STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES HANDBOOK
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section One: Cabrillo Assessment Overview, Philosophy, & Organization
Introduction ... 3
Campus Resources ... 3
What is a Student Learning Outcome? ... 4
Core 4 Institutional SLOs ... 4
Course and Program SLOs ... 5
What is SLO Assessment? ... 5
Cabrillo Assessment Philosophy and Process ... 5
SLOs and Program Planning ... 6
Cabrillo Assessment Tool eLumen ... 7
Cabrillo Outcomes Assessment Review Coordinator ... 7
Outcomes Assessment Review Committee ... 8
Section Two: Writing Course and Program SLOs
Writing CSLOs ... 9Sample CSLOs ... 10
SLOs for Courses in a Series ... 11
SLOs for Non-credit & Special Studies Courses ... 12
Writing PSLOs ... 12
Sample PSLOs ... 13
Section Three: Assessing SLOs (Methods)
The Cabrillo Assessment Process... 14Approved Assessment Methods ... 17
Course‐Embedded Assessment ... 18
Pre- and Post Testing ... 18
Analyzing Test Questions ... 19
Creating a Rubric and Sample Rubrics ... 20
APPENDIX A: Detailed Core 4 Institutional Student Learning Outcomes ... 25
APPENDIX B: Cabrillo SLO Assessment Areas ... 27
APPENDIX C: Outcomes Assessment (SLO) Coordinator Job Description ... 31
APPENDIX D: Bloom’s Taxonomy applied to Course Objectives vs. Outcomes ... 33
SECTION ONE: ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW, PHILOSOPHY, & ORGANIZATION
Introduction
This handbook is designed to guide faculty and department chairs through the ins-and-outs of student learning outcomes assessment at Cabrillo, an undertaking initiated in 1997. The process has evolved over the years, but the college philosophy has always prioritized faculty ownership, innovation, and reflection as central tenets. That philosophy is reflected in the content included here: this first edition is an attempt to integrate what were previously separate webpages, handbooks, and other training materials developed over twenty years into one, easily-accessible, updated document.
While Cabrillo has a guiding collective philosophy and process, as described in this guide, each instructional program and department is unique in its annual SLO assessment
schedule, its approaches to department dialogue, its student strengths and challenges, and its strategies for improving student learning. Faculty members should check with their Department Chairs with questions about which SLOs to assess and when, as well as common methods and tools in the discipline or area.
Student Learning Outcomes Resources
Cabrillo College
• Outcomes and Assessment Committee (OARC) Homepage
• eLumen Faculty Guide
• eLumen Department Chair Guide • OARC Annual Reports
• Cabrillo College Factbook (Planning and Research)
External Links
• National Institute for Learning Outcomes Assessment (NILOA)
• Equity in Assessment (NILOA) • Curriculum (SLO) Mapping (NILOA)
• Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
•
Rubrics
• Irubric: http://www.rcampus.com/
What is a Student Learning Outcome?
A Student Learning Outcome (SLO) describes the higher-level, measurable
✓
knowledge or understanding✓
skills✓
abilities✓
attitudes or valuesthat students have attained by the end of any set of college experiences – classes, earning a CTE certificate, completing the General Education program or earning a degree. The stress is on what students can DO with what they have learned, resulting in some sort of product that can be evaluated or assessed. “Higher Level” suggests the synthesis of multiple course objectives in one type of essential activity, project, or task. This handbook will focus mostly on the assessment of course (CSLO) and program (PSLO) student learning outcomes.
Cabrillo Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs, aka The Core 4)
The Cabrillo Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLO) are as follows (see Appendix A for complete Core 4, with multiple examples of “abilities” listed under each sub-outcome).Upon completion of Cabrillo College’s General Education program or when receiving an AA or AS degree, a student will demonstrate competency in the following areas: I. Communication: students will communicate effectively, which means the ability to
A. Read B. Write C. Listen
D. Speak and/or Converse
II. Critical Thinking and Information Competency: students will think critically, which is characterized by the ability to
A. Analyze B. Compute C. Research D. Solve Problems
III. Global Awareness: students will demonstrate a measurable understanding of the world including its
A. Scientific Processes B. Global Systems and Civics C. Artistic Variety
IV. Personal Responsibility and Professional Development students will demonstrate A. Self Awareness
B. Social and Physical Wellness C. Workplace Skills
Course and Program SLOs
Student learning outcomes at the course- and program-level are determined by individual departments and programs. In 2020-2021, the college began implementing automatic “mapping” (linking) of individual course outcomes up to relevant program outcomes, which are subsequently mapped up to appropriate Cabrillo Core 4 institutional outcomes. This allows faculty and department chairs to focus their assessment efforts on the impact of their course curriculum and teaching and learning strategies while collecting data at all three levels.
Courses and Programs may have anywhere from one to six learning outcomes, depending on the purpose and content of the class, lab, and program. At the course level, outcomes should reflect synthesis of the course objectives. At the program level, outcomes should reflect synthesis of the program’s courses. (See Section Three: Creating, Measuring, and Analyzing Course SLOs” for more details.)
Cabrillo College makes a distinction between academic department and programs. A department is defined as “a group of faculty" in a related field of study or a discipline that offers an academic program.” A program is a course of study leading to a certificate or degree.
For purposes of college organization, a program is composed of all the degrees and
certificates offered by a specific academic department. CTE departments that offer separate programs accredited by different outside accrediting agencies are considered one
department that offers multiple programs.
What is SLO Assessment?
SLO Assessment is the process used to evaluate how well students have mastered the student learning outcomes of each course, certificate, and degree.
This assessment is used to stimulate departmental discussion about student needs and issues and what we can do about them. It is not used to evaluate faculty or provide an overall grade for the student. It is a part of a department’s program planning process. The point is to look at what is being taught and how well students are learning it and to ask some hard questions about what is needed to improve student learning:
• What can be done so that students learn more or succeed at higher rates?
• How can your department close an achievement gap in a core class or in general? • How can the college help faculty in the short- and long-term to better engage
students in courses and facilitate their advancement through programs?
Cabrillo Assessment Philosophy & Process
Cabrillo has centered its assessment activities around our core belief that the entire campus contributes to student learning. Our assessment philosophy embraces the notion that it takes a college-wide effort to help students master our Core 4 and the student learning outcomes of our every course, program and degree. Some areas of the campus directly
assist students in mastering learning while others indirectly aid them by creating the conditions where learning can occur.
Cabrillo’s SLO Assessment Plan divides instructional areas into three sectors (see Appendix B for detailed information on each area):
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Transfer and Basic Skill Programs✓
CTE Programs✓
LibraryEach of those sectors has created a self-reflective assessment process that is embedded in the campus’ on-going rotating cycle of Program Planning. As departments proceed through the program planning process, their assessment results become the foundation for planning, evaluation and budgetary requests (see Section 4: SLOs and Program Planning for more details). These results and the plans for improvement that arise from them are evaluated within the sector as part of the regular program planning process and, if appropriate, are sent on to other campus governing committees.
