RE-ENGAGING THE CAMPUS IN DISCUSSING, DELIVERING, AND ASSESSING LEARNING
OUTCOMES
C. “Griff” Griffin, Director of General Education
Wendy Wenner, Dean, College of Interdisciplinary Studies
AAC&U – Savannah - 2007
OUTLINE
• Background
• 5 Steps (A-E) – Process– Outcomes– Challenges
• Conclusions
A
B
C
D
E
Right Goals
?
Under-stand our
goals?
Think we’re
achieving our
goals?
Are we achievin
g our goals?
Can we teach
better?
Think we’re
achieving our
goals?
BACKGROUND
Grand Valley State Univ. – Allendale, MI– Quickly growing. large university– Liberal education mission
Process and Outcomes (4 years)– AAC&U Greater Expectations workshops– Re-organization of GVSU– Assessment of learning outcomes– Re-invigoration of General Education– LEAP signatory
A. DO WE HAVE THE RIGHT GOALS?
Process• General Education faculty and Student
Affairs staff• Adopt LEAP goals as the benchmark
Right Goals
?
Basic Writing Acr. GE GE GE
LEAP Essential Learning Outcomes Skills Curriculum Foundation Culture Themes
Human Cultures Y
Physical and Natural World Y
Inquiry and Analysis ? ? ? ?
Critical and Creative Thinking Y Y Y
Oral Communication S S Y
Written Communication Y Y S S Y
Quantitative Literacy Y Y
Information Literacy Y Y Y
Teamwork and Problem Solving
Civic Knowledge and Engagement - Local and Global
Intercultural Knowledge and Competence Y S
Ethical Reasoning and Action ? ? S
Lifelong Learning ? ? ?
Integrative Learning Y
Right Goals
?
Challenges
• Definitions of the LEAP outcomes
• If they’re not a goal, will we teach it or assess it?
• Structural questions – do we do them everywhere or in selected categories
• Upcoming campus-wide forums to discuss……
Right Goals
?
Right Goals
?
B. DOES EVERYONE UNDERSTAND OUR GOALS? 1. All Faculty
Process and Outcomes All faculty
General Education Handbook• General Education Video• New faculty orientation
Challenges• Not getting or reading the Handbook• Not all faculty received the orientation they do now• Adjuncts don’t receive the Handbook or see the video
Under-stand our
goals?
2. Faculty Teaching in General Education
Process and Outcomes Workshops Syllabus attachment– First day of class – Reinforce throughout the term
Challenges– Faculty – getting training– We stopped telling Units to train
faculty– Attachment comes too late
Under-stand our
goals?
3. Students
Process and Outcomes GE Handbook - Orientation Video (parents see it too) - Orientation Syllabus attachment • First day of class • Reinforce throughout the term
Challenges• Misses transfer students• Students don’t get this if faculty don’t
cover it• Don’t read the philosophy behind it
Under-stand our
goals?
C. DOES EVERYONE THINK WE ARE ACHIEVING OUR GOALS?
1. Nationally-Normed Indirect Measures
Process (biennial tests)• National Survey of Student Engagement - NSSE • Faculty Survey of Student Engagement - FSSE • Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) –
Freshman• College Student Survey (CSS) – Senior
Outcomes• Doing “fine” compared to peers, freshmen to senior,
freshmen to freshmen
Think we’re
achieving our
goals?
Challenges• Cost• Getting students to participate• Matching up the results with our goals• Not all the goals are measured• Faculty haven’t established the benchmark
for success• Who does the follow-up?
Think we’re
achieving our
goals?
2. GVSU Developed Indirect Measures
Process GE Goals audit for students and faculty
Think we’re
achieving our
goals?
OutcomesThink we’re
achieving our
goals?
Mean Score for Goals
87% 91%
71% 75%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Skills Goals Content GoalsStr
on
gly
Ag
ree
+ A
gre
e
Faculty Student
Think we’re
achieving our
goals?
86%80%
73%
57%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
1
Str
on
gly
Ag
ree
+ A
gre
e
Info. lit. - Faculty Info. lit. - Student
Ethics - Faculty Ethics - Student
77%
58%
85%
56%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Faculty Student Faculty Student
Speaking - Speaking - Writing - Writing -
Str
on
gly
Ag
ree
+ A
gre
e
Challenges
• Do we disaggregate the data?
• Where’s the bar for success?
• Bias – under or over report?
• Do they understand the terms?
• Does class size affect results?
• Did faculty know they had to teach all of the goals?
Think we’re
achieving our
goals?
Mean Score for Goals
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Skills Goals Content Goals
Str
on
gly
Ag
ree
+ A
gre
e
Faculty
Student
Mean Score for Goals
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Skills Goals Content Goals
Str
on
gly
Ag
ree
+ A
gre
e
Faculty
Student
D. ARE WE ACHIEVING OUR GOALS?
1. Assessment Using Nationally-normed Tests (Direct Measures)
Process• Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA)• Standardized Assessment of Information
Literacy Skills (SAILS)• Departmental sssessments (GRE, etc.)
Outcomes• Doing “fine” compared to peers, freshmen
to senior, freshmen to freshmen
Are we achievin
g our goals?
Challenges
• Cost
• National tests don’t include all the goals
• Getting students to participate – especially seniors
• Getting Units’ results
Are we achievin
g our goals?
2. Assessment Using Course-Embedded (Direct) Measures
Process Develop a process flowchart Develop Course Assessment Plan form Develop Sampling Plan (FAQ) Identify how to house the data (Chalk and Wire) Determine performance levels – 4=A, 3=B, 2=C, 1=D /F Revise subcategory goals with faculty Train faculty to write a Course Assessment Plan
(GEGE – Greater Expectations for General Education)
Are we achievin
g our goals?
Outcomes
• Replicating this process• 5 workshops – 70% of the faculty trained• Course Assessment Plans – 50% done• Data collection is starting…….• Analyzing the results……• Course changes……….
Are we achievin
g our goals?
Challenges• Communication
– Getting faculty educated– Getting it once they’ve done it– Faculty on sabbatical, new faculty,
adjunct, course is intermittently offered
• Time consuming• Course issues
– Large classes– Assessing all the goals (double-dips)– Will the results be representative?
• Not making it “ faculty” evaluation• Cost – faculty, secretary,
database
Are we achievin
g our goals?
E. CAN WE DO A BETTER JOB OF TEACHING TO ENSURE STUDENTS ARE
ACHIEVING OUR GOALS?
Process and Outcomes• Moving from teaching-centered to learning
centered– Faculty-Teaching Learning Center– Connecting Student Affairs with Academic
Affairs– Closing the loop
Can we teach
better?
Course Design
Teaching
Assessing Learning
CONCLUSIONS
• You can’t plan it all – go with the flow
• Go slow• Be in it for the long run• Communicate more and
earlier• Preliminary results –
useful• Big test is yet to
come…