Program Assessment Worksheet
Professional Development Days August 2009
Name: ________________________________________________________
Date: ____________
Step #1 Identify Programs
A. What programs are you part of that need to be assessed? List degrees and certificates separately.
B. Can your programs be combined together or with other programs for assessment purposes?
C. Who should be on a focus group to assess these programs?
E. What do you see your role as? Leader, planning committee member, participant in assessment.
Step #2 Develop Program Learning Outcomes
A. Draft a program SLO that aligns with one of the LAHC Institutional SLOs for one your programs.
B. Search the Web for learning outcomes for your program. Write a sample outcome from the site you found below.
Step #3 Develop an Assessment Plan
A. Look at your program. At what point(s) could you conduct assessment on the majors?
B. Could there be students in the course that are not in the program?
If so, how will you identify the students in the program?
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Harbor College Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLO)
ISLO
Examples
Reading: Read and comprehend written material critically and effectively at the
1. Communication:
appropriate program level.
Use language and non-verbal
modes of expression appropriate Writing: Write in a clear, coherent, and organized manner, at the appropriate
academic level, to explain ideas, to express feelings, and to support conclusions,
to the audience and purpose.
claims or theses.
Speaking: Speak in an understandable and organized fashion to explain ideas, to
express feelings, and to support conclusions, claims, or theses.
Listening: Listen actively, respectfully, and critically to the substance of others'
comments.
2. Cognition:
Use critical thinking skills to
analyze, synthesize, and
evaluate ideas and information.
Observing (Visual Literacy): Decode and interpret visual messages, construct
meaning from visual images, and produce meaningful visual communication.
Problem Solving: Identify and analyze real or potential problems and develop, test,
and evaluate possible solutions, using the scientific method where appropriate.
Creative Thinking: Formulate ideas and concepts in addition to using those of others.
Quantitative Reasoning: Use appropriate program level mathematical concepts and
methods to understand, analyze, and explain issues in quantitative terms.
Application: Apply knowledge and skills to appropriate contexts and transfer
knowledge and skills to new and varied situations.
3. Information Competency:
Utilize research skills necessary
to achieve educational,
professional, and personal
objectives.
Resource Management: Identify, organize, and allocate resources effectively.
Information Literacy: Use print materials, personal communications, observations,
and electronic media to locate, retrieve, and evaluate information. Understand the
ethical, social and legal issues surrounding the use of information.
Technological Competency: Apply technology effectively to locate, interpret,
organize, and present information.
4. Social Responsibility:
Research Proficiency: Conduct research and present findings effectively.
Teamwork: Use skills needed for participation in group efforts to seek effective
results.
Demonstrate sensitivity to and
respect for others and
participate actively in group
decision making.
Respect for Diversity: Demonstrate an understanding of an respect for the feelings,
opinions, and values of other people and cultures.
5. Personal Development:
Demonstrate self-management,
maturity, and growth through
practices that promote physical,
mental, and emotional wellbeing.
Effective Citizenship: Demonstrate responsibility for being an informed, ethical, and
active citizen of the local community, California, the nation, and the world.
Ethics and Values: Demonstrate an understanding of ethical issues and values
required to make sound judgments and decisions.
Aesthetic Appreciation: Create or show appreciation for artistic and individual
expression.
Self-Understanding/Development: Demonstrate increased self-awareness, selfinsight, and personal growth. Perform learned skills competently.
The following is from: Clark, D. R. (2009), Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Domains. Retrieved Aug 14 2009 from
http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/bloom.html
Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Domains
The Three Types of Learning
There is more than one type of learning. A committee of colleges, led by Benjamin Bloom (1956), identified
three domains of educational activities:



Cognitive: mental skills (Knowledge)
Affective: growth in feelings or emotional areas (Attitude)
Psychomotor: manual or physical skills (Skills)
Since the work was produced by higher education, the words tend to be a little bigger than we normally use.
Domains can be thought of as categories. Trainers often refer to these three domains as KSA (Knowledge,
Skills, and Attitude). This taxonomy of learning behaviors can be thought of as "the goals of the training
process." That is, after the training session, the learner should have acquired new skills, knowledge, and/or
attitudes.
The committee also produced an elaborate compilation for the cognitive and affective domains, but none for the
psychomotor domain. Their explanation for this oversight was that they have little experience in teaching
manual skills within the college level (I guess they never thought to check with their sports or drama
department).
