Assessing Student Learning
Outcomes in Student
Development – Part I
Student Development Division Meeting
SUNY Oneonta
May 9, 2008
Presenter
Patty Francis, Associate Provost for
Institutional Assessment and Effectiveness
Topics for Today
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Assessment “basics”
Why student learning outcomes in Student
Development?
Oneonta’s Student Development Division
Learning Outcomes
Good assessment practices in Student
Development – Review and examples
Some Assessment “Basics”
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Establishing congruence among institutional
goals, programmatic and unit objectives, student
learning opportunities, and assessments
Direct vs. direct measures
Process vs. outcome statements
Using a variety of measures, both quantitative
and qualitative, in search of convergence
Using existing data sources as much as possible
Assessment as an ongoing, iterative process
Assessment’s Four Steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
Setting objectives: “What you say you do”
Objective mapping: “How you do what
you say you do”
Assessment: “How you know you are
doing what you say you do”
“Closing the loop”: “What you do next
based on results”
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Assessment without #4 = Waste of time!
Most Important
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Done correctly, assessment:
 Initiates
a “never-ending” dialogue among staff
members regarding programmatic priorities,
objectives and effectiveness
 Offers multiple, rich opportunities for
professional development
 Provides (mostly) affirming data in support of
existing programs and services
 Provides a focused direction for change and
future activities
Student Learning Outcomes in
Student Affairs: Rationale
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Recent transformation in higher education
 From
inputs to outcomes
 Heightened emphasis on personal development as
primary goal of undergraduate education
 Recognition that co-curricular environment is as
important as the classroom
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Important question: How do student development
professionals intentionally create conditions that
enhance student learning and personal
development?
Important Assumptions Underlying a
“Learning-Oriented Student Affairs
Division” (from ACPA, 1996)
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Characteristics of a college education person range from
complex cognitive skills to the ability to apply knowledge
to practical problems to a “coherent integrated sense of
identity”
The concepts of learning, personal development, and
student development are intertwined and inseparable
Experiences in and outside the classroom – and on and
off campus – contribute to student learning and
development
Learning and personal development occur through
transactions between students and their environments
broadly defined
And Last, But Not Least
“Student affairs professionals are educators
who share responsibility with faculty, academic
administrators, other staff, and students
themselves for creating the conditions under
which students are likely to expend time and
energy in educational-purposeful activities.”
Questions to Ask at the Beginning
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Does the division mission statement explicitly
address student learning and personal development
as primary objectives?
Do staff understand, agree with, and perform in ways
congruent with this mission?
How can staff be more intentional about promoting
student learning (and still provide needed services)?
What measures should be in place to demonstrate
effectiveness and inform practice?
A Few Words About Outcomes
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There are different categories of outcomes
 Behavioral
 Cognitive
 Attitudinal
Some categories are much easier to assess
than others!
 The best outcomes statements result from
staff discussion, negotiation and, ultimately,
consensus
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Oneonta’s Student Development
Division Learning Outcomes
Mature Relationships
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Appropriate social skills
Work cooperatively in groups
Conflict resolution
Effective communication
Cognitive Skills
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Problem solving
Applying knowledge
Find, evaluate, and integrate
new information
Identity and Personal Maturity
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Develop values/ethical standards
Set short- and long-term career and
life goals
Learn principles for improving
physical and mental health
Take responsibility for behavior
Understand self
Develop self-confidence
Constructively express emotions
and ideas
Become self-reliant
Oneonta’s Student Development
Division Learning Outcomes (cont.)
Intercultural Maturity
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Understand and appreciate
cultural/ethnic differences
Get along with people from
various backgrounds
Effective Citizenship
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Become more aware of local,
national, global and international
political/social issues
Develop and use effective
leadership skills
Student Learning
Outcomes in Student
Development
Review and Examples
Academic Advisement
Students will:
Develop an educational plan for achieving their educational goals
and select courses each semester consistent with that plan.
Know the institution’s general education requirements.
First-Year Experience
Students participating in orientation will identify at least two faculty
academic expectations of students in the classroom.
First-year students will identify at least two student organizations in
which they would like to get involved.
Career Services
Students will demonstrate increased job search skills (e.g., letter and
resume writing, interviewing, employer research).
Judicial Affairs
Students will demonstrate an awareness of their rights and
responsibilities as members of the campus community as well as of
the resources available to them if they feel their rights have been
violated.
Disability Services
Students will independently and successfully negotiate their
academic accommodations with faculty members.
Opportunity Programs
Students will demonstrate a good working knowledge of all campus
student support offices and services.
Students will follow through when referred to appropriate campus
resources.
College Union
Student workers will identify, provide, and implement technical
equipment that is appropriate for specific union events.
Student Life
Student organizations will execute a program that requires effective
collaboration with another student organization.
Transitioning to the Retreat
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When thinking about outcome statements,
take into account:
 How
do you expect your services and programs to
influence students (overall and sub-groups as
appropriate)?
 What information do you have on previous
students you have served?
 Can you actually assess the outcome?
Assessing Student Learning
Outcomes in Student
Development
Student Development Division Meeting
SUNY Oneonta
May 9, 2008