Writing Student Learning Outcomes

Transcription

1 Writing Student Learning Outcmes The paradigm shift away frm a teacher-centered curriculum t a student-centered curriculum is changing higher educatin. Teacher-centered syllabi fcus n bjectives and curse tpics and describe what the instructr intends t cver. The additin f student learning utcmes t the syllabus describes what the expected learning will be f the student, and thus pivts attentin away frm what is being taught t what is being learned. This shifts the attentin t the assignments and the assessments that are develped by the instructr (Palumb and Banta, 1999). At Castal Carlina University the fllwing definitin has be adpted: Student Learning Outcme: a measurable statement f what students shuld knw and are able t d as a result f their curse wrk and educatinal experience at an institutin r in a prgram f study (Maki, 2004). Levels f Student Learning Outcmes Student learning utcmes shuld be develped at tw levels, the prgram level and the individual curse level. Prgram learning utcmes (PLOs) serve the purpse f identifying the shared expectatins that faculty within a majr, r prgram, have f students. These are ften brad, yet measurable, and encmpass the knwledge, skills, and values that faculty within the prgram have agreed upn. Prgram utcmes shuld be written by a cre grup f faculty wh achieve a cnsensus f prgram-level pririties. These utcmes can be guided by prfessinal rganizatins and reflect the knwledge and skills faculty determine a student shuld have at the end f the prgram. The fllwing questins can assist faculty in develping prgram level utcmes: What d we want students in ur majr t knw at the end f the prgram? What d we want students in ur majr t be able t d at the end f the prgram? What values r attitudes d we want t instill in ur students? What d we want student t be able t demnstrate, represent, r prduce based n their learning histries? (Maki, 2004). The fllwing are examples f prgram learning utcmes: : Demnstrate cmprehensin f the develpment and evlutin f plitical fundatins, institutins, and prcesses in the United States. Apply knwledge f the cncepts, prcesses, and principles f the public sectr t analyze public plicies and rganizatins. Philsphy: The students will be able t identify the majr issues and psitins in the histry f Western Philsphy and display an understanding f majr aspects f the philsphical theries f key figures. 1

2 Business Management: Students shuld be able t demnstrate cmprehensin f the management prcess, rganizatinal behavir, strategy and plicy, internatinal issues, and entrepreneurship. Business Finance: Students shuld be able t demnstrate cmprehensin f crprate finance, investments, and internatinal finance. Physics: When students cmplete the prgram in Applied Physics, they will be able t explain the principles and cncepts f classical physics. Marine Science: Students will be able t explain the principles, cncepts, applicatins, and inter-relatins f bilgy, chemistry, gelgy, physics, and mathematics, as they apply t the marine envirnment. Students will be able t use the principles f scientific inquiry t describe, analyze, and interpret data and t draw sund cnclusins abut scientific prblems invlving marine science and related fields. Elementary Educatin: Teacher candidates will design lessn plans based n knwledge f subject matter, students, curriculum gals, and standards. Masters f Teaching: M.A.T. candidates will be able t plan, implement and reflect n their classrm instructin based n prfessinal, state and institutinal standards. Mapping Prgram Learning Outcmes The design f the sequence f curriculum and learning experiences can be reflected in the PLOs. If using Blm s cgnitive dmain and reflecting n the lwer-rder f learning t the higher rder f learning, the verbs that are attached t a learning utcme need t take int accunt the student s chrnlgy f learning as they prgress thrugh the prgram. This assures that the utcme statements are aligned with the educatinal practices and assessments. Prgram utcmes shuld be assessed smetime during the prgram. Sme prgrams use a capstne curse that may assess the entire prgram learning utcmes while ther prgrams use varius different curses and assess midway and at the end f a prgram. Curriculum maps are tls used by faculty t prfile when prgram level utcmes are being intrduced, reviewed, and assessed at the curse level. Maps are used t verify the cllective expectatins and cherence f faculty and reveal the pprtunities students have t gain knwledge and skills that are crucial thrughut a majr. Using this visual guide faculty can determine which curse is the best t assess a particular prgram utcme. Mapping als assures that there are ample pprtunities fr students 2