This compilation divides the three domains into subdivisions, starting from the simplest behavior to the most
complex. The divisions outlined are not absolutes and there are other systems or hierarchies that have been
devised in the educational and training world. However, Bloom's taxonomy is easily understood and is probably
the most widely applied one in use today.
Cognitive Domain
The cognitive domain (Bloom, 1956) involves knowledge and the development of intellectual skills. This
includes the recall or recognition of specific facts, procedural patterns, and concepts that serve in the
development of intellectual abilities and skills. There are six major categories, which are listed in order below,
starting from the simplest behavior to the most complex. The categories can be thought of as degrees of
difficulties. That is, the first one must be mastered before the next one can take place.
Category
Example and Key Words
Examples: Recite a policy. Quote prices from memory to a
customer. Knows the safety rules.
Knowledge: Recall data or
information.
Comprehension: Understand
the meaning, translation,
interpolation, and interpretation
Key Words: defines, describes, identifies, knows, labels, lists,
matches, names, outlines, recalls, recognizes, reproduces, selects,
states.
Examples: Rewrites the principles of test writing. Explain in one's
own words the steps for performing a complex task. Translates an
of instructions and problems.
State a problem in one's own
words.
equation into a computer spreadsheet.
Application: Use a concept in a
new situation or unprompted
use of an abstraction. Applies
what was learned in the
classroom into novel situations
in the work place.
Examples: Use a manual to calculate an employee's vacation time.
Apply laws of statistics to evaluate the reliability of a written test.
Analysis: Separates material or
concepts into component parts
so that its organizational
structure may be understood.
Distinguishes between facts and
inferences.
Synthesis: Builds a structure or
pattern from diverse elements.
Put parts together to form a
whole, with emphasis on
creating a new meaning or
structure.
Evaluation: Make judgments
about the value of ideas or
materials.
Key Words: comprehends, converts, defends, distinguishes,
estimates, explains, extends, generalizes, gives Examples, infers,
interprets, paraphrases, predicts, rewrites, summarizes, translates.
Key Words: applies, changes, computes, constructs, demonstrates,
discovers, manipulates, modifies, operates, predicts, prepares,
produces, relates, shows, solves, uses.
Examples: Troubleshoot a piece of equipment by using logical
deduction. Recognize logical fallacies in reasoning. Gathers
information from a department and selects the required tasks for
training.
Key Words: analyzes, breaks down, compares, contrasts, diagrams,
deconstructs, differentiates, discriminates, distinguishes, identifies,
illustrates, infers, outlines, relates, selects, separates.
Examples: Write a company operations or process manual. Design a
machine to perform a specific task. Integrates training from several
sources to solve a problem. Revises and process to improve the
outcome.
Key Words: categorizes, combines, compiles, composes, creates,
devises, designs, explains, generates, modifies, organizes, plans,
rearranges, reconstructs, relates, reorganizes, revises, rewrites,
summarizes, tells, writes.
Examples: Select the most effective solution. Hire the most
qualified candidate. Explain and justify a new budget.
Key Words: appraises, compares, concludes, contrasts, criticizes,
critiques, defends, describes, discriminates, evaluates, explains,
interprets, justifies, relates, summarizes, supports.
Affective Domain
The affective domain (Krathwohl, Bloom, Masia, 1973) includes the manner in which we deal with things
emotionally, such as feelings, values, appreciation, enthusiasms, motivations, and attitudes. The five major
categories are listed from the simplest behavior to the most complex:
Category
Example and Key Words
Receiving Phenomena:
Awareness, willingness to hear,
selected attention.
Examples: Listen to others with respect. Listen for and remember
the name of newly introduced people.
Key Words: asks, chooses, describes, follows, gives, holds,
identifies, locates, names, points to, selects, sits, erects, replies,
uses.
Responding to Phenomena:
Active participation on the part of
the learners. Attends and reacts to
a particular phenomenon.
Learning outcomes may
emphasize compliance in
responding, willingness to
respond, or satisfaction in
responding (motivation).
Valuing: The worth or value a
person attaches to a particular
object, phenomenon, or
behavior. This ranges from
simple acceptance to the more
complex state of
commitment. Valuing is based on
the internalization of a set of
specified values, while clues to
these values are expressed in the
learner's overt behavior and are
often identifiable.
Organization: Organizes values
into priorities by contrasting
different values, resolving
conflicts between them, and
creating an unique value system.
