Program and General Education Learning Outcomes

1. Program and General Education Learning Outcomes Moving towards to General Education Learning Outcomes Proficiency Office of Institutional Effectiveness January 2012

2. Before You Begin Take out a sheet of paper, turn it horizontally, and create 3 columns with the following headings: K W L • Jot down 5 things that you already know about program learning outcomes in the first column. • Write down 5 things that you want to know about program learning outcomes in the second column. • Think about what you wrote down. • Put this paper to the side. You will get back to it later.

3. Learning Outcomes for this Presentation • Upon completing this presentation, participants will be able to: • Describe the components of a college program. • Differentiatebetween department, program, courses, and disciplines. • Explain why programs need to assess PLOs and GELOs.

4. Why Students Come to LATTC • Students who arrive to the beautiful campus of Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, come for a variety of reasons: • Job Readiness • Basic Skills • Personal Enrichment • Transfer • College Degree

5. College Degree Acquisition Above all, the most common reason why students come to Los Angeles Trade-Technical College is to receive a college degree.

6. What are the Requirements for a Degree? The community college Associate Degree reflects the culmination of stipulated patterns of learning experiences designed to develop in-depth knowledge about some field, plus the ability to: “Think and to communicate clearly and effectively both orally and in writing; to use mathematics, Understand the modes of inquiry of the major disciplines; Be aware of other cultures and times; to achieve insights gained through experience in thinking about ethical problems, and Develop the capacity for self-understanding.” Title 5, §558065 of the California Code of Regulations, “Minimum Requirements for the Associate Degree”

7. A Broad Educational Foundation Title 5 not only emphasizes the role of the Associate Degreeas focused study in a specific field, but it also aims to direct community colleges to prepare citizens with a broad educational foundation, to develop a populace that can participate effectively in all domains of society: civically, economically, and politically.

8. The Composition of the Associate Degree The composition of the Associate degree comes down to simple math: Major Program Requirements and Electives = + General Ed Program Requirements Associate Degree The first group of courses come from the program in which the student is majoring, and the second group of courses come from the general education program.

9. What is a Program? Title V defines a “program” as an organizedsequence of courses leading to a defined objective, a degree, a certificate, a diploma, a license, or transfer to another institution of higher education. California Code of Regulations, Title V, § 5500g

10. More on Programs… In practice however, the Chancellor’s Office approves only 1.) associate degrees and 2.) those credit certificates that community colleges wish to award to students and which will be listed on transcripts, and 3.) all noncredit programs of a specified duration (288 hours or more) (Source: California Community College Chancellor’s Office (March, 2009). Program and Course Approval Handbook: Third Edition.) In other words, a program is commonly referred to as a compilation of courses in one or more subjects/disciplines that—collectively—awards a 1.) Noncredit Certificate or 2.) Completion or Competency Certificate of Achievement, or c.) AA/AS Degree.

11. Degrees and Certificates • Degree: The Associate in Arts or the Associate in Science degree is granted when a student satisfactorily completes an organized program of study consisting of a minimum of 60 degree applicable semester units which includes general education and major requirements. • Certificate: A Certificate of Achievement is a program designed for students who are looking for instruction with a high degree of specialization. Certificates of Achievement vary in length and consist of a minimum of 12 or more semester units. • Skills Certificate: A Skills Certificate is a document confirming that a student has completed a sequence of courses—credit and non-credit—generally 11 units or less, that prepared him or her to progress in a career path. Skills Certificates are not listed on the student's transcripts or recognized by the State. However, the programs to which they are linked are nonetheless acknowledged on the LATTC campus as such.

