approach to
competency measurement can
contribute to planning at multiple levels.

Envision applications for learning
assessment results at your own school.
The National Labor College






Crafted a degree completion
path for adult learners with a
bachelor of arts in labor studies
Launched new degrees in
construction, business, and
emergency management in
2011
Focused on educating union
members
Founded by the AFL-CIO in 1969
Became a degree granting
institution in 1997
Earned MSCHE accreditation in
2004; reaccredited in 2010
NLC Strategic Planning & Learning Assessment:
Begin With What You Already Have
Mission
Core Competencies
Program Learning Objectives
Course Learning Objectives
NLC’s Mission
NLC’s Core Competencies
Leadership
Critical Thinking
Effective Communication
Global Thinking
Information Literacy
Technological Proficiency
Closing the Assessment Loop
• Student Learning
Objectives connect
across programs
through core
competencies.
• We’ll look at how we
applied results at the
institutional-,
program-, and courselevels
• We looked at learning
opportunities in
multiple programs
1. Craft
Student
Learning
Objectives
(SLOs)
2. Offer
Learning
Opportunities
Apply Results
3. Measure
• We used rubrics,
satisfaction surveys,
use statistics, and
reflective papers to
build our
measurements
Learning Measures
We compiled learning results across the curriculum and applied the results to strategic planning,
program development, and courses.
Core Competencies: Learning Across Multiple Courses 2008-9
100
90
80
Percentages
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Crit Thinking
Eff Comm
Info Lit
Exemplary
68
64
54
Adequate
32
37
26
Not Adequate
5
11
16
Institutional-Level Applications:
Strategic Academic Excellence
Strategic Planning Cycle
Designed to include all of the college’s communities (students, unions, alumni, faculty, staff).
March
Executive Team
Drafts Goals
Oct-Feb
Grassroots
Planning Meetings
July-Sept
College-Wide
Action Planning &
Data Reporting
April-May
Enrollment &
Finance Plans
June
BOT Approves
Strategic Plan
Institutional-Level Applications:
Learning Assessment & Strategic Goals
I. Enhance Academic Excellence
II. Expand Opportunity
III. Strengthen Student Services
IV. Achieve Financial Sustainability
Institutional-Level Applications:
Focus on Strategic Goal 1
I. Enhance Academic Excellence
Objectives:
1. Establish explicit
2. Maintain and advance a
3. Refine and develop
benchmarks for measuring culture of evidence and
necessary policies,
academic excellence
evidence-based decision- procedures, processes and
making
support to achieve
academic excellence.
Institutional-Level Applications:
Measuring Academic Excellence with Student
Satisfaction Data
2004-07 Graduates' Satisfaction with Core Competency Learning at the NLC
100.0%
90.0%
80.0%
70.0%
60.0%
50.0%
40.0%
30.0%
20.0%
10.0%
0.0%
Critical Thinking
Effective Communication
Information Literacy
5-Very Satisfied
56.6%
71.7%
43.8%
4-Satisfied
31.9%
20.4%
36.6%
3-Moderately Satisfied
9.7%
6.2%
17.0%
2-Somewhat Satisfied
0.9%
1.8%
1.8%
1-Not At All Satisfied
0.9%
0.0%
0.9%
Institutional-Level Applications:
Measuring Academic Excellence with
Capstone Analysis
Institutional-Level Applications:
Applying the Results
Clarified Core
Competencies
(2008)
Created the School
for Professional
Studies (SPS)
(2009-11)
Instituted Learning
Assessment Plan
for SPS (2010)
Mapped Program
and Course SLOs
(2008-9)
Implemented a
Writing-Across-theCurriculum Policy
(2009, 2010)
Updated the Digital
Library (2010-11)
Developed
Information
Literacy Resources
(2008-9)
Established Writing
Diagnostics
(2008-9, 2011)
Developed New
Curriculum
(2010-11)
Created the
Learning
Assessment Plan
(2009)
Formalized Annual
Capstone Norming
Sessions (2009)
Program-Level Application:
Building a Digital Library
Program-Level Applications:
Focus on Information Literacy
Program-Level Applications:
Research Across the Curriculum
Program-Level Results:
Library Use Statistics
Total Library Guide Page Hits by Program 2011
1800
1600
1400
Number of hits
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Construction
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
289
564
1639
351
1117
508
251
385
1356
162
78
48
307
12
15
355
165
19
54
108
243
60
27
136
238
25
38
36
13
32
63
174
Business
Emergency
Labor
89
Program-Level Applications:
Learning Assessment & New Curriculum
Program-Level Applications:
Learning Assessment & New Curriculum
Program-Level Applications:
Diagnostic Applications
Core Competency Assessment: Spring 2011 Digital Learning 700 & 701 Construction
Management
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
CT
EC
IL
Exemplary
48%
41%
37%
Competent
52%
52%
18%
MinAdequate
0%
5%
12%
Inadequate
0%
2%
33%
CT = Critical Thinking
EC = Effective Communication
IL = Information Literacy
Program-Level Applications:
Course-Level Applications
Core Competency Assessment: Summer 2011 Digital Learning 700 Construction Management
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
CT
EC
IL
Exemplary
56%
50%
33%
Competent
44%
44%
11%
MinAdequate
0%
6%
33%
Inadequate
0%
0%
22%
CT = Critical Thinking
EC = Effective Communication
IL = Information Literacy
Opportunity-Level Applications
Core Competency Assessment: Fall 2011 Digital Learning 700 & 701 Construction Management
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
CT
EC
IL
Exemplary
54%
43%
29%
Competent
41%
50%
33%
MinAdequate
5%
8%
18%
Inadequate
0%
0%
20%
CT = Critical Thinking
EC = Effective Communication
IL = Information Literacy
Other Applications

Students work in groups to craft learning objectives,
design lessons, and build measurement tools.
Integrated learning
assessment training
in our labor
educator certificate
program
Minute Assessment

What was the most useful thing you
learned during this session on learning
assessment?

What important question remains
unanswered?
Questions?

Jannie R. Cobb
Librarian & Professor
jcobb@nlc.edu

Jennifer M. Harrison
Associate Professor & Director of Learning Assessment
jharrison@nlc.edu