SLOs and Program Planning
As described in Section One of this Handbook, SLO Assessment is a critical part of the seven-year-long program planning process. Every course SLO must be assessed at least once during a department’s seven-year program planning cycle. Department Chairs
schedule when this assessment occurs over the first six years of the cycle, and timing may vary depending on the size of the program. During the seventh year, while the Program Plan is being written, no assessment occurs. Instead, department faculty review the cycle assessment results collectively, using them to help form the basis for improvement plans and recommendations for the next seven years. Funding requests, when applicable, must be tied to SLO assessment results.
SLO assessment results are reflected in three sections of an instructional program’s plan: 1. The SLO Section
2. Goals and Recommendations 3. New Directions
SLO Program Planning Guidelines
As part of the program plan’s development, the SLO Coordinator will work with department chairs and other faculty to ensure their SLO content is complete and integral to their
program plans. Below are the Instruction Program Planning Guidelines directions to departments for completing the SLO section of their reports:
1. Briefly describe which course SLOs, core competencies and/or degree and certificate SLOs have been assessed over the last six years (should be all). If any SLO
assessments are missing or irregular, explain why and present an expedient timeline to catch up. All Department Analysis Forms for the program planning cycle must be appended to your Instructional Plan.
2. Summarize what was learned from assessment results and department discussion in terms of:
a. student strengths (At which tasks and activities do they demonstrate academic and personal capability and responsibility? To what teaching and learning strategies do they respond well?)
b. student challenges (How do barriers to students’ success in your courses and program present themselves? Which tasks and activities are difficult to complete successfully, and why?)
c. strategies to address the challenge (What specific action plans or activities to improve teaching and learning have sprung from department SLO assessment dialogue over the last six years? What results have they yielded so far? Have you re-assessed any SLOs to determine the success of new strategies?) 3. Departments that offer the same course in multiple formats (i.e., face-to-face vs.
online vs. hybrid) are expected to assess their SLOs separately and compare the results. Although it is not required, some departments may find it useful to
disaggregate SLO data based on other variables (i.e., time of day of courses, course location, student demographics, etc.). Discuss the department’s existing
disaggregation efforts and any resulting program goals and recommendations to address SLO mastery differences identified in the department’s disaggregated SLO data.
Cabrillo Assessment Tool eLumen
The college uses the same software system, eLumen, to store and implement curriculum, SLO assessment, program planning, and budget requests. There are two separate faculty and department chair handbooks for navigating this software, available in BoardDocs and in Canvas Faculty Guides. Below are some helpful links to access eLumen:
1. Cabrillo’s PUBLIC eLumen Site for easy review of all departments’ official course and program curriculum outlines for CSLOs and PSLOs:
https://cabrillo.elumenapp.com/public/
2. Cabrillo’s PRIVATE site for faculty and department chairs to record assessment findings and generate department reports: https://cabrillo.elumenapp.com
3. Cabrillo’s TEST site for faculty and department chairs to experiment, learn, and try out tasks without affecting the live private version (site banner reads “Test Site”:
https://cabrillotest.elumenapp.com
Outcomes Assessment Review Coordinator (a.k.a. SLO Coordinator)
The Outcomes Assessment Coordinator chairs the Outcomes Assessment Review Committee (OARC), provides training and support on assessing outcomes to campus departments, approves SLOs written for course- and program outlines, serves as an assessment resource on committees, and consults with programs developing their program plans. The Outcomes Assessment Coordinator position was created in the Spring of 2002 and is currently a half-time position. The job has evolved and expanded along with Cabrillo’s assessment plans and activities. See Appendix C for the full OAR Coordinator Job Description.
Outcomes Assessment Review Committee (OARC)
At the center of Cabrillo’s SLO Assessment Plan is the Outcomes Assessment Review
Committee (OARC). This campus-wide committee, composed of faculty, administrators, staff and students, receives the assessment results portion of every department’s program plan. OARC provides the wide-angle lens for the college’s assessment process, scrutinizing the results for issues of overall concern. If any are perceived, a college-wide dialogue process is initiated and facilitated by the committee.
At the same time that OARC receives assessment information, it is also charged with disseminating it. The committee reflects on the year’s assessment results and writes a report about them that is presented to the Governing Board and the Faculty Senate and sent to the College Planning Council, the Student Senate and the faculty and staff unions. Those groups use the report to provide evidence for and to initiate overall change and improvement of the college. As the campus communicator about assessment, OARC also archives all the reports it receives and the report it writes for accreditation. It also deals with campus institutional effectiveness issues.
SECTION TWO: WRITING COURSE AND PROGRAM SLOs
Writing Course SLOs
You have delivered the course, but do you know if the students have truly absorbed the material, or better yet, can apply it? The measure used to be course grades, but the federal government and ACCJC now require measuring SLOs to determine whether students have emerged from courses with integrated, higher learning skills that they can demonstrate to others. SLOs formalize the evaluative process that most faculty use anyway: “Did that assignment work? Did the students get it? Should I do things differently next time?”
SLO Essential Elements
This section will illustrate the following important features of student learning outcomes, with examples from a variety of disciplines at Cabrillo.
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SLOs should describe the synthesis of more than one course objective to complete an important or essential task in the discipline or career.✓
SLOs should be measurable.✓
SLOs should be concise and easy for students to understand.✓
SLOs should be focused in what they measure, using no more than 1 or 2 action verbs reflecting higher-level abilities and skills.✓
If not dictated by an outside accrediting agency, SLOs should be limited in their number per course, identifying only major skills or knowledge students will take away and what they will produce to show you they have achieved those skills.SLOs versus Course Objectives
Avoid dwelling for too long on content or coverage. Instead, consider what students should be able to DO with what they’ve learned by the end of the semester. How will students demonstrate this? Looking at Methods of Assessment and Assignments sections of your course curriculum is a good place to start, as that should reflect a range of appropriate tasks to assess.
Student learning outcomes capture the big picture by:
• describing broad goals for the class requiring higher-level thinking abilities. • requiring students to synthesize multiple discrete skills or areas of content.
• asking students to produce something - papers, projects, portfolios, demonstrations, performances, art works, exams etc. – that applies what they have learned.
• requiring faculty to evaluate or assess the product to measure a student’s achievement or mastery of the outcomes.
Course objectives operate on smaller scale, describing discrete skills or “nuts and bolts” that require basic thinking skills. They are subsets of outcomes. Think of objectives as the building blocks used to produce whatever is used to demonstrate mastery of an outcome. Objectives can be practiced and assessed individually but are usually only a portion of an overall project or application.