12. Programs, Departments, and Courses A program is housed within a department and comprised of subjects (or “disciplines”) and courses. The relationship between these courses, programs, and departments are depicted in the diagram below: Construction, Design, Manufacturing Department Energy Systems Technology Fundamentals Certificate of Achievement Architecture AS Degree Program Disciplines, Courses Architecture Technology 172, 222, 173, 261, 130… Building and Construction Techniques 010… Drafting 62, 63, 60, 64… Architectural Interiors 200, 201, 202…

13. Definition of Terms Community College Course, Subject, Program, and Department Definitions: Course: Title V §55000(f) defines course as “an organized pattern of instruction on a specified subject offered by a community college.” Subject/Discipline: A discipline, or subject area, is usually as broad as or broader than a program area. For example, the discipline of English could include the program areas of reading, writing, communication, English as a Second language, etc. (Source: The Academic Senate of California Community Colleges (Spring, 2008). The Course Outline of Record: A Curriculum Reference Guide.) Educational Program: Title V §55000(f) defines educational program as “an organized sequence of courses leading to a defined objective, a degree, a certificate, a diploma, a license, or transfer to another institution of higher education.” Department: A department is a compilation of subjects/disciplines and/or programs organized by the college. In addition, according to the AFT Agreement (Article 17.A.1.), a department is defined as “an instruction or service unit composed of faculty members assigned to one or more disciplines or service areas, who share common academic or professional interests, concerns, or objectives.”

14. State- and District-approved Programs • Although there is a formal process for creating a program, in Program Review, colleges often informally refer to specific instructional and service areas, departments, and disciplines as “programs”.   • However, with regard to Student Learning Outcomes Assessment, LATTC refers to the official list of district- and state-approved programs from the Chancellor’s office.

15. LATTC’s Official Programs The following slides contain LATTC’s official state- and district-approved list of programs Note: This list changes as programs are created and updated

16. LATTC Programs, Part I

17. LATTC Programs, Part II

18. LATTC Programs, Part III

19. LATTC Programs, Part IV

20. LATTC Programs, Part V Note: The list of official programs is updated regularly, and can be found at the Chancellor’s website, District’s Electronic Curriculum Development website at, or the College’s website.

21. Official List of Programs • All 123 of these programs had, at some point, official forms completed and submitted to the curriculum committee to begin and complete an approval process that ended with the Chancellor’s Office. The information on file includes, but is not limited to: • Name of Program • Mission of the Program • Goals of the Program • Catalogue Description • Program Requirements • Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

22. Program Assessment Program assessment is the evaluation of student learningwithin a particular academic program leading to a defined objective, degree, certificate, diploma, license, or transfer to another institution of higher education.  California Code of Regulations, Title V, § 5500(g)

23. More on Program Assessment • A program should be assessed for whether students are achieving the learning outcomes developed by the department that are stated in the program approval documents for that program. • Program assessment often is done through capstone experiences, portfolios, graduate or employer surveys, or licensure exams. Program assessment is not the evaluation of student achievement of learning objectives within courses that are part of the program, but rather of students’ overall achievement of the broad goals of the academic program (e.g. employment, mastery of certain skills, successful transfer, etc.). 

24. Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) Programs are assessed via program learning outcomes (PLOs). PLOs are statements that describe what learners will know and be able to do when they complete a program leading to a certificate or a degree.

25. PLO Assessment Plan All programs are required to have PLOs that are: Updated through curriculum Articulated in the printed and/or online catalogue Degree and certificate PLOs in the same program should have the same PLOs. In addition, the degree program should have additional information listed that differentiates the two programs. At least 1 PLO from each program should be assessed by the end of spring 2012.

26. Differentiating Certificates from Degrees Although the PLOs are the same for the Architectural Technologies programs (one leading to a certificate and the other leading to an A.A. degree), there is a statement included that helps the student to differentiate between the two:

27. General Education Learning Outcomes Essential to the Acquisition of the Associate Degree

28. From PLOs to GELOs One of the largest and oldest programs on any community college campus is the general education (GE) program. Like the other programs, the GE program is assessed via learning outcomes. However, since the GE program is distinctively unique, characteristically interdisciplinary, and a constant and integral component of an associate’s degree, it has its own acronym, GELO. In essence, a GELO is a type of PLO.

