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San Jose State University

San Jose State University. Embedding Assessment of Student Learning in General Education Gail G. Evans (Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies) Thalia Anagnos (Director of Assessment). Board of General Studies.

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San Jose State University

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  1. San Jose State University Embedding Assessment of Student Learning in General Education Gail G. Evans (Associate Dean, Undergraduate Studies) Thalia Anagnos (Director of Assessment) AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  2. Board of General Studies • Solicits curricular proposals for courses designed to satisfy GE requirements from all colleges and departments of the University. • Reviews, approves, and authorizes courses and curricular proposals for GE. • Evaluates courses and curricula (including assessment) it has approved. AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  3. Composition of Board • Eight teaching faculty elected by Colleges to three-year terms. • Two students serving two-year terms. • AVP for Undergraduate Studies (ex officio) • Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies (ex officio) • Director of Assessment (permanent guest) AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  4. General Education Advisory Panels • In 1991 the Board of General Studies established advisory panels to involve faculty more actively in the review, assessment, and implementation of GE requirements in core GE courses. They recommend action to the Board of General Studies. • There are now more than 80 faculty participating in the assessment and review process. AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  5. General Education Requirements CORE GE ADVANCED GE A. Skills Prerequisites: A1. Oral Communication 3 Writing Skills Test A2. Written Communication 3 Upper Division Standing A3. Critical Thinking 3 Completion of Core GE B. Science 9 Areas: (includes Math Concepts) R. Earth & Environment 3 C. Humanities & Arts 9 S. Self, Society & Equality (includes Written Comm 1B) in the US 3 D. Social Sciences (may include 6 unit9V. Culture, Civilization, & American Institution Grad. Requirement) Global Understanding 3 E. Human Understanding & Development 3 Z. Written Communication 3 TOTAL UNITS 39TOTAL UNITS 9-12 Graduation Requirement: American Institutions (may be satisfied in CORE GE) AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  6. Assessment Challenges in a Large GE Program • Menu of more than 200 different courses in 18 different GE areas • More than 300 different instructors teaching GE, a large portion of whom are part-time • More than 500 sections of GE courses in any given semester • GE goals that are not necessarily aligned with standardized tests AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  7. How Course Embedded Assessment Meets the Challenges • Well defined GE learning goals that must be met in each course (SLO - Student Learning Objectives) • Provides a great deal of flexibility for faculty in developing their assessment plans • Faculty can use existing assignments and exams for assessing student outcomes • Students don’t have to take additional tests outside of class • More immediate and focused feedback leading to faster implementation of course modifications AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  8. Core GE: Human Understanding & Development (Area E) • Goals • Students will understand themselves as integrated, physiological, social, and psychological entities who are able to formulate strategies for lifelong personal development. • Courses shall address challenges confronting students who are entering the complex social system of the university, so that students can employ available university resources to support academic and personal development. AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  9. Student Learning Objectives • Students shall: • recognize the physiological, social/cultural, and psychological influences on their well-being; • recognize the interrelation of the physiological, social/cultural, and psychological factors on their development across the lifespan; • use appropriate social skills to enhance learning and develop positive interpersonal relationships with diverse groups of individuals; and • Recognize themselves as individuals undergoing a particular stage of human development and how their well being is affected by the university’s academic and social systems. AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  10. Content - Core GE • Diversity. • Issues of diversity shall be incorporated in an appropriate manner. • Writing. • The minimum writing requirement is 1500 words in a language and style appropriate to the discipline. AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  11. Diversity • CD 106 - Concepts of Childhood • In the term paper students are asked to compare a given childhood topic of their choice (e.g., child labor, vaccinations, drinking age, availability of different levels of education, etc.) across at least three societies. • RECL 111 - Leisure, Culture and Identity • Students research and compose a letter to an authority figure, institution or the media discussing diversity and equality. One student wrote a letter to NCAA president Miles Brand about the disproportionate lack of African American leadership in the form of head coaches. Another wrote to Cosmopolitan and Shape magazines about the small range of body types and races represented in their magazines. The student cited historical, social, and political issues that are causing an increase in plastic surgery, anorexia, bulimia, ageism, and self-loathing by women and linked it to such magazines. AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  12. Diversity • EnvS/Pkg 152 - Environmental Issues and Global Distribution of Goods • Students study and report on the goals and actions of the IMF, WTO, NAFTA, GATT and Debt-for-Nature programs, and how they impact on people in lesser developed countries and the environments in which they live. • Students study different packaging designs to address the diversity of needs of children, the elderly and people with disabilities. • PHIL 104 - Philosophies of Asia • Students participated in a group discussion on status and role of women and ethnic minorities in a critical view of Hindu doctrine of society (the varna system). More examples at www2.sjsu.edu/ugs/ge/ge-diversity.htm AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  13. Content - Core GE (con’t) • Courses shall enable students to achieve the competencies described in the SLOs by including: • a focus on the interdependence of the physiological, social/cultural, and psychological factors that contribute to the process of human development and determine the limitations, potential, and options of the individual across the lifespan; • an understanding of the university as a learning center for the integrated person, an introduction to its resources, and an appreciation for the intellectual and social vitality of the campus community; and • an inventory and evaluation of university-level learning skills and an exploration of the application of these skills to the student’s academic and personal development. AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  14. Support- Core GE • Instructor qualifications • an understanding and appreciation of the SJSU GE program; • a doctorate (preferred but not required); • college-level teaching experience or advanced (graduate) training in the subject matter of the course; • a professional commitment to the learning needs of a diverse student body; • sections designed for foreign students require substantial formal training and experience in teaching speakers of other languages, in addition to above requirements; • teaching