Assessing Student Learning Outcomes in Student Development – Part I

Assessing Student Learning Outcomes in Student Development – Part I Student Development Division Meeting SUNY Oneonta May 9, 2008

Presenter Patty Francis, Associate Provost for Institutional Assessment and Effectiveness

Topics for Today • Assessment “basics” • Why student learning outcomes in Student Development? • Oneonta’s Student Development Division Learning Outcomes • Good assessment practices in Student Development – Review and examples

Some Assessment “Basics” • Establishing congruence among institutional goals, programmatic and unit objectives, student learning opportunities, and assessments • Direct vs. direct measures • Process vs. outcome statements • Using a variety of measures, both quantitative and qualitative, in search of convergence • Using existing data sources as much as possible • Assessment as an ongoing, iterative process

Assessment’s Four Steps • Setting objectives: “What you say you do” • Objective mapping: “How you do what you say you do” • Assessment: “How you know you are doing what you say you do” • “Closing the loop”: “What you do next based on results” • Assessment without #4 = Waste of time!

Most Important • Done correctly, assessment: • Initiates a “never-ending” dialogue among staff members regarding programmatic priorities, objectives and effectiveness • Offers multiple, rich opportunities for professional development • Provides (mostly) affirming data in support of existing programs and services • Provides a focused direction for change and future activities

Student Learning Outcomes in Student Affairs: Rationale • Recent transformation in higher education • From inputs to outcomes • Heightened emphasis on personal development as primary goal of undergraduate education • Recognition that co-curricular environment is as important as the classroom • Important question: How do student development professionals intentionally create conditions that enhance student learning and personal development?

Important Assumptions Underlying a “Learning-Oriented Student Affairs Division” (from ACPA, 1996) • Characteristics of a college education person range from complex cognitive skills to the ability to apply knowledge to practical problems to a “coherent integrated sense of identity” • The concepts of learning, personal development, and student development are intertwined and inseparable • Experiences in and outside the classroom – and on and off campus – contribute to student learning and development • Learning and personal development occur through transactions between students and their environments broadly defined

And Last, But Not Least “Student affairs professionals are educators who share responsibility with faculty, academic administrators, other staff, and students themselves for creating the conditions under which students are likely to expend time and energy in educational-purposeful activities.”

Questions to Ask at the Beginning • Does the division mission statement explicitly address student learning and personal development as primary objectives? • Do staff understand, agree with, and perform in ways congruent with this mission? • How can staff be more intentional about promoting student learning (and still provide needed services)? • What measures should be in place to demonstrate effectiveness and inform practice?

A Few Words About Outcomes • There are different categories of outcomes • Behavioral • Cognitive • Attitudinal • Some categories are much easier to assess than others! • The best outcomes statements result from staff discussion, negotiation and, ultimately, consensus

Mature Relationships Appropriate social skills Work cooperatively in groups Conflict resolution Effective communication Cognitive Skills Problem solving Applying knowledge Find, evaluate, and integrate new information Identity and Personal Maturity Develop values/ethical standards Set short- and long-term career and life goals Learn principles for improving physical and mental health Take responsibility for behavior Understand self Develop self-confidence Constructively express emotions and ideas Become self-reliant Oneonta’s Student Development Division Learning Outcomes

Intercultural Maturity Understand and appreciate cultural/ethnic differences Get along with people from various backgrounds Effective Citizenship Become more aware of local, national, global and international political/social issues Develop and use effective leadership skills Oneonta’s Student Development Division Learning Outcomes (cont.)

Student Learning Outcomes in Student Development Review and Examples

Academic Advisement • Students will: Develop an educational plan for achieving their educational goals and select courses each semester consistent with that plan. • Know the institution’s general education requirements. • First-Year Experience • Students participating in orientation will identify at least two faculty academic expectations of students in the classroom. • First-year students will identify at least two student organizations in which they would like to get involved.

Career Services • Students will demonstrate increased job search skills (e.g., letter and resume writing, interviewing, employer research). • Judicial Affairs • Students will demonstrate an awareness of their rights and responsibilities as members of the campus community as well as of the resources available to them if they feel their rights have been violated. • Disability Services • Students will independently and successfully negotiate their academic accommodations with faculty members.

Opportunity Programs • Students will demonstrate a good working knowledge of all campus student support offices and services. • Students will follow through when referred to appropriate campus resources. • College Union • Student workers will identify, provide, and implement technical equipment that is appropriate for specific union events. • Student Life • Student organizations will execute a program that requires effective collaboration with another student organization.

Transitioning to the Retreat • When thinking about outcome statements, take into account: • How do you expect your services and programs to influence students (overall and sub-groups as appropriate)? • What information do you have on previous students you have served? • Can you actually assess the outcome?

Assessing Student Learning Outcomes in Student Development Student Development Division Meeting SUNY Oneonta May 9, 2008

Assessing Student Learning Outcomes in Student Development – Part I