How to Use Data to Improve
Student Learning
How to Use Data to Improve Student
Learning
Training Conducted at Campus-Based SLO
Summit
Spring 2014
Participants’ Learning Outcomes
At the end of this training, participants will be able to
 Interpret SLO assessment data;
 Make recommendations based on the interpretations.
We have collected SLO
assessment data, now what?
Once we have collected data,
we tend to …
1. Make no recommendations;
2. Make recommendations that
are too broad to be
implemented;
3. Make recommendations but
don’t implement them.
“We have met the outcome, so
no recommendations for
improvement at this time.”
Data are meant to be used!
Using assessment data involves—
 Interpreting the Data
 Making Recommendations (Future Tense)
 Implementing Recommendations
 Report on Implementation (Past Tense)
Interpreting Data
1. Explain what factors contributed to the results.
2. Address why the target was met or not met?
Example 1
PLO: Identify and describe the use of various ceramic materials, production
methods, and firing processes. (Art)
Target Outcome: 70% of students enrolled will pass the final exam for the
course.
Actual Results: 85% of the students in the course passed the final exam,
exceeding the target.
Interpretation of Data: Further analysis of the data indicated that 15% of the
students (16 students) did not meet the outcome, and out of these 16
students, 10 students didn’t describe the firing processes adequately. This
raised the questions about the teaching method and assessment method. Is
verbal explanation of the firing processes sufficient? What is the best way to
test students’ mastery of firing processes?
Making Recommendations
Based on Interpretation
Interpretation of Data: Further
analysis of the data indicated
that 15% of the students (16
students) did not meet the
outcome, and out of these 16
students, 10 students didn’t
describe the firing processes
adequately. This raised the
questions about the teaching
method and assessment
method. Is verbal explanation of
the firing processes sufficient?
What is the best way to test
students’ mastery of firing
process?
Recommendations:
1. Use visual aid to
explain the firing
process;
2. Use video to
demonstrate the firing
process;
3. Test students’ mastery
of the firing processes
by having students
display their ceramic
art work that is
produced by students’
applying firing
processes.
Interpret the Data
Example 2
PLO: Gather information and formulate conclusions regarding the client's
needs and priorities to develop a client centered intervention plan.
(Occupational Therapy Assistant)
Target Outcome: 80% of students should score a 3 and 100% should score
a 2 or above on a scale of 1-3).
Actual Result: 54% of the students scored a 3 (Excellent) and 100% of the
students scored a 2 Satisfactory). The target was partially met.
Interpretation of Data:
Faculty discussed the actual results and found that students who failed to
score “3” failed to demonstrate critical thinking skills when designing the
intervention plan, which prompted the necessity to implement critical thinking
activities in OTHA2302.
Making Recommendations
Based on Data
Interpretation of Data:
Faculty discussed the actual
results and found that students
who failed to score “3” failed to
demonstrate critical thinking
skills when designing the
intervention plan, which
prompted the necessity to
implement critical thinking
activities in OTHA2302.
Recommendations:
Faculty will design
student critical thinking
activities and
incorporate these
activities in
OTHA2302.
Types of
Recommendations
Recommendation Types
Examples
Instructional Strategies (1). Adjust course delivery to teach the course using a
topics-based approach and make it more engaging by
incorporating active learning strategies and case
studies to increase retention of concepts.
(2). We would like to incorporate more hands on
activity in lab to reinforce learning.
Curriculum Changes
(1). Add more relevance and pertinence to the biology
non-majors’ curriculum so that non-majors can use the
basic concepts in biology to better understand social
issues related to the environment and public health.
(2). We would like to add a research paper in the
course, showing uses of the information in real life.
(3). Require uniform amount of time to teach the
learning outcome (e.g. 45 minutes).
Types of
Recommendations
Recommendation Types
Examples
Student support
(1). Continue to advise and motivate
students: encourage attendance and
encourage completion of coursework.
(2).Offer tutoring during office hours
Teacher Development
(1). We would like to provide professional
development for faculty on collaborative
learning.
(2). Implement faculty mentoring system
(1). Using one capstone project to evaluate
all PLOs may not be adequate. We will add
simulation questions that simulate the state
exams to assess each PLO.
(2). We will revise the grading rubric to
target more discrete skills so that we can
identify which area is most challenging to
students.
Assessment Method
Implement
Recommendations
 Recommendations made based on data interpretation need to be
implemented during the subsequent assessment cycle.
 Ways to implement recommendations include the following:
A.
Make the recommendation a departmental requirement;
B.
Form a taskforce to complete the recommended project;
C.
Implement the recommendation in the classroom;
D.
Other activities.
Report on Implementation
 Report on the implementation by specifying what
recommendation was implemented in what way and by when;
 Use past tense.
Example 1 (Departmental Activity and Chair’s Requirement)
The recommendation, “Provide professional development to adjunct
faculty with regard to the course content standards set by the
department and require them to abide by the standards,” was
implemented by the chair who organized the professional
development event and also communicated the requirements to the
adjunct faculty in Fall 2013.
Report on Implementation
Example 2 (Faculty Classroom Activity):
The recommendation, “Faculty will design student critical thinking
activities and incorporate these activities in OTHA2302,” was
implemented by Faculty who designed and implemented the critical
thinking activities in OTHA2302 in Fall 2013.
Report on Implementation
Example 3 (Taskforce Activity):
A taskforce was formed with full-time and part-time faculty
representatives to address the recommendation, “Revise the
grading rubric to target more discrete skills so that we can
identify which area is most challenging to students.” The revised
rubric was adopted in Fall 2013. Using the revised rubric, the
faculty was able to identify the “translation process” to be the
most challenging area for students, so instruction was adjusted
to focus more on teaching the “translation process.”
Participants’ Activity
Based on the scenario of data interpretation, please make
recommendations and report on the implementation:
Scenario 1: The accounting faculty at a campus found that some aspects
of the accounting cycle proved to be difficult to students. Faculty believed
that lack of critical thinking skills might have contributed to the difficulty in
understanding the accounting cycle concepts.
Recommendation
Report on Implementation
(at the end of subsequent year)
Participants’ Activity
Based on the scenario of data interpretation, please make
recommendations and report on the implementation:
Scenario 2: The Math faculty found that students who failed the exam
were online students who failed to complete all the practice exercises.
Recommendation
Report on Implementation
(at the end of subsequent year)
Thank you!