Student Learning Outcomes:
Institution to Course
Candace Timpte
Juliana Lancaster
Georgia Gwinnett College
Origins
• 4-year, State College in the University
System of Georgia
• Authorized by GA Legislature in May 2005
• President hired in September 2005
• Campus opened with 118 students and 10
faculty in August 2006
• Home of the Grizzlies!
Current Status
• Students:
– Fall 2006
– Fall 2007
– Fall 2010
Enrollment: 118
Enrollment: 787
Enrollment: 5380
• Faculty
– Fall 2006
– Fall 2010
Total: 11 – all FT
Total: 333 (196FT; 137PT)
• Degree Programs
– Fall 2006: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology
– Fall 2007: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology, Information
Technology
– Fall 2010: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology, Information
Technology, Mathematics; BA English, History, Political Science;
BSEd: Early Childhood Ed, Special Ed
Institutional Effectiveness
Starting Conditions
 Advantages of starting from scratch
 Strong executive level support for and understanding of IE
 Limited number of programs and offices at start-up
 Absence of legacy or standing processes and structures
 Disadvantages to starting from scratch
 Absence of legacy or standing processes and structures
 Each individual brings a different set of assumptions and
expectations
 Rapid growth and hiring leads to continuous need for
explanation/education
Institutional Effectiveness
Initial Design (2006-07)
• In order to get “…ongoing, integrated, and institution-wide researchbased planning and evaluation processes…[SACS]” for we needed:
– Structure and resources
– Broad buy-in, consensus and agreement
• Working “ground rules”
– Institution-wide and pervasive
– Integrated with institution’s mission & strategic plan
– Faculty/staff participation and basic control
– Interdisciplinary and developmental assessment of student
learning
Institutional Effectiveness
Initial Design (2007-07)
•
•
•
•
Program level student learning outcomes and assessment plans
General Education curriculum designed around learning outcomes
Agreement to develop and assess for institutional learning outcomes
Agreement to integrate curricular and co-curricular learning efforts
• Leading to: Integrated Educational Experience (IEE) Student Learning
Outcome Goals for GGC
Institutional Effectiveness
Continuing Design
Conceptual Relationships Among Outcome Goals and Objectives
Institutional Goals
Integrated Educational Experience SLO Goals
Student Affairs Goals
Student Affairs
Activity Goals
Program of Study Goals
Course Goals
Lesson Objectives
Our Terminology
Lesson Objectives
• Define learning expectations for each unit
in the course.
• Each course has defined LO shared
among all sections.
• LOs ‘standardize’ multiple section courses
• Students use LO as a study guide.
Course Goals
• Defined as the critical educational
components of the course
– “At the end of this course, you will be able to…”
•
•
•
•
Content related goals
Skill related goals
Higher-order goals
All must be assessable!
Course Goals
• At GGC, listed as course description in
course catalog.
• Faculty determined.
• All faculty teaching a course must buy-in
to teaching these CG.
• Living list, revise as needed.
Program Outcome Goals
• Hallmarks of student achievement in a
program of study.
• Tripartite: content, skills, higher order goals
• Majors with tracks have common POG +
track specific POG.
– Biology tracks in Biochemistry, General Biology
and Secondary education
– Share 6 general POG + 3 track specific POG
Integrated Educational
Experience (IEE) Student
Learning Outcomes
• State the overarching knowledge, skills
and attitudes that all GGC students are
expected to achieve
– In other words, the outcomes that the College
as a whole endeavors to develop in graduates
– In SACS terms: “College level Competencies”
Our IEE Outcomes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Clearly communicate ideas in written and oral form
Demonstrate creativity and critical thinking in inter- and
multidisciplinary contexts
Demonstrate effective use of information technology
Demonstrate an understanding of diversity and global
perspectives leading to collaboration in diverse and global
contexts
Demonstrate an understanding of human and institutional
decision making from multiple perspectives
Demonstrate an understanding of moral and ethical
principles
Demonstrate and apply leadership principles
Demonstrate effective quantitative reasoning
Building the Connections
Mapping outcomes across levels
creates a coherent educational plan
• Course Goals to Program Goals
• Program Goals to IEE Goals
• Not all major-specific courses and not all
program goals will map to an IEE
• Some IEE Goals satisfied by General
Education Courses
Exercise 1
• Take 5 minutes to think of a course you
have taught and the program it was part of
– List your learning goals for the course
– Match them to the learning outcomes for the
program
• Share with two people near you.
