Title: Identifying and Assessing Learning Outcomes in Psychology
1Identifying and Assessing Learning Outcomes in
Psychology
- Kari Tucker, PhD
- Bari Rudmann, MS, MFT
- Jerry Rudmann, PhD
- Irvine Valley College Psychology Department
- April 27, 2006
- 86th Annual Convention of the
- Western Psychological Association
- Palm Springs Riviera Resort
2Reconfiguration of the APA Psychology Learning
Outcomesby Jerry RudmannIrvine Valley College
3Psychologys 10 Categories of Student
Learning From the Task Force on Learning Goals
OutcomesBoard of Educational Affairs, American
Psychological Association2002
Each of the 10 major SLOs include a subset of
specific SLOs for the psychology major
41 - Theory and Content of PsychologyMajor
concepts, theoretical perspectives, empirical
findings, and historical trends.2 - Research
Methods in PsychologyUnderstand and apply basic
research methods in psychology, including
research design, data analysis, and
interpretation.3 - Critical Thinking Skills in
Psychology Respect and use critical thinking,
skeptical inquiry, and, when possible, the
scientific approach to solve problems related to
behavior and mental processes.4 - Application of
PsychologyUnderstand and apply psychological
principles to personal, social, and
organizational issues.5 - Values in
PsychologyWeigh evidence, tolerate ambiguity,
act ethically, and reflect other values that are
the underpinnings of psychology as a discipline.
First 5 Categories
56 - Information and Technological
LiteracyDemonstrate information competence and
the ability to use computers and other technology
for many purposes.7 - Communication
SkillsCommunicate effectively in a variety of
formats.8 - Sociocultural and International
AwarenessRecognize, understand, and respect the
complexity of socio-cultural and international
diversity.9 - Personal Development Insight into
their own and others behavior and mental
processes and apply effective strategies for
self-management and self-improvement.10 - Career
Planning and DevelopmentEmerge from the major
with realistic ideas about how to implement their
psychological knowledge, skills, and values in
occupational pursuits in a variety of settings.
Category 2 Knowledge, Skills and Values
Consistent with a Liberal Arts Education that are
Further Developed in Psychology
6Task Force on Strengthening the Teacher and
Learning of Undergraduate Psychological
SciencesBoard of Educational Affairs, American
Psychological Association (2005)
Task Force Members Drew C. Appleby, Indiana
University-Purdue University, Indianapolis Theodor
e N. Bosack, Providence College Jane S. Halonen,
University of West Florida Joseph A. Mayo,
Gordon Community College Retta E. Poe, Western
Kentucky University Patricia Puccio, Community
College of DuPage Jerry L. Rudmann, Irvine Valley
Community College Maureen A. McCarthy, American
Psychological Association and Kennesaw State
University APA Staff Liaison Martha Boenau,
American Psychological Association
7(No Transcript)
8Purpose
- Bridge the gap between the National Standards for
the Teaching of High School Psychology (1999) and
the Undergraduate Psychology Major Learning Goals
and Outcomes (2003) from Task Force 1. - Provide developmentally appropriate learning
outcomes for 2-year programs. - Facilitate a closer match of expected learning
outcomes between 2-year colleges and receiving
universities. - Provide a more coherent learning experience for
swirling students.
9The New Accreditation Standards (ACCJC1 / WASC2)
- Institutions must identify student learning
outcomes (SLOs) at the course, program and
degree level - Institutions must measure their ability to
facilitate student achievement of SLOs - Institutions must engage in broad-based dialogue
about the SLOs and student learning - Institutions must provide evidence of this focus
on SLOs as part of the Self-Study and
comprehensive accreditation cycle - All accreditors have added requirement for SLOs
in response to demands for accountability / HEA - There is federal pressure for change from the US
Department of Education. - 1 Accrediting Commission for
Community and Junior Colleges - 2 Western Association of
Schools Colleges
10The 5-Minute University
11Back to the recent APA Task Forces WorkThe
Tripartite Curricular Model
- Three increasing levels of proficiency that
students encounter throughout an undergraduate
psychology curriculum - Basic (skills acquired in the introductory
course) - Developing (skills emerging as students progress
through lower and upper division psychology
curriculum) - Advanced (skill levels consonant with completing
capstone educational experiences and nearing the
end of a psychology major)
12Approach Taken by Task Force
- The task force worked on the first 5 outcome
categories, not all 10 - Blooms taxonomy suggested action verbs for the
three outcome levels (basic, developing,
advanced) - Suggested outcomes were placed into tables
- Jane Halonen worked her magic!
