student learning

Make Undergraduate Program Decisions Based on Evaluation of Individual Student Learning

In this workshop, participants will learn how to use individual student results for program-level assessment and decision making; …

Graduate Program Assessment-for-Learning-Improvement Showcase

In collaboration with the Graduate Division, the Assessment and Curriculum Support Center hosted this workshop: Graduate Program Assessment-for-Learning-Improvement Showcase. …

How Chairs/Academic Leaders Can Support Student Learning via Assessment

This workshop is offer as part of the Leading with Excellence Conference organized by Office of Vice Chancellor …

The Department of Electrical Engineering has put in place an assessment process that (1) has educational objectives and outcomes; (2) a process to assess the achievement of these objectives and outcomes; and (3) a system to improve the program based on the assess data. The organization of the system, the constituents, and the process are presented.

Assessment Processes for the Department of Electrical Engineering

The Department of Electrical Engineering has put in place an assessment process that (1) has educational objectives and …

This poster presents an in-process plan for assessing student learning outcomes (SLOs) in ELI 83, the English Language Institute’s (ELI’s) advanced writing course for graduate students who have English as a second language. This plan is an initial effort to develop and assess SLOs for a single course, which will then lead to similar evaluation processes in other ELI courses. Guiding principles in this effort include (1) involving local assessment users (ELI teachers, administrators, and staff) and incorporating their input throughout the process, (2) providing multiple kinds of useful information to these same users to guide discussion and decisions related to evolution of the course, and (3) maximizing the validity of the assessment through use of a step-by-step piloting process. The poster shows how these guiding principles were built into SLO assessment, describes our progress up to this point, and shares practical insights from our experiences so far.

Outcomes Assessment of, by, and for the People: SLOs in the English Language Institute

This poster presents an in-process plan for assessing student learning outcomes (SLOs) in ELI 83, the English Language …

The Tropical Medicine Curriculum Committee reviewed the organization and content of the Tropical Medicine MS and PhD core course series (TRMD 604 & 605). The following data relating to Student Learning Outcome #1 (Tropical Medicine Knowledge Base) were assessed: (1) student comments in program review interviews by an external committee and in course evaluations; (2) faculty review of student performance on qualifying examinations over the past 5 years; (3) faculty interviews of current graduate students regarding specific core content and overall fulfillment of the program’s student learning outcomes; and (4) overall demonstration of student proficiency in the various disciplines of Tropical Medicine. The major point emerging from this assessment was that the core Tropical Medicine content, particularly in immunology and virology, was not being adequately covered in the current two-semester Infectious Disease Microbiology course format. Based on the above data, it was decided that the core courses required expansion from two to three semester courses to (1) increase and improve coverage of the major topics in virology, an area of research emphasis in the program, and (2) to provide a background in immunology which is more focused and relevant to infectious disease pathogenesis, immunity, and host:pathogen interactions.

Assessment & Revision of Core Curriculum in Tropical Medicine

The Tropical Medicine Curriculum Committee reviewed the organization and content of the Tropical Medicine MS and PhD core …

In February 2009, the TIM School, through its Faculty Senate, began a process of program assessment with the guidance and assistance of the Manoa Assessment Office. A team of TIM faculty attended the WASC-sponsored retreat on program assessment, and developed a set of student learning objectives for the TIM program. These objectives were further developed and finalized by the TIM Faculty Senate in March 2009. They then served as the basis for the development of a curriculum map for the Hospitality emphasis courses in April 2009, and for the Tourism/Transportation emphasis courses in October 2009. The TIM School poster will include an overview of this process, as well as its planned next steps and intended uses of the assessment process outcomes.

