MODEL OF STUDENT

LEARNING ASSESSMENT IN

STUDENT SERVICES

San Juan College

Student Services

Learning Outcomes Assessment Committee

NMASAP

November 10, 2011

If someone made a movie of your life would it be a …

A. ComedyB. Romantic-comedyC. DramaD. ActionE. Science fictionF. Foreign Film

Question 1

QUESTION 2What would you rather eat …

A. HamburgerB. Hot dogC. VeggiesD. DonutE. Coconut

QUESTION 3What is your favorite type of pet?

A. DogB. CatC. GerbilD. RockE. None – Pets are overrated

QUESTION 4If you were an ice cream flavor, what

would you be?

A. ChocolateB. VanillaC. StrawberryD. Rocky RoadE. Fat-Free Frozen Raspberry Yogurt

How do you get your news?

A. TelevisionB. NewspaperC. RadioD. InternetE. I prefer to stay

in the dark

QUESTION 5

I know what an SSLO is …

A. YesB. NoC. What?????D. MaybeE. Sentimental Students Love Oranges

QUESTION 6

Who is a learner ….

A. EveryoneB. Traditional Students (18-24 years old)C. MeD. Both A and CE. None of the Above

QUESTION 7

BACKGROUND Colleges are increasingly required to provide direct evidence that student learning and development is occurring.

Marilee Bresciani

Campus environments are places of learning both inside and outside the classroom

BACKGROUND

In Student Services, we often focus on services to students and not student learning and development

At San Juan College we focus not only on serving the student, but on student learning in particular

BACKGROUND

In our mission statement we define ourselves as a Learning College, therefore:

Our definition of “student” is very broad. It is the population of learners served by each department in Student Services.

BACKGROUND Student satisfaction is not student learning

Student satisfaction will continue to be measured using national benchmarking instruments such as Noel Levitz and CCSSE and department evaluation processes

BACKGROUNDWe started with research:

Benchmarking the Maryland Community College system assessment project

CAS Standards (Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education)

BACKGROUNDWe also used:

Assessing Student Learning and Development by Marilee J. Bresciani, Carrie L. Zelna, and James A. Anderson

Additionally, Dr. Bresciani came to SJC for a full-day workshop

BACKGROUND

In its mission statement, San Juan College has described itself as a learning college …

How then do we know students are learning from their Student Services interactions?

BACKGROUND

We chose a specific focus on assessing student learning outcomes, rather than program outcomes

OUTCOME COMPARISONProgram Example

GED testing no-shows will be reduced by 10 percent by implementing a “contract style application procedure” for candidates as measured by attendance records.

Student Learning Example

Upon completion of the registration process, GED students will verbally identify three appointment management skills as measured by rubric.

COMMON ASSUMPTIONS

Environments can be intentionally designed to promote learning

“Students” within those environments can be assessed for learning

All departments are included in these learning environments

COMMON ASSUMPTIONS

Outcomes-Based assessment does not exist for assessment’s sake

It is taking what most of us already do, and making it systematic

It is intended to inform decisions for improvement and resource

re-allocation

COMMON ASSUMPTIONS

It helps link what you are doing to institutional strategic initiatives and performance indicators

Outcomes-Based Assessment is not research

Promotes student responsibility for learning

OUR VISION

SJC Student Services programs and services are designed and managed with specific student learning outcomes in mind.

While continuing to provide superior customer service, our culture is shifting so that all staff view themselves as educators

SELECTING COMMON OUTCOMES

Our shared outcomes (broad goals) were developed over a 6-9 month period Input came from Student Services, Learning, and Technology personnel Final outcomes were selected through a facilitated brainstorming process

STUDENT SERVICES LEARNING OUTCOMESOur broad learning outcomes are:

Career Readiness Communication and Leadership Goal Orientation Problem Solving Social and Personal Development

These are collectively known as SSLO’s.

INITIAL TRAINING

Training was divided into four half day sessions

2-3 members of each Student Services department attended

CURRENT TRAINING

Once or Twice a semester

New members of each Student Services department attended

Now includes other departments from around campus

DEFINITION OF ASSESSMENT

Using the resulting information to understand and improve student learning, which includes the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and personal development attained through experiences while at San Juan College.

