Student Learning Outcomes
1. Identify which class/es we want to assess and over what time period.
Our e-mail discussion indicates interest in working on Sociology 300 for our first
assessment. I think that Alan’s example of assessing over two semesters is a good idea.
We can discuss this; we are not yet committed to any timeline.
2. Next, we need to determine which of the stated SLO/s we want to assess. I have
attached a copy of our SLOs for Soc. 300 to consider. We can select one or more and can
spread out the assessment for the time period we indicate in #1 (above).
3. Once we complete the above we need to determine how to assess the chosen SLO/s.
There will be several of us working on this – Alan noted that we do NOT need to assess the
chosen SLO/s in the same way. For example, we might select the first SLO to assess –
Analyze the relationship between the individual, culture, and society
We then need to articulate how we will measure student learning outcome of this item.
Options include (but are not limited to) quizzes, exams, projects, papers, presentations. I
believe our measures may be qualitative or quantitative (see example attached).
4. Once these items are completed, we need to operationalize the assessment method
described in #3 above. How does what we chose to measure actually measure what we
set out to measure??  Examples on the form include rubrics, embedded measures, and
“add-on” measures1.
5. This is the area that is the most significant according to Alan – the SLO Outcome
Review. This section looks clear – we need to summarize our findings and strategize ways
to address any deficiencies that we find.
OBJECTIVE BY THE END OF THIS SEMESTER: Complete #s 1 – 4 so that our
evaluation can begin with Fall semester 2008.
Please note – I do not know what “embedded” or “add-on” measures are!! We can ask Alan about this if
we need to.
1
SCC Sociology Department
Student Learning Outcomes update
Course that will be assessed: Sociology 300 (Introductory Sociology)
Term: Fall 2008
Faculty responsible: Pam Flaherty, Tonie Hilligoss, Nich Miller, Angela Block
Priority SLO(s) addressed2:
(a) “Develop the ability to analyze everyday experience from a sociological perspective.”
(b) “Evaluate how individual experience is affected by social forces.”
Assessment plan: Pam and Nich will be working on assessment for outcome “b” (above)
by using a social location exercise and assignments in the assessment process;
Angela and Tonie will be working on assessment for outcome “a” (above). Angela will use
a norm breaching assignment and exam questions measuring concept mastery. Tonie’s
measures will include assessment of the following assignment examples and exam
questions --
A. Analyze a controversial social issue related to the family (cohabitation, extended
adolescence, singlehood by choice, gay marriage, etc.) from the perspective of the
structural-functional and the social conflict perspectives. Type your topic into the Subject
line and try to select one that has not already been discussed. If you post too late to do
that, be sure to introduce information or an analytical approach that is different from the
previous student's. Do not select a topic that has been discussed more than once. Base
your analysis on specific information found on the Internet and cite your source(s). Select
websites that have not already been used by other students.
OR
B. Go to Centers for Disease Control. Find a topic no one else has yet written about that
poses a threat to society, summarize the nature of that threat in social (rather than medical)
terms, and explain what is being done to control the threat and how that is affecting
society as a whole. Name at least two sections in Chapter 14 that relate to your
discussion.
2
from Socrates
Exam questions:
A. Describe the relationship between prejudice and discrimination described in your book
as The Vicious Circle, and relate your discussion to the Thomas Theorem and the concept
of institutional prejudice and discrimination. Illustrate your discussion with an historical
example.
OR
B. Name the four ways that health is a societal as well as a medical issue, and briefly
discuss each.
SLO Outcome Review
Pam, Tonie, Nich, and I will meet at the end of the semester to discuss our findings. These
will be summarized and submitted to Alan for review.