Transformative Learning: An Integrative Approach to

Student Success and Assessment EDUCAUSE Annual Virtual Conference 2015

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Sonya Watkins | Jeff King | Sharra Hynes University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, Oklahoma

Takeaways • Collaborations and partnerships are essential.

• Key stakeholders at the table from the start. Yes, IT is a key stakeholder.

• Leverage existing systems, processes, methods that are working – start where you are.

• Leadership buy in + support = results.

Polling / Questions

• Are you assessing high impact practices? – Yes

– Somewhat

– No

– What are high impact practices?

• Rate the level of collaboration at your institution – Scale of 1 – 10; 10=High, 1=None, we operate in silos

Transformative Learning occurs in many different forms of student engagement.

How do you capture, connect, and assess these experiences?

UCO’s Transformative Learning Path

Mezirow (2000)

Transformative educational development of adult learning

Learning Reconsidered (2004, 2006)

UCO Central Six Tenets Transformative Learning (2007)

• Discipline Knowledge • Leadership • Research, Creative &

Scholarly Activities • Service Learning & Civic

Engagement • Global & Cultural

Competencies • Health & Wellness

UCO Central Six Tenets

1. Discipline Knowledge

2. Leadership

3. Research, Creative & Scholarly Activity

4. Service Learning & Civic Engagement

5. Global & Cultural Competencies

6. Health and Wellness

Kuh’s High-Impact Practices • First-Year Seminars; 1,2,3,4,5,6 • Common Intellectual

Experiences; 1,3 • Learning Communities/

Internships; 2,3,6 • Service Learning; 4 • Capstone Experiences; 1 • Writing-Intensive Courses; 3 • Collaborative Assignments &

Projects; 2,3,5 • Undergraduate Research; 1,3 • Study Abroad & Other

Diversity Experiences; 5

STLR has gained the financial support of:

• Department of Education: $7.8M Title III Strengthening Institutions Program 5-year grant

• Educause-led/Gates Foundation-supported Breakthrough Models Incubator 2015 Cohort

• NASPA-AACRAO-led/Lumina Foundation-supported Beyond-the-Transcript Initiative

Transformative Learning at UCO The Central Six …guided by the mission of helping students learn by providing transformative experiences so that they may become productive, creative, ethical and engaged citizens and leaders contributing to the intellectual, cultural, economic and social advancement of the communities they serve.

Transformative Learning @ UCO Defined Transformative Learning is a holistic process that places students at the center of their own active and reflective learning experiences. Transformative Learning: • develops beyond-disciplinary skills and • expands students’ perspectives of their relationships with self, others,

community and environment.

How do you measure it?

At UCO STLR Needs to…

• Work for any student population

• Engage all student types

• Have diverse alignment: cultural, socioeconomic

Average Student

Age 24

50%+ First Generation

College

90% Commuter

A C A D E M I C T R A N S C R I P T

Collaborative Effort to Meet These Objectives

• Assessment model for curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular activities.

• Capture, document, and assess these TL activities.

• Allow students to monitor and direct their own active learning via an online “badge” system.

• Connect to an ePortfolio to showcase achievements.

Academic Affairs

Information Technology

Student Affairs

Integrative Approach

STLR Project Committee

Training • Participants • Content

Rubric Assessment

Transformative Learning Committee

Employer/Workforce Relations

Development Office

Faculty/Staff/Students

Academic Affairs

Information Technology

Student Affairs

Vendor

Integrative Solution for

LMS

CampusCard

Analytics

ePortfolio

Platform for STLR: Assignments Assessment STLR Record

Artifacts Presentation

Activities

Reporting Trends

Start with where you live. • What systems are

already in place? • What are students and

faculty accustomed to using?

How Works

Create assignment or co-curricular

activity

Associate to Appropriate

Central Six Tenet

Assess TL Achievement

using STLR Rubric

Student exhibits STLR

Achievement in ePortfolio

Create Assignment or Activity Using D2L Learning Environment

• Faculty create assignments that facilitate transformative learning opportunities

• Student Affairs and other professional

staff track participation and assess co-curricular activities.

Indicate Achievement Using STLR Rubric

Student Captures and Exhibits STLR Achievement in D2L e-Portfolio

Student view of Dashboard

Impact/Results/Data

22%

14%

23%

41%

Undergrad participant breakdown

Freshmen

Sophomores

Juniors

Seniors

Impact/Results/Data

Impact/Results/Data

Impact/Results/Data

134 Classes

11%

16%

4%

13%

56%

Curricular STLR Assignment Tenet Use - Fall 2015

HW GCC LEAD RCSA SLCE

Impact/Results/Data

Next Steps for STLR

Proliferation of STLR • Training

• Student Transformative Learning Projects

• Assignments and Event Participation

Analytics Enhancements • Individuals | Cohorts |

At Risk

• Assessments

• STLR Training Effectiveness

Student Agency Process • Part of STLR

ePortfolio

UCO Research Projects • Retention

Improvement Research

• Peer-to-Peer Mentoring

Thank You Contacts

Sonya Watkins Asst. Vice President, Information Technology

Email: sewatkins@uco.edu

Jeff King, EdD Executive Director, Center for Excellence in Transformative Teaching & Learning

Email: jking47@uco.edu

Sharra Hynes, PhD Executive Director, Experiential Learning

Email: shynes1@uco.edu

Links Transformative Learning @ UCO

uco.edu/tl

STLR

uco.edu/stlr

STLR Assessment Rubric

uco.edu/central/tl/stlr/STLR Assessment Rubric.asp