The emphasis is on comparing,
relating, and synthesizing values.
Internalizing values
(characterization): Has a value
system that controls their
behavior. The behavior is
pervasive, consistent, predictable,
and most importantly,
characteristic of the
learner. Instructional objectives
are concerned with the student's
Examples: Participates in class discussions. Gives a presentation.
Questions new ideals, concepts, models, etc. in order to fully
understand them. Know the safety rules and practices them.
Key Words: answers, assists, aids, complies, conforms, discusses,
greets, helps, labels, performs, practices, presents, reads, recites,
reports, selects, tells, writes.
Examples: Demonstrates belief in the democratic process. Is
sensitive towards individual and cultural differences (value
diversity). Shows the ability to solve problems. Proposes a plan to
social improvement and follows through with commitment.
Informs management on matters that one feels strongly about.
Key Words: completes, demonstrates, differentiates, explains,
follows, forms, initiates, invites, joins, justifies, proposes, reads,
reports, selects, shares, studies, works.
Examples: Recognizes the need for balance between freedom and
responsible behavior. Accepts responsibility for one's behavior.
Explains the role of systematic planning in solving
problems. Accepts professional ethical standards. Creates a life
plan in harmony with abilities, interests, and beliefs. Prioritizes
time effectively to meet the needs of the organization, family, and
self.
Key Words: adheres, alters, arranges, combines, compares,
completes, defends, explains, formulates, generalizes, identifies,
integrates, modifies, orders, organizes, prepares, relates,
synthesizes.
Examples: Shows self-reliance when working
independently. Cooperates in group activities (displays teamwork).
Uses an objective approach in problem solving. Displays a
professional commitment to ethical practice on a daily basis.
Revises judgments and changes behavior in light of new evidence.
Values people for what they are, not how they look.
Key Words: acts, discriminates, displays, influences, listens,
modifies, performs, practices, proposes, qualifies, questions,
general patterns of adjustment
(personal, social, emotional).
revises, serves, solves, verifies.
Psychomotor Domain
The psychomotor domain (Simpson, 1972) includes physical movement, coordination, and use of the motorskill areas. Development of these skills requires practice and is measured in terms of speed, precision, distance,
procedures, or techniques in execution. The seven major categories are listed from the simplest behavior to the
most complex:
Category
Perception: The ability to use
sensory cues to guide motor
activity. This ranges from sensory
stimulation, through cue selection,
to translation.
Example and Key Words
Examples: Detects non-verbal communication cues. Estimate
where a ball will land after it is thrown and then moving to the
correct location to catch the ball. Adjusts heat of stove to correct
temperature by smell and taste of food. Adjusts the height of the
forks on a forklift by comparing where the forks are in relation to
the pallet.
Key Words: chooses, describes, detects, differentiates,
distinguishes, identifies, isolates, relates, selects.
Set: Readiness to act. It includes
mental, physical, and emotional
sets. These three sets are
dispositions that predetermine a
person's response to different
situations (sometimes called
mindsets).
Guided Response: The early
stages in learning a complex skill
that includes imitation and trial
and error. Adequacy of
performance is achieved by
practicing.
Examples: Knows and acts upon a sequence of steps in a
manufacturing process. Recognize one's abilities and limitations.
Shows desire to learn a new process (motivation). NOTE: This
subdivision of Psychomotor is closely related with the
"Responding to phenomena" subdivision of the Affective domain.
Key Words: begins, displays, explains, moves, proceeds, reacts,
shows, states, volunteers.
Examples: Performs a mathematical equation as demonstrated.
Follows instructions to build a model. Responds hand-signals of
instructor while learning to operate a forklift.
Key Words: copies, traces, follows, react, reproduce, responds
Mechanism: This is the
intermediate stage in learning a
complex skill. Learned responses
have become habitual and the
movements can be performed with
some confidence and proficiency.
Examples: Use a personal computer. Repair a leaking faucet.
Drive a car.
Complex Overt Response: The
skillful performance of motor acts
that involve complex movement
patterns. Proficiency is indicated
by a quick, accurate, and highly
Examples: Maneuvers a car into a tight parallel parking spot.
Operates a computer quickly and accurately. Displays competence
while playing the piano.
Key Words: assembles, calibrates, constructs, dismantles,
displays, fastens, fixes, grinds, heats, manipulates, measures,
mends, mixes, organizes, sketches.
