learning@maricopa.edu / events / OSF Meeting 11.06.98 / Issues

	Issue: Assessing Student Learning
Title: Assessing Student Learning [not just for NCA but for each of us] Convener: Naomi O. Story Participants: Horace McDougal Jolyne Ghanatabadi Discussion: This bothers us - we need to do this because it is for improvement and improve learning accountability Is learning really taking place What can learning do How do we know that our students can do it How do we measure benchmarks Faculty important to determine Students can also assess Students don't have a lot of input Lots of degrees Haven't given them the opportunity or tools to assess Students can id learning goals Staff development needed Alternative ways Time for assessment Nothing built in system to assess [e.g. essay versus multiple choice is multiple guess] High schools students know test taking too well, primed Teaching to the test versus rather than teaching for learning Show me the learning Need to quantify learning better Link assessment of learning to performance based funding is scary but to guarantee...danger is teaching to the test; treating the student as an individual Employers care about whether students can learn...do something ...Tire hits the ground Grades don't measure learning...just seat time....to get the grade Learning is not about seat time .....another issue is seat time Is there data how our students do at the university as we compare them with other transfer student and native students...we would hold ourselves accountable by asking for regular data from the universities...guarantee and validate our student performance Is the guarantee of student graduation from occupational programs in the catalog of students who graduated...part of common pages Institutions will let things drop after NCA accredits Important to make it continuous ...part of our culture Looking at data constantly and use data to make changes...attach strategic planning, budgeting and assessment together Acceptance of N/A student learning outcomes must be Recommendations Assessment forums must be continued Find ways to bring faculty together to talk about assessment ...Twice a year is not enough In-depth staff development on assessment and on using assessment data ...More than 1-2 hour Bring brain power together rather than reinvent the wheel Look at more courses that have common finals Data needs to be compiled, shared, discussed, and used for improving ....program but also for budget and planning Need to share, not be so afraid to lose FTSE Establish time for sharing Change culture so that we make time for sharing Change reporting of FTSE so that it's not comparative...45th day reporting ...Perpetuates competition If we looked at competency achievement rather than grades then it might be easier for students to transfer out-of-state Open Space Forum - 11.06.98 - Rio Salado Community College
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