RE-ENGAGING THE CAMPUS IN DISCUSSING, DELIVERING, AND ASSESSING LEARNING

OUTCOMES

C. “Griff” Griffin, Director of General Education

Wendy Wenner, Dean, College of Interdisciplinary Studies

AAC&U – Savannah - 2007

OUTLINE

• Background

• 5 Steps (A-E) – Process– Outcomes– Challenges

• Conclusions

A

B

C

D

E

Right Goals

?

Under-stand our

goals?

Think we’re

achieving our

goals?

Are we achievin

g our goals?

Can we teach

better?

Think we’re

achieving our

goals?

BACKGROUND

Grand Valley State Univ. – Allendale, MI– Quickly growing. large university– Liberal education mission

Process and Outcomes (4 years)– AAC&U Greater Expectations workshops– Re-organization of GVSU– Assessment of learning outcomes– Re-invigoration of General Education– LEAP signatory

A. DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT GOALS?

Process• General Education faculty and Student

Affairs staff• Adopt LEAP goals as the benchmark

Right Goals

?

  Basic Writing Acr. GE GE GE

LEAP Essential Learning Outcomes Skills Curriculum Foundation Culture Themes

Human Cultures     Y    

Physical and Natural World     Y    

Inquiry and Analysis ?   ? ?  ?

Critical and Creative Thinking     Y Y Y

Oral Communication     S S Y

Written Communication Y Y S S Y

Quantitative Literacy Y   Y    

Information Literacy     Y Y Y

Teamwork and Problem Solving          

Civic Knowledge and Engagement - Local and Global    

Intercultural Knowledge and Competence       Y S

Ethical Reasoning and Action     ? ? S

Lifelong Learning     ? ? ?

Integrative Learning         Y

Right Goals

?

Challenges

• Definitions of the LEAP outcomes

• If they’re not a goal, will we teach it or assess it?

• Structural questions – do we do them everywhere or in selected categories

• Upcoming campus-wide forums to discuss……

Right Goals

?

Right Goals

?

B. DOES EVERYONE UNDERSTAND OUR GOALS? 1. All Faculty

Process and Outcomes All faculty

General Education Handbook• General Education Video• New faculty orientation

Challenges• Not getting or reading the Handbook• Not all faculty received the orientation they do now• Adjuncts don’t receive the Handbook or see the video

Under-stand our

goals?

2. Faculty Teaching in General Education

Process and Outcomes Workshops Syllabus attachment– First day of class – Reinforce throughout the term

Challenges– Faculty – getting training– We stopped telling Units to train

faculty– Attachment comes too late

Under-stand our

goals?

3. Students

Process and Outcomes GE Handbook - Orientation Video (parents see it too) - Orientation Syllabus attachment • First day of class • Reinforce throughout the term

Challenges• Misses transfer students• Students don’t get this if faculty don’t

cover it• Don’t read the philosophy behind it

Under-stand our

goals?

C. DOES EVERYONE THINK WE ARE ACHIEVING OUR GOALS?

1. Nationally-Normed Indirect Measures

Process (biennial tests)• National Survey of Student Engagement - NSSE • Faculty Survey of Student Engagement - FSSE • Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) –

Freshman• College Student Survey (CSS) – Senior

Outcomes• Doing “fine” compared to peers, freshmen to senior,

freshmen to freshmen

Think we’re

achieving our

goals?

Challenges• Cost• Getting students to participate• Matching up the results with our goals• Not all the goals are measured• Faculty haven’t established the benchmark

for success• Who does the follow-up?

Think we’re

achieving our

goals?

2. GVSU Developed Indirect Measures

Process GE Goals audit for students and faculty

Think we’re

achieving our

goals?

OutcomesThink we’re

achieving our

goals?

Mean Score for Goals

87% 91%

71% 75%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Skills Goals Content GoalsStr

on

gly

Ag

ree

+ A

gre

e

Faculty Student

Think we’re

achieving our

goals?

86%80%

73%

57%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

1

Str

on

gly

Ag

ree

+ A

gre

e

Info. lit. - Faculty Info. lit. - Student

Ethics - Faculty Ethics - Student

77%

58%

85%

56%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Faculty Student Faculty Student

Speaking - Speaking - Writing - Writing -

Str

on

gly

Ag

ree

+ A

gre

e

Challenges

• Do we disaggregate the data?

• Where’s the bar for success?

• Bias – under or over report?

• Do they understand the terms?

• Does class size affect results?

• Did faculty know they had to teach all of the goals?

Think we’re

achieving our

goals?

Mean Score for Goals

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Skills Goals Content Goals

Str

on

gly

Ag

ree

+ A

gre

e

Faculty

Student

Mean Score for Goals

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Skills Goals Content Goals

Str

on

gly

Ag

ree

+ A

gre

e

Faculty

Student

D. ARE WE ACHIEVING OUR GOALS?

1. Assessment Using Nationally-normed Tests (Direct Measures)

Process• Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA)• Standardized Assessment of Information

Literacy Skills (SAILS)• Departmental sssessments (GRE, etc.)

Outcomes• Doing “fine” compared to peers, freshmen

to senior, freshmen to freshmen

Are we achievin

g our goals?

Challenges

• Cost

• National tests don’t include all the goals

• Getting students to participate – especially seniors

• Getting Units’ results

Are we achievin

g our goals?

2. Assessment Using Course-Embedded (Direct) Measures

Process Develop a process flowchart Develop Course Assessment Plan form Develop Sampling Plan (FAQ) Identify how to house the data (Chalk and Wire) Determine performance levels – 4=A, 3=B, 2=C, 1=D /F Revise subcategory goals with faculty Train faculty to write a Course Assessment Plan

(GEGE – Greater Expectations for General Education)

Are we achievin

g our goals?

Outcomes

• Replicating this process• 5 workshops – 70% of the faculty trained• Course Assessment Plans – 50% done• Data collection is starting…….• Analyzing the results……• Course changes……….

Are we achievin

g our goals?

Challenges• Communication

– Getting faculty educated– Getting it once they’ve done it– Faculty on sabbatical, new faculty,

adjunct, course is intermittently offered

• Time consuming• Course issues

– Large classes– Assessing all the goals (double-dips)– Will the results be representative?

• Not making it “ faculty” evaluation• Cost – faculty, secretary,

database

Are we achievin

g our goals?

E. CAN WE DO A BETTER JOB OF TEACHING TO ENSURE STUDENTS ARE

ACHIEVING OUR GOALS?

Process and Outcomes• Moving from teaching-centered to learning

centered– Faculty-Teaching Learning Center– Connecting Student Affairs with Academic

Affairs– Closing the loop

Can we teach

better?

Course Design

Teaching

Assessing Learning

CONCLUSIONS

• You can’t plan it all – go with the flow

• Go slow• Be in it for the long run• Communicate more and

earlier• Preliminary results –

useful• Big test is yet to

come…

For more information:Griff - griffinc@gvsu.edu

Wendy - wennerw@gvsu.edu