assessment of learning in student involvement

ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING IN STUDENT INVOLVEMENT

Diana Sims-Harris

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

Participant Learning Outcomes

Following this session, participants will know or be able to: Describe the importance of providing direct evidence

of learning in student affairs Demonstrate an example of a departmental mapping

of programs and services to learning outcomes, especially where apparently disparate functions are involved

Understand dynamics between academic affairs and student affairs at a large urban university

Gain insight to the assessment practices of a large department and results of the data

Apply information shared to other institutional contexts

Session Overview

Division of Student Affairs Context Faculty and Student Affairs Context OSI Assessment Strategies and

Expectations OSI Learning Outcomes Assessment Measures and Approaches Results and Use for Improvements Closing Recommendations

DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS CONTEXT

Principles of Co-Curricular Learning1. Core Communication Skills2. Critical Thinking3. Integration and Application of

Knowledge4. Intellectual Depth, Breadth and

Adaptiveness5. Understanding Society and Culture6. Values and Ethics7. Intrapersonal Development8. Interpersonal Development

http://go.iu.edu/8Io (case-sensitive)

FACULTY AND STUDENT AFFAIRS CONTEXT

Chad Ahren, Ph.D.Diana Sims-Harris

•Different history•Different priorities•Different culture•Disparate perceptions

So what do we have

in common?

From silos to ladders: Phase 1


• Critical elements: values, external pressure, and learning• Creating buy-in for the benefits and necessity of collaborationKezar, A.J. & Lester, J. (2009). Organizing higher

education for collaboration: A guide forcampus leaders. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.



• Critical elements: mission, social networks and reward systems/structures• Taking the newfound belief in collaboration and putting

it into action



• Critical elements: integrating structures, reward systems/ structures, and social networks

• Keeping collaboration current and valuable requires the redesign of campus structures

Student Learning in student life and OLS


• Course objectives• Programming goals

Student Learning Outcomes

are the common language

Course Learning Outcomes Recommended LEAD Program/Experience

Recognize characteristics of individuals functioning in an effective work group or team.

Student Organization Leadership Development (SOLD), Student Organization Retreat, Leadership Foundations, Leadership Consultants, Catalyst, Freedom Rides, Project Leadership

Identify theories, theorists, and issues associated with organizational behavior.

Student Organization Leadership Development (SOLD), Leadership Consultants, Catalyst, Project Leadership

Apply understanding of principles and theories relating to small group behavior through projects and assignments.

Student Organization Leadership Development (SOLD), Leadership Consultants, Catalyst, Project Leadership, Freedom Rides

OSI Strategic Priorities

Office of Student Involvement Assessment of Learning:

Strategies and Expectations

OSI Strategic Priorities

Social Justice

Civic Engagem

ent

Leadership• Social Change

• Collaboration• Common

Purpose• Self-

knowledge

• Positive change• Educationally

meaningful service

• Community improvement

• Equal participation

• Inclusivity• Dynamics of

power and oppression

Leadership Learning Outcomes

1. Gain personal competencies • Obtain and strengthen leadership skills such as conflict management, communication and dialogue, teamwork, time management, proactive event planning, goal setting, and risk taking • Manage their organizational functions through the use of programming, technology, and physical space • Value co-curricular learning as transferable skills that will complement to the classroom experience

2. Develop a sense of personal leadership identity • Define their sense of purpose through the personal exploration of strengths, passions, goals, and abilities • Explore personal cultural identity as it relates to leadership

3. Understand how their personal leadership identity relates to working with others • Provide intentional experiences for students to interact with others who are different from themselves • Apply individual experience to develop an even fuller understanding of themselves through their interactions with others

4. Build community with the IUPUI and Indianapolis community • Create partnerships with students, faculty, staff and organizations • Develop relationships through social and professional networking opportunities • Participate in idea-sharing as it relates to their organizations, programming, and leadership experiences

5. Connect to the IUPUI campus • Have an increased awareness of resources that are provided for students and organizations through The Office of Student Involvement and IUPUI • Use their voice effectively to create and engage in a positive collegiate experience for themselves and other students • Be able to navigate the IUPUI community and university system

Social Justice Education Learning Outcomes

Interact productively with others who are different from themselves

Apply individual experience to develop an even fuller understanding of themselves through their interactions with others