Key Words: assembles, builds, calibrates, constructs, dismantles,
coordinated performance,
requiring a minimum of
energy. This category includes
performing without hesitation, and
automatic performance. For
example, players are often utter
sounds of satisfaction or
expletives as soon as they hit a
tennis ball or throw a football,
because they can tell by the feel of
the act what the result will
produce.
Adaptation: Skills are well
developed and the individual can
modify movement patterns to fit
special requirements.
displays, fastens, fixes, grinds, heats, manipulates, measures,
mends, mixes, organizes, sketches.
NOTE: The Key Words are the same as Mechanism, but will have
adverbs or adjectives that indicate that the performance is quicker,
better, more accurate, etc.
Examples: Responds effectively to unexpected experiences.
Modifies instruction to meet the needs of the learners. Perform a
task with a machine that it was not originally intended to do
(machine is not damaged and there is no danger in performing the
new task).
Key Words: adapts, alters, changes, rearranges, reorganizes,
revises, varies.
Origination: Creating new
movement patterns to fit a
particular situation or specific
problem. Learning outcomes
emphasize creativity based upon
highly developed skills.
Examples: Constructs a new theory. Develops a new and
comprehensive training programming. Creates a new gymnastic
routine.
Key Words: arranges, builds, combines, composes, constructs,
creates, designs, initiate, makes, originates.
Other Psychomotor Domains
As mentioned earlier, the committee did not produce a compilation for the psychomotor domain model, but
others have. The one discussed above is by Simpson (1972). There are two other popular versions:
Dave's (1975):





Imitation: Observing and patterning behavior after someone else. Performance may be of low quality. Example:
Copying a work of art.
Manipulation: Being able to perform certain actions by following instructions and practicing. Example: Creating
work on one's own, after taking lessons, or reading about it.
Precision: Refining, becoming more exact. Few errors are apparent. Example: Working and reworking
something, so it will be "just right."
Articulation: Coordinating a series of actions, achieving harmony and internal consistency. Example: Producing a
video that involves music, drama, color, sound, etc.
Naturalization: Having high level performance become natural, without needing to think much about it.
Examples: Michael Jordan playing basketball, Nancy Lopez hitting a golf ball, etc.
Harrow's (1972):


Reflex movements - Reactions that are not learned.
Fundamental movements - Basic movements such as walking, or grasping.




Perception - Response to stimuli such as visual, auditory, kinesthetic, or tactile discrimination.
Physical abilities - Stamina that must be developed for further development such as strength and agility.
Skilled movements - Advanced learned movements as one would find in sports or acting.
No discursive communication - Effective body language, such as gestures and facial expressions.
The following is from: “Assessment at the Program Level” by Trudy H. Bers at
http://virtual2.yosemite.cc.ca.us/mjcinstruction/CAI/Resources/Prog%20Level%20Assessment%20by%20Bers.
doc
Assessment Approaches
Many approaches are available for assessing student outcomes at the program-level, though some are more
feasible than others.
Capstone course. Some programs have a capstone course, a course required of students at the end of the
program that integrates material covered earlier and to demonstrate their learning through various
combinations of tests, papers, portfolios, simulations, team assignments, presentations and other methods for
demonstrating learning. The instructor of record, several faculty members in the program, advisory
committee or other industry practitioners, or a combination of these can evaluate student learning in
capstone courses. Though technically assessment is occurring at the course level, the course is designed to
approximate the totality of key learning expected of students completing the program. Therefore course
learning outcomes are interpretable as program-level learning outcomes as well.
Vendor or industry certification examination. Some fields, especially those in technologies, are experiencing
a growth of certification examinations administered by vendors or professional/industry organizations.
Certification is external validation that the student has learned knowledge and skills identified by the vendor
or organization as essential for a particular job or credential. The examining body may not care where test
takers obtained their knowledge, and may not even care whether this was achieved through coursework or
self-study. Community colleges may develop programs intended to prepare students for these examinations,
however, and use results as indicators of program-level learning.
Standardized testing. In some fields standardized tests may be available. When administered to students
near the end of their programs, test results provide indications to the student and the institution about the
program-level learning that has occurred. In reality, standardized tests are often difficult to use in community
colleges. They are not available in all areas and may be expensive with respect both to actual dollar outlays
and the resources required to administer them under rigorous testing protocols. Standardized tests are often
controversial, especially when faculty believe the standardized test doesn’t align with program objectives.