FIGURE 1: Course objectives (abridged) compared to SLOs for Cabrillo’s English 1A course.
Objectives Outcomes
1. Follow a writing process to select an appropriate topic, create a plan or proposal, research, draft, and edit formal writing assignments.
1.
2.
Write essays, including research-‐ based writing, demonstrating academic rhetorical strategies, documentation of resources, and critical analysis.
Analyze and evaluate assigned and researched texts.
2. Develop a sustained, focused main using relevant details, examples, and
idea evidence. 3. Employ writing techniques such
comparison, summary, argument, and definition.
as analysis, 4. Organize essays by producing a clear thesis, creating unified body paragraphs and
transitions that emphasize the type of essay being written, and utilizing a variety of sentence structures to engage the reader. 5. Apply major conventions of Standard
grammar, usage, and punctuation. English 9. Synthesize information,
from a variety of texts. concepts, and ideas 10. Conduct an efficient search for information in books, magazines, specialized journals, electronic databases and online search engines, and a variety of multimedia sources.
Sample Course SLOs
Here are some sample course SLOs written by faculty in various disciplines at Cabrillo. Note the verbs used and how they reflect higher level thinking skills, thus making them SLOs rather than objectives.
CEM 151 Construction Fundamentals: Principles and Practices
1. Construct a building applying the skills and knowledge obtained in this class. History 17A: US History to 1865
2. Write analytical essays on American history containing a thesis, appropriate historical evidence, and awareness of counter‐arguments to the proposed thesis. 3. Synthesize and address the major events, ideas, and transformations in
American social, cultural, political, economic, and diplomatic history from the early colonial period to 1877.
4. Critically analyze primary historical sources to investigate specific events or issues in American history.
Math 152: Intermediate Algebra
1. Evaluate appropriate techniques to apply to various types of equations and inequalities and produce and interpret solution(s).
2. Create, analyze, and solve a mathematical model describing a real-life application.
3. Analyze and interpret mathematical and physical meaning from graphs of various functions.
4. Demonstrate algebraic literacy for subsequent math courses. TH 15HH Preseason Intercollegiate Water Polo ‐ Men
1. Analyze and customize principles of cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility to water polo, and apply them to prevent injury. CIS 103 Technical Support and Trouble Shooting
2. Analyze symptoms of host configuration errors. 3. Solve novel hardware and software problems. 4. Create technical documentation for user training.
SLOs for Courses in a Series
Courses in any series need to be distinguished from one another. The outcomes for A and B courses of the same number can’t be exactly the same. In making the distinction avoid the words “beginning,” “intermediate,” and “advanced.” Instead, explain how that looks when completing the tasks described in the SLOs.
Below is a series of classes that build on one another in English. Notice how the skill levels progress from the level 100 class up to 1B & 2 even while the two skill categories remain the same.
English Composition Series 100 – Elements of Writing
1. Write essays demonstrating sustained clarity of intention, awareness of audience, and various writing techniques.
2. Articulate responses to readings in various genres. 1A – College Composition
1. Write essays, including research‐based writing, demonstrating academic rhetorical strategies and documentation.
2. Analyze and evaluate assigned and researched texts. 1B – Composition and Literature
1. Write literary analysis, interpretation, and research‐based essays.
2. Demonstrate close readings of literary texts for analysis and interpretation. 2 – Critical Thinking
1. Write evidence‐based essays demonstrating logical reasoning and argumentative skills.
SLOs for Non-Credit and Special Studies Courses
Non-credit and Special Studies courses must include Student Learning Outcomes in their Course Outline of Record. In the case of non-credit “mirroring” courses (mostly in CTE and ESL), Student Learning Outcomes should be the same in the non-credit version of a course as in the credit version.
For Special Studies classes (course number 80S), Cabrillo has a single boilerplate SLO for all programs: “Develop research and critical thinking skills applicable to the field.”
Writing Program Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs)
Program SLOs describe what a student can do after taking the series of courses that
culminate in the certificate or degree. That means that the SLOs for them can’t be the same as the course ones but should express what the student can do as a result of synthesizing the learning in all those courses. It’s the same principle that marks the difference between course objectives and course SLOS.
FIGURE 2: PSLO / CSLO Comparison from Early Childhood Education.
Required Course SLOs Skills Certificate in Spanish/English Early
Childhood Teaching SLO
ECE 51: Principles of Working with Young Create curriculum and environments that promote
Children children’s bilingual language development based on developmental principles, observations,
1. Analyze and demonstrate a variety of guidance
documentation and assessments of children. and interaction strategies including effective
communication and positive limit setting, designed to promote children’s social competence and a caring classroom community.
2. Analyze the relationship between observation and assessment of young children's behavior, the development of effective teaching strategies, and planning and implementation of positive learning experiences.
3. Utilize standardized indicators of quality to critically assess early childhood program elements including environment, activities, schedule, transitions, interactions and inclusive teaching strategies that promote understanding and
acceptance of diversity and that support families and the growth and learning of all children, including those with special needs.
ECE 32: Child, Family and Community
1. Critically assess how educational, political and socioeconomic factors directly impact the lives of children, families and early care professionals and their relationships.
2. Investigate and evaluate appropriate community resources for children and families.
3. Produce a "Vision Statement" establishing a personal and professional connection to a particular advocacy issue.
ECE 53: Introduction Young Child
to Curriculum for the
1. Plan and implement developmentally appropriate curriculum that is inclusive as well as culturally and linguistically
responsive.
2. Critically assess curriculum activities, materials, and environments that are typically used to support play and learning with young children, using current professional standards, developmental principles, observation and assessment strategies.
3. Evaluate the teacher’s degree of involvement to learning process. role and facilitate appropriate the child’s
Sample Program SLOs
Here are some other sample certificate and degree SLOs written by Cabrillo faculty in CTE and Transfer programs. As with course SLOs, note that the verbs used require higher level thinking skills. See Appendix C for examples of words from Bloom’s Taxonomy that can be used to write course, certificate and degree SLOs.
CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS
Skills Certificate in Computer Skills for the Office
1. Productively work as a team member with people of diverse experiences and backgrounds in a workplace environment
2. Demonstrate entry‐level professional computer skills, including the use of word processing, spreadsheets, Internet research, e‐mail, simple web page development, and keyboarding.
Certificate of Achievement in Medical Assistant
1. Accurately and safely perform medical assisting tasks and procedures. 2. Perform receptionist and administrative medical facility duties.
3. Interact professionally and ethically with patients and medical facility personnel, working within the medical assistant scope of practice. Associate of Science in Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management
1. Demonstrate knowledge of fundamental cooking theory, food sanitation, menu design, management supervision and food costing.
