Learning Assistance Department

Student Learning Outcomesand Assessment Process

College Success
Updated Fall 12

LAC Process

  1. Develop Learning Assistance Department mission statement
  2. Develop Student Learning Outcomes for each of our academic support offerings and courses
  3. Develop assessments for each of our academic support offerings and courses
  4. Implement a process for continual review and refining of our mission statement and student learning outcomes

LAC Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide a supportive environment that promotes active learning and encourages collaboration among members of our diverse community.

Toward this goal, we assist students in achieving their academic, vocational, and personal goals through our academic-support offerings: student-centered peer tutoring, college success courses, workshops and peer-collaborative small groups; an open-access computer lab; and a grant-funded writing project.

Student Learning Outcomes:LERN 50 - College Success

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOME / ACTIVITIES
TO SUPPORT OUTCOME / ASSESSMENT MEASURE / EVALUATION
OF ASSESSMENT
By the middle of the semester following their completion of their college success course, students will be able to:
  • Assess their current use of college success strategies learned in LERN 50 the prior semester.
/
  • Develop an SLO rubric for LERN 50 college success topics.
  • Develop a list of topics for “Best Practices” for teaching college success.
  • Develop an online “College Success Survey.”
  • Administer the survey to students who completed LERN 50 the previous fall semester.
/
  • Analyze data from the online survey.
/ Evaluation of assessment: Sp06 – Sp11:
  • Highest frequency for A students: Use of a planner, learning styles information, classroom participation, creative thinking, and the library.
  • Highest frequency for C students: Use of a planner and note taking strategies.
  • Lowest frequency overall: Use of the SQ3R textbook study strategy, study groups, and study cards.
  • As a result of the above evaluation, instructors of the College Success Course, LERN 50, have adapted their teaching to highlight and reinforce the importance of the areas noted as “Lowest Frequency” college success strategies.
  • This online assessment survey will be administrated each semester, and new responses will be added to older ones. As samples enlarge, new data will be assessed and evaluated, and the instructors will continue to adapt their teaching for increased student learning.

Assessment:LERN 50 - College Success

  1. LERN 50: College Success – Assessing students have completed the college success course

OVERVIEW

During Fall 06 College Success faculty engaged in an extensive dialogue to develop SLO’s and teaching “Best Practices” for the course. As a result, the LERN 50 course was redesigned with SLO’s in mind and an SLO rubric was developed. This activity included redefining SLO’s, content, and assessment activities for the course.

During Spring 07 a College Success Survey was developed and administered to students who completed LERN 50 with an A, B, or C grade (Fall 2006), enrolled in a subsequent term, and had an email in Banner. The survey was also administered Spring 08-12. The purpose of the survey was to assess the students’ application of SLO’s in current classes. The survey also assessed the overall usefulness of SLO’s for the course. The data from this survey has been used to redesign the SLO’s for LERN 50.

YEARLY UPDATES

Spring 07: Developed assessment survey

Spring 08, 09, 10: Assessed using the survey, analyzed data and developed specific action plans

Fall 10: Developed a new online survey using Survey Monkey

Spring 11-12: Administered survey and assessed course using new survey, analyzed data, and developed specific action plans

MOST RECENT ASSESSMENT SPRING 12

In Spring 2012, the new online survey using Survey Monkey was administered to students who completed LERN 50 Fall 11. LERN 50 faculty emailed a link to the survey to their students directly. One hundred twenty five (125) students completed the survey which was double the number of students compare to the previous year. Below is some of the initial analysis:

Changes made as a result of MOST RECENT assessment

We are beginning to understand which SLO’s for LERN 50 are being applied to other academic courses. We are also starting to understand which SLO’s students apply more/less frequently. This data has assisted faculty in the development of course curriculum for College Success and its faculty. Specifically, at the beginning of the Fall 12 semester, an email with the above results was sent to all College Success faculty to assist with curriculum development and their individual SLO Assessment/Evaluation process. Lastly, at the end of Fall 12 there will be a professional development meeting for all College Success faculty to discus results and their individual SLO Assessment /Evaluation process.

  1. LERN 53A – Test Prep: CBEST Exam - English

OVERVIEW

A Survey Monkey survey was developed and administered Fall 11 to survey students who took both this ½ unit course and the CBEST exam following the course. The assessment is to determine the success of the course for students taking the exam.

YEARLY UPDATES

Fall 11: Develop survey and assess.

RECENT ASSESSMENT DETAILS

Spring 12: Assessment results indicate…

Changes made as a result of MOST RECENT assessment

Timeline for changes

2012/2013 / 2013/2014 / 2014/2015 / 2015/2016