Student Learning Outcomes: Institution to Course

1. Student Learning Outcomes: Institution to Course Candace Timpte Juliana Lancaster Georgia Gwinnett College

2. Origins • 4-year, State College in the University System of Georgia • Authorized by GA Legislature in May 2005 • President hired in September 2005 • Campus opened with 118 students and 10 faculty in August 2006 • Home of the Grizzlies! Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

3. Current Status • Students: • Fall 2006 Enrollment: 118 • Fall 2007 Enrollment: 787 • Fall 2011 Enrollment: 7784 • Faculty • Fall 2006 Total: 11 – all FT • Fall 2011 Total: 500+ (305FT; 200+PT) • Degree Programs • Fall 2006: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology • Fall 2007: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology, Information Technology • Fall 2011: BBA Business; BS Biology, Psychology, Information Technology, Mathematics; BA English, History, Political Science; BSEd: Early Childhood Ed, Special Ed Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

4. Institutional EffectivenessStarting Conditions • Advantages of starting from scratch • Strong executive level support for and understanding of IE • Limited number of programs and offices at start-up • Absence of legacy or standing processes and structures • Disadvantages to starting from scratch • Absence of legacy or standing processes and structures • Each individual brings a different set of assumptions and expectations • Rapid growth and hiring leads to continuous need for explanation/education Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

5. Institutional Effectiveness Initial Design (2006-07) • In order to get “…ongoing, integrated, and institution-wide research-based planning and evaluation processes…[SACS]” for we needed: • Structure and resources • Broad buy-in, consensus and agreement • Working “ground rules” • Institution-wide and pervasive • Integrated with institution’s mission & strategic plan • Faculty/staff participation and basic control • Interdisciplinary and developmental assessment of student learning Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

6. Institutional Effectiveness Initial Design (2007-07) • Program level student learning outcomes and assessment plans • General Education curriculum designed around learning outcomes • Agreement to develop and assess for institutional learning outcomes • Agreement to integrate curricular and co-curricular learning efforts • Leading to: Integrated Educational Experience (IEE) Student Learning Outcome Goals for GGC Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

7. Institutional Effectiveness Continuing Design Conceptual Relationships Among Outcome Goals and Objectives Institutional Goals Integrated Educational Experience SLO Goals Student Affairs Goals Program of Study Goals Course Goals Student Affairs Activity Goals Lesson Objectives Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

8. Our Terminology Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

9. Lesson Objectives • Define learning expectations for each unit in the course. • Each course has defined LO shared among all sections. • LOs ‘standardize’ multiple section courses • Students use LO as a study guide. Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

10. Course Goals • Defined as the critical educational components of the course • “At the end of this course, you will be able to…” • Content related goals • Skill related goals • Higher-order goals • All must be assessable! Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

11. Course Goals • At GGC, listed as course description in course catalog. • Faculty determined. • All faculty teaching a course must buy-in to teaching these CG. • Living list, revise as needed. Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

12. Program Outcome Goals • Hallmarks of student achievement in a program of study. • Tripartite: content, skills, higher order goals • Majors with tracks have common POG + track specific POG. • Biology tracks in Biochemistry, General Biology and Secondary education • Share 6 general POG + 3 track specific POG Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

13. Integrated Educational Experience (IEE) Student Learning Outcomes • State the overarching knowledge, skills and attitudes that all GGC students are expected to achieve • In other words, the outcomes that the College as a whole endeavors to develop in graduates • In SACS terms: “College level Competencies” Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

14. Our IEE Outcomes • Clearly communicate ideas in written and oral form • Demonstrate creativity and critical thinking in inter- and multidisciplinary contexts • Demonstrate effective use of information technology • Demonstrate an understanding of diversity and global perspectives leading to collaboration in diverse and global contexts • Demonstrate an understanding of human and institutional decision making from multiple perspectives • Demonstrate an understanding of moral and ethical principles • Demonstrate and apply leadership principles • Demonstrate effective quantitative reasoning Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

15. Building the Connections Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

16. Mapping outcomes across levels creates a coherent educational plan • Course Goals to Program Goals • Program Goals to IEE Goals • Not all major-specific courses and not all program goals will map to an IEE • Some IEE Goals satisfied by General Education Courses Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

17. Exercise 1 • Take 5 minutes to think of a course you have taught and the program it was part of • List your learning goals for the course • Match them to the learning outcomes for the program • Share with two people near you. Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

18. Biol1107 Course Goals Common Biology Program Goal Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

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22. Exercise 2 • Take five minutes and think now about the program outcomes you used in Exercise 1 • Which of your institution’s overall learning outcomes would those program outcomes support? • Map your program outcomes to institutional outcomes • Share Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

23. Map to IEE Goals Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

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25. Gathering and Aggregating Data Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

26. Course Assessment Report • Summary: overall grades, number of students and sections • Highlights: teaching or activity highlights • Assessments: • % achieved a C or better on assessment exercises • % of total points earned • Action plans: what didn’t work, what needs improvement, equipment or supplies Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

27. Course Assessment Report • Every semester, every course • Multi-section courses pooled • Standardized format essential • Courses used by several programs • Pass off to next instructor, alerts them to quirks of course • Use to support requests for equipment, infrastructure, improve program Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

28. Program Assessment Report • Annually compile all course reports • Are students meeting Program Outcome Goals? • What are faculty doing to enhance learning? • What needs are apparent? Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

29. Program Assessment Report Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

30. Institutional Report Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

31. Institutional Report Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

32. Institutional Report Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

33. Advantages: • Students have a defined list of educational accomplishments for each course, program and general education plan • Coordinated content • multi-section courses • semester to semester with different faculty • Pass-off courses more informative • Faculty goal: educating students! • Supports formative evaluation of INSTITUTIONAL effectiveness Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011

34. Pitfalls: • Faculty view assessment as indicator of their teaching • Inflated assessment scores • 100% success in all areas is not informative • Standardized format critical • Timely submission • Assessment format • Standardized or faculty optional? Theme courses Faculty Buy-in Georgia Gwinnett College -- SAIR 2011