DEFINITION OF ASSESSMENT

Assessment is:

The ongoing process of establishing clear, measurable expected outcomes of student learning:

DEFINITION OF ASSESSMENT

Systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches those expectations:

DEFINITION OF ASSESSMENT

Using the resulting information to understand and improve learning.

ASSESSMENT PLANS

Each department created a 4-6 year assessment plan related to one of the SSLO’s

The plans include 2-3 Formative Outcomes and 2-3 Summative Outcomes specific to the activity that they are assessing

DEPARTMENTAL OUTCOMES

What are learning outcomes?

Specific statements derived from the goals or objectives of a program/unit/service/process

They state what you want the end result of your efforts to be in terms of student learning

DEPARTMENTAL OUTCOMESLearning outcomes can include:

Cognitive/mental skills (Knowledge)

Psychomotor - manual or physical skills (Skills)

Affective outcomes (sensitivity, awareness, personal discipline, leadership)

DEPARTMENTAL OUTCOMES

Must be observable, meaningful, and manageable

It is helpful to focus on an area of learning that is challenging for students

DEPARTMENTAL OUTCOMESWe developed a template for writing outcomes which asks:

What do we want students to know?

Why do we want students to know this?

How will we know if they know it?

TOOLS FOR ASSESSINGA Few Assessment Tools:

Rubric Case Study or Scenario Observation Document Analysis Line Voting Clickers Surveys Many others

ASSESSMENT PLAN REPORTINGReporting and closing the Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) Cycle

This has helped us to close the feedback loop

We developed a reporting template which includes:

ASSESSMENT PLAN REPORTING

Department Mission Links to College Strategic Plan Common Learning Outcomes Specific Departmental Outcomes Implementation Plan Assessment Tool(s) Results Decisions and Recommendations Reassessment Plan

CAREER SERVICES EXAMPLE

San Juan College Career Services

THINGS TO CONSIDER

Professional Development Training for Staff Institutional Culture Shift Institutional Support Reporting Tools (software) Collaboration

QUESTION 8

What is Assessment?A. The ongoing process of establishing clear,

measurable goals of student learningB. The ongoing process of establishing clear,

measurable, expected outcomes of student learning

C. The ongoing process of determining students needs for Student Services

D. The ongoing process of completing category 1 of the AQIP report

QUESTION 9Learning is:

A. Knowledge, Skills, attitudes and personal development attained through life experiences

B. Knowledge, Skills, attitudes and personal development attained through experiences while at college

C. Knowledge, Skills, attitudes and personal development attained while participating in student activities

D. Like a box of chocolates – you never know what you are going to get.

QUESTION 10The learning college and its learning

facilitators succeed only when improved and expanded learning can be _______________ .

A. ObservedB. DemonstratedC. DocumentedD. Turned into a 4 credit hour with lab

course

QUESTION 11Implementing the learning college

principles in student services isA. Too difficultB. ImpossibleC. FoolishD. Directly tied to the inclusion of

students as full partners in the learning process

QUESTION 12The focus of assessment in Student

services is shifting from

A. Student needs to student satisfaction

B. Student satisfaction to student learning

C. Student learning to student satisfaction

D. Student parties to student enrichment

QUESTION 13

To become learning focused in student services requires a new way of looking at things and a culture change must take place. Principles of change include:

A. When you are done changing, you are done

B. The biggest risk is not taking any; the biggest mistake is not making any

C. Nothing is sacred – challenge everythingD. Speed kills – change takes timeE. All of the above

QUESTION 14

Student Service learning outcomes or SSLOs include:

1. Career Readiness2. Goal Orientation3. Emotional Intelligence4. Problem Solving

A. 1, 2, and 3B. 1, 2, and 4C. 1 and 4D. 2 and 3

QUESTION 15My own assessment of my

assessment skill level after this training would be:

A. I am ready to make things happenB. I am ready to watch things happenC. I am wondering what just happened

CLICKER ASSESSMENT EXAMPLE

Effective tool for instant feedback Encourage more participation Provide quantifiable results

DO YOU HAVE ANY

QUESTIONS?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME