Enhanced Approach to Core Competency Assessment at Hartnell College

HARTNELLS CORE COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT: AN ENHANCED APPROACH (ADDING VALUE!) October 27, 2020 Presentation to Academic Senate

Overview of Todays Presentation Overview of issue Actions/Steps of the O&A Committee Research/Process of Development Product/Recommendation Implementation/Rollout Questions

2019. The YEAR of the PLO Ok, ok, unlike the pandemic. It is actually over! Thank you for all of your hard work in reviewing your Program outcomes in your discipline and having those improvement discussions. That is what makes the academy so strong and I am proud to work with such a dedicated group of faculty! However, one issue that came up for the O&A Committee was how to better assess the Learning Outcomes for General Education (GE). Hartnell has defined its GE outcomes as a set of values known as Core Competencies. Some institutions within the ACCJC region refer to these as their Institutional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs). The O&A committee, as part of its charge for the college, is responsible for the assessment and review of ISLO s or the CCs.

A Quick Glance at Hartnell College Catalog 2020-21 page 74 In accordance with its mission of ensuring that all students shall have equal access to a quality education and the opportunity to pursue and achieve their goals, it is also the college s responsibility to ensure that students who graduate with an AA or AS degree should be able to demonstrate the following competencies: Global Engagement Global Engagement - - Students will demonstrate global citizenship via knowledge of and interaction with civic participation, diverse cultures and people, and social justice advocacy. Personal Growth Personal Growth - - Students will demonstrate ethical decision making, goal setting, and positive lifestyle choices. Aesthetic Analysis and Application Aesthetic Analysis and Application - - Students will analyze, conceptualize, evaluate, and/or synthesize creative and artistic expression as applied via contexts such as cultures and disciplines. Communication Communication - -Students will effectively communicate to varied audiences via spoken, written, visual and other forms of communication. Information Competency Information Competency - -Students will define information needs, utilizing appropriate technology and resources to access information efficiently and effectively, evaluate information critically, and use information ethically. Inquiry and Reason Inquiry and Reason - -Students will use analytical, creative, and critical thinking to evaluate ideas, predict outcomes and form conclusions and solutions.

Issue for the O&A Committee/College The GE program has no PLOs or SLOS, so while there is much data in eLumen and we have done an amazing job assessing individual disciplines/programs, there is no DIRECT assessment data for the GE program and this is an issue for the ACCJC and our Title V programs. What have we used in the past to met these requirements? A graduate survey. An instrument sent to all graduating students that asked them about their knowledge gains in the six CC areas. There are two issues two issues that this presents low participation low participation from students that have little motivation to complete the survey (yes, we have offered $). As well as the fact that this is an INDIRECT INDIRECT measure, formed from student perception, not based on subject matter expert analysis. So to address this gap, the O&A committee sought a solution. In January 2019, the O&A Committee asked the O&A Specialist to conduct research and make suggestions on how to move Hartnell to a place of more meaningful CC assessment.

Process of Development Started with a review of other college s approaches, currently accepted methodologies for core competency assessment and evaluation methods. Review of our catalog and all available data on assessment in the area Creation of sub committee with Curriculum Committee for GE A multiple semester review of every current course listed as GE in our catalog was conducted and a review using data from IR, student transcripts and a great group of Counselors to make sure that these recommendations were in line with all known limitations, restrictions and requirements impacting transfer and graduation were considered.

It Was.Well A Lot.. Examined all 264 GE courses within the three different patterns (local, CSU, Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC)) and logically aligned them with our six Core Competencies (CCs). These are recommendations to the Curriculum committee for future review and can be adjusted but were a starting point we have never had for this work! This was step one grouping all courses by the six Core Competencies', but was only the START of the work . Next , the framework for assessment needed to be constructed! Looking to really add VALUE to all that we do the committee choose

AAC&U VALUE Rubrics What is VALUE? https://www.aacu.org/value-rubrics VALUE (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education) is a campus-based assessment approach developed and led by AAC&U. VALUE rubrics provide needed tools to assess students own authentic work, produced across students diverse learning pathways, fields of study and institutions, to determine whether and how well students are meeting graduation level achievement in learning outcomes that both employers and faculty consider essential Teams of faculty and other educational professionals from institutions across the country two- and four-year, private and public, research and liberal arts, large and small developed rubrics for sixteen Essential Learning Outcomes that all students need for success in work, citizenship, and life. The VALUE rubrics are being used to help institutions demonstrate, share, and assess student accomplishment of progressively more advanced and integrative learning.

Why VALUE? Since their release in the fall of 2009, the rubrics have become a widely referenced and utilized form of assessment on campuses across the United States and internationally. As of December 2015, the rubrics have been accessed by more than 70,000 individuals from more than 5,895 unique institutions, including more than 2,188 colleges and universities. The VALUE rubrics have also been approved for use in meeting national standards for accountability established by the Voluntary System of Accountability (VSA), and are used in all regional and some professional self-study reports and reviews for accreditation. The VALUE rubrics include Inquiry and Analysis, Critical Thinking, Creative Thinking, Written Communication, Oral Communication, Quantitative Literacy, Information Literacy, Reading, Teamwork, Problem Solving, Civic Knowledge and Engagement Local and Global, Intercultural Knowledge and Competence, Ethical Reasoning and Action, Global Learning, Foundations and Skills for Lifelong Learning, and Integrative Learning.