Moreover, unless test results directly impact graduation or grade point averages, students have little incentive
to take the tests seriously, even if taking the test itself, rather than the score attained, is a graduation
requirement.
Satisfaction surveys. Student and alumni satisfaction surveys that include self-reported estimates of learning
provide indirect evidence of student learning outcomes. Though most powerful when results are triangulated
with more direct assessments of learning, satisfaction surveys can be especially helpful when respondents are
currently working in the field and are providing feedback about whether what they believe they learned in the
program has adequately prepared them for the workplace. Satisfaction surveys are available through a
number of commercial providers, and may be institutionally developed as well.
Institutional or departmental testing. This approach requires faculty to agree on one or more standardized or
institutionally developed tests that touch on all or most essential elements of a program. The test would be
administered to all students at the completion of the program, however completion may be operationally
defined; e.g., end of a culminating course, prior to receiving a degree or certificate, or prerequisite for
enrollment in a capstone course or practicum/seminar experience. Because students would take the test
regardless of instructor and at or near the end of the curriculum, results may be interpreted as indicating
acquisition of knowledge, skills and attitudes at the program-level.
Portfolio assessment. Portfolios are collections of students’ work that demonstrate learning and
development. Work is carefully assessed by faculty or other content-area experts and typically evaluated
holistically. Portfolios can consist of hard and/or electronic copies of students’ work, and include artifacts
such as student-written papers, projects, videotapes of presentations, resumes, sample letters of application
for jobs, and other materials that give evidence of achievements. For program-level assessment, portfolios
need to contain documentation of learning and development across the spectrum of program objectives.
Performance manuals. A performance manual lists and briefly describes behaviors a student should be able
to execute with competency at the conclusion of a program. Faculty evaluate students’ abilities to perform
these behaviors, regardless of whether they are observed in class, at clinical settings, through service-learning
or other service or support activities, or elsewhere (Boland and Laidig, 2001).
Narratives. Benner (1999) suggests a novel approach to assessment: having students recount their
experiences through stories, with faculty then assessing learning by listening to and questioning students to
determine whether the students demonstrate understanding of the context and content of situations being
described. This approach requires students and faculty to engage in dialog; while it may provide rich insights
into how and what each student has learned, translating information into summary form for program
improvement may be challenging.
Culminating project. A culminating project may be linked with a capstone course or internship experience or
stand alone as a requirement for program completion. The project needs to be broadly defined and reflect
student learning and ability to integrate information from across the curriculum. Projects may be graded by
faculty, by outside experts or by a combination of internal and external evaluators. The project differs from a
portfolio in that a portfolio is a collection of student work gathered throughout the student’s time at the
institution, whereas the project is a more focused work that addresses a particular situation or simulation. For
example, students in fashion merchandising might be required to put together a marketing campaign,
including sample ads, budgets, media schedules, and displays to promote a new line of sportswear targeted to
young teens, and then to present the campaign to an audience of faculty, peers and industry representatives.
In the performing arts, the concept “juried performance” is often used to identify student works evaluated by
outside experts.
Transfer to and success in another institution, usually a four-year college or university. Though community
college transfer programs usually award an associate degree when a student completes the program, the
primary purpose for these programs is to provide students with the first two years of undergraduate work and
to give them the necessary knowledge and skills so they can succeed in upper division coursework. We
assume, usually without verifying this, that when a student transfers the receiving institution has scrutinized
the student’s record at the community college and positively evaluated the learning implied on that record.
We also assume, again without verification, that most if not all the student’s credits from the community
college will transfer as well. Thus an indirect indicator of student learning is acceptance at and transfer to a
four-year college or university. The National Student Clearinghouse EnrollmentSearch program enables
participating institutions to learn if and where students transfer. The Clearinghouse claims to have data for
some 80 percent of all students enrolled in postsecondary education in the United States. Names and birth
dates are used to match student records.
LA HARBOR COLLEGE
Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) Assessment Report
Program Assessment
Program Name: ___________________________________________________________________________
Division (if applicable): ___________________________
Program Contact Person: ________________________________________
Phone: _______________________
Reviewed by:
Date:
Attach additional pages as necessary.
Institutional
Program Student Learning
SLO
Outcomes
Number
, Academic Dean
Means of Assessment
and Criteria for
Success
Summary of Data
Collected
Use of Results
Timeline for
Program
Modification