COMPLETING QUALITY DEGREES: IDAHO’S AGENDA FOR POST-SECONDARY LEARNING

1. COMPLETING QUALITY DEGREES: IDAHO’S AGENDA FOR POST-SECONDARY LEARNING Daniel J. McInerney Tuning USA Advisory Board Professor & Associate Department Head Utah State University, Department of History daniel.mcinerney@usu.edu

2. learning & listening – not just lecturing • as much a matter of vocabulary as an issue of pedagogy and administration • the ambitious agenda for post-secondary education

4. learning & listening – not just lecturing • the ambitious agenda for post-secondary education • integrating– not simply adding – reform projects example

5. 60% of Idahoans ages 25-34 will have a degree or certificate by 2020. Idaho must grow talent within the state to fuel innovation and economic competitiveness. increased education attainment improves the quality of life for Idahoans and drives a vibrant, diverse economy. It is imperative we commit to efficiently and effectively increase postsecondary degrees and certificates.

6. In 2010, the Board set an attainment goal that 60% of Idahoans, age 25 to 34, have a postsecondary degree or certificate by 2020. This will require a focus not only on increasing the number of students who complete college, but also on maximizing students’ abilities and potential for success in the workforce.

7. To encourage access and completion involves demystifying the college going process and experience. Ensuring there is alignment between secondary graduation requirements and postsecondary expectations so that students are ready for the rigor and expectations of college are integral to completion, which includes the development of a statewide model for assessment of college and career readiness. The transition from secondary to postsecondary education opportunities must be clear and straightforward, by simplifying and streamlining the college admissions process. And, transfer processes between colleges must be understandable and attainable.

8. WHAT IS THE FOCUS? -numbers of degrees -percentages, growth -transferring courses credits GPAs QUANTIFICATION & ADMINISTRATION OF DEGREES .

9. Post-secondary degree -represents Carnegie credits, grade point averages, residency requirements, state-mandated requirements?   -symbolizes institutional identification, college “rankings”? “Gen Ed,” “Core, “Major field” -represent lists of courses, credits, minimal grades? What do degrees and curricula and cores and major fields represent in terms of learning?

10. What do degrees and curricula and cores and major fields represent in terms of learning? -How clearly do we define the learning that our institutions & programs develop? -How well do our students (and their parents, their employers, their policymakers) understand these goals? -Student understanding of these issues: -when they complete program of study? -when they enter program of study? -How well do we clarify these objectives and expectations to secondary schools & other post-secondary institutions? THE QUESTIONS ADDRESSED BY IDAHO’S INITIATIVES

12. THEIR FOCUS: WHAT DO DEGREES REPRESENT? -the learning that informs post-secondary work -the quality of degrees -the intentionality of academic programs -the knowledge, skills, and abilities students develop -the clarity with which we communicate this information

13. HOW DO THE INITIATIVES FIT TOGETHER?

14. What should post-secondary education aim to achieve? • What qualities should students develop in post-secondary education? • What qualities do educators develop at different degree levels?

15. What should students’ majors aim to achieve – overall and at different degree levels? • What is one way of determining if we are achieving our goals? • What can we do to facilitate transfer and mobility?

17. WHY SHOULD ANY OF THIS MATTER TO YOU?

18. top-down approach one size fits all isolated from the rest of the world

19. collecting (but not using)data shhh . . . be quiet; maybe assessment will go away

21. -Assessments are here to stay -Who else but discipline experts should respond? -Assessment and education

23. A GOOD STARTING POINT The types of issues addressed in the Tuning project

24. Clarify what (too often) remains unstated Tuning is a a faculty-led project -within individual disciplines   -working together across different sectors of post-secondary education to clarify the subject-specific knowledge, skills, and competencies we expect students to learn, demonstrate, and master upon completing a program of study

25. -not simply to generate more degrees but quality degrees understandable degrees -not simply discussions among academics but a range of stakeholders in higher ed students parents administrators alumni policy makers employers -not simply stating our learning goals but scaling our learning goals -within a curriculum -to different degree levels

