Here at Lansing Community College, the goals of assessment work are to learn about student learning and to produce usable student learning data for faculty. Assessment provides feedback that tells the story of student learning in a course and gives some insight into how student learning may be improved. Specifically, who is learning, what are they learning, and what circumstances facilitate learning. Assessment is the process we use to continuously seek feedback about learning.
Higher Learning Commission (HLC) defines assessment as: The systematic collection, examination, and interpretation of qualitative and quantitative data about student learning and the use of that information to document and improve student learning.
Faculty participate in student assessment initiatives and use the data/information to improve student learning.
Why? Assessment communicates clear expectations & informs students how we assess the degree to which they master course learning outcomes
Why? Assessment helps faculty determine what is or isn’t working in their courses and programs so they can make continuous improvements
Why? Assessment helps the college to know what our students are learning and what systemic improvements can be made to improve student success. Is beneficial for the transferability of courses to other university programs.
Outcome Type: Essential Learning Outcomes (ELO)
What they do: Institutional level of student learning outcomes
Key question they help answer: Does the college fulfill its stated mission?
Outcome Type: Program Learning Outcomes (PLO)
What they do: looks at learning across the curriculum for a program of study
Key question they help answer: Are we improving student success through a framework of positive change?
Outcome Type: Student Learning Outcomes (SLO)
What they do: (Often mistakenly equated with grading) looking for consistency across sections and delivery mode
Key question they help answer: Are students learning what faculty intend for them to learn in the course, e.g., upon completion of the course, have students acquired the skills, knowledge and behaviors that were intended? Have they mastered the learning outcomes?