2. Produce consistent quality restaurant lunch and dinner dishes, banquet meals and bakery products in a timely fashion.
Associate of Science Degree in Engineering Technology
1. Demonstrate mastery of an engineering knowledge “base equivalent” to passing an industry level certification exam from such vendors as AutoDesk, Graphisoft and PTC.
2. Develop a portfolio of laboratory reports that demonstrate skills acquired within a particular technology.
3. Analyze and troubleshoot electrical circuits and mechanical systems based on industry protocol and standards.
4. Demonstrate written and verbal communication skills through technical documentation and oral presentations.
TRANSFER AND BASIC SKILLS PROGRAMS Anthropology AA
1. Critically analyze theories of human behavior and cultural change using the anthropological perspective, a holistic approach to observing humans as beings integrated by biology, culture and language, throughout time and space. 2. Demonstrated ability to access, evaluate, and synthesize various forms of
anthropological literature and data including material culture, ethnographic data, and human and non-human primate anatomy.
3. Apply quantitative and qualitative methods and perspectives to analysis of anthropological materials and research questions.
4. Demonstrated ability to communicate and present anthropological knowledge and the results of anthropological research to different audiences.
Art Studio AA
1. Imagine, develop, assess, and refine a variety of solutions to given creative problems.
2. Create and present art forms that communicate individual or cultural ideas. 3. Critically assess and articulate ideas presented visually in arts and media. 4. Apply knowledge of materials and techniques to create original art forms. 5. Recognize the role of cultural and social diversity in the visual arts.
6. Demonstrate skills and practices that support professional artistic growth. Chemistry AA
1. Demonstrate mastery of a broad set of chemical knowledge concerning the fundamentals of general and organic chemistry
2. When presented with a specific problem, formulate a strategy for solving the problem, apply appropriate techniques to arrive at a solution, and interpret their results.
3. Know and follow the proper procedures and regulations for safe handling and use of chemicals.
4. Understand the objective of chemical experiments, properly carry out the experiments, appropriately record and analyze data, and draw meaningful conclusions based on the results.
5. Use standard laboratory equipment, modern instrumentation (including
computers for data acquisition), and classical techniques to carry out experiments 6. Communicate the concepts and results of laboratory experiments through
effective writing and/or oral communication using the discipline standards for reporting and citation.
English AA/AAT
1. Write with a persuasive and knowledgeable grasp of one's subject and message, using a demonstrated awareness of diverse audiences and contexts and a variety of rhetorical strategies for different academic, creative, and professional writing tasks.
2. Develop research projects that locate, evaluate, organize, and integrate information cohesively in support of one's purpose and audience.
3. Compose in creative writing genres with respect to their distinctive elements and stylistic techniques.
4. Present analyses, based on original and secondary texts, that critically engage various genres, works, and authors with an awareness that literature and its interpretation are influenced by history, culture, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, and socioeconomics, among other factors.
Mathematics Certificate of Competency in Elementary Algebra
1. Apply general mathematical concepts and principles to perform arithmetic computations on algebraic expressions.
2. Choose appropriate methods and then solve equations, inequalities and systems of equations.
3. Create, use, and analyze analytical and graphical representations of mathematical mode
ESL Certificate of Competency in English for Careers
1. Identify and use appropriate vocabulary and expressions needed for a specific job.
2. Read and use a variety of workplace texts to complete common tasks. 3. Perform typical writing tasks for workplace documentation and career
advancement.
4. Communicate effectively by considering audience, purpose, and task and using appropriate grammar structures.
SECTION 3: ASSESSING COURSE SLOs
The Cabrillo Process for Assessing CSLOs
No matter whether you teach in a CTE or Transfer/Basic Skills program, the SLO assessment process follows the same six basic steps:
Step One: Faculty individually assess SLOs in their classes (see methods in the following pages). Faculty are free to choose the assessment method that they feel best measures the SLO, unless the department has made an agreement about which method to use.
Step Two: Faculty input their student assignment results into the Faculty Assessment Analysis form in eLumen and answer these reflective questions about the process:
• What were your students’ strengths and weaknesses on this assignment? • What does their performance say about how well they are mastering the SLO? • How could student learning be improved?
• What can you do individually to help student learning improve?
• What help do you need from the department or the college to help students be more successful?
Step Three: Faculty share the results of that SLO assessment in a department meeting. These meetings generally occur during Flex week, but they can also be held at other times. In small departments, faculty often share their assessment results with the entire
department. In large departments, this is often done in small groups. Sometimes, faculty who cannot make the meetings share their results with their program chair or send an email that is shared with during the meeting.
This sharing of assessment results can include:
• Distributing copies of the specific assignment used to assess the SLO and/or the rubric used to grade them (if applicable).
• A general discussion of student strengths and weaknesses on the assessment.
• The plans the individual faculty member has made to improve teaching and learning. • The help the faculty member needs from the department and/or the college to
improve student success.
Once everyone has shared individual assessment results, the department dialogues about: • Trends seen across the entire department.
• What can be done to improve student learning overall. • What can be done to improve teaching overall.
• Priorities for those improvements.
• A timeline for how to implement those improvements.
This departmental discussion is at the heart of Cabrillo’s assessment process. It provides an opportunity to talk about the important work that we do and how we can help our students. In program plans, departments have reported these discussions as:
“…Very beneficial to our department. It sparked many interesting discussions about teaching methodologies” (Physics Department).
“…A productive way to have focused discussions on course and student success and ways to increase them” (Computer Applications/Business Technology Department).
“…Transformed Flex week meetings into lively and always useful conversations about teaching: best practices, assignments, evaluation instruments and rubrics, and most importantly, how our students are achieving the department’s stated SLOs…The SLO
assessment meetings have led to a rich, valuable and ongoing dialogue on student success” (History Department).
Step Four: After this stimulating discussion, the department lead fills out a Departmental Assessment Analysis form that summarizes the results of the dialogue at the department meeting. Note that this is a summary; no individual names or individual results are reported. Questions to discuss include
• What types of assessment methods were used? • What were the results?
• What does the department think it can do on its own to improve teaching and learning?
• What help does it need from the college to improve teaching and learning? • What are its top three priorities for improvement?
• How will it implement those priorities and what kind of timeline will it use for that implementation?
Step Five: The department lead turns in the Assessment Analysis form with the
department’s annual report in December. The forms are made available on the campus public drive, under the Annual Report section of the Office of Instruction.
Step Six: When it is time to write the department’s six‐year program plan, the assessment results are examined again and results are discussed in depth, evaluating what has been done to improve teaching and learning and what other help is needed. This discussion is used to help create future plans and the program’s goals and recommendations. Funding requests must be tied to SLO assessment results, where applicable.