TIM School’s Assessment Process

In February 2009, the TIM School, through its Faculty Senate, began a process of program assessment with the …

The Department of Psychology has adopted the learning goals and outcomes proposed by the American Psychological Association Task Force. We selected five major goals and outcomes to be assessed with surveys distributed to our undergraduates at the time they declare their major in psychology and again when graduating with their B.A. degree. The surveys serve as a means to determine whether the Student Learning Outcomes in our Psychology courses were achieved. The five major goals that are assessed include: 1) knowledge about psychological concepts and theory; 2) knowledge of basic research methods; 3) use of critical and creative thinking skills in solving problems; 4) understanding of how psychological concepts are used in everyday life; and 5) developing communication skills including writing, interpersonal and oral communication. Student rate the extent to which these goals were achieved at the time of graduation and their ratings are statistically compare to their earlier scores made at the time of major declaration. Analysis made of the rating scores obtained in the Fall 2008 to Spring 2009 academic year indicated significant improvement in attaining goals 1 and 2 (p

Principles That Guide Assessment

The Department of Psychology has adopted the learning goals and outcomes proposed by the American Psychological Association Task …

The LIS Program believes that assessment is the key to improving student learning and refining our teaching. The Program’s long-term strategic plan includes assessment based on oral comprehensive examinations that are part of the student’s culminating experience. It has also initiated a multi-year plan to assess samples of student work for major course assignments across the curriculum. By analyzing the evidence collected from these sources, the faculty identifies areas for needed improvement and implements data-informed modifications and changes to the Program’s learning experiences.

Student Achievement Is Our Goal!

The LIS Program believes that assessment is the key to improving student learning and refining our teaching. The …

A successful Animal Science program produces graduates that are well-prepared to assume professional roles in the work force or to continue into post-graduate programs. This preparation requires skills and competencies as well as knowledge. Among others, CTAHR Skills and Competencies include analytical/problem solving skills, personal characteristics, human relations skills, and leadership skills. Animal Science Student Learning Outcomes include applying knowledge to appropriate husbandry, developing problem-solving skills for lifetime learning, good citizenship in both personal and professional habits, and exploring the relationship between applied animal biology and society. In their final year, Animal Science students complete a required internship in an area of interest. Supervisor evaluations of these internships provide feedback on the skills and preparation of our students. Supervisors evaluate students in the areas of work performance, professional relationships, professional role, and general/overall. Mean scores for 59 students over the last five years ranged from 86% to 96% with an overall mean of 92%. The only score that was significantly different from the overall mean was 86% for “Initiative to identify needs and proposed solutions.” This appears to be related to a lack of student confidence in their abilities. Of particular interest are the score of 95% for “Would employ student in the future if an opportunity developed,” and the number of students (currently 33%) that end their internships with an offer of employment. Supervisor evaluations provide an objective assessment of student skills and competencies and preparation for a professional role and indicate that Animal Science students are generally well-prepared.

Using Internship Supervisor Evaluations for Program Assessment

A successful Animal Science program produces graduates that are well-prepared to assume professional roles in the work force …

The Department of Botany faculty members have completed the initial steps of developing a program assessment plan for our three undergraduate degrees: BA, Botany; BS, Botany; and BS, Ethnobotany. We first devised explicit and realistic Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for all students completing any of our degrees. We then considered the extent to which our existing classes addressed individual SLOs and scored each class for each SLO in one of 5 overlapping categories: 1) does not address SLO; 2) provides introductory material that relates to SLO; 3) provides learning material that reinforces a subject; 4) provides students with the opportunity to master a subject; and/or 5) provides an assessment of student performance. This scoring process resulted in a curriculum map for each degree. The entire process has caused us to consider revising some courses, eliminating some courses, and designing some entirely new courses. The next step is to develop and implement tools for assessing the success of achieving programmatic learning outcomes.

Program Assessment – Department of Botany

The Department of Botany faculty members have completed the initial steps of developing a program assessment plan for …

The B.S. degree in Marine Biology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Natural Sciences is an interdisciplinary academic program that offers unique opportunities for hands on learning. Extensive field experiences are integrated with traditional classroom and laboratory courses, giving full exposure to the theoretical/practical aspects of marine biology. The program’s student learning outcomes (SLOs) are aimed at preparing students for either future graduate school experiences or entry into the private sector. The students will be able to apply the scientific processes, to communicate about biological sciences through writing and oral communicating, and to recall foundational biological information that is necessary for pursuing post-baccalaureate schools or entering a career in the biological sciences. Certain ways that are proposed to collect assessment are to check students’ laboratory notebooks and reports, observe students as they perform laboratory techniques, evaluate students’ oral presentations, evaluate students’ research proposal and exams, and evaluate student portfolios and their senior capstone experience. Future steps we are proposing are to have more specific program SLOs for the marine biology majors. Presently, the current program SLOs highlight the student’s basic biological science foundation experiences. We plan to start assessing the senior students in the marine biology program through analysis of the experiences in their required directed research. We also plan to implement assessment through the students’ capstone course, which is also required. Finally, we intend to broaden the scope of the curriculum map with the inclusion of more courses with their new specific program SLOs.

