Academic Senate Spring 2010 Flex Days. Academic Senate Thank You Senate Flex Day Scheduling...

Academic Senate

Spring 2010

Flex Days

Academic Senate

Thank You

Senate Flex Day Scheduling Committee

Laura LoopHeather Faust

Debbie AnthonyChris Calima

Laura Buchholtz

Academic Senate

Academic Senate

Accreditation Self Study Finished

Looks beautifulJeanette Haxton/Rich Montori

Hot links courtesy of Kim Panis

Matches quality on the inside

Too many people to thank

Academic Senate

Dr. Francisco RodriguezSuperintendent/PresidentMira Costa College

Mr. Michael GuerraVP, Admin ServicesFresno City College

Mr. J. Brian HaleyDean, Learning ResourcesSierra College

Ms. Mary HalvorsonVP, Academic AffairsSantiago Canyon College

Dr. Richard Robertson (Assistant)VP, Student ServicesMira Costa College

Dr. Frederick TrappFormer Dean, Research/Academic ServicesLong Beach City College

Dr. Deborah TravisPresidentConsumnes River College

Dr. Celina Sau Lin IngProfessor, Computer Information ScienceSacramento City College

Ms. Nancy SilvaProfessor, Theatre ArtsAmerican River College

Mr. Michael Spina Education Technology SpecialistLake Tahoe Community College

Mr. Brian ThiebauxProfessor, English, Business and Inst. ResearchPalo Verde College

Mr. Mario Tejada, Jr.Dept Chair, Computer Information SystemsDiablo Valley College

Accreditation Visiting TeamMarch 8-11, 2010

Academic SenateMy Personal Accreditation Journey

-Wrote MPC standard “Improving Institutional Effectiveness”

-Participated as a team member at Las Positas

-Read and commented on all aspects of MPC self study

-Trainings, meetings, reviews, ad nauseum


-I believe in the basic process: Peer Review

-Accreditation Team at Las Positas wasFairOpen mindedCognizant of each standardNot mired in minutiaListened to each other

Diversity of opinion and perspective (hopefully) leads to a fair and balanced report


-I believe in the fundamental themes of the standards:

Goal Setting, Planning Evaluation, Dialog, Improvement, Repeat

Student learning is at the heart of all planning and decisions

Clarity of purpose, process, and goals characterize successful organizations

-At MPC, these fundamental themes translate into:

Institutional GoalsComponent GoalsPlethora of plansProgram ReviewThe Planning and Resource Allocation ProcessThe SLO Framework


-I recognize the ACCJC has some problems

Standards are repetitive, confusingSometimes compliance rather than improvement approachResistant to honest, constructive, critiqueTrainings are inadequate, sometimes even intimidating


-I believe MPC will do well overall

Based on the strength of ourMPC Planning and Resource Allocation ProcessProgram Review ProcessesClarity of governance processes

Board policiesAdministrative policiesGovernance committees

Expect some recommendations—perhaps on SLOs


Goals/PlanningProgramReview

Review/Evaluation

ResourceAllocation

SLOs

Academic Senate

Academic SenateWhat I’ve Learned about SLOs

-SLOs mean different things to different people

DataAssessment

Public

Dialog

Grades

StandardizationEvaluation

QuantitativeCourse, Program, Institution


-Presented Spring 2008 Flex days-Got many things right, and a few things wrong


-Things we got right

There are problems with the SLO model (p. 5)oFear of standardizationoPossibility of lowering standardsoPossible loss of subtlety and complexity of subject matteroPossibility of evaluations based on student performance

“SLOs can provide a formal framework for faculty to converse, as professionals, about teaching, learning, pedagogy, and curricula” (p. 10)

Definition: “what students are expected to be able to “do” as they successfully complete a course.” (p. 10)

“Most important thing to remember: If we don’t write SLOs for our courses and programs, somebody else…will. And that would be everybody’s worst nightmare.” (p. 17)


