Embedding Agronomy Learner Outcomes in Courses and Course Syllabi

1
Embedding Agronomy Learner Outcomes in Courses
and Course Syllabi

• Agronomy Outcomes Assessment
• Michelle D. Cook
• Iowa State University
• Graduate Research Assistant
• mcook_at_iastate.edu
• May 14, 2003

2
Please Tell Us Your Name, Area of Specialty, and
One Personal or Professional Goal You Have for
the Summer.
3
Workshop Background

• Endowment Grant Outcomes Assessment Project
• Develop and initiate a systematic and continuous
  approach for outcomes assessment
• 2006 Higher Learning Commission (NCA)
  Accreditation Visit
• Demonstrate that we are fulfilling our
  educational mission by providing evidence of
  student learning and teaching effectiveness
• Faculty Interviews and Syllabus Review

4
Outcomes Assessment Jargon

• Intended learning outcomes
• Statements describing faculty intentions about
  what students should know, understand, and be
  able to do with their knowledge when they
  graduate (Huba Freed, 2000, p. 9-10).
• Outcomes assessment
• The systematic collection, review, and use of
  information about educational programs undertaken
  for the purpose of improving student learning and
  development (Palomba Banta, 1997, p. 4).

5
Outcomes Assessment Jargon (Cont.)

• Embedded measures
• Assessments that make use of student work
  samples and performances generated through
  regular coursework that can be examined not only
  to assign the students a grade, but also to see
  what they reveal about the effectiveness of the
  teaching-learning process (Wright, 1997, p.
  574).

6
Workshop Overview

• Learning outcomes
• Participants will
• Be able to identify departmental learner outcomes
  to include in your courses and course syllabi
• Be able to identify assignments and experiences
  to help students achieve the outcomes identified
  for your courses
• Be able to identify potential assessment methods
  for evaluating how well students achieved an
  outcome

7
Workshop Overview (Cont.)

• Workshop activities
• Participants will
• Select departmental learner outcomes to address
  in your courses
• List current course assignments and/or
  experiences that help students achieve the
  outcomes
• Be exposed to examples of various course
  assignments designed to help students achieve the
  outcomes

8
Workshop Overview (Cont.)

• Workshop activities
• Participants will
• Be exposed to examples of various assessment
  methods to evaluate how well students achieved an
  outcome
• Discuss learner outcomes as well as both current
  course assignments and/or experiences and
  measures in small groups

9
Identifying Departmental Learner Outcomes

• Rationale
• Course
• Plan your course with process, content, and
  product goals in mind (Grunert, 1997, p. 6).
• Course Syllabus
• What functions does the course syllabus serve?

10
What Departmental Learner Outcomes Did You Select
for Your Course? Why?
11
Assignments And Experiences

• Rationale
• Coherence in learning
• The curriculum should be structured in a
  manner that sequences individual courses to
  reinforce common outcomes and that consciously
  directs instruction toward collective ends
  (Ewell and Jones, 1996, p. 18)
• New approaches to assessment
• Postsecondary assessment done right must be
  rooted in the course and in the classroom
  (Wright, 1997, p. 573).
• Embedded approaches addresses student
  motivation, time, authenticity, discipline fit

12
Technical Knowledge Examples

• Departmental Learner Outcomes
• Understand the scope of agronomy and its
  relationships to other disciplines and
  professions (1).
• Understand basic technical principles and methods
  relating to crop marketing methods and strategies
  (3l).
• Understand the effects of the abiotic environment
  on crops and soilswater, atmospheric pollutants,
  heat and coldand methods that ameliorate such
  stresses (6).
• Assignments and/or Experiences
• Class field trip to Ames Barilla Plant and study
  questions

13
Technical Knowledge Examples (Cont.)

• Departmental Learner Outcomes
• Develop a basic understanding of plant principles
  (2a).
• Develop a basic understanding of soil principles
  (2b).
• Develop a basic understanding of water principles
  (2c).
• Understand basic technical principles and methods
  relating to cropping/rotation systems (3f).
• Understand the soil as a resource upon which
  ecosystems, agriculture, and other land uses
  depend (6).
• Understand, in modern perspective, the basic
  principles important to sustained production and
  land use (8).
• Assignments and/or Experiences
• Soils, soil water, tillage and seeding, and
  cropping systems units and class discussion.

14
Professional Skills Examples

• Departmental Learner Outcomes
• Be competent in the use of electronic mail (21a).
  
• Assignments and/or Experiences
• The student must email an electronic copy of the
  forage of the week short paper as an attachment
  on the due date.

15
Professional Skills Examples (Cont.)

• Departmental Learner Outcomes
• Be able to work effectively in a team situation
  as a participant (17b).
• Assignments and/or Experiences
• Scavenger hunt, photographing landmarks on campus
  as a team. Each photo must include at least one
  of the team members, one photo must include all
  the team members.