B.S. Marine Biology Proposed Program SLOs and Assessment

The B.S. degree in Marine Biology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa College of Natural Sciences is …

In the last few years, the need has increased at UHM for students to more actively engage in educational planning amidst many changes, including the decline of state resources for education and the economy at large. Providing advising and related academic services for over 5,000 A&S undergraduate majors, the Colleges of Arts and Sciences Student Academic Services (CASSAS) has been responding to these changes by determining its goals for assessment before revising programs. As such, this poster session represents the process by which CASSAS faculty have developed assessable student learning outcomes and advising programs in line with the department’s mission and objectives. The process begins with the distillation of student learning outcomes from a broader set of initial outcomes devised during a CASSAS retreat. With the establishment of understandable and assessable student learning outcomes, CASSAS faculty proceeded to build a learning map which charted when, how and through what potential or modified programs students would be given the opportunity to practice the skills that would lead them to master the established outcomes. The beginnings of an assessment rubric are also built into the learning map to identify different stages of knowledge and skill mastery as indicated by the outcomes. Finally, the poster provides artifacts that will be used to assess the quality of student’s internalization of CASSAS’s learning outcomes at various stages of their educational development. The extent to which students achieve the indicators of CASSAS student learning outcomes correlates to the validity of CASSAS advising programs.

Assessment for Advising

In the last few years, the need has increased at UHM for students to more actively engage in …

TIM school began to build the program assessment frame in 2009 and have developed the student learning outcome, curriculum map, and experienced a couple of rounds of actual assessment. We would like to share the process and learning of TIM school as we engaged in the assessment process and how the Assessment office helped every step of the way. The poster will be designed to illustrate the steps TIM school went through and types of help provided by the Assessment office as well as the learnings we acquired along the way in regards to the program assessment.

How TIM School Began and Progressed with Program Assessment

TIM school began to build the program assessment frame in 2009 and have developed the student learning outcome, …

In Spring 2013, the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (MIPCR) began a program review process by completing a curriculum map of the Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution (GCCR). The 15-credit interdisciplinary certificate is designed to address a set of program-level student learning outcomes (SLO). A curriculum assessment would determine if the GCCR’s Peace and Conflict Education (PACE) courses, as well as GCCR-approved courses from other programs, aligned with these outcomes. It would also reveal whether students had adequate opportunities to achieve the outcomes. This initiative would open dialogue among faculty, administrators, and students to discuss student success and program improvement. Instructors of PACE and GCCR-approved courses received a survey listing each program-level SLO and were asked to indicate the degree to which their course addressed each outcome. Responses to the surveys were recorded in a curriculum map and presented to a volunteer review committee for interpretation and discussion. This committee made recommendations for the program, including clarifying program goals and positioning to guide program-level SLOs, and further clarifying SLOs to ensure collective understanding by faculty members. Committee members also noted that there are limited opportunities for students to focus on professional ethics. It was further recommended that faculty and staff ownership of the review process be fostered through transparency and collaboration. Challenges of meeting SLOs through interdisciplinary programming were also revealed. The MIPCR Curriculum Committee discussed the results and recommendations and concluded that a more complete curriculum map and continued discussion was needed before making any curricular decisions.

Starting the Curricular Conversation through Mapping: A Curriculum Review of the Graduate Certificate in Conflict Resolution

In Spring 2013, the Matsunaga Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (MIPCR) began a program review process by …

SLS 150 is an introductory course mainly for first-year (freshman) students with a strong interest in second language learning. A series of innovative and rigorous classroom assessment strategies have been piloted in this class. Lessons learned from this internal exercise will be extended to the full suite of the new SLS BA program and its progress with program assessment as we move forward to the five year provisional status review.