Approved Assessment Methods
The Faculty Senate has designated three assessment methods that faculty in Transfer and Basic Skills departments can use to assess course and certificate SLOs and the Core Four:
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Course‐Embedded Assessment✓
Pre- and Post Testing✓
Analyzing Test QuestionsThe Senate recognized, however, that there may other methods more suitable for certain CTE fields. As a result, CTE departments can choose the assessment method that makes the most sense for their area of study to measure the outcomes for their courses, certificates and degrees. In addition to the three methods used by Transfer and Basic Skills
departments, some departments also consider:
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Board certification numbers✓
Licensing exam pass rates✓
Numbers of graduates employed in the field✓
Completer/Leaver Survey dataCourse Embedded Assessment Method
Course‐embedded assessment asks faculty to look closely at the work that students produce in their courses in order to assess SLOs. The assessment is “embedded” in regular course work, so that students do not have to do any extra work in order to measure the SLO. Faculty choose a major assignment, one that they feel best measures student mastery of the SLO. Faculty grade the assignment as usual, but also closely examine what it says about how students are doing and where, overall, student learning could be improved. There are five steps to using this SLO assessment method.
Step One: Decide what class room activity or assignment will best demonstrate the
students’ mastery of either a course or certificate outcome or one of the Core 4. Assessment tools can be:
• Portfolios
• Classroom observations • Exams (written or oral) • Interviews • Written reports • Papers • Logs or Journals • Performances/demonstrations • Simulated performances • Art works or products
Step Two: Define the criteria that will be used to measure the tool. Break the criteria down into specific components. Then define the specific levels of quality or proficiency of each criteria. This is called a rubric (see Section 4). What are the specific parts of the assessment that students need to master? If you have never created a rubric before, please use the How to Create a Rubric workbook on the SLO website to learn how to do it and to see several examples. Share this grading rubric with students with the assignment. Step Three: Give the assignment and grade it with the rubric.
Step Four: After grading everyone’s assignment, analyze the results. Input your student assignment results into the Faculty Assessment Analysis form in eLumen and answer the reflective questions about the process.
Step Five: Participate in a department meeting to share your assessment results and to dialogue about what the department can do as a whole to improve student learning.
Pre- and Post-Testing Method
This assessment method is especially good for classes that build a specific set of physical or artistic skills, such as Athletics, Dance or Kinesiology. Often, the SLO for a course like this reads: “Perform, with an increasing degree of proficiency, the skills and techniques of ”____.” Faculty in other disciplines sometimes use it as well, for instance in Speech Communications.
The key to this method is to assess students twice: at the beginning of the class before they have been taught anything (pre‐testing) and again, at the end (post‐testing). What kind of improvement have students made? How has their proficiency increased? There are six steps for using this assessment method:
Step One: Decide on the set of crucial skills measure the SLO for this course (hint: those skills are often described in the course objectives). For a dance class, the skill set might include various steps, patterns of movement and the expression of rhythm. For Athletics, it might include the specific skills of any particular sport (ball handling, defensive moves, offensive patterns etc.).
Step Two: Define the criteria that will be used to measure those skills and then define the specific levels of quality or proficiency of each criteria. This is called a rubric. If you have never created a rubric before, please use the How to Create a Rubric workbook on the SLO website to see how to do it and to see several examples.
Step Three: Give the skills test at the very beginning of the class and grade it with the rubric.
Step Four: Give the same test at the end of the semester, again grading it with the rubric. Step Five: After grading everyone’s assignment, analyze the results. Input your student assignment results into the Faculty Assessment Analysis form in eLumen and answer the reflective questions about the process.
Step Six: Participate in a department meeting to share your assessment results and to dialogue about what the department can do as a whole to improve student learning.
Analyzing Test Questions Method
This assessment method works best if you evaluate student learning with major exams rather than assignments. It’s possible to analyze some of the questions in your tests to assess how well students are mastering SLOs.
This method also works well for the departments that have chosen to give a common final to each section of a particular class. This method helps faculty to analyze and compare results quickly and easily. There are six steps to using this assessment method.
Step One: Identify or write the questions on the test which you feel address the SLO that you are assessing. These should be challenging questions that ask students to synthesize several objectives of the class, ones that require higher level thinking skills.
Deepen your analysis of the questions by further categorizing them. A way to do this is offered in Effective Grading, by Walvoord and Anderson, page 87, created by Patricia Schlecht of Raymond Walters College in Ohio.
Level A: Those that require higher critical thinking, including analysis, synthesis or evaluation. For these questions, there may be no directly visible connection between the course material and the test question.
Level B: Those that require lower critical thinking skills, such as application. These questions can be directly answered from the background provided by course materials. There is a visible connection between the material and the test questions.
Level C: Those that utilize knowledge and comprehension, but not critical thinking. The answers to these questions arise directly from the course material, with some changes in wording and phrasing.
Step Three: Grade the entire exam as you do usually. If you use Scantron or any other campus scoring machines, program it with the key to your entire exam.
Step Four: Create a second key that only scores the answers to the questions that you have identified as addressing the SLO. Ask the machine to give you a summary that reports how many students missed each question.
Step Five: Analyze the results, looking at how many students missed what level of
question. Input your student assignment results into the Faculty Assessment Analysis form in eLumen and answer the reflective questions about the process.
Step Six: Participate in a department meeting to share your assessment results and to dialogue about what the department can do as a whole to improve student learning.
Creating a Rubric
What is a grading rubric?
A rubric is a detailed description of each component of an assignment, describing the precise criteria that will earn a student an A, B, C, D or F grade. It translates the standards and criteria that make up grading into some sort of chart or description. It is up to you – the expert in your classroom – to define these standards and criteria and how they will be applied to the class work that you assign. Your rubric will be as individual as your grading style and pedagogy.
A rubric is also a handy tool to use for assessing student learning outcomes if you are using a course‐embedded assessment method. It provides you with detailed information about how students are mastering the parts or aspects of any particular assignment, and that in turn, can tell you how well they are mastering a course, certificate or degree SLO.
To maximize their potential success, students should receive the rubric before attempting the assignment, ideally as part of the assignment directions. Cabrillo faculty who used rubrics combined with grading sheets for the first time reported that they spent less overall time grading.
Sample Cabrillo Rubrics
Rubrics can be organized and presented in many different ways. Before designing your own, it’s helpful to look at rubrics developed by other teachers in different disciplines. The
following rubrics were all created by Cabrillo faculty and have been used successfully by these instructors.
Take a look at all the different ways you can organize and present your grading criteria to students. A chart works well for rubrics with only a few components, such as the one created by Denise Lim for essays in her Biology class. A rubric with many components may need to be written out in detail, like Marcy’s English 1A. There is no right way to do this.