16
Perspective Example

• Departmental Learner Outcomes
• Possess an awareness of the global extent of
  agriculture and of crop, soil and climate
  diversity in the world (33a).
• Recognize the interdependence of economies,
  cultures, and politics at all scales from local
  to international (34).
• Understand agronomic practices of other parts of
  the world in their political, cultural, and
  economic contexts (35).
• Assignments and/or Experiences
• Lecture, laboratory, course learning objectives
  (e.g., Characterize the importance of Brazil,
  Asian countries, and Middle-Eastern countries as
  wheat importers), and laboratory study questions
  (e.g., It is estimated that at one time 85 of
  Iowa was covered with warm-season prairie
  grasses. Why did introduced forage grasses
  replace these native species?)

17
Ethics/Values Example

• Departmental Learner Outcomes
• Be able to deal with moral, ethical, and legal
  conflicts (36a).
• Recognize a conflict of interest situation
  involving oneself and ones client or employer
  (36b).
• Differentiate between the public good and a
  personal goal (36c).
• Appreciate the responsibility of the individual
  to society in sustainable management of soil,
  plant, water, energy, and wildlife resources
  (37a, b, c, d, e).
• Assignments and/or Experiences
• Class and laboratory discussions and feedback on
  drafts of the teams recommendation reports.

18
Diversity Examples

• Departmental Learner Outcomes
• Appreciate that our cultural diversity adds
  richness to our lives (39).
• Value the humanities, arts, and recreation as
  meaningful activities that enrich our culture
  (40).
• Assignments and/or Experiences
• Site visits including the ballet, museums,
  churches, a Tartar khanate, architecture.

19
Diversity Examples (Cont.)

• Departmental Learner Outcomes
• Acknowledge differences in political, cultural,
  religious, and ethnic beliefs and practices.
• Assignments and/or Experiences
• Oral presentation as part of pre-travel
  preparation. Selected topics have included
  religion, folklore, food, and arts.

20
For Each Of Your Learning Outcomes in Each of
Your Courses, What Assignments or Experiences
Have You Designed to Help Students Achieve the
Outcome?
21
Measures to Assess Learner Outcomes

• Rationale
• Whenever you formulate learning goals you should
  simultaneously address assessment procedures
  (Grunert, 1997, p. 7).
• After developing intended learning outcomes,
  the second element of the assessment process
  is designing or selecting data gathering measures
  to assess whether or not our intended learning
  outcomes have been achieved (Huba Freed, 2000,
  p. 11).
• Direct and indirect assessments of student
  learning

22
Measures Used to Assess Outcomes

• Examples
• Technical Knowledge
• Field trip study questions
• Soils, soil water, tillage and seeding, and
  cropping systems units - Exams
• Professional Skills
• Email yes or no
• Scavenger Hunt find all required landmarks,
  include a team member in each photo, one photo
  with all team members
• Perspective
• Exams and study questions

23
Measures Used to Assess Outcomes (Cont.)

• Examples
• Ethics/Values
• Assess recommendations based on if they are
  agronomically sound, environmentally responsible,
  socially acceptable, and economically feasible.
• Diversity
• In-country student questionnaire, journal of
  observations and impressions
• Pre-travel presentation required but not
  formally assessed

24
What Measures Are You Using to Assess Each
Intended Outcome?
25
Whats Next?

• Complete Undergraduate Teaching Faculty Learner
  Outcomes Survey
• May 30, 2003
• Complete an Outcomes Assessment Course
  Description Form for each undergraduate course
• June 25, 2003
• Distribute Agronomy Learner Outcome Matrix (MC)
• July 11, 2003

26
Whats Next (Cont.)?

• Include selected list of departmental learner
  outcomes in course syllabi
• August 22, 2003
• Small Group Conversations
• Over the course of the summer
• Format (e.g., mid-morning coffees, brown bag
  lunches)?
• Topics (e.g., measures, mid-semester feedback)?

27
Closing Reflection

• How will you use the information presented today
  in your courses?
• What aspect of embedding Agronomy learner
  outcomes into courses and course syllabi do you
  need to learn more about?

28
References

• Ewell, P. T., Jones, D. P. (1996). Indicators
  of good practice in undergraduate education A
  handbook for development and implementation.
  Boulder, CO National Center for Higher Education
  Management Systems (NCHEMS).
• Grunert, J. (1997). The course syllabus A
  learner-centered approach. Bolton, MA Anker
  Publishing.
• Huba, M. E., Freed, J. E. (2000).
  Learner-centered assessment on college campuses
  Shifting the focus from teaching to learning.
  Needham Heights, MA Allyn Bacon.
• Palomba, C. A., Banta, T. W. (1997). Assessment
  essentials Planning, implementing, and improving
  assessment in higher education. San Francisco
  Jossey-Bass.
• Wright, B. D. (1997). Evaluating learning in
  individual courses. In J. G. Gaff, J. L.
  Ratcliff, and Associates (Eds.) Handbook of the
  undergraduate curriculum A comprehensive guide
  to purposes, structures, practices, and change.
  San Francisco Jossey-Bass.