Classroom Assessment – Implications for Program Assessment

SLS 150 (Learning Languages and Communicating in a Globalized World) is an introductory course mainly for first-year (freshman) …

Access to College Excellence (ACE) at UHM provides a series of first year programs that serve approximately 25% of incoming freshmen a year. A major ACE program is Learning Communities, in which ACE staff helps students to register a collection of courses in a cluster (e.g., general education, pre-business) and an Access to College Community freshman seminar course: CAS 110. All the students who registered for the courses in one cluster form a cohort—a learning community. CAS 110 enhances the community by helping students reaching the following learning outcomes: (1) building effective study and time management skills; (2) setting goals for success; (3) learning about the academic resources available; (4) learning core and major graduation requirements at UHM. This poster introduces the ACE learning communities and how it assesses the outcomes by using a pre- and post-survey method. The poster will present quantitative results from the closed-ended questions and qualitative results from the open-ended questions. The presenter will also present the impact of ACE Learning Communities by comparing the retention rates between the participants and non-participants, and between the less-engaged and more-engaged participants.

Learning Through Community: Best Practices and Assessment

Access to College Excellence (ACE) at UHM provides a series of first year programs that serve approximately 25% …

From Evaluation of Individual Students to Program Level Assessment of Learning – Implications for Graduate Programs

In this workshop, participants will learn program learning outcome assessment practices in graduate programs; tools and strategies to …

Assessing Student Learning Outcomes with Theses and Dissertations – Going Beyond Completion Rates

This workshop will provide tools, illustrate process, and showcase best practices in using students’ achievement work (e.g., theses, …

Using Program Assessment Results to Improve Student Learning

In this workshop, the facilitator will discuss how faculty members can use program-level assessment results for program improvement. …

Best Practices for Planning Program-Level Assessment of Student Learning

In this workshop, attendees will learn components of an assessment plan; strategies to involve faculty and students in …

Collecting Evidence of Student Learning

This workshop will introduce you to common evidence collection methods used in program assessment: exams, portfolios, surveys, interviews, …

Exit Interviews: Student Perception and Achievement

This workshop explores how exit interviews can be used to collect direct evidence of student learning. PowerPoint and …

Designing a Syllabus to Promote Student Learning

This workshop will help you design an effective, learning-centered syllabus that encourages students to take responsibility for their …

Rubrics: Save Grading Time & Engage Students in Learning

In this workshop, participants will learn how to construct and use rubrics to save time and engage students …

The Learning Assistance Center (LAC) offers academic support, e.g., tutoring and supplemental instruction (SI) study groups, for students in traditionally challenging and targeted gateway courses. Unlike academic degree programs, the LAC, a co-curricular program, cannot utilize direct assessments of student work to determine program effectiveness; therefore, assessment of LAC programming must rely on triangulated data from multiple sources to determine its impact on student learning and success. After five years of data strongly suggesting that the LAC has had a positive impact on students who use our services, the LAC is poised to expand its programming to help a wider variety of students achieve their academic goals.

Assessment: Informing Co-curricular Programming from Past to Present to Future

The Learning Assistance Center (LAC) offers academic support, e.g., tutoring and supplemental instruction (SI) study groups, for students …

Five faculty in Department of Microbiology run five programs (BS/BA Microbiology; BS Molecular Cell Biology (MCB); MS/PhD Microbiology). One of three faculty members lost in 2104 had run assessment for many years. To 2011 this comprised submitting paper form to Assessment Office. Replaced by selecting ‘radio buttons’ and typing in online version. Faculty member new to assessment took over BS/BA Microbiology assessment in 2012. No BS/BA assessment activities due to time constraints, inexperience; 2012 and 2013 reports used as templates in 2013 and 2014, respectively. No BS/BA assessment undertaken. MCB assessment activities run by second faculty passed in 2014 to faculty reporting on BS/BA Microbiology. First assessment for latter degrees undertaken late in 2014, i.e., faculty provided Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) for their courses. SLOs for all required and elective BS/BA Microbiology courses mapped to revised Program Learning Outcomes through collaboration with Assessment Office in Spring 2015.

