Assessing Progress on the
Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)
Department of Academic Effectiveness and Assessment
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
Progress on the QEP
Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan
Review QEP timelines
Defining Critical Thinking
QEP Initiatives and Goals
Progress and Areas of Opportunity
September 2, 2011
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
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Review of QEP Timelines
Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan
 Efforts began in Spring 2008 at program levels
 As of 2011, all disciplines institution-wide (33) have
participated in learning to teach Critical Thinking (via
Champions and ARTs)
2008
Instructional
Portfolios
First Cohort: 4
programs
2009
Instructional
Portfolios
2nd Cohort: 5
programs
2010
Instructional
Portfolios
3rd Cohort: 15
Programs
2011
Instructional
Portfolios
4th Cohort: 9
Programs
 One year remaining until we start finalizing the report
September 2, 2011
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
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Defining Critical Thinking
Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan
 QEP Focus: Enhancing student learning by improving
students’ ability to think critically.
 SPC’s definition of Critical Thinking:
“Critical thinking is the active and systematic
process of communication, problem-solving,
evaluation, analysis, synthesis, and reflection, both
individually and in community, to foster
understanding, support sound decision-making,
and guide action.”
September 2, 2011
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
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Defining Critical Thinking
Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan
 Six elements of Critical Thinking, thirteen student learning
outcomes. Students will be able to…
I. Communication
• demonstrate the ability to communicate ideas effectively.
II. Problem-solving
• identify inappropriate conclusions.
II. Problem-solving
• use mathematical skills to solve real-world problems.
III. Evaluation
• interpret numerical relationships in graphs.
III. Evaluation
• understand the limitations of correlational data.
III. Evaluation
• identify and evaluate evidence for a theory.
IV. Analysis
• separate factual information from inferences.
IV. Analysis
• separate relevant from irrelevant information.
V. Synthesis
• identify new information that might support or contradict a hypothesis.
V. Synthesis
• explain how new information can change a problem.
V. Synthesis
• integrate information in order to solve a problem.
VI. Reflection
• use journaling as a tool for in depth reflection of course their thinking
VI. Reflection
• learn and apply new information that can change a problem.
September 2, 2011
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
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Defining Critical Thinking
Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan
 The outcomes of the current definition of critical thinking
are intended to:
 Foster understanding
 Support sound decision-making
 Guide Action
September 2, 2011
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
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QEP Initiatives
Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan
 Initiative #1: Student Success (primary focus of the QEP)
 Initiative #2: Professional Development (culminates with
student success)
 Initiative #3: Critical Thinking Resources (supports
student success)
September 2, 2011
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
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Initiative #1:
Student Success
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
Initiative #1: Student Success
Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan
#
1-1.
Goals
Enhance students’ critical thinking skills through “teaching for critical
thinking” classroom activities across the curriculum.
1-2.
Develop and use general and discipline-specific assessment tools
and strategies for measuring students’ critical thinking skills.
1-3.
Collect student artifacts through ePortfolio.
1-4.
Implement critical thinking programs supported by key student
organizations.
September 2, 2011
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
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Initiative #1: Student Success
Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan
 Goal 1-1: Enhance students’ critical thinking skills
through “teaching for critical thinking” classroom
activities across the curriculum.
Direct
•
Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT)
Measures:
•
ETS iSkills (due to modifications, iSkills is no longer being used)
•
ETS Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress (MAPP)
•
Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking (ARC)
Indirect
•
Recent Alumni Survey
Measures:
•
Employer Survey
•
Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)
September 2, 2011
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
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Initiative #1: Student Success
Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan
 Goal 1-2: Develop and use general and discipline-specific
assessment tools and strategies for measuring students’ critical
thinking skills.
 Faculty Champion Portfolios, Academic Round Tables, Scenarios
 Goal 1-3: Collect student artifacts through ePortfolio.
 Feasibility study reviewed current LMS (Angel) and others. Determined that
the ePortfolio would not meet our needs. CT subcommittee of Ed Oversight
recommended using ePortfolio allocated funds towards CCSSE.
 Goal 1-4: Implement critical thinking programs supported by key
student organizations.