Explore social justice advocacy as it relates to leadership Achieve awareness of their social identities Gain knowledge of groups whose identities they do not share Navigate difference by learning, listening, asking and watching Outline individual responsibility for action to facilitate change

Multicultural Change Process

• Awareness • Knowledge • Skills • Action

Civic Engagement Learning Outcomes

Civic-Minded Graduate Ability to understand interest, responsibility and

personal commitment to service and social issues Understanding how social issues are addressed in

society Active participant in society to address social

issues Collaboration with others across difference

(includes diversity, interconnectedness, mutuality, and respect)

Benefit of education to address social issues

OSI Assessment Structure

À la Carte approach to assessment using Strategic Priorities:

OSI Assessment Structure

Social

Justice

• Social Identity

• Knowledge of others

Civic Engage-

ment

• How social issues are addressed

Leader-

ship

• Partnership creation

• Organizational management

Example:

OSI Assessment Expectations

At least two rigorous assessment projects per functional area


Learning in addition to or instead of evaluation and satisfaction


Choose projects that are manageable and represent likely opportunities for critical learning and improvement


Keep your assessment practice manageable – integrate into current processes


I promise to make reporting requirements manageable, timely and transparent

OSI Assessment Discussion

Functional areas:• Review strategic

priorities and outcomes

• How will you apply these?

Results and Use for Improvement

Practical Information on Reporting Instruments and design were discussed 1-1 meetings with staff

throughout the year Programs which covered multiple strategic priorities were

encouraged Growing pains in reporting (expectations not always clear to

staff, too much data, timing of analysis) Not all information shared in division report each year Much of the data is baselineReporting: First round of analysis completed by Assistant Directors

(depending on level of experience) Second round completed by Associate Director and Director of

OSI Third round completed by Director of Assessment and Planning

Alternative Breaks Principle of

Undergraduate Learning

Measure(5-point scale of “strongly

disagree” to“strongly agree”)

Results

Core Communication and Quantitative Skills (PUL 1)

As a result of participating in Alternative Breaks, I am better able to communicate as a team

100% indicated “agree” or “strongly agree” (n=23)

Integration and Application of Knowledge (PUL 3)

As a result of participating in Alternative Breaks, I understand the root causes of the social issue that my trip worked with

As a result of participating in Alternative Breaks, I realize that I cannot effectively make social change without being educated on a social issue

96% indicated “agree” or “strongly agree” (n = 22)

65% indicated

“agree” or “strongly agree” (n = 15)

Values and Ethics (PUL 6)

As a result of participating in Alternative Breaks, I have the desire to make a difference in my community


Alternative Breaks

Participant comments that support Values and Ethics: I gained insight on what a small committed group of motivated

people can do for a reason. The strengths that I gained from this trip are determination and

responsibility to make more of a difference with the social issues going on right in my community. The knowledge of knowing that I have the power to make a change to help others in my community to have some hope for the future.

I learned to be more open minded about the social topics involved.

I feel as though I have realized more of how compassionate I strive to be. I realize that I want to continue my services in the community, and I truly want to work in a non-profit educational facility now also. This trip made me realize a lot about what populations I want to be working with in the future.

Freedom Rides

Lead IUPUI Learning Outcome


disagree” to “strongly agree”)

Results

Gain Personal Competencies (LO1)

Freedom Rides helped me develop individual goals.


Develop a Sense of Personal Leadership Identity (LO2)

Freedom Rides helped me recognize how groups and communities I belong to affect my leadership style.

Freedom Rides helped me create a vision statement.

Freedom Rides helped me identify personal leadership skills and strengths


Understand how their personal leadership identity relates to working with others (LO3)

Freedom Rides helped me identify social justice issues of personal importance.

Freedom Rides helped me compare different social justice leaders' approaches to leadership.


Freedom Rides

Participant comments that support the Personal Leadership Identity in Relation to Others outcome:Has the trip helped you learn about social justice? If so, how? Yes, it has helped me to know a change must happen all

people deserve to be treated fairly. Yes, I learned that everyone deserves social justice no

matter what their background may be It taught me that it affects one and that we all have the

power so don't be afraid to speak Yes! I already knew a fair amount about social justice from

some courses, but I learned even more! By walking through the journey taken by the leaders

AFLV – Program Evaluation

Principle of Undergraduate

Learning

Measure(strongly agree, agree,

neutral, disagree, strongly disagree)

Results

Critical Thinking · AFLV provided me with skills to generate new ideas or ways to improve things in my chapter and at IUPUI.

