The GREAT Project…

Everything you always wanted to know but were afraid to ask.

GREAT Core Committee

Rose Mince, Lynne Mason, and Cynthia Roberts

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We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.

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Our options are to learn this new game, the rules, the roles of the participants, and how the rewards are distributed or to continue practicing our present skills and become the best players in a game that is no longer being played.

Larry Wilson

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The Questions What is it? Where did it come from? Why me/why now? How can this benefit me? My students? How often do I have to do this? Does it interfere with academic freedom?

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Why Are We Doing This?

To improve student learning Learning-centered institution Measure of institutional effectiveness Accountability Accreditation Program Review for General Education

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Middle States Standard 14

Assessment of student learning demonstrates that the institution’s students have knowledge, skills, and competencies consistent with institutional goals and that students at graduation have achieved appropriate higher education goals.

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CCBC’s LearningFirst Strategic Plan

CCBC is committed to making learning its central focus, making students active partners in the learning process, and focusing on learning outcomes to assess the success of student learning.

Evaluating the effectiveness of instruction is a faculty responsibility that is necessary for the improvement and verification of learning.

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Statement of BeliefsAs a learning-centered college, CCBC:

makes learning its central focus makes students active partners in the

learning process assumes final responsibility for producing

student learning focuses on learning outcomes to assess

student learning and success

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creates a holistic environment that supports student learning

ensures that every member of the college community is a learner

evaluates all areas of the college by the ways they foster student learning

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Learning Outcomes AssessmentGoals and Objectives

Document improved and expanded student learning

Create continuous improvement process for learning outcomes assessment

Provide continuous curriculum improvement

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A Learning College succeeds only when improved and expanded learning can be documented for its learners.

What does this learner know?

What can this learner do?

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CCBC Assessment Definition

Assessment is a purposeful, systematic, and collaborative process driven by the institution’s desire to improve student learning. It is a deliberate course of action that defines expected student achievement in terms of learning outcomes and core competencies and measures actual student achievement using pre-determined internal standards and external benchmarks.

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The assessment process is learning centered and gathers information from a variety of sources to determine what students know, what students can do with what they know, and how well they do it. The goal of assessment is to transform the institution into one which creates the best conditions for learning, encourages best practices, and inspires creativity and innovation.

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CCBC’s Outcomes AssessmentPhilosophy

Natural, ongoing part of instruction Consistent with traditional instructional

practices Designed to meet specific objectives Can serve multiple purposes Risk-free environment

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Assessment: Promotes a culture of accountability Informs decisions for continuous improvement of

learning

Assessment should be: meaningful = faculty designed and coordinated manageable flexible truth-seeking/objective/ethical

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LOA Projects at CCBC: An Overview

Course-level LOA Projects -- designed to measure all (most) of the objectives listed on the Common Course Outline for any course Support from Tara Ebersole, Outcomes Associate,

Rose Mince, Planning, Research and Evaluation Office Program-level LOA Projects -- designed to

measure all (most) of the program goals Program Review – Rose Mince Developmental Education -- Donna McKusick General Education -- Rose Mince

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High Impact LOA Courses(high enrollment, multi-campus, multi-section)

2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004

PSYC 101 HLTH 101 PHIL 101

ACCT 101 PEFT 101 SOCL 101

ENGL 052 CINS 101 SPCM 101

MATH 083 ENGL 101 BIOL 110

RDNG 052 SDEV 101 MGMT 101

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LOAs versus GREATs Based on course CCO Focused on course

content and skills Assessment is different

for every course Measures exit course

competencies

Based on Gen Ed goals Focused on Gen Ed Skills Assessment is similar for

many courses = CGA Measures outcomes

similar to all Gen Ed courses

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General Education Assessment Three-pronged approach, based on years of

research by the General Education Review Board The Academic Profile (Fall 2001 and Fall 2004) The GREAT Project (Fall 2003-Spring 2006) The SIR II (Data collected each fall semester)

Approved by Learning and Academic Affairs Council in Spring 2002

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The GREAT Project Faculty-designed Common Graded

Assignments (CGAs) with accompanying scoring rubrics

Faculty Training Workshops GREAT Team Leaders Implementation Schedule

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Implementation ScheduleSocial and Behavioral Sciences and Diversity

Spring 2004

Interdisciplinary/Emerging Issues Fall 2004

Mathematics Spring 2005

Biological and Physical Sciences Fall 2005

English Composition Spring 2006

Arts and Humanities Fall 2006

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GREAT Goal

To gather evidence of student learning (as defined in the General Criteria for General Education courses) to provide for continuous quality improvement in student learning outcomes for all General Education courses.