29. The Composition of the Associate Degree The composition of the Associate degree comes down to simple math: Review: Major Program Requirements and Electives = + General Ed Program Requirements Associate Degree The first group of courses come from the program in which the student is majoring, and the second group of courses come from the general education program.

30. What is General Education? • Central to the Associate Degree, general education courses are designed to introduce students to the variety of means through which peoplecomprehend the modern world. • The courses that were selected to make up the general education program will introduce students to different ways to view and understand the world. Title V §6201.14(a)

31. More on General Education… General Education… • Reflects the conviction of colleges that those who receive their degrees must possess in common certain basic principles, concepts and methodologies both unique to and shared by the various disciplines. • Intends that college educated persons should be able to use this knowledge when evaluating and appreciating the physical environment, the culture, and the society in which they live. • Should lead to better self-understanding. Title V §6201.14(a)

32. Accreditation Standards The institution requires of all academic and vocational degree programs a component of general education based on a carefully considered philosophy that is clearly stated in its catalog. The institution, relying on the expertise of its faculty, determines the appropriateness of each course for inclusion in the general education curriculum by examining the stated learning outcomes for the course. General education has comprehensive learning outcomes for the students who complete it, including the following: An understanding of the basic content and methodology of the major areas of knowledge: areas include the humanities and fine arts, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. A capability to be a productive individual and life long learner: skills include oral and written communication, information competency, computer literacy, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical analysis/logical thinking, and the ability to acquire knowledge through a variety of means. A recognition of what it means to be an ethical human being and effective citizen: qualities include an appreciation of ethical principles; civility and interpersonal skills; respect for cultural diversity; historical and aesthetic sensitivity; and the willingness to assume civic, political, and social responsibilities locally, nationally, and globally. Source: http://www.accjc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Standards-Annotated-for-Boards-CQI-and-SLOs.pdf

33. General Education Philosophy Developing and implementing a more specific philosophy of General Education is a responsibility of each college, since each must be sensitive to the unique educational needs and learning environment of its students. Each college shall publish such a statement of philosophy.   LACCD Board Rule 6201.14

34. GE as a Program • The general education (GE) program is comprised of an organized sequence of courses that, along with courses from the major program, leads to the Associate in Arts (A.A.) and Associate in Science (A.S.) degrees, and transfer to a college or university (A.A.-T. or A.S.-T). • Included in the college’s 123 programs, the GE program is the largest. • There are two categories within the GE program: GE program leading to a degree only and GE program leading to a transfer to a 4-year college.

35. GE as a Program Both GE programs are structured the same and will require the same action items. So for this presentation, we will focus on the GE Program leading to the degree only. This One

36. The GE Program (Leading to a Degree) General Education • Natural Sciences • Social & Behavioral Sciences • Humanities • Language & Rationality • Health & Physical Education

37. General Education Courses GE Courses: • There are 148 courses (also referred to as “GEs”) that are categorized within 5 areas of the GE program. There is a minimum requirement in each area to satisfy the graduation requirement. • Natural Sciences – 3 unit minimum (from 41 courses) • Social & Behavioral Sciences: 3 unit minimum (from 40 courses) • Humanities: 3 unit minimum (from 74 courses) • Language & Rationality: 6 unit minimum (from 19 courses) • Health & Physical Education: 3 unit minimum (from 19 courses)

38. GE Areas Defined: Title V Gives a Description of Four of the Five Subject Areas

39. Natural Sciences Described Title V states that courses in the natural sciences area are those which examinethe physical universe, its life forms and its natural phe-nomena. To satisfy the general education requirement in natural sciences, a course should help the student: • Develop an appreciation and understanding of the scientific method. • Encourage an understanding of the relationships between science and other human activities.

40. Social and Behavioral Sciences Described Title V states that courses in the social and behavioral sciences area are those which focus on people as members of society. To satisfy the general education requirement in social and behavioral sciences, a course should: • Help the student develop an awareness of the method of inquiry used by social and behavioral sciences. • Stimulate critical thinking about the ways people act and have acted in response to their societies. • Promote appreciation of how societies and social subgroups operate.

