The Role of Learning in Student Affairs’ Outcomes Marilee J. Bresciani, Ph.D. Professor,...

The Role of Learning in Student Affairs’

Outcomes

Marilee J. Bresciani, Ph.D.

Professor, Postsecondary Education andCo-Director of the Center for Educational Leadership, Innovation,

and PolicySan Diego State University3590 Camino Del Rio North

San Diego, California, U.S.A.619-594-8318

Marilee.Bresciani@mail.sdsu.edu

Outcomes for this SessionDefine outcomes-based assessment

Describe the role that learning plays in student affairs

Explain how learning can be facilitated within your program

Explain how to write learning outcomes for your program

Bresciani, M.J.

Ask Yourself These Questions

How would you explain what outcomes-based assessment of student learning is to your colleagues?

How would you help your colleagues identify where they can evaluate student learning within their programs?

Bresciani, M.J.

The Assessment Cycle (Bresciani, 2006)

The key questions…• What are we trying to do and why? or• What is my program supposed to accomplish? or• What do I want students to be able to do and/or

know as a result of my course/workshop/orientation/program?

• How well are we doing it?• How do we know?• How do we use the information to improve or

celebrate successes?• Do the improvements we make contribute to our

intended end results?

The IterativeSystematicAssessment CycleAdapted from Peggy Maki, Ph.D. by Marilee J. Bresciani, Ph.D.

Mission/Purposes

Goals

Outcomes

Implement Methods to Deliver

Outcomes and Methods to Gather

Data

Gather Data

Interpret Evidence

Make decisions to improve programs; enhance student learning and development;

inform institutional decision-making, planning,

budgeting, policy, public accountability

The Focus on Assessing Student Learning

“The concepts of learning, personal development, and

student development are inextricably intertwined and

inseparable.” – The Student Learning

Imperative

Given this context, what is the role that learning plays within

the program for which you are responsible?

Importance of Assessing Student Learning

Demonstrates contributions to institutional mission and goals

And contributions to institutional priorities

Assists in informing prioritization of your time as well as other resources

Some Questions about Student Learning and Development(Bresciani, Moore Gardner, & Hickmott, 2009)

What do you expect your students to know and be able to do by the end of their education at your institution? And how is your program designed to contribute to that expected learning?

What do you do in your programs to promote the kinds of learning and development that your institution seeks?

Bresciani, M.J.

Some More Questions (Bresciani, Moore Gardner, & Hickmott, 2009)

How do I influence student learning?Is it through the education of my

colleagues?Of faculty?Of parents?Of community participants?

Bresciani, M.J.

Reflection Questions (Bresciani, Moore Gardner, & Hickmott, 2009)

How are you directly or indirectly contributing to student learning?

How are you directly or indirectly supporting student learning?

How are you directly or indirectly interfering with student learning?

Bresciani, M.J.

The Ideal for Student Learning

Establish collaborations between academic and student affairs to• facilitate student learning• facilitate student engagement and

socio-academic integration• evaluate professional development

for faculty and staff about effective learning environments

Bresciani, Zelna, & Anderson, 2004

Bresciani, M.J.

Where is the most appropriate place for you to contribute to student learning in

your program?

What outcomes would best represent that learning?

Bresciani, M.J.

Outcomes

You may want to start with articulating outcomes that are more manageable.For instance, articulate outcomes for

your outreach programs first; then later, move to your individual

consultations; than your information pieces, if at all.

Bresciani, M.J.

Outcomes Outcomes are more detailed and specific

statements derived from the goals.

These are specifically about what you want the end result of your efforts to be. In other words, what do you expect the student to know and do as a result of your one hour workshop; 1 hour individual meeting; website instructions; etc.

It is not what you are going to do to the student, but rather it describes how you want the student to demonstrate what he or she knows or can do.

Constructing Learning OutcomesOutcomes use active verbs such as articulate, illustrate, conduct, synthesize, analyze, construct, etc.

Depending on what level of learning you expect from your learning delivery method.http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.h

tml

Bresciani, M.J.

Examples of Outcomes

1. Students will identify at least two examples of social group identities

2. Students will explain the way unearned privilege may negatively impact performance and cross-cultural relationships

Bresciani, M.J.

Another Take on Bloom

1. Knowledge = workshops

2. Skills = opportunities to apply

3. Attitudes/Values Clarification = facilitated reflection

4. Behavior Change = facilitated interventions

Bresciani, M.J.

