Student Learning Outcomes

Student Learning Outcomes November 19, 2012 Joe Russo jrusso@unr.edu

Lee Shulman of StanfordPresident Emeritus, The Carnegie FoundationOn: Teaching “What do we mean by ‘teaching’? I would argue that teaching is an extended process that unfolds over time. It embodies at least five elements: vision, design, interactions, outcomes and analysis.” --Shulman, 1998, p. 5

Agenda • SLOs and their place in the teaching process • Outcomes or Objectives? Which is it? What’s the difference? • SLOs from several different points of view • SLOs and how we might define them • Critical components of the typical SLO, with examples • Where they’ll appear • The role of the GA • And finally, what were the objectives and outcomes of this presentation?

Student Learning Outcomes • Objectives, outcomes, tomato, tomahtoe. • We will adopt the most common reference of Student Learning Outcomes • Small matter if they end up as Objectives • MyNevada, however, will call them Outcomes • Students will arrive with Outcomes in mind. • The syllabus should therefore track.

Outcomes versus Objectives • How do outcomes differ from course objectives? • First, course objectives are written from the professor’s point of view. They embody, if you will, Shulman’s vision and perhaps design elements. • They are the sum total of what are, in Parker Palmer’s words, “those things we wish to plant rather than pour.” • They tell everyone how this course fits in a program, in explicit, or not so explicit terms.

Outcomes versus Objectives (cont.) • A Spanish class would have as a part of its course objectives, the grand sweep of the Spanish language, the history, its beauty, its prevalence, its relevance, and certainly its intricacies. • A Spanish class would have as one of its outcomes, a demonstrated ability to speak Spanish

Outcomes versus Objectives (cont.) • For example: • Course Objective (abbreviated) • The student will identity those activities that are most likely to distinguish effective, well-managed technology development programs from ineffective programs. • SLOs • The student will be able to outline the six components of an effective technology development program • The student will develop and then present a formal evaluation checklist, his or her own, to assess for program success. from IT Management ITM230, California State University Northridge

Points of View • From Interstellar Space – Regents, Legislators, parents and other benefactors of our University, and taxpayers in general; • Closer to Home - from that of our various accrediting bodies, but most specifically from that of the NWCCU; • In the next building - Deans, Associate Deans, Program Directors, and of course the INSTRUCTORS themselves! • And down to ground level – the viewpoint of the student.

From the Student’s POV • SLOs help give clarity to an academic experience. • They assist in the evaluation of how well students are actually achieving those goals. • They give relevance to all, or most, of the work done in class, and the exams or other assessment performed. • As such, we can use the results to improve the academic experience (closing the loop). -- (Montgomery College, Maryland, 2010)

Let’s Get Definitional • Put succinctly, SLOs are .. • Statements that describe what students will be able to know, do, or value as a result of their educational experience. • They are written in language that clearly implies a measurable student behavior or quality of student work produced. University of Florida, 2012

SLOs are Long-Lived • Sadly, classes often out-live their instructors. • SLOs – well written, and “iteratively derived” - will have a longevity • Iteratively derived means that they are refined and re-refined year after year, the product of an iterative process. • They will be robust. • They will not break. • They are often predictable. University of Iowa, 2012

SLOs and Course Improvement • Best evidence suggests a strong linkage between the teaching process and the outcome itself. • Especially when the SLOs are revisited periodically throughout the semester. • Providing systematic feedback to students about their progress. • Making the learning process more effective • SLOs provide for a repeated measures-like feedback loop. • This here of what we might do by adding them to the course evaluation packet. UMASS, Amherst (2012)

Critical Components We can begin by asking three questions … • What is it that we really want students to know and learn? • What is it that our students are actually learning? • What can I as an instructor do to help students learn what I believe they need to know? (University of Virginia, 2009)

Critical Components (cont.) • With those three questions asked and hopefully answered, we need to … • Identify and articulate what students should learn in class • NOT what they will be exposed to, but what they will be expected to LEARN. • Develop tools to measure student learning • Establish systems to compile and analyze the data you collect with these tools. • Use the information gathered to improve or adapt curricula, pedagogy, and goals. The feedback loop.

Critical Components (cont.) • Written from the student’s perspective • Stay focused on what the student should be able to do, not what the professor will cover. • These are skills that comprise the specific “take-away” from your courses. • In a sense, they answer the question, “what specific skills am I buying with my tuition dollar?” • Think Bloom’s Taxonomy here • Action verbs • Measurable • Think SMART

SMART • Specific • Be as specific as possible – “the student will demonstrate a marked diminution or elimination of the American accent in spoken Spanish” • Measurable • Remember that it is observable behavior we are looking for, and at that, measurably changed behavior. • Achievable • That which is appropriate for the course level. Is it even possible for an American to speak Spanish without an accent? • Realistic • And truly relevant. Is it realistic to expect someone to want to speak without a discernible American accent? And what does it matter anyway. • Timely • For the location of the course in the curriculum. Spanish 101, or Spanish 300?

