Program: Learning Assistance Center
Date: Wed Oct 19, 2011 - 2:15:37 pm
1) List your program's student outcomes.
- Students will use appropriate study skills to achieveacademic goals.
- Students will learn how to adjust learning approaches to fit their individual learning needs.
- Students will learn how to study effectively with others.
- Students will use effective learning practices.
- Students will use self-reliant learning behaviors.
- Students will have a functional understanding of course content.
2) Where are your program's student outcomes published? Mark all that apply and include URLs when appropriate.
Program's Website. URL: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/learning/ Student Handbook. URL, if available online: LAC's Laulima site 
Information Sheet, Flyer, or Brochure. URL, if available online: UHM Catalog. Page Number: Other: Annual Report submitted to OAVCUE Other: 3) Provide the program's activity map or other graphic that illustrates how program activities/services align with program student outcomes. Please upload it as a PDF.
- File (10/14/2011)
4) For the period June 1, 2010 to September 30, 2011: State the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goals. Include the student outcomes that were targeted, if applicable.
AQ: To what degree is the LAC achieving its SLOs?
As indicated in the LAC activity map (previous page), LAC programming consists of not only tutoring and supplemental instruction groups, but also a variety of workshops; each of the components targets different SLOs.
5) State the type(s) of evidence gathered to answer the assessment question and/or meet the assessment goals that were given in Question 4.
For Tutoring and SI, in addition to student feedback surveys, which were used to indicate achievement of SLOs 1, 2, 4, & 6, grade comparisons between participants and non-participants in a select few courses, Chemistry 161 for example, were used to indicate the degree of achievement of all 6 SLOs.
Furthermore, persistence percentages of LAC students were used as a peripheral/indirect indicator of student achievement. It should be noted that persistence percentages were reported in the LAC's annual report more so for the administration's sake and information than for use by the LAC as assessment measures. However, these data can be viewed as indirect indicators of SLOs 1, 2, 4, & 5.
Short student satisfaction surveys were used to indicate helpfulness of workshops.
6) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.
The LAC received 1,513 feedback forms. Since students are asked to fill out feedback forms at the conclusion of every LAC interaction, students who used the LAC services more than once likely filled out more than one feedback form. Thus, the actual number of individuals was not determined.
For persistence information, all 621 students' records were viewed--they did not "submit evidence;" I looked at their records.
7) Who interpreted or analyzed the evidence that was collected. Check all that apply.
Program faculty/staff Faculty/staff committee Ad hoc faculty/staff group Director or department chairperson Persons or organization outside the university Students (graduate or undergraduate) Dean Other 8) How did he/she/they evaluate, analyze, or interpret the evidence? Check all that apply.
Compiled survey results Used qualitative methods on interview, focus group, open-ended response data Scored exams/tests/quizzes Used a rubric or scoring guide Used professional judgment (no rubric or scoring guide used) External organization/person analyzed data (e.g., Social Science Research Institute) Other: compared grades, viewed # of students who registered for next semester9) For the assessment questions/goals stated in Question 4, summarize the actual results.
From the feedback forms, all agreement (Agree + Highly Agree) percentages on all 10 items range from 89% to 98.5%.
94% of students who used any of the LAC services either registered for the next semester or graduated.
10) What was learned from the results?
The LAC continues to have a highly trained and thus effective staff who helps students towards their goals.
11) State how the program used the results or plans to use the results. Please be specific.
Besides reporting the results in the LAC's annual report, student feedback is used to determine program effectiveness as well as individual tutor effectiveness, so that timely intervention, i.e., on-the-job training, with tutors can occur. Additionally, the 2 items that received the lowest percentages are targeted areas for tutor training.
Grade comparisons and persistence information are used as sound bites to instructors and during class visits to encourage students to use LAC services.
12) Reflect on the assessment process. Is there anything related to assessment procedures your program would do differently next time? What went well?
While assessment based on student feedback in the LAC is ongoing on a daily basis, the feedback items themselves need to be revisited to determine alignment with SLOs.