Biol1107 Course Goals
Common Biology
Program Goal
6. Know the structures
and functions of
biomolecules (DNA,
proteins, lipids,
carbohydrates).
1. Describe the structure,
function, and metabolism
of macromolecules.
4. Describe the
molecular mechanisms
that regulate gene
expression from DNA to
RNA to protein.
6. Apply Biological
knowledge to real world
problems.
Exercise 2
• Take five minutes and think now about the
program outcomes you used in Exercise 1
– Which of your institution’s overall learning
outcomes would those program outcomes
support?
– Map your program outcomes to institutional
outcomes
• Share
Map to IEE Goals
1. Describe the structure,
function, and metabolism
of macromolecules.
IEE 2: Demonstrate
creativity and critical
thinking in inter- and
multi-disciplinary
contexts.
6. Know the structures
and functions of
biomolecules (DNA,
proteins, lipids,
carbohydrates).
4. Describe the
molecular mechanisms
that regulate gene
expression from DNA to
RNA to protein.
6. Apply Biological
knowledge to real world
problems.
Gathering and Aggregating Data
Course Assessment Report
• Summary: overall grades, number of
students and sections
• Highlights: teaching or activity highlights
• Assessments:
– % achieved a C or better on assessment
exercises
– % of total points earned
• Action plans: what didn’t work, what needs
improvement, equipment or supplies
Course Assessment Report
• Every semester, every course
• Multi-section courses pooled
• Standardized format essential
– Courses used by several programs
• Pass off to next instructor, alerts them to
quirks of course
• Use to support requests for equipment,
infrastructure, improve program
Program Assessment Report
• Annually compile all course reports
• Are students meeting Program Outcome
Goals?
• What are faculty doing to enhance
learning?
• What needs are apparent?
Program Assessment Report
Institutional Report
Measures
Program or Unit Outcomes:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Met
Met
Met
COMMON
1
Met
2
Met
3
Met
4
Met
5
Met
6
Met
7
Met
8
Met
Gen Bio
1
2
Met
3
4
Met
5
Met
Cell Bio
1
Met
2
Met
Met
Met
3
4
UM
5
Not Met
Summary
Judgment
Met
Met
Met
Met
Met
Met
Met
Met
Met
Institutional Report
Prg/Unit
Outcomes
IEE Goals
1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Met
2
Met
3
Met
4
Met
5
Met
6
Met
7GB
Met
Met
Met
8GB
9GB
Met
Met
Met
Met
7CB
Met
8CB
Met
Met
Met
9CB
Met
Met
Met
Met
Met
Met
Summary
Judgment
Met
Met
Met
Met
Met
Met
Met
Met
Institutional Report
IEE Goals
Program / Unit
Business
Biology
Information Tech
Psychology
SS Math
SS English
SS Reading
SS EAP
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Advantages:
• Students have a defined list of educational
accomplishments for each course, program
and general education plan
• Coordinated content
– multi-section courses
– semester to semester with different faculty
• Pass-off courses more informative
• Faculty goal: educating students!
• Supports formative evaluation of
INSTITUTIONAL effectiveness
Pitfalls:
• Faculty view assessment as indicator of their
teaching
– Inflated assessment scores
– 100% success in all areas is not informative
• Standardized format critical
• Timely submission
• Assessment format
– Standardized or faculty optional? Theme courses
Faculty Buy-in