41. Humanities Described Title V states that courses in the humanities area are those which study the cultural activities and artistic expressions of human beings. To satisfy the general education requirements in humanities, a course should help the student: • Develop an awareness of the ways in which people through the ages and in different cultures have responded to themselves and the world around them in artistic and cultural creation. • Help the student develop aesthetic understanding and ability to make value judgments.

42. Language and Rationality Described Title V states that courses in language and rationality area are those which develop for the student principles and applications of language toward logical thought, clear and precise expression, and critical evaluation of communication in whatever symbol system the student uses. In this category, there are two subcategories: • English Composition: Courses fulfilling the written composition requirement should include both expository and argumentative writing. • Communication and Analytical Thinking: Courses fulfilling the communication and analytical thinking requirement include oral communication, mathematics, logic, statistics, computer language and programming, and related disciplines.

43. GE Course Lists: Los Angeles Trade-Technical College’s Course Lists

44. Natural Sciences Courses • The natural science area of the general education program includes the following 41 courses: • Anthropology (101), Astronomy (1, 2, 5), Biology (3, 6, 7, 20, 36), Chemistry (40, 51, 65, 70, 101, 102, 211, 212, 221), Chemical Technology (111, 121), Electronics (2), Environmental Science (1), Geography (1), Geology (1, 6), Microbiology (1, 20), Physical Science (1, 14), Physics (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 12, 14, 29, 32), Psychology 2

45. Social and Behavioral Sciences Courses • The social and behavioral sciences area of the general education program includes the following 40 courses from American Institutions & U.S. History and Social Sciences disciplines. • American Institutions & U.S. History: History 11, 12, 13, 41, 42, 43, 44, 52 or Political Science 1 or Labor Studies 4 • Social Sciences: Anthropology 102, 109, 121; Business 1, 5; Child Dev 1, 2, 3, (or 8), 11, 42; Economics 1, 2; Geography 2; History 86, 87; Political Science 2, 7; Psychology 1, 11, 17, 32, 41, 69; Sociology 1, 2, 28; Speech Communications 121, 122, 122H

46. Humanities Courses • The humanities area of the general education program includes the following 74 courses: • American Sign Language 1, 2; Arabic 1; Architecture 130, 131; Art 101, 102, 103, 104, 201, 202, 300, 501, 502; Chinese 1, 2; English 102, 203, 205, 205H, 206, 206H, 207, 208, 212, 212H, 213, 215, 218, 219, 220, 220H, 234, 240, 270; French 1, 2, 3, 21; Humanities 1, 2, 54, 60, 61, 73; Japanese 1, 21, 22; Journalism 105; Labor Studies 21; Music 101, 141, 142; Philosophy 1; Physical Education 750, 761, 762, 800; Spanish 1, 2, 3, 4, 21, 22, 35, 36; Speech 130; Theater 100, 210, 507; Visual Communications 106, 108, 120, 130

47. Language and Rationality Courses • The language and rationality area of the general educa-tion program includes 19 courses from 2 categories: • English Composition/English Competency Requirement: English 101 • Communication and Analytical Thinking: Math 125, Statistics 1, Computer Technology 60, Electronics 10, 12, 14; General Engineering Technology 121; Engineering Technology 49, 50, 51; Computer Information Systems 701, English 103; Philosophy 6, 8; Speech 101, 103, 104, 151

48. Health & Physical Education Courses • The health and physical education area of the general education program includes 19 courses: • Health 2, 6, 8, 11, 12, 21, 31, 32. 33, 35, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 50, 51, 52

49. ProposedGELOs for GE Content Areas Courses within the Same Content Area Will Assess a Common Learning Outcome

50. GELOs for Natural Sciences Area Example of proposed GELOs for the Natural Sciences content area: Upon completion of a general education course in the natural sciences area, students will be able to: