EMCC’s Focus on Learning

1. EMCC’s Focus on Learning • What? Assessing Abilities • Providing the Background • Why? Improve learning • Answering the Questions

2. The Foundation • Maricopa Community College District Governing Board Goals and Measures 1999-2000

3. University Transfer Education/General Education • “Students will demonstrate post-secondary competencies in communication (writing, speaking, listening), reading, the humanities, science, critical thinking, problem solving, computer and information literacy and mathematics.”

4. Developmental Education • “Students will demonstrate competencies in courses below 100 level (reading, mathematics, English) that prepare them for success in college level courses.”

5. Workforce Development • “Students will complete occupational programs and/or courses with skills sought by themselves or employers.”

6. How do we meet these goals? • Teach to the competencies written by Instructional Councils • Assess student abilities in order to improve learning

7. EMCC’s Student Academic Assessment Committee • Assessment is EMCC faculty owned and driven • We assess learning in the following academic programs: • University Transfer Education/General Education • Developmental Education • Workforce Development

8. Purpose of Assessment • “Enhance students’ abilities and success” • “Determine focus for development and growth of students’ abilities” • “Use assessment as a tool for the continuous improvement of teaching and learning”

9. Assessment Instruments • Researched and selected by EMCC faculty members • In-house tools: Developmental Education and Workforce Development • Published tests: General Education And Transfer (GrEAT) • Educational Testing Services’ (ETS) Tasks in Critical Thinking

10. Abilities Currently Assessed • Critical Thinking • A student who thinks critically processes problems by • identifying and defining the problem • developing and implementing strategies • evaluating information • reaching conclusions • responding to the problem

11. Abilities Currently Assessed • Communication • A student who communicates effectively • responds to an audience • demonstrates a clear sense of purpose • organizes information • delivers information using appropriate language

12. To what extent has comprehensive change occurred in our system? • Adjunct and Residential faculty members are aware of the importance of assessment and of the focus on the implementation of the abilities of critical thinking and communication in the classroom. This awareness has led to a concern with how and to what extent students are learning the abilities of critical thinking and communication.

13. What sources of energy exist for change? In what ways do they interact? • To promote this awareness among faculty and students, SAAC works with the following groups: • The Office of Student Life • The Office of Institutional Advancement • The Office of Institutional Planning and Effectiveness • Key to its success: Full support of the Dean of Academic Instruction

14. How does our institution develop and maintain the ability to change? • Faculty workshops on how to improve learning by sharing strategies for implementing the abilities of critical thinking and communication. • Changing Faces: 1. SAAC Co-Chairs, 2. Academic Program Assessment Team Leaders and, 3. Members of Academic Program Assessment Teams