 Great debate of 2008, SPC Reads, “The Cuban Guy”, Extreme
Entrepreneurship Tour. WITS forms for Student Life and Leadership and
students
September 2, 2011
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
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Student Success: Opportunities
Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan
 Administer MAPP (institution-wide direct measure, last administered in 2007)
 Consider critical thinking items on the SSI
 Documentation of student journaling (V. Reflection) (aligned to ePortfolios, also
single demonstration aligned to “foster understanding”)
 Increase documentation of Critical Thinking programs/events and feedback
 “Clean up” of faculty champion portfolios; explicitly document discipline-specific
assessment examples
 Conduct audit of all SPC programs (curricular and others) (SACS IE Reviewer’s
template)
September 2, 2011
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
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Initiative #2:
Professional Development
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
Initiative #2:
Professional Development
Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan
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Goals
2-1.
Provide professional development opportunities to assist faculty in
developing class activities to support teaching for critical thinking.
2-2.
Develop in-house critical thinking expertise (i.e., faculty champions)
using the “train-the-trainer” approach.
2-3.
Institute Academic Roundtables (ARTs) to investigate “teaching for
critical thinking” strategies.
September 2, 2011
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
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Initiative #2:
Professional Development
Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan
 Goal 2-1: Provide professional development opportunities to assist
faculty in developing class activities to support teaching for critical
thinking.
 Thirteen Critical Thinking Institutes and retreats, CAT scoring workshops, ARC
scoring workshops, Online seminars, evaluations
 Goal 2-2: Develop in-house critical thinking expertise (i.e., faculty
champions) using the “train-the-trainer” approach.
 Faculty Champion meetings, six external experts on campus, online training seminars,
development of RLO and assessment checklists
 Goal 2-3: Institute Academic Roundtables (ARTs) to investigate
“teaching for critical thinking” strategies
 ART Beach Retreats, meetings with Faculty Champions, evaluations by ARTs
September 2, 2011
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
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Professional Development:
Opportunities
Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan
 In fall 2011, advanced CT seminars will be held as part of the CT Institute, where
disciplines will have individual meetings to discuss the day's presentations and
discuss how it applies to their discipline.
 In 2011-12, QEP office will work with CETL to get in touch with new faculty about CT
 Look at C&I 3-yr course review process for opportunity to develop a “teaching for
critical thinking” checklist as a tool for faculty to use when modifying courses or class
activities. Checklist for activities are being developed in partnership with CETL.
 During 2011-2012, survey SPC faculty regarding availability and effectiveness of
professional development opportunities.
September 2, 2011
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
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Initiative #3:
Critical Thinking Resources
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
Initiative #3:
Critical Thinking Resources
Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan
#
Goals
3-1.
Compile electronic resources for SPC faculty and staff organized through a
College gateway website.
3-2.
Create and collect critical thinking reusable learning objects (RLOs) for SPC
and other institutions in Florida and across the world who are seeking
multimedia/electronic critical thinking materials.
3-3.
Contribute to the critical thinking literature through presentation and
publication of instructional portfolios of strategies that support “teaching for
critical thinking.”
3-4.
Acquire and use print and multimedia critical thinking library resources
available at Critical Thinking Resource Centers housed in campus libraries.
September 2, 2011
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
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Initiative #3:
Critical Thinking Resources
Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan
 Goals 3-1 (electronic resources), 3-2 (RLOs), and 3-4
(CT Resource Centers):
 Gateway Website, instructional portfolios, partnership with WITS,
designated space at each campus library, as well as online. Approx 30
RLOs as of 2010-2011.
 Goal 3-3: Contribute to the critical thinking literature…
 Faculty champion presentations at CT Institutes, 33 different
instructional portfolios that include discipline-specific research.
September 2, 2011
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
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Critical Thinking Resources:
Opportunities
Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan
 Survey faculty champions to identify RLOs they implemented in
their courses.
 Consider focus groups of students
 Survey SPC faculty to obtain feedback regarding Faculty
Champions’ portfolios (literature, activities, resources)
September 2, 2011
Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting
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