Making VALUE Into Our Own Turning VALUE into our own: The O&A Specialist created a detailed crosswalk for all six of our CCs and reached out to USF /Long Beach City College for the Aesthetic Analysis and Application rubric. O&A committee created teams for each of the six competencies and began to define what elements we would assess, by customizing the standard rubrics into what is needed to measure Hartnell s values. (and the institutions we partner with, CSUMB example) This involved multiple semesters of refinement and actually using the rubric to evaluate student work. Incorporating faculty from a wide range of disciplines and gaining input from as many stakeholders to create. Let s take a look!

Aesthetic Analysis and Application Aesthetic Analysis and Application Students will analyze, conceptualize, evaluate, and/or synthesize creative and artistic expression as applied via contexts such as cultures and disciplines. Criteria/Elements of Assessment: Interpreting Aesthetic Experience Solving Problems Innovative Thinking Connecting, Synthesizing, Transforming

Example of Aesthetic Analysis and Application Rubric Achievement Achievement Criteria Criteria Accomplished Accomplished Possible Points Possible Points - - 4 Practiced Practiced Possible Points Possible Points - - 3 3 Shows substantial engagement in an interpretive dialogue with a work while recognizing there can be a range of interpretations. Having selected from among alternatives, develops a logical, consistent plan to solve the problem. Developed Developed Possible Points Possible Points - - 2 Introduced Introduced Possible Points Possible Points - - 1 1 Shows little ability to engage with a work with little understanding that there can be multiple interpretations. Non Non 4 2 Applicable Applicable Interpreting Interpreting Aesthetic Aesthetic Experience Experience Is able to engage knowledgably in an interpretive dialogue with a work, taking multiple interpretations into account. Not only develops a logical, consistent plan to solve problem, but recognizes consequences of solution and can articulate reason for choosing solution. Extends a novel or unique idea, question, format, or product to create new knowledge or knowledge that crosses boundaries. Displays limited or narrow engagement with a work while recognizing there can be more than a single perspective. Solving Solving Problems Problems Considers and rejects less acceptable approaches to solving problem. Only a single approach is considered and is used to solve the problem. Innovative Innovative Thinking Thinking Creates a novel or unique idea, question, format, or product. Experiments with creating a novel or unique idea, question, format, or product. Reformulates a collection of available ideas. Connecting, Connecting, Synthesizing, Synthesizing, Transforming Transforming Transforms ideas or solutions into entirely new forms. Synthesizes ideas or solutions into a coherent whole. Connects ideas or solutions in novel ways. Recognizes existing connections among ideas or solutions.

Communication Communication - Students will effectively communicate to varied audiences via spoken, written, visual and other forms of communication. Criteria/Elements of Assessment: Communication (Written) Context of and Purpose for Writing Content Development Genre and Disciplinary Conventions Sources and Evidence Documentation of Sources Control of Syntax and Mechanics

Global Engagement Global Engagement - Students will demonstrate global citizenship via knowledge of and interaction with civic participation, diverse cultures and people, and social justice advocacy. Criteria/Elements of Assessment: Knowledge Cultural Awareness/Worldview frameworks Skills Attitudes Curiosity and Openness Actions/Advocacy

Information Competency Information Competency - Students will define information needs, utilizing appropriate technology and resources to access information efficiently and effectively, evaluate information critically, and use information ethically. Criteria/Elements of Assessment: Defines information needs, identifying the scope and level of information needed Selects and evaluates sources Applies information to accomplish a specific purpose Accesses and Uses Information Ethically and Legally

Inquiry and Reason Inquiry and Reason Students will use analytical, creative, and critical thinking to evaluate ideas, predict outcomes and form conclusions and solutions. Criteria/Elements of Assessment: Define issue/problem Presents Existing Knowledge, Research, and /or Views Student s proposed argument/solution/methodology/hypothesis/perspective Analysis/Evaluates Concludes

Personal Growth Personal Growth - Students will demonstrate ethical decision making, goal setting, and positive lifestyle choices. Criteria/Elements of Assessment: Ethical Self-Awareness Ethical Issue Recognition Independent Learning Personal Wellness

OMG? ..I Cant, I Just Cant So this is NOT year in some year in some cases NOT something that will happen tomorrow, cases tomorrow, next next semester or even next semester or even next These are recommendations that would SLOWLY go into place as each of these courses goes through its natural cycle in the curriculum committee meeting process not something new or special, so each of these courses would continue their current SLO assessment until they go before the curriculum committee for a course update/approval. Additionally, courses could continue their SLO assessment (course level/what they are doing currently) in addition to the Core Competency rubric assessment, IF the program/Curriculum Committee felt it was appropriate. The plan would be that over this next assessment cycle (Fall 2020 to Spring 2023) that all General Education courses would have a chance to be reviewed to see if GE status/category was still appropriate by the Curriculum committee. If after the review the course is determined to be a GE, they will assess one CC moving forward and be required to use the rubric approved by the O&A committee.

Thank You For Your Time And Attention I want to stress to each individual faculty member, that this is meant to enhance what we do already and is intended to be flexible by definition. This will allow us to meet the learning needs of our students at our college, so while nothing will ever be perfect - as its relates to general education this is a method that has wide acceptance, reliability and content validity and allows us to leverage other research to move our students to the future we have promised. Additionally, since we know that equity is at the center of our efforts and thoughts, these practices are more equitable and use a growth mindset in assessment, so another reason that we should be so proud of these efforts. Questions, Comments, Concerns?

THE END Guy Hanna and Cheryl O Donnell