Program: Learning Assistance Center
Date: Wed Oct 16, 2013 - 4:11:51 pm
1) Below are your program's student outcomes (SOs). Please add or update as needed.
- 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) Your program's SOs are published as follows. Please update as needed.
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 (10/15/2013)
4) Did your program engage in any program assessment activities between June 1, 2012 and September 30, 2013? (e.g., establishing/revising outcomes, aligning activities to outcomes, collecting evidence, interpreting evidence, using results, revising the assessment plan, creating surveys, etc.)
Yes
No (skip to question 14)5) For the period June 1, 2012 to September 30, 2013: State the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goals. Include the student outcomes that were targeted, if applicable.
To what degree are LAC services meeting its 6 stated SLOs?
SLO #1 – Students will use appropriate study skills to achieve academic goals.
SLO #2 – Students will adjust learning approaches to fit their individual needs.
SLO #3 – Students will learn how to study effectively with others.
SLO #4 – Students will use effective learning practices.
SLO #5 – Students will use self-reliant learning behaviors.
SLO #6 – Students will have a functional understanding of course content.
6) State the type(s) of evidence gathered to answer the assessment question and/or meet the assessment goals that were given in Question #5.
Grade comparisons as well as number of visits were used as indirect indicators of LAC's impact on the achievement of SLO #6: students will have a functional understanding of course content. Student feedback, i.e., percentages of agreement with statements aligned with SLOs, on LAC services addressed the achievement of SLOs 1-5.
7) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.
Approximately 500 individuals filled out feedback forms, and about 200 individuals' grades were used in grade comparisons. Grade comparisons were only selected for courses in which 50 or more were LAC students.
8) Who interpreted or analyzed the evidence that was collected? Check all that apply.
Program faculty/staff member(s) Faculty/staff committee Ad hoc faculty/staff group Director or department chairperson Persons or organization outside the university Students (graduate or undergraduate) Dean or Associate Dean Advisory Board Other: 9) How did he/she/they evaluate, analyze, or interpret the evidence? Check all that apply.
Compiled survey results Used quantitative methods on student data (e.g., grades, participation rates) or other numeric data Used qualitative methods on interview, focus group, or other 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: 10) For the assessment questions/goals stated in Question #5, summarize the actual results.
Each of the 6 statements had over 85% agreement from students' feedback. To determine the degree to which SLO #6 was being achieved, a grade of C or better was used as an indirect indicator that students gained a functional understanding of course content--this is the standard the university uses for a student to progress to the next level. Additionally, academic progress of all students who utilized the LAC services was reviewed at the close of the semester--80% of LAC students achieved a 2.5 or above semester GPA, and 84% had registered for the following semester indirectly indicating that those LAC students are using appropriate study skills, adjusting their learning approaches to fit their needs, studying effectively with others, using effective learning practices and gaining learning strategies (SLOs1-6) in order to succeed in college.
11) What was learned from the results?
While the LAC continues to impact student learning in a highly positive fashion, better alignment of feedback statements as well as some determination of readiness upon entrance to the university is necessary for the LAC to work with and assist more struggling students.
12) State how the program used the results or plans to use the results. Please be specific.
In addition to reporting results in the LAC's annual report, findings are being used in communication with faculty when asking permission to conduct SI sessions for their courses. The results are also being used to recruit potential tutors, and entice students who may be struggling in their courses.
After 5 years of using the same feedback form for both individual tutoring and supplemental instruction (SI), enough information was gathered about those services in general to indicate overall effectiveness and SLO achievement. However, more specific and detailed feedback is required so as to target areas where the LAC can focus its tutor training on. These more detailed items on the revised feedback forms are in closer alignment with LAC's SLO. Thus, we have one for tutoring that more closely aligns tutoring with SLOs 1, 2, 4, and 5, and one for SI sessions which aligns with SLOs 1, 2, 3, and 4.
13) Reflect on the assessment process. Is there anything related to assessment procedures your program would do differently next time? What went well?
The assessment process is not something external to what the LAC does for its annual report. I wanted to wait until enough time had gone by, in this case 5 years, before changing any assessment procedures. The present accademic year is when changes in the assessment measures have occured.
As feedback from the Asessment Office suggested, the LAC must look at some kind(s) of pre indicator of student achievement in order to more closely show the impact of the LAC on student success. Thus, a request is pending for students' pre-Manoa academic records. Further, the LAC has developed a survey to be distributed to LAC students toward the end of each semester which asks specifically about LAC's impact on their academic achievement. Hopefully, these pre and post measures, although somewhat indirect may shed light on the role of LAC in students'a academic achievement.