-One thing we got wrong

That there is a big difference between SLOs and objectives

We now believe the only difference is one of number and scopeoObjectives: many and narrow scope, culminate in SLOsoSLOs: few and broader scope, derived from objectivesoBoth should be written in terms what students should be able to “do” by the end of the course

For the purposes of the MPC SLO framework, engage in dialog about either objectives or SLOs, whatever you think would be a benefit to your students


-General Education Outcomes Examples:

English Compositionform a provable thesis, develop it through factual research, distinguish between fact and opinion, and make effective rhetorical choices in relation to audience and purpose.

Communication and Analytical Thinkinganalyze and evaluate complex issues or problems, draw reasoned conclusions and/or generate solutions, and effectively communicate their results.

Humanities:analyze and interpret human thought, achievement, and expression relevant to such branches of knowledge as philosophy, literature, and/or the fine and performing arts, and to communicate the results.

Social Sciences: critically examine and comprehend human nature and behavior, social traditions, and institutions.

Upon successful completion of this area, students will have demonstrated an ability to….


-The SLO framework “lives” in the annual update portion of program review:

Available on the Academic Senate website.


-I believe the SLO framework/dialog is useful to:

Establish consistent expectations across multiple sections

Establish a progression of skills across a sequence of courses

Discover where improvements are needed

Plan improvements

Provide rationale for resource allocation requests

Establish a vision for your program

Evaluate the effectiveness of attaining the vision for your program

Four examples to follow

I believe we already do most of these things.

SLO Dialog in Earth Sciences

Purpose:

Demonstrate how Earth Sciences engages in the SLO framework


Purpose:


Describe how dialog leads to improvement efforts


Purpose:


Describe how dialog leads to improvement efforts

Dialog is the essential component of the SLO Process

Geology SLOs

1. Explain Earth features in terms of surficial processes, tectonics, and human influence. 2. Use observations of outcrops and/or landscape morphology to interpret basic geologic history and processes 3. (GEO) Use the scientific method to investigate phenomena in the natural world and use concepts, experiments, and/or theory to explain them.

Today’s Focus

SLO: Use observations of outcrops and/or landscape morphology to interpret basic geologic history and processes

How do we evaluate?Students must: -Observe a local geologic outcrop/landscape -Interpret the basic events that formed it -Present posters to class

Why did we choose this project?-Incorporates course objectives-Incorporates GEO -MPC students have completed this assignment since the 90’s.


Have we been satisfied with the students’ achievement of this outcome?

Not Entirely


Have we been satisfied with the students’ achievement of this outcome?

Not Entirely

Big Question: How do we improve student learning?

Why not? -- Dialog 1. Geologic content2. Critical Thinking – Process of Scientific Inquiry3. Basic skills

Give Students More Practice

Developed a mid-semester project.

Big Question: How do we improve student learning?

Students receive more time in the field….

A mid-semester project.

A mid-semester project.

Collaboration with English and Study Skills Center to improve quality of written communication.

…and more writing practice

-Additional practice on more field trips.

-Collaboration with the Math Learning Center to help with basic skills.

These sidewalks were poured straight!

SLO: Use observations of outcrops and/or landscape morphology to interpret basic geologic history and process

Student posters used to evaluate the SLO.It is the student attainment of this SLO that we wanted to

improve.

Do we have quantitative results? No.

Do we have qualitative results? Yes.

We emphasize DIALOG, which leads to……

Greater clarity of what we expect from students (SLOs)

Pedagogical adjustments

Improved evaluation techniques

Improvement of student attainment of SLOs (i.e., student learning)

This approach is one way to engage in the SLO framework at MPC

Discussion/Dialog/Reflection

Ideas for Improvement

Action

SLO Process

Dialog leads to improved student learning

Academic Senate Spring 2010 Flex Days. Academic Senate Thank You Senate Flex Day Scheduling...

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