You must find the method and shape that best fits your style and topic. The key issue, however, is clarity. You want your rubric to be easily understood by your students. Short Essay Rubric (Used in Human Genetics course.)
Developed by Denise Lim, Biology.
Score Content Organization Development Use of Language 5 Answer is appropriate to the question. Content is factually correct.
Clear sense of order. Begins with a thesis or topic sentence. Supporting points are presented in a logical progression.
Develops each point with many specific details. Answers question completely. Uses technical or scientific terminology appropriately and correctly. No major grammatical or spelling errors. 4 Answer is appropriate to the question. Content may have one or two factual errors.
May lack a thesis sentence, but points are presented in a logical progression.
Each point supported with some details and evidence. All important points included.
Accurate word choice. No more than 2 major errors and a few minor errors. 3 Content relates peripherally to the question; contains significant factual errors. Logic of argument is minimally perceivable. Points presented in a seemingly random fashion, but all support argument. Sparse details or evidence. Question only partially answered. Ordinary word choice; use of scientific terminology avoided. Some serious errors (but they don’t impair communication). 2 Content unrelated question. to Lacks clear organizational plan. Reader is confused. Statements are unsupported by any detail or explanation. Repetitious, incoherent, illogical development. Limited vocabulary; errors impair communication.
Rubric for Assessing Photographs
Developed by Susan Hoisington, Photography
Concept, idea, visualization:
10 pts Shows coherency of the concept with a high degree of originality and sophistication. The idea is well stated with visual elements and cues.
9 pts Shows coherency of the concept with some originality and sophistication. The idea is stated with visual elements and cues but needs to be more clear or more strongly evident.
8 pts Shows some coherency of the concept with commonly sued, cliché or stereotyped imagery. The idea is obtuse, and requires greater clarity through the use of visual elements and cues.
7 pts Lacks general coherency of the concept. Many of the visual elements and cues do not lead the viewer to the intended idea.
6 pts Lacks any coherency of the concept. Visual elements and cues do not lead the viewer to the intended idea.
0 pts The work was not presented to me. Composition & design:
10 pts Shows strong internal integrity of the visual elements. Nothing needs to be added or removed – framing is superb.
9 pts Shows internal integrity of the visual elements. A visual element needs to be added, moved or removed – framing needs some slight adjustment.
8 pts Shows obvious weaknesses in the internal integrity of the visual elements. Many visual elements need to be added, moved or removed – framing needs definite adjustments.
7 pts Image is breaking apart – there is very little internal integrity of the visual elements.
Most visual elements need to be rethought – framing needs major readjustment. 6 pts Visual integrity is nonexistent and image has broken apart. All of the visual
elements need to be rethought – framing needs a complete overhaul. 0 pts The work was not presented to me.
Technical:
10 pts Shows master in the use of photographic equipment and techniques to attain the assignment parameters.
9 pts Shows a good command of the use of photographic equipment and techniques to attain most of the assignment parameters.
8 pts Shows some command of the use of photographic equipment and techniques to attain some of the assignment parameters.
7 pts Shows limited command of the use of photographic equipment and techniques to attain a few of the assignment parameters.
6 pts Shows little or no command of the use of photographic equipment and techniques to attain a few or none of the assignment parameters.
0 pts The work was not presented to me.
Rubric for Oceanography 10 Lab Project
Developed by Dave Schwartz, Geology
Bathymetric Map and Cross Section (Lab #2) Grading Criteria An “A” grade (9 or 10 out of 10):
The contour lines are extremely smooth and evenly spaced with none of them touching each other.
Every water depth # has the appropriate contour line next to it and the entire map is “contoured”.
The overall presentation is excellent.
The cross section is accurate and complete and the bottoms of the canyons and top of the ridge are not flat.
The ends of the cross section are complete and the paper shows the vertical exaggeration.
A “B” grade (8 out of 10):
The contour lines are neat and smooth and appropriately spaced and some are touching, but very few.
Nearly all the water depth #’s are contoured, some may be missing, but very few. The overall presentation is good and very few “shadows” are showing.
The cross section is accurate, but some information is missing, particularly on the ends.
Vertical exaggeration may or may not be shown. A “C” grade (6 or 7 out of 10):
The contour lines are a little wide and show fringes, some may have double ends and some of them are obviously touching each other.
Some of the water depth #’s may not be contoured and the contour lines are all not evenly or properly spaced. There may be shadows on the map and the overall presentation is slightly sloppy.
The cross section is mostly accurate, but some information is off line and missing, particularly on the ends.
Vertical exaggeration may not be shown. A “D” and “F” grade (5 or less out of 10):
The contour lines are sloppy and inaccurate and some or many are touching each other.
Several of the water depth #’s are not accurately contoured and the map is not complete.
The overall presentation is below or far below average.
The cross section is inaccurate, and much information is off line and missing. Vertical exaggeration may be shown.
English1A Essay Rubric
Developed by Marcy Alancraig
WOW!!! (90‐100 Points ‐ Grade A)
Begins with an introduction that shows your understanding of the issues, grabs your readers’ attention, and presents a strong and insightful thesis or point of view. Engages the topic in a thoughtful and individual way, showing originality, elegance
and clear thinking.
Develops the topic using a strong detail, quotes from other sources, and a unique synthesis of ideas.
Utilizes library research and quotes from outside sources, always properly citing them using the MLA format.
Possesses a fully explained and logical progression of ideas that indicates the writer’s sensitivity to different ways of looking at the topic with an awareness of key counter arguments and a consideration of how those alternate positions shape your
understanding of the topic.
Ends with a strong conclusion that clarifies the significance of the paper’s lessons Chooses words aptly and sometimes inventively.
Demonstrates mastery of most of the grammar and usage conventions of Standard English.
Good! Almost There (80‐89 Points ‐ Grade B)
Begins with an introduction that shows some understanding of the issues, gives some background and has an adequate thesis or point of view.
Presents a thoughtful response to the topic, using appropriate reasoning and a partially realized analysis that is accurate.
Develops the topic showing appropriate details, a sense of orderly progress between ideas, and use of references that reveal a familiarity with the topic.
Uses words precisely if not creatively.
Varies sentence structure enough to read smoothly.
Utilizes library research and quotes from outside sources, usually properly citing them using the MLA format.
Uses competently the conventions of written English, containing few, if any, errors in sentence structure, punctuation and capitalization or usage.
Uses mostly consistent phrasing, tone and expression that reflects a personal world view and style.
Getting there (70‐79 Points ‐ Grade C)
Presents an adequate response to the topic, using superficial analysis and weak point of view.
Uses logical reasoning, but the supporting evidence is general and imprecise with few examples. There may be some small factual errors.