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General Education Goals

1. Content, Knowledge, and/or Skills

2. Written, Oral, and/or Signed Communication Skills

3. Critical Thinking Skills

4. Technology as a Learning Tool

5. Cultural Appreciation/Diversity

6. Independent Learning Skills

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Project Outcomes Improve and expand student learning by

providing constructive feedback regarding student attainment of General Education goals

Identify areas for improvement in General Education courses and/or the General Education assessment plan

Develop strategies for effecting positive change. Provide forums for faculty to discuss change and

the change process Incorporate additional best practices

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Ensure that the CCBC General Education courses have institutional integrity

Maintain high levels of expectations for all General Education students

Provide opportunities for students to participate in the learning process by providing feedback regarding the project

Identify staff development needs for faculty Identify student development needs

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Project Checklist Select/contact team leader Create 1-3 Common Graded Assignments Create scoring rubric(s) Agree on CGAs and rubrics Administer CGA in classes (distribute CGA and rubric to

students) Identify scorers Select anchor papers Attend scorer training Refine CGA and rubric for the future

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Common Graded Assignments Common – similar format, varied content;

applied in more than one class to allow comparison

Graded -- required by the instructor so that students put effort into the assignment; faculty provide feedback to the student

Assignment -- evaluation of the “routine” ongoing work of the students

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Sample CGAs Critiques Lab Reports Article Reviews: Comparison/Contrast Projects (individual or group) Research Papers Case Studies Essay Questions The list goes on…

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Rubric: A definition

“…a one- or two-page document that describes varying levels of quality from excellent to poor for a specific assignment”

Heidi Goodrich Andrade

Two main components: A detailed list of criteria Gradations of quality

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Rubrics Holistic vs. Analytic

Holistic: all criteria are factored in together to determine the final grade for that assignment (one overall or total score)

Analytic: considers and evaluates each criterion separately (sub-scores)

GREAT Project uses analytic rubric: one score for each of the six General Education Program Goals

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Grading Rubrics: Advantages

Assess student work more quickly and more efficiently

Provide a clear justification to student for the grade received

Act as a teaching tool to support student learning

Put more responsibility into the hands of the students

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Facilitate students’ progress in completing assignment

Are easy to use and explain Support the development of students’

skills and understanding Provide informative feedback and detailed

evaluations

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Rubric Adjectives/Anchors 6=evidence beyond the expectations (present, and,

and) 5=evidence is present; student has gone slightly

beyond requirements (present, and) 4=evidence is present without any extra supporting

material (present) 3=something lacking from the requirement (present,

but) 2=some evidence, but something important is lacking

(present, but, but) 1=very little evidence that skills have been achieved

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Where do I begin?

1. Contact your team leader2. Form a working cohort/team3. Identify General Education Goals on CCO4. Share existing course assignments5. Design a CGA6. Develop a rubric

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7. Solicit feedback from discipline colleagues

8. Revise CGA and rubric as necessary9. Implement!!!10. Collect two copies of CGAs11. Grade and return one copy to student12. Remove all identifying information and

give second copy to your team leader

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Some Excellent Resources Scoring Rubrics in the Classroom by Arter and

McTighe (2001) “Primary Trait Analysis: Anchoring Assessment

in the Classroom” Benander, Denton, Page, and Skinner (2000). The Journal of General Education, 49, 280-302.

“Oral Presentations in Math Classes” (grading using a rubric) in Innovation Abstracts, (2002), XXIV, 23

www2.acs.ncsu.edu/UPA/assmt/resource.htm

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The journey of 1,000 miles starts with a single step.

Taoist Proverb

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Handouts Blank rubric Gen. Ed. approval form Rubric adjectives Sample CGA and rubric Team leaders