13Table Example
14Table Example
15Resources Available for You
- Draft of Task Force 2 Report
- Why and how the psychology SLOs have been further
developed - The Five New Tripartite SLO Tables
- A Curriculum to SLO Mapping Matrix
- A Psychology Department SLO Auditing Procedure by
Drew Appleby - http//research.ccc.cccd.edu/wpa.htm
16Guide to Map Curriculum to APA SLOs
B Beginning, DDeveloping, AAdvanced
17Grade Yourself Projectby Drew Appleby
- Place all department SLOs into a survey
- Include a standard A to F grading scale on the
survey - Distribute survey to students in your capstone
course - Have students grade themselves in terms of
their perceptions of how well theyve attained
the departments SLOs - Arrange data in table having of assignments by
level for each outcome, and GPA
18Appleby SLO Audit
- Data in the table can be used to help the
department answer these questions - How many opportunities you provide your majors to
accomplish your SLOS - The cognitive level you require your students to
engage in SLOs - How well students believe they have accomplished
your SLOs
19Status of Task Force 2s Work
- Bureau of Educational Affairs (BEA) may endorse
the Tripartite Curricular Model in October - Spin-off project creation of an online SLO
database having - SLOs organized by the 10 psychology outcome
domains - Teaching activities which address the SLO
- Corresponding assessment tools and strategies
20The Psychology Careers Course A Positive Outcome
of SLO Planningby Bari RudmannIrvine Valley
College
21Psychology 160Psychology as a Major and Career
- Class Structure - 8 week, 1.5 semester units
- Assignments
- Texts
- Speakers
- Graduate School Emphasis
- Transfer Information
- Local universities and Transfer Patterns
- Course SLOs Evidence of Course Success
- How to Create Your Own Course
22Textbooks
- Main Textbook
- The Psychology Major (2003) by E. Landrum and S.
Davis. Published by Pearson/Prentice-Hall. - Supplemental Textbooks (in College Career
Center) - Career Paths in Psychology (1997) by R.
Sternberg. Published by APA. - Opportunities in Psychology Careers (2001) D.
Super C. Super. Published by APA. - Great Jobs for Psychology Majors (2001) J.
DeGalan S. Lambert. Published by McGraw-Hill. - How to Flunk Out of A Community College (2005)
by C. Cannon. Published by Kendall/Hunt.
23Speakers
- Marriage Family Therapist
- Community College Counselor
- High School Counselor
- Institutional Researcher
- Clinical Psychologist
- Industrial/Organizational Psychologist
- Sports Psychologist
- Community College Teaching
- Forensic Psychologist
- Police Psychologist
- School Psychologist
- Local University Representatives (e.g., CSU
Fullerton, UC Irvine) - Preparing for Graduate School Building a
Curriculum Vita - Librarian How to find search engines for
psychology research - Career Center Director (onsite visit)
24Assignments
- Chapter critiques
- Speaker critiques
- Career research report
- Interview a psychologist
- Curriculum vita
25In Addition
- Graduate School Emphasis
- Transfer Information
- Local universities Transfer Patterns
- How to Create Your Own Course
- Download the course documents at
- http//research.ccc.cccd.edu/SLO_Menu.htm
26SLOs
27- Syllabus
- Show 4 column model
28Career Information Websites
- www.apa.org (American Psychological Association)
- www.chronicle.com (Chronicle of Higher
Education) - www.aaup.org (American Association of
University Professors) - http//www.ocpapsych.org (Orange County
Psychological Association) - http//www.psywww.com/index.html (Psychology
resources lot of links) - http//www.apa.org/science/nonacad_careers.html
(Non-academic careers in psych) - http//www.psychwww.com/careers/ (Careers in
Psychology) - http//www.significantdifference.org/index.html
(Psychs research contributions to society) - www.ope.ed.gov/accreditation/ (US Dept of Eds
site for accredited institutions) - www.collegesource.org/ (Resources on college
information) - www.assist.org (Articulation between Community
Colleges, CSUs, UCs majors) - www.psichi.org/content/publications/eye/category/f
ields.asp (Fields in Psych) - www.psichi.org (Psi Chi)
- www.psibeta.org/ (Psi Beta)
- www.westernpsych.org/ (Western Psychological
Association)
29Assessment for Learning
30Robust SLOs
- Robust SLOs add sophistication and challenge
- What was the course about? (Janet Fulks)
- Faculty more readily reach agreement
- Avoids trivializing the identification of SLOs
- Poses a challenge for instructors
- Robust SLOs lead to embedded, authentic
assessment, use of rubrics - Many robust outcomes address course, program,
degree level learning outcomes - Robust outcomes can be useful for marketing the
course, program, and college
31Some Insights
- Simplicity helps
- Four column model
- Limited assessment options
- Focusing on Student Learning Outcomes is an
important form of professional development for
faculty - Many have had limited training in assessment
(Item analysis? Rubric?) - Some have completely changed how they assess
learning - It is critically important that faculty meet the
SLO challenge - It is unclear if this will happen
- A good to great study is needed (Jim Coopers
book)
32Some Concerns
- Secretary of Educations Commission on the Future
of Higher Education, chaired by Charles Miller - Seeking greater accountability for financial aid
(Higher Education Act) - Accreditation reports should be more
transparent and public? - What are students learning?
- National standardized tests for higher education?
- A single national accreditation body?