3 t develp the deep level f learning, behavirs, habits f mind, ways f knwing, and values at the prgram level. Figure 1: Curricular Map f Student Learning Outcmes PLO 1 I R A PLO 2 I R R R A PLO 3 I R A PLO 4 I R R A PLO 5 I R A *I- intrduce, *R Review, *A- Assess Assessment Planning the assessment fr a prgram is essential if the utcmes are t be measured. Again, a faculty cmmittee shuld design a useful assessment plan that encmpasses all prgram learning utcmes. Using the curriculum map will help establish the pint in each prgram when the prgram learning utcme will be assessed. Curse level utcmes (CLOs) are much narrwer in scpe and written specifically fr a curse, yet still align with the prgram level utcmes. CLOs are statements that rely n active, measurable verbs and are assessed either at the midpint r end f the semester. These statements can be fund n syllabi and define what the student will knw and be able t d at the end f the curse. The curse level utcmes assist students in understanding what they will knw and the skills they will acquire as a result f taking the curse. Fr many students these present a rad map t assisting them in studying fr the curse. The fllwing illustrate hw curse student learning utcmes are mre fcused n specific tpics r skills t be cvered in a particular curse: MSCI 330: Physical Oceangraphy Explain the prcesses by which gravity waves are generated and prpagated. COMM 334: Small Grup Cmmunicatin Analyze audience mtivatin and media advantage. PHIL 306: 20th Century Analytic Philsphy Describe what analytic philsphy is, in terms f its areas f interest and its methdlgy. HIST 338: Mdern Ireland Synthesize Ireland s histry within a greater Eurpean cntext in terms f cmparative dmestic develpments and cmpeting freign interest. 3

4 ARTH 450: Ashes2Art: Digital Recnstructins f Ancient Mnuments Scan images and dcuments using the apprpriate mde and reslutin. Writing Student Learning Outcmes Writing student learning utcmes fr either a prgram r a curse takes time. A set f rules apply t bth. The first and mst imprtant rule is that the SLO must have an actin verb that is measurable. Fr assessment purpses, it is best t nly have ne verb per utcme. Having mre than ne verb can clud the analysis f the utcme and make it difficult t determine if it has been met. Fllwing Blm s taxnmy f cgnitin, the verb chsen will determine the cgnitive level f thught. Blm s levels are in an rder f increasing cmplexity and guide the type f behavir that is expected f the student. The use f verb als impacts hw the student learning utcme will be assessed. Figure 2 illustrates the levels f Blm with sme examples f verbs that are measurable. Applicatin, analysis, synthesis, and evaluatin are cnsidered higher-rder thinking skills and entail students using infrmatin they have learned in specific ways. Assessment f these thinking skills ften cnsists f perfrmance measures. Therefre, assignments that are activities, prjects, r prducts can be used as assessment and are thught f as being authentic, natural ways f assessing student learning. Figure 2 Blm s cgnitive levels with actin verbs Knwledge Cmprehensin Applicatin Analysis Synthesis Evaluatin List Summarize Slve Analyze Design Evaluate Name Explain Illustrate Organize Hypthesize Chse Identify Interpret Calculate Deduce Supprt Estimate Shw Describe Interpret Cntrast Write Judge Define Cmpare Manipulate Cmpare Reprt Defend Visualize Demnstrate Apply Distinguish Justify Criticize State Classify Mdify Discuss The secnd rule in writing SLOs is that there shuld be a clearly defined expectatin r result that is based n learning. Linda Suskie has five suggestins fr develping student learning utcmes that can be fllwed when develping bth prgram and curse student learning utcmes. 1. Fcus n the mst imprtant gals. 2. Wrk with clleagues. 4

5 3. Fcus n the ends, nt the means; that is, what will students knw and be able t d after they have successfully cmpleted the prgram r the curse. 4. Use cncrete actin wrds that describe what students shuld be able t d in explicit, bservable terms. 5. Define fuzzy terms whenever pssible. Fr example thinking critically, culd be better defined as analyze and evaluate arguments. Wrks used: Maki, P. (2004). Assessing fr learning: Building a sustainable cmmitment acrss the institutin. Sterling, VA: Sterling. Palmba, C. A., & Banta, T. W. (1999). Assessment essentials: Planning, implemented, and imprving assessment in higher educatin. San Francisc. Jssey Bass. Suskie, L. (2004). Assessing student learning: A cmmn sense guide. San Francisc, CA: Jsey- Bass. 5