Assessment and

Learning Outcomes

Make a difference, measure the impact.

Amber Garrison DuncanUniversity of Oregon

Workshop Learning Outcomes

Describe how institution, division and department missions inform the planning and assessment process

Summarize the planning and assessment process

Understand the role of learning outcomes in shaping student learning experiences

Understand the learning outcomes formula

Understand levels of Blooms taxonomy

Construct learning outcomes

Planning and

Assessment Process

Assessment is not an extra task,

it is a way of being

Let’s unpack the process

Mission, Goals and OutcomesWhere do we find these?

What informs our mission, goals and outcomes?

What should inform our mission, goals and outcomes?

Institutional Mission

Student Affairs Mission

Department Mission

Department OutcomesInformed by the Missions and Goals of the Institution, Student Affairs and Department.

Written to demonstrate what the department will do to contribute to the Student Affairs mission, which then contributes to the Institutional Mission.

Informs the development of programs and services within the department.

Documented in the Department Strategic Plan

Institutional Mission

Student Affairs

Department

Outcomes

Program/Service

Action

Program and Service OutcomesPrograms and Services are designed to fulfill the department mission.

Specific outcomes are written for the particular program or service.

Program and Service AssessmentDesigned to measure the specific outcomes written for the program or service.

Assessment provides documentation of impact of the program or service

Assessment provides guidance and insight into successes and challenges that informs future planning

Writing

Learning Outcomes

Make a difference, measure the impact.

Start with the end in mind.

What do you want the student to learn? (outcome)

What knowledge, skills or abilities do they need to learn? (curriculum or what you intend to teach)

What activity will facilitate the learning? (program or service)

How will student demonstrate learning? (assessment)

How will you improve the learning for next time? (improvement)

Designed to walk you, step by step, through the

program planning and assessment process

Assessment and

Planning Guide

Learning Outcomes…

…are goals that describe how a student will be different because of a learning experience.  More specifically, learning outcomes are the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and habits of mind that students take with them from a learning experience. (Suskie, 2009).

Brainstorm

What do you want the student to be able to know or do as a result of participation?

What knowledge, skill or ability should the ideal participant demonstrate?

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Knowledge- aware, define, describe, label, list

Comprehension- explain, generalize, give examples

Application- apply, adopt, construct, demonstrate

Analysis- analyze, compare, contrast

Synthesis- change, compose, plan, predict, produce

Evaluation- assess, judge, defend, criticize, conclude

Learning Outcome Formula

Program or Service

Action Verb (Bloom’s)

Observable knowledge,

skill or attitude

As a result of Student will be able to

Participation in President’s Leadership Symposium

Identify

the 3 C’s from the Social

Change Model of Leadership

As a result of Student will be able to

As a result of this program, student will…

Bad Outcome Statement

Be able to have confidence in their abilities, realize the HLC can benefit their learning process and enroll in three programs.

Better Outcome Statement

Demonstrate critical thinking skills as it relates to social issues

Best Outcome Statement

Demonstrate the ability to analyze and respond to arguments about racial discrimination

Tips

Limit yourself to 3-6 outcome statements

Be SMART

Specific- focused on a specific learning area

Measurable- you can collect data to measure

Attainable- the outcome is attainable given the student learning level and program

Results- program is aligned with department and division learning domains

Tailored- outcome is specific to the program

We are taking a friend camping.

What do they need to know?

Let’s Try

Start with the end in mind.

What do you want your friend to learn about camping? (outcomes)

What specific knowledge, skills or abilities do they need to learn? (outcomes- remember 3-6 only!)

What activity will facilitate the learning? (program, service or experiences)

How will your friend demonstrate learning? (assessment)

How will you improve the learning for next time? (improvement)

Resources

Assessment Team Member

Student Voice

Student Affairs Assessment Website

http://sa-assessment.uoregon.edu