Introduction to Outcomes Assessment and Writing Learning Outcomes

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Introduction to Outcomes Assessment andWriting
Learning Outcomes

• Crafton Hills College
• September 19, 2003
• Rick Hogrefe
• Assistant Professor, Speech
• Crafton Hills College

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What is Outcomes Assessment?

• An ongoing process aimed at understanding and
  improving student learning.
• Systematically gathering, analyzing, and
  interpreting evidence to determine how well
  performance matches expectations and using the
  resulting information to document, explain and
  improve performance.
• Thomas A. Angelo

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Types of Assessment

• By purpose
• Summative
• focuses on achievement, performance, review
  and/or grading
• Formative
• focuses on questioning, introspection and change

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Types of Assessment

• By object
• Student
• Have my students mastered the course
  objectives?
• Examples tests, classroom assessments
• Faculty
• Is my teaching meeting student needs?
• Examples faculty evaluation, staff development

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Types of Assessment

• By object
• Program
• Is our academic program achieving its goals?
• Examples vocational programs (EMS, Child
  Development, etc.)
• Course
• Is my course achieving its goals?
• Examples general education

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Driving Forces
Accreditation (WASC / ACCJC)
Accountability
ASSESSMENT
Improve Student Learning
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Why Do Outcomes Assessment?

• Student learning outcomes work enabled me to
  retune myself, to filter out the white noise of
  teaching and focus on the beautiful and soulful
  tune of student learning and discovery.
• Scott Corbett
• History Instructor
• Oxnard College

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Outcomes Assessmentand the Institution

• Outcomes Assessment
• ?
• Program Review
• ?
• Planning
• ?
• Resource Allocation

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Compromising the Process

• Outcomes assessment looses its integrity when the
  process
• is not faculty-driven
• is based on what we think rather than what we
  know
• becomes summative rather than formative in nature
• is not tied to planning and resource allocation

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Process of Outcomes Assessment
1. Identify Learning Outcomes
5. Use Results for Improvement
2. Identify/Create Assessment Tools
Student Learning

• Choose/Develop
• Evaluation Criteria

4. Conduct Assessment
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Identifying Learning Outcomes

• What do you intend students to know, believe or
  do once they have completed your program or
  course?
• Program outcomes or course outcomes?
• Does the program have a definable ultimate skill?
• Does the typical student take a single course in
  the program?
• Is learning in the program sequential in nature?

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Identifying Learning Outcomes

• How many outcomes should a program have?
• A mans legs should be long enough to reach the
  ground
• -Abraham Lincoln
• I cant conceptualize more than seven variables
  simultaneously.
• -Albert Einstein

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Identifying Learning Outcomes

• Learning outcomes focus on
• learning that will endure, but that can be
  assessed in some form now
• student learning rather than instruction
• the learning resulting from an activity, not the
  activity itself
• active, observable and measurable behaviors

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Writing Learning Outcomes

• Essential Components
• Behavior
• Object
• Optional Components
• Performance Criteria
• Target Groups
• Conditions
• Performance Stability

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Speech Program Outcomes
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Writing Learning Outcomes

• Taxonomy of Educational Outcomes (Bloom)
• Writing Instructional Objectives for Teaching and
  Assessment (Gronlund)

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Thank You!

• For more information, please contact
• Rick Hogrefe
• Assistant Professor, Speech
• Crafton Hills College
• [phone]
• rhogrefe_at_crafton.sbccd.cc.ca.us