Student Learning Outcomes

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Student Learning Outcomes

• What are they and how can we define and assess
  them?

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What is learning?

• Learning is an engaged, integrated, holistic,
  transformative activity created together by the
  processes of academic learning and student
  development.

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Where does learning happen?

• Learning occurs across the entire campus
  community, and learning outcomes reflect the
  combined influence of all of an institutions
  resources

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How does learning occur?

• Learning is each persons process of making
  meaning by creating an understanding of ideas in
  the context of their own life and experiences.

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What are learning outcomes?

• Learning outcomes are the measurable results of
  engaging new material or experiences through
  academic learning and student development.

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Defining Learning Outcomes
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Defining Outcomes

• Look up Are your outcomes aligned with
  institutional and divisional mission and
  outcomes?
• Look around Are your outcomes aligned with
  intended outcomes in partner departments?
• Look down Are your outcomes practical and
  grounded? Do they make sense, given who your
  students are, where your institution is, and what
  your students need?

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Categorizing Outcomes

• First, establish very broad, general, overall
  groupings for learning outcomes
• For example
• Cognitive/intellectual
• Relational/social
• Personal maturity/identity
• Citizenship/community

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Categorizing Outcomes

• Second, establish multiple specific subgroupings
  within each broad group
• For example, within citizenship/community
• Working effectively with others
• Leadership skills
• Humanitarian values and attitudes
• Acknowledging, respecting, and responding to
  difference

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Categorizing Outcomes

• Then, establish multiple specific outcomes within
  each subgroup that are also specific to your
  department and your students.
• Example within acknowledging and responding to
  difference
• Articulate the components and benefits of working
  with people from diverse backgrounds
• Identify two or more ways in which human
  diversity has improved their educational
  experience

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Establishing Outcomesthat Work
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First, ask this question

• What should a student know or be able to do after
  completing this course, program activity, or
  project?

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Then, formulate an answer in terms of ability, or
capacity

• Students will be able to

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Is liking and activity thesame as learning from
it?

• Dont confuse or mix learning outcomes with
  indicators of student satisfaction. They are
  both important but they are not the same.

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Quality and priority or quantity

• Focus on a smaller number of high priority
  outcomes.
• Student Affairs/Campus Services departments are
  asked to assess no more than 3 learning outcomes
  per year.
• You may assess some outcomes every year, others
  every few years, and some only once.

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The more exact and specific the outcome, the
better it is.

• Be very specific, very focused, very clear with
  language vagueness is a killer

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Think ahead to assessment

• Dont establish an outcome that you dont know
  how to assess.

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Assessing Learning Outcomes
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Friend or foe?

• Assessment is organic to the process dont be
  scared of it. Assessment isnt grading. The
  results are what they are.

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Are outcome assessment the same as process or
performance measures?

• Process indicators measure whether the train is
  on time outcome indicators determine whether it
  got where it was supposed to go.

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Assessment step 1Ask Answer

• What exactly does each outcome ask? And exactly
  how, and among what student population, will you
  measure whether it was achieved?

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Assessment Step 2Determine Decide

• What assessment method should be used?
• Survey?
• Observation?
• Interviews
• Performance evaluation?
• Review of journals?
• Other?

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Assessment Step 3Collect Analyze Data

• Your results can be used in continuous
  improvement processes as well as to document your
  efforts

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Assessment Step 4Predict Prepare

• How will your data from today help you predict
  and prepare for tomorrow?

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• Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for
  tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop
  questioning.
• Albert Einstein

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• For more information on developing and assessing
  student learning outcomes for your department,
  please contact Donna Gregory (donna.gregory_at_wku.ed
  u) or 745-6331