Examples • Many professors already construct perfectly valid student learning outcomes, and have done so for years. • Indeed, one professor I have come across has set various SLOs by week and then by chapter of the text he uses. • Some even present them graphically. • Regrettably, however, some needed work 

Transition of an SLO • Original • Explore in depth the literature on an aspect of teaching strategies • Problem 1: isn’t this really a course objective? • Problem 2: how do we measure “explore”? • Revised/Improved SLO • Write a paper which demonstrates an in-depth exploration of the relevant literature. • Now we have a quality and a specific work product that we can measure.

Transition of an SLO (cont.) • Original SLO: • A working knowledge of linear algebra to solve linear equations using matrix-vector formulation • Problem 1: while close, we aren’t being specific as to how the student’s USE of matrix-vector formulation will solve anything. • Problem 2: this is a course objective to a greater extent • Improved SLO: • Demonstrate an understanding of matrix-vector formulations by using same to solve a variety of linear equations, with the “variety” to be proposed by the student and subsequently solved.

Transition of an SLO (cont.) • Here are some SLOs “hiding” inside Course Objectives (a sample from a Spanish class) • “Most important of all, minimize your American accent in Spanish • Learn how to classify and describe the sounds of Spanish from an articulatory point of view • Be able to describe the phonemes of Spanish and their allophones • Understand the basic Spanish syllabic structure and the Spanish stress system • Complete both written transcriptions and oral practice.”

And here are those SMART SLOs … • Reduce and preferably eliminate the American accent in spoken Spanish pursuant to a detailed rubric to be discussed in class • Describe in writing, and verbally, the phonemes and allophones of Spanish • Explain, when called upon, the basic Spanish syllabic structure and the Spanish stress systems. • Produce and present a graphic representation of Spanish sounds using phonetic symbols.

What about Internships? • A different animal, to be sure. • Here is what we wrote for the College of Education: • All syllabi at the University of Nevada, Reno, must set forth student learning objectives (SLOs). This is far easier to do for a discrete course, one focused upon a limited area of study. On the other hand, an internship, and in this case the field experience which accompany it will expose the student to the dynamics of their chosen profession. In a sense, therefore, the learning objectives may be reduced to this: to put into practice potentially everything that you have learned over the course of your undergraduate studies. • That’s a mouthful, yes.

A list of 8 “traditional “SLOs … • Demonstrate, in writing and in execution, an ability to render an appropriately challenging lesson and class plan; • Demonstrate an ability to manage a classroom, its students, and the many and myriad events that may occur throughout the school day; • Actively participate in, and from time to time, lead, student assessments designed to target that student’s classroom performance. • Engage with students in the classroomsuch that a climate of learning is established, promoted and expanded. • Model how to behave in a classroom such that everyone is valued and respected. • Use instructional technology to support the teaching and learning process. • Show an evolving strategy of maintaining accurate and useful student records. • Demonstrate professional behavior in all aspects of the field experience. • All of which map back to the COE’s Rubric for the Internship

Problematic Language in SLOs • Words that do not result in measurable outcomes: • Know • Understand • Appreciate • While laudable learning goals, they do not support an demonstration that learning has actually occurred. • Therefore, we augment any use of those three words with an action assignment that is measurable.

How Many? • Often asked, and certainly important: • Best practices at the University of Iowa call for a minimum of three (3) outcomes • Most call for a maximum of eight (8). • We have adopted 8 as our MyNevada maximum. • The instructor may have more – indeed, he or she may wish to have many more • But we recommend that they “roll up” to a succinct listing of no more than 8 SLOs at the start of the syllabus

Are Additional, Unique SLOs Allowable? • Yes, instructors may include additional SLOs to reflect the flavor of their course focus. • Here is an example … • Identify the various disparate components which animated the founding of the Italian state, and which may be present today in modern Italy. • This professor wanted this semester to focus on the many moving parts of present-day Italy, including the influence of the Mob.

That Brings Us to Where… • On all syllabi, preferably right after Course Objectives • Will map to the SLOs presented for the course in MyNevada. • A bulleted list is preferable, but other means are certainly acceptable • For example, Linda Nilson’s Graphic Syllabus and Outcomes Map (Smillie, M., 2012) • Your College’s assessment plans will reflect the SLOs then in place.

Do Students Care? • Most may not, although some may wonder. • And others may arrive prepared to hear more about the published SLOs (having seen them in MyNevada) • It is our hope (and best practices across the country would seem to indicate) that: • with repeated reference back to the SLOs in the syllabus, all will begin to see the linkage, the relevance, and the value.

The Role of the Graduate Assistant • Maintain the OUA and Curriculum Central links for SLOs • Assist professors in the construction of SLOs • Work with Admissions to facilitate the recording of SLOs • For eventual availability in MyNevada • Maintain research on best practices with respect to SLOs • periodically update faculty and staff, and the web pages, on any important changes.

Thank You! • This presentation’s objectives were to “give” you a better “understanding” of what Dr. Cline’s GA has been up to, and an “appreciation” of the value of SLOs, plus an “exploration” of what other institutions are doing. • The outcomes are that you can and will: • Use this presentation and the services of the Vice Provost’s Office to sculpt your own SLO practice • Begin requiring a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 8 SLOs on all syllabi effective with the next semester. SLOs are, after all, worth doing all on their own!

Student Learning Outcomes