associates shall be allowed to teach a GE course only after training and under the close supervision of an expert in the field; and • exceptions must be justified by the department. AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  15. Assessment • Writing shall be assessed for correctness, clarity, and conciseness. • In accordance with the approved assessment plan, the course coordinator/department chair will summarize the assessment results and attach them to the continuing certification request. AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  16. Advanced GE (Area V): Culture, Civilization, & Global Understanding Goals • Students should gain an appreciation for human expression in different cultures and an understanding of how that expression has developed over time in different cultures. • Students should increase their understanding of how other cultural traditions have influenced American culture and society, as well as how cultures in general both develop distinctive features and interact with other cultures. AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  17. Student Learning Objectives • Students shall be able to: • compare systematically the ideas, values, images, cultural artifacts, economic structures, technological developments, or attitudes of people from different societies; • identify the historical context of ideas and cultural practices and their dynamic relations to other historical contexts; and • explain how a culture changes in response to internal and external pressures. AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  18. Content (Advanced GE) • Diversity. Issues of diversity shall be incorporated in an appropriate manner. • Writing.Written assignments should include both in-class and out-of-class writing, giving students practice and feedback throughout the semester. A single final term paper would not satisfy the requirement. A minimum of 3000 words of writing is required in a language and style appropriate for the discipline. • All courses in Self, Society, and Equality in the U.S. should include content to promote all of the above competencies. AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  19. Support Prerequisites • Passage of the Writing Skills Test (WST) • Upper division standing (56 units) • Completion of Core GE Pedagogical Approach • Courses shall focus on issues or present perspectives from different academic disciplines. • Courses shall require students to apply basic skills (reading, writing, speaking, critical thinking, research, and mathematics) and to utilize knowledge gained in Core GE courses. AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  20. Support (con’t) Active Learning • Each course shall provide for active student participation. The course may not be exclusively lecture format. • Assignments must utilize library research and oral and written communication skills. • Courses should promote reflective processes and critical analysis. Primary sources • Course materials (readings, research) must include primary sources. Instructor Qualifications& Assessment (same as Core) AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  21. Certification • Since fall, 1998 approximately 260 courses have been submitted to the Board for recertification under the new GE Guidelines • 219 courses were approved • Since fall 2001, assessment packets for continuing certification have been submitted for all courses • No course has been denied continuing certification, and most have received the maximum of 4 years AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  22. GE Assessment – Required Plan • Example for a Critical Thinking Course • Diagnostic survey first week (self report on abilities and attitudes) • Peer and instructor feedback on persuasive speech • Peer and instructor feedback on first debate • Midterm and final with questions related to SLO and content objectives • Summative survey (repeat of diagnostic) AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  23. Initial Data Collection • Fall 1999 – subset of instructors submitted data as a series of short written reports • Student preparation (main issues and how responded) • Aggregate student performance with respect to GE Student Learning Objectives (what worked and how ensure consistency in meeting SLO) • Coordination across multiple sections (how and how improve) AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  24. Common Themes in Initial Assessment Reports Problems • Writing mechanics and organization • Reading comprehension • Basic math skills Solutions • Break units/assignments into smaller chunks • Clarify readings during class or w/ handouts • Use rough-drafts and provide more feedback • More writing AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  25. Need for More Formalized Process • More than 200 courses in 18 different GE areas - ?comparable data? • Need for systematic data for assessing effectiveness of GE program • Need for well defined process to assist faculty in understanding expectations • Attempt at automated data collection • More information: www2.sjsu.edu/ugs/assessment/as-ge1.html AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  26. Coordinator Summaries for Reporting of Assessment Data Standardized Format w/ Several Parts: • Response to concerns from certification letter • Mastery of Student Learning Objectives (quantitative and qualitative) • Modifications to improve student learning • Effectiveness in meeting Content Objectives • Effectiveness of coordination activities • Evaluation of assessment activities • Copy of instructor summary form or report format AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  27. Sample Assessment Question Learning Objective 1: Students should be able to distinguish between reasoning (e.g., explanation, argument) and other types of discourse (e.g., description, assertion). Out of approximately students assessed, approximatelystudents met this GE Student Learning Objective. Briefly summarize 2 or 3 examples of activities/assignments that have been successful in helping students meet GE Student Learning Objective 1. AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  28. Evolution of the Process • Fall 2001 received assessment summaries for 70 courses • After reviewing first set of summaries, had better understanding of the process • Unanticipated and new challenges (incomplete assessment, drifting of courses off GE objectives, inadequate response to previous concerns) • Developed new philosophy AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  29. Course Recertification Philosophy • Assessment aspathway to success vs. gateway • Mentoring of faculty • No decisions until the decision is “YES” • Education of faculty regarding GE objectives and assessment • Sharing of best practices AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  30. Successes to Date • Completion of assessment of GE Assessment (surveys and focus groups – see www2.sjsu.edu/senate/assessmentreport.pdf • Identification of model assessment summaries – posting on web in a portfolio • Identification of models of the diversity requirement • Identification of common problems in GE courses • 3 roundtable discussions in spring 2002 (active learning, course coordination, under-prepared students) • Appointment of GE faculty in residence at CFDS AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

  31. Successes to Date • Sharing of best practices for Areas V & S • Spring and fall 2003 • Common understanding of Student Learning Objectives • Activities to meet Student Learning Objectives • Development of Course Coordinator Responsibilities • www2.sjsu.edu/ugs/ge/ge-coordresponse.htm • Letter to campus community asking for feedback on assessment reporting form (Fall 2003) AAC&U Conference on General Education & Assessment:Generating Commitment Value and Evidence

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