Outcomes, Cont.Make a conscious decision to articulate

outcomes that infer pre- and post-tests

Make a conscious decision to be held responsible for behavior

Remember that your outcomes may look different for your various constituents - - you may want to start with your more manageable population first, such as your Para-professionals

Bresciani, M.J.

Outcomes, Cont.

Regardless of whether your goals are top down – the outcome is where you operationalize the goal.

Therefore, the outcome or end result of the doing allows you to “personalize” the goal to your own program.

Ideas for Learning Outcomes

NASPA/ACPA Learning Reconsidered and Learning Reconsidered II

CAS OutcomesYour Prof. Assoc. OutcomesAACU Essential Outcomes

Your College’s General Education Outcomes

So, now that you have identified the role of

student learning in you program -

How do you know you are contributing to student

learning?

The IterativeSystematicAssessment CycleAdapted from Peggy Maki, Ph.D. by Marilee J. Bresciani, Ph.D.

Mission/Purposes

Goals

Outcomes

Implement Methods to Deliver

Outcomes and Methods to Gather

Data

Gather Data

Interpret Evidence

Make decisions to improve programs; enhance student learning and development;

inform institutional decision-making, planning,

budgeting, policy, public accountability

ExampleOutcomes

5 minute presentation

in classroom workshop

one-on-one counseling

students will be able to identify one reason to do an internship X X X

define internships   X X

explain how career services can help

them obtain internships X  X X

ExampleOutcomes posters, emails, bulletin boards one-on-one

workshop at heath fair

describe the relationship

of hand hygiene to well-being x oral exam  

demonstrate or apply

correct hand washing

techniques x observation observation

be able to explain the relationship

of hand washing to the number

of times he/she is sick   oral exam

one minute question

Key Things to Remember(King, 2003; Komives & Assoc., 2003; Mentkowski & Assoc, 2000, Kuh et al., 2005; Astin, 1996; Bresciani et. al., 2009)

Student learning must be intentionally designed

Activities to support intentional student learning must be planned and made systematic

Learning must be facilitated

Key Things to Remember, Cont.(King, 2003; Komives & Assoc., 2003; Mentkowski & Assoc, 2000, Kuh et al., 2005; Astin, 1996; Bresciani et. al., 2009)

Learning must be evaluated at the point of the facilitation prior to evaluating the transferability of learningEvaluate the learning when

you expect it to occur first; then evaluate how well it transferred

Key Things to Remember, Cont.(King, 2003; Komives & Assoc., 2003; Mentkowski & Assoc, 2000, Kuh et al., 2005; Astin, 1996; Bresciani et. al., 2009)

In order to systematically improve learning, we must systematically design and evaluate the opportunities to improve student learning

Outcomes-based assessment is not research

Given this presentation, what are

your next steps in evaluating student

learning within your program/institution?

Questions?

Bresciani, M.J.

One Minute Evaluation

What is the most valuable lesson that you learned from this session?

What is one question that you still have?

ReferencesAstin, A.W. (1996). Involvement in learning

revisited: Lessons we have learned. Journal of College Student Development, 37(2), 123-133.

Blake, J.H. (2007). The crucial role of student affairs professionals in the learning process. In Moore, E.L. (Ed.) Student Affairs Staff as Teachers: New Directions for Student Services (117). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Bresciani, M.J., Zelna, C.L., and Anderson, J.A. (2004). Techniques for Assessing Student Learning and Development in Academic and Student Support Services. Washington D.C.:NASPA.

Maki, P. (2001). Program review assessment. Presentation to the Committee on Undergraduate Academic Review at NC State University.

References, Cont.Bresciani, MJ.(2006). Outcomes-Based Undergraduate

Academic Program Review: A Compilation of Institutional Good Practices. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

Bresciani, M. J., Gardner, M. M., & Hickmott, J. (2009). Demonstrating student success in student affairs. Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing.

University of Victoria, Counseling Services. (2003) Learning Skills Program: Blooms Taxonomy. Taken from the World Wide Web September 13, 2003: http://www.Coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.html

King, P.M. (2003). Student Learning in Higher Education. In Komives, S.R., Woodard, D. B. & Associates. Student Services: A Handbook for the Profession, 4th Edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.

Kuh, G.D., Kinzie, J., Schuh, J.H., & Whitt, E.J. (2005). Student Success in College: Creating Conditions that Matter. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.

References, Cont.

Mentkowski, M., & Associates. (2000). Learning that lasts: Integrating learning, development, and performance in college and beyond. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Papert, S. (1991). Situating constructionism. In Papert & Harel (Eds.), Constructionism. Cambridge, MA:MIT Press.

Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How college affects students, Volume 2. A third decade of research. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.