26. Central question Tuning poses: What should students know, understand, and be able to do when they complete a program of study? ~~ a question that helps us address the issues involved with LEAP, ELOs, DQP ~~

27. EU US FOCUS OF THE INITIATIVES teaching  learning educational “inputs”  learning outcomes teacher-centered  student-centered degree as a reflection  degree as reliable of an institution “credential” of accomplishments implicit purposes  clarity, transparency

28. Ten Tips For Tuning’s DUAL commitments harmony common reference points diversity autonomy

30. T U N I N G (1) informing question “What should students know, understand, and be able to do?” “When students complete our program of study, they will be able to . . . .”

31. T U N I N G (1) informing question (2) bottom-up approach (3) discipline-specific (4) focus on learning outcomes (5) clarity and transparency (6) degree levels (7) colleagues at other institutions (8) inclusive; many “stakeholders” (9) diversity and autonomy “wind up singing in the same key – though not the same tune” (10) a process, not a finished product

33. THE TUNING ELEVATOR SPEECH

34. The “Tuning” project asks faculty to drill down and clarify the core goals and the key skills pursued in their disciplines. We want to answer a basic question: when students complete a program in a discipline, what should they know, understand, and be able to do? We ask this question to understand our own roles and responsibilities in higher education. And we want our students to understand what they take from their studies into employment, further education, and civic life.

35. 2009: start of Tuning USA project April, Chicago

36. Utah’s work in Tuning • 8 state institutions • 2 research universities • 4 comprehensive or regional universities • 2 community colleges

37. Utah’s work in Tuning • What did Utah offer? -10+ years of state-wide meetings -Majors’ Meetings - all institutions in the Utah System of Higher Education - 37+ disciplines, annually -Annual Conference: “What Is An Educated Person?” – faculty from all institutions

38. Utah’s work in Tuning • What did Utah offer? - general education - articulation - transfer - trust

39. Utah’s work in Tuning • What did Utah lack? (1) a coordinated body of goals and objectives (2) evidence of goals achieved (3) discussions outside of circle of faculty and administrators

41. Approaches

42. MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE NOT WHERE YOU WANT THEM TO BE Ten Tips For 2008-9: annus horribilis administrative orders functions of conflict and complaint start at the endpoint

43. DON’T GO IT ALONE Ten Tips For UK learning outcomes AHA lit on assessment Australian colleagues

44. BUILD THE PROJECT INCREMENTALLY Ten Tips For provisional learning outcomes: knowledge / skills / thinking syllabi rubrics single rubric for capstone inter-rater-reliability revise intro survey for majors create a pre-major

45. TALK WITH PEOPLE OUTSIDE ACADEME Ten Tips For stakeholders students, parents, alumni, employers, policy makers surveys focus groups alumni letters

46. P e t e r D HART RESEARCH A S S O C I A T E S Raising The Bar Employers’ Views On College Learning In The Wake Of The Economic Downturn Key findings from survey among 302 employersConducted October 27 – November 17, 2009 Search: “aacu raising the bar”

47. Doing good job Some improvement needed Significant improvement needed Employers: room for 2-year & 4-year colleges to improve How good a job are our colleges/universities doing in preparing students effectively for the challenges of today’s global economy? Two-year colleges and universities 60% Four-year colleges and universities 68%

48. Employers’ Top Priorities For Student Learning Outcomes In College % saying two- and four-year colleges should place MORE emphasis on helping students develop these skills, qualities, capabilities, knowledge Effective oral/written communication Critical thinking/ analytical reasoning Knowledge/skills applied to real world settings Analyze/solve complex problems Connect choices and actions to ethical decisions Teamwork skills/ ability to collaborate Ability to innovate and be creative Concepts/developments in science/technology

49. BUILD A BASKET OF METRICS Ten Tips For rubrics student portfolio course evaluations course management systems (Moodle, Blackboard, Canvas)

50. CLARIFY WHAT DISTINGUISHES THE MAJOR Ten Tips For levels pre-major