96% indicated “agree” or“strongly agree” n=25)

Values and Ethics · AFLV helped me recognize my personal values and ethics.


Integration and Application ofKnowledge

· AFLV provided me with skills to develop individual/organizational goals.


AFLV – Focus Group

Selected participant comments that support Integration and Application of Knowledge Everybody's chapter is different and you can come back and take

some of their ideas, like their bigger successes and take those back, and get the best aspects of all different kinds of Greek life in all different kinds of communities and bring it back and apply it here

I wish we could all break down the distance between IFC fraternities and everyone else... Just like at AFLV, they accommodated everybody. That is a good step forward in doing that. Just being IUPUI students and being in Greek organizations, we should take the reins from that and see how they expanded on it, and do it ourselves, essentially

We are only now starting to have to deal with connecting with alumni, so we just started doing like a letter that we are putting together, like a newsletter type thing that talks about the accomplishments of the chapter for the year and once we realized that you know it does not have tojust go to alumni so we are going to send it to parents for like PR and stuff like that and show what they are doing...

Academic Organizations Survey

Principle of Undergraduat

e Learning


disagree” to “strongly agree”)

Results

Core communication and quantitative skills (PUL 1)

Being involved with this organization provided me with the skills to communicate ideas and information

92.78% indicated “agree” or “strongly agree”

Integration and application of knowledge (PUL 3)

Being involved with this organization provided me with the skills to make connections with students, faculty, and staff on campus.


Values and ethics (PUL 6)

Being involved with this organization provided me with the skills to recognize how groups and communities I belong to influence my leadership style.


Academic Organizations Survey

Being involved in this organization allowed me to use information I learned through my coursework:

Always 8.25%Quite a bit 27.84%Sometimes 40.21%Very Little 23.71% Being involved with this student organization I have been able to connect my experiences to the Principles of Undergraduate Learning:(n=162)

Core Communication and Quantitative Skills 18.69%Critical Thinking 16.26%Integration and Application of Knowledge 15.35%

Intellectual Depth, Breadth, and Adaptiveness 12.16%Understanding Society and Culture 19.60%Values and Ethics 17.93%

Assessment Loop

1. Set goals, ask questions

2. Gather evidence3. Interpret

findings

4. Use for improvement

Leskes, A. & Wright, B. (2005). The Art and Science of Assessing General Education Outcomes: A Practical Guide. Washington, DC: AAC&U Publications.

Use for Improvement – OSI wide

Results indicate need for more opportunities for deep reflection so students can connect experiences with outcomes.

There is a need for more collaborations across functional areas. Shared language from the strategic priorities can help facilitate this.

Some direct measures of assessment should be used; these measures would be a nice comparison to the current self-reported data.

Use for Improvement – Lead IUPUI

Results indicate consistency in reported learning with different groups of students overtime.

As an action item from previous assessment reports, more long-term experiences have been developed and show positive results. A residential based learning community is being explored.

The Leadership Foundation program saw positive learning outcomes but spotty attendance and at times, an inconsistent message. The series was restructured as a cohort program with more direct staff facilitation.

Use for Improvement– Lead IUPUI

The additional qualitative measures allowed for a deeper understanding of student learning. More guided reflection should be explored.

Many students participate in several Lead IUPUI programs, but assessment does not capture the possible cumulative effect of participation in multiple programs.

Quantitative feedback for SOLD shows a slight decline, but the qualitative results showed some of the strongest connection to learning yet. Strategies are being used to look for data trends and examine possible explanations for differences.

Closing Recommendations

Know your institution culture and context; what is your collective mission?

Find allies with common interests and priorities

Tell your story, use shared language in learning outcomes

Start small and grow; integrate into current processes

Make obvious, easy improvements Help students make connections and

document them

Discussion/Questions/Contact

Robert W. Aaron, Ph.D.

Director, Assessment and Planning

Division of Student Affairs


(317) 274-8990

[email protected]

http://life.iupui.edu

Diana Sims-Harris, M.S.Ed.

Associate Director

&

Chad Ahren, Ph.D.

Director

Office of Student Involvement


(317) 274-3931

[email protected]

[email protected]

http://life.iupui.edu/osi

assessment of learning in student involvement

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