Uses a less precise vocabulary and may contain awkwardness of expression. Utilizes library research and quotes from outside sources, with fairly consistent use
of the MLA citation format. May make some errors.
Contains minor errors in mechanics and usage, and perhaps one or two more distracting errors in sentence structure.
Uses fairly consistent phrasing, tone and expression that reflect a personal world view and style with occasional inconsistencies.
Try Again (60‐69 Points ‐ Grade D)
Responds to the topic illogically, without a coherent structure or focus. Has no point of view, uses mostly summary and lacks evidence and support. Makes several large, factual errors.
Makes enough errors in usage and sentence structure to cause a reader serious, if occasional, distraction.
Improperly uses the MLA format for citations. Makes major errors in quoting and uses few sources.
Uses frequently inconsistent phrasing, tone and expression, often formulaic and imitative; lacks evidence of a personal worldview and style.
Let’s not even go there (50‐59 Points ‐ Grade F) Doesn’t attempt the task or distorts it Lacks organization or detail.
Contains many distracting errors in sentence structure, simplistic or inaccurate word choice, many repeated errors in grammar and usage.
APPENDIX A: CABRILLO INSTITUTIONAL STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Cabrillo Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs, aka The Core 4)
See Appendix A for the detailed version of the Core 4, with multiple examples of the “abilities” listed in each outcome.
Upon completion of Cabrillo College’s General Education program or when receiving an AA or AS degree, a student will demonstrate competency in the following areas:
I. Communication
Students will communicate effectively, which means the ability to: E. Read
• Comprehend and interpret various types of written information in (1) prose and in (2) documentation, such as manuals and graphs.
F. Write
• Communicate thoughts, ideas, information, and messages in writing.
• Compose and create documents, such as: letters, reports, memoranda, manuals and graphs with correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and appropriate
language, style, and format.
• Check, edit, and revise written work for correct information, appropriate emphasis, form, style, and grammar.
G. Listen
• Receive, attend to, interpret, and respond appropriately to (1) verbal and/or (2) nonverbal messages.
H. Speak and/or Converse
• Organize ideas and communicate verbal, or non-verbal messages appropriate to the audience and the situation.
• Participate in conversations, discussions, and group activities. • Speak clearly and ask questions.
II. Critical Thinking and Information Competency
Students will think critically, which is characterized by the ability to: E. Analyze
• Apply rules and principles to new situations. • Discover rules and apply them to solve problems. • Use logic to draw conclusions from information given.
• Differentiate between facts, influences, assumptions, and conclusions. F. Compute
• Use basic numerical concepts, such as: whole numbers, percentages, estimates of math without a calculator.
• Use tables, graphs, charts, and diagrams to explain concepts or ideas. • Use basic geometrical shapes, such as: lines, angles, shapes, and space. G. Research
• Identify the need for information and data. • Obtain data from various sources.
• Organize, process, and maintain records of the information collected. • Analyze the information for relevance and accuracy.
• Synthesize, evaluate and communicate the results.
• Determine which technology resources will produce the desired results. • Use current technology to acquire, organize, analyze, and communicate
H. Solve Problems
• Recognize whether a problem exists.
• Identify components of the problem or issue. • Create a plan of action to resolve the issue. • Monitor, evaluate, and revise when necessary.
III. Global Awareness
Students will demonstrate a measurable understanding of the world including its: D. Scientific Processes
• The Scientific Method: Apply scientific processes to solve problems and measure and observe natural phenomena.
• Scientific Observation: Design, perform and analyze experiments and scientific observations.
• Interconnectivity: Analyze the major differences and connections between social, natural and physical sciences
E. Global Systems and Civics
• Cultural: Interface with people from a variety of backgrounds and analyze different cultural beliefs and behaviors.
• Political, Social and Economic: Recognize important economic and political issues and values in one’s own community, state, country and the world.
• Environmental: Analyze the importance of the natural environment to human well-being and the impact of human activity on the well-being of global environmental systems.
• Integrated Systems: Assess and analyze the interconnectivity between social, political, economic, and ecological systems and activities.
• Action: Develop and evaluate strategies and plans for addressing global systems and civics issues.
F. Artistic Variety
• Arts awareness: Assess the visual arts, dance, music and literature of one or many cultures.
• Critical Analysis: Analyze the methods used to create art and interpret its literal and/or symbolic meaning.
• Creativity: Engage in artistic creative endeavors.
IV. Personal Responsibility and Professional Development
Students will demonstrate: D. Self Awareness:
• Accurately assess his/her own knowledge, skills, and abilities. • Self-motivate and set realistic goals.
• Accept that taking feedback well is important to success. • Respond appropriately to challenging situations.
E. Social and Physical Wellness
• Manage personal health and well being.
• Demonstrate appropriate social skills in group settings. F. Workplace Skills:
• Be dependable, reliable, and accountable. • Meet deadlines and complete tasks. • Maintain a professional attitude.
APPENDIX B: CABRILLO SLO AREAS
✓
Transfer and Basic Skill Programs✓
CTE Programs✓
LibraryA Little History
Cabrillo College began experimenting with assessing student learning outcomes in transfer, basic skills and occupational courses in 1999 with its summer Learner Outcomes Institute. When the new accreditation standards were approved in 2002, the Cabrillo Faculty Senate (composed of many summer Institute alumnae) took the lead in creating a process to assess student learning in all courses at Cabrillo. The Senate sought to create an assessment process that:
• built on both the informal assessment that most Cabrillo faculty undertook of their own courses and the research and practical experiences of the Summer Institute. • provided opportunities for faculty to dialogue about the results.
After much research and debate, the Senate, in conjunction with the Vice President of Instruction, the Council on Instructional Planning and the college Curriculum Committee, made four other key decisions that have shaped the assessment of courses at Cabrillo:
• The General Education program is considered as one complete program. Any transfer courses, and the basic skills classes that build the skills that lead to transfer, are part of that program. Unlike some other schools, individual transfer or basis skills
departments are not considered separate programs with their own student learning outcomes.
• The student learning outcomes for the GE program are the four college core competencies. The Core Four are the SLOs for our AAT, AA and AS degrees. • The on-going seven-year Program Planning process is used as the vehicle for this
assessment process. Approximately twelve transfer, basic skills and CTE programs embark on Program Planning each year. Departments link their plans for
improvement and budgetary requests to their assessment results.
• In addition to the Core Four, each individual course at Cabrillo has student learning outcomes. The course outline forms were revised to include a section on the core competencies and student learning outcomes (see the Curriculum Handbook for details).