Assessment in the Department of Microbiology: Zero to…

Five faculty in Department of Microbiology run five programs (BS/BA Microbiology; BS Molecular Cell Biology (MCB); MS/PhD Microbiology). …

Two departments have begun the process of merging undergraduate programs to address a number of challenges faced by their separate programs. The combined curriculum committees have agreed to start the process with the SLO's and structure the rest of the curriculum around these. The aim of the process is to have an assessment plan integrated during the redesign of these programs. The initial steps in the journey have been taken and lessons learned will be presented.

Designing a new program from the SLO up

Two departments have begun the process of merging undergraduate programs to address a number of challenges faced by …

The Intercollege Nutrition PhD Program is a relatively new program, begun in Fall 2007. The Program has recently redoubled efforts to communicate at all levels - in student recruitment, among enrolled students, and among faculty across the participating colleges. This effort includes enhancing student and program monitoring and evaluation at all program and academic milestones. The effort involved revising the program’s student learning outcomes (SLOs) for the program and development of rubrics and other assessment tools that are used monitor and evaluation student completion of SLOs. These rubrics and assessments tools have been implemented and summary of results will be presented to program faculty annually. These results will inform any necessary program changes and the implementation of those changes. Monitoring and evaluation tools serve to enhance program communication and development.

Integrated Monitoring and Evaluation in the Intercollege Nutrition PhD Program

The Intercollege Nutrition PhD Program is a relatively new program, begun in Fall 2007. The Program has recently …

The Master of Early Childhood Education Program is a 2-1/2 year, 30 credit hybrid program is primarily delivered through intensive summer sessions and once a month hybrid seminars. It was conceived in 2003 to meet a statewide need for a graduate level leadership degree in the field. This interdisciplinary collaboration between faculty across three departments in the COE and the CTAHR has graduated four cohorts (90 students). The culminating assessment for the program is a Plan B Portfolio that demonstrates competency in light of five mandatory standards and two student chosen elective standards. The context surrounding ECE has changed dramatically in the past few years as has our student demographics. Our first cohort was composed primarily of long-time practitioners leaders statewide. In contrast, current students are a diverse group ranging from earlier career professionals to "second chancers" with limited involvement in the broader profession. The program also attracts more applicants from non-resident students and has seen decreasing applications from disadvantaged minorities and neighbor island residents. This poster looks at the faculty steering team's process of revisiting program documents, standards, SLOs and Key Assessments in light of our current student demographics. Multiple data sources were used to identify barriers and to develop supports that scaffold student transitions into graduate level academic writing and to more intentionally support the Plan B Capstone. Proposed revisions to the overall program promote opportunities for active involvement in the profession and broader community and place-based experiential learning to inform community specific Plan B professional contributions.

Revisiting the Plan B Capstone of the MEd ECE Program

The Master of Early Childhood Education Program is a 2-1/2 year, 30 credit hybrid program is primarily delivered …

The Communication Department’s undergraduate curriculum is currently guided by seven SLOs (Student Learning Outcomes), which are demonstrable skills or abilities that students are expected to possess before the conferral of a bachelor's degree. We, with our poster presentation, propose an additional SLO in civic engagement. Civic engagement has not been a formally assessed part of the department's curriculum in the past, but a recent internal evaluation has revealed it to be an important aspect of our faculty's teaching. A department-wide curriculum change to formally include this area would, therefore, pose no undo imposition on faculty independence. The students, more importantly, would benefit from new competencies and gain an awareness of issues of public concern that are essential to sound democratic governance. The SLO framework, by design, promotes effective learning through the application of a cohesive curriculum. Put simply, each class serves to advance a common educational aim or aims. Our proposed SLO—and its accompanying curriculum map—functions no differently. The assessment of student portfolios was directed by a rubric endorsed by the Association of American Colleges and Universities, but other assessment tools may be used in its place. In addition to advocating an official position on the teaching of civic engagement, our poster project is intended to foster faculty discussion on enhancing the Communication Department's curriculum.

Encouraging Civic Engagement Among Undergraduates

The Communication Department’s undergraduate curriculum is currently guided by seven SLOs (Student Learning Outcomes), which are demonstrable skills …

Workshop Recording Now Available! Using Program Assessment to Support Learning: Graduate Program Showcase

Enhance graduate students’ learning environment through the tools of program learning assessment. Hear from and share with our …

Develop Program Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Last Updated: 4 March 2024. Click here to view archived versions of this page. Note: The information and …