Program: Learning Assistance Center
Date: Mon Nov 16, 2015 - 10:14:16 am
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 (10/05/2015)
4) Did your program engage in any program assessment activities between June 1, 2014 and September 30, 2015? (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 between June 1, 2014 and September 30, 2015: State the assessment question(s) and/or assessment goals. Include the student outcomes that were targeted, if applicable.
In addition to the determination of the achievement of SLOs, an assessment goal was to establish an LAC advisory board so as to inform aspects of LAC programming, such as alignment of indicators with SLOs.
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.
For the determination of SLO achievement, grade comparisons and number of visits of LAC students to non-LAC students as well as to the class as a whole 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.
The advisory board was never convened due to a lack of response from invited parties. Only 3 out of 9 people responded positively. The hope was to have a minimum of 5 members.
7) State how many persons submitted evidence that was evaluated. If applicable, please include the sampling technique used.
Approximately 1,000 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. Data were aggregated and reported.
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.
Determination of SLO achievement is based on a variety of surveys. SLOs 1-5 had at least a 91% agreement by students (85% is the cut score for achievement). As for SLO 6 (Students will have a functional understanding of course content), since over 80% of freshmen and sophomores had GPAs of 2.5 and above, and a greater percentage of LAC students earned grades of C or better than the class as a whole, the high achievement of SLO 6 is supported.
Further, 86% of LAC students registered for the Summer '15 and/or Fall '15 semesters. The retention percentage has remained consistent over the last 5 years.
11) What was learned from the results?
LAC tutoring and SI continue to support student learning as well as retention even though retention has not been a focus of LAC's assessment efforts.
Greater effort needs to be put toward establishing an advisory board.
Due to a low response rate (<1%) over the last 18 months, the follow-up survey will not be distributed. Instead, key items were incorporated into both the tutoring feedback and the SI feedback surveys.
Although not yet a focus of LAC reporting, tutor training outcomes and assessment need to be clarified.
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 used to increase faculty buy-in to LAC programming, recruit potential tutors, and entice students, who may be struggling in their coursework and/or adjustment to the demands of college, to utilize the LAC.
Beyond SLO assessment, given quantitaive data (head counts) on student use throughout the semester, staffing may need to be adusted accordingly, e.g., more/less tutor availability prior to and just after exams.
13) Reflect on the assessment process. Is there anything related to assessment procedures your program would do differently next time? What went well?
Assessment procedures are well-established. I am constantly thinking about how we can help students better. To that end, I have to consider appropriate ways to assess the usefulness and meaningfulness of any initiative.
14) If the program did not engage in assessment activities, please explain.
Or, if the program did engage in assessment activities, please add any other important information here.
Tutor training outcomes and assessment of them are next.