Transfer & Basic Skills
The Faculty Senate created the assessment methods for Transfer and Basic Skills SLO assessment (see below). This assessment process was implemented gradually from 2004-2008, tied to the Program Planning cycle. After an initial pilot of the process in 2004, those departments going through program planning in a given year were asked to assess a set number of the core competencies. Beginning in 2009, all departments were asked to complete the assessment of each of the Core 4 and all of their course SLOs. This cycle, discussed below, is known as the Revolving Wheel of Assessment. The college has since further defined what it means by an academic program.
Assessment Methods
The Faculty Senate has approved three possible methods to assess the SLOs for individual courses. Extensive details about these methods can be found in the Assessing Instructional SLOs workbook on this web site. Faculty choose the method that they feel best measures the particular SLOs in their discipline. The assessment methods are:
1. Pre- and Post-Testing 2. Analyzing Test Questions 3. Course Embedded Assessment
• Choose one major assignment that measures aspects of one of the Core Four or specific course or certificate SLOs.
• Assess the assignment using a rubric that articulates specific standards and criteria.
• Evaluate the results of the student performance on the assignment, noting what student needs and issues are revealed and how the assignment or teaching activities could be altered to improve student learning.
No matter what assessment method is used, faculty dialogue about the results in a
department meeting, sharing their assessment method, analysis of the results and ideas for improvement, including what assistance the department and college could provide to
improve student learning and success.
Department Chairs record the results of this dialogue on a departmental Assessment Analysis form. In keeping with the Cabrillo's Assessment Philosophy that assessment is not "a means to evaluate individual faculty or staff," no individual instructor's name or results are recorded on the form. Instead the overall departmental results are summarized and its plans to improve teaching and learning are the main focus. These plans then form the basis for any funding requests and are attached to the department’s Program Plan and Annual Report. After review and approval by the Council for Instructional Planning, the analysis forms are forwarded to the Outcomes Assessment Review Committee for further evaluation. In addition, the forms are posted on the Instruction Office website as part of the
department's Program Plan.
Career Technical Education
After much research and debate, the Senate, in conjunction with the Vice President of Instruction, the Council on Instructional Planning, the Occupational Educational Council and the college Curriculum Committee, made four other key decisions that have shaped the assessment of CTE programs at Cabrillo:
• All CTE programs must define and assess student learning outcomes for every course, certificate and degree that they offer.
• Many CTE degrees are composed of the classes that are required for a certificate, plus the associate degree general education requirements. Career and Technical programs are responsible for assessing the SLOs for their certificates and courses. The SLOs for the general educational curriculum are the four college core
competencies and are specifically defined and assessed in general education courses (see Assessment of Transfer and Basic Skills Programs). It is unnecessary for CTE programs to develop and assess SLOs for associate degree GE requirements. • The on-going six-year Program Planning process is used as the vehicle for this
embark on Program Planning each year. Departments link their plans for improvement and budgetary requests to their assessment results.
• Though CTE programs are not responsible for assessing the GE courses that fulfill their degree requirements, while undergoing Program Planning, they must carefully examine those courses and dialogue with department that is offering them.
The Faculty Senate decided that CTE programs could design the assessment method that best suits their fields, rather than necessarily follow the methods it created for transfer and basic skills programs (see below). CTE departments were asked to complete an Assessment Plan which detailed which method they chose. This assessment process was implemented gradually from 2004-2008, tied to the Program Planning cycle.
After an initial pilot of the process in 2004, those departments going through program planning in a given year were asked to create a plan as well as write SLOs for courses and certificates. Beginning in 2009, all departments were asked to complete the assessment of all of their course SLOs, certificate and degree SLOs and dialogue with GE departments.
Assessment Methods
Individual CTE programs design an assessment process that suits their field. Assessment methods l vary. For some, analyzing board exam results or using the assessment process required by their outside accrediting agencies makes the most sense. For others, the
course-embedded approach used by transfer and basic skills is more appropriate. No matter what assessment method is used, faculty dialogue about the results in a department
meeting, sharing their analysis of the results and ideas for improvement, including what assistance the department and college could provide to improve student learning and success.
Department Chairs record the results of this dialogue on a departmental Assessment Analysis form. In keeping with the Cabrillo's Assessment Philosophy that assessment is not "a means to evaluate individual faculty or staff," no individual instructor's name or results are recorded on the form. Instead the overall departmental results are summarized and its plans to improve teaching and learning are the main focus. These plans then form the basis for any funding requests and are attached to the department’s Program Plan and Annual Report.
After review and approval by the Council for Instructional Planning, the analysis forms are forwarded to the Outcomes Assessment Review Committee for further evaluation. In
addition, the forms are posted on the Instruction Office website as part of the department's Program Plan.
Library
Assessment of the Library's information services was developed through a series of open meetings, attended by both faculty and classified staff, to identify non-class-related services and assessment options. The following service categories and their contributions to the core competencies were identified:
• Transaction Services
• Information & Instruction Services • Collection
• Service Management
The meetings resulted in a detailed assessment plan for each service and a time line for that assessment.
It was decided that Information and Instruction services (including assessment of Library 10 and later both Library 100 and Library 18) would utilize the course-embedded method designed by the Cabrillo Faculty Senate for all transfer and basic skills courses, scrutinizing student achievement in the midterm and final of those courses. In addition, the Library 10 instructors met every semester to discuss problems, changes, and new instruction elements in the courses. The results of these meetings, plus any identified ambiguities in the Library 10 workbook and feedback based upon patterns of student errors or confusion, were folded into the following semester’s workbook. Other Instruction services would use short surveys at the end of each activity to assess their effectiveness.
The other major service categories were eventually reorganized into four areas (down from the original five listed above): Reference Desk, Circulation, Computer Services and
Information Services.
For these services, a survey was selected as the assessment instrument; the group developed a general survey to assess a review of all library services. It was piloted in Fall 2005 and Spring 2006, when the survey was made available at both Library exits, and over 100 responses were collected during three days of each semester. Survey questions were intended to measure satisfaction with the specific activities a patron was engaged in, as well as self-assessment questions addressing several core competencies. The staff assessed the results based on question responses and frequency of problem areas mentioned in written comments. The results of that pilot assessment and subsequent plans for improvement were captured in the Library Services Assessment Analysis form which was attached to the Library’s Instructional Plan and presented to the Council for Instructional Planning in Spring 2007 and again in Spring 2012. This assessment was repeated each year.
However, after several surveys, the Library began to question the efficacy of the self-assessment of student learning. In addition, they realized that their survey instrument did not recognize or assess the other users of their services, faculty members and the
community. In 2012, the Library decided to adopt the approach used in Administration and wrote an AUO to capture the full complement of the services it provides to students, faculty and the community:
Cabrillo library patrons will be able to successfully use the library's physical and electronic services, information tools, and resources, to find and evaluate information, and accomplish academic endeavors in the pursuit of formal and informal learning. In addition, a new planning and assessment cycle for services was adopted.
