Section 1: Framing Concepts: Overview & Purpose

Why We do Assessment & Why Grades Alone are not Enough

Why do Assessment?

Simply stated, “Student learning improvement is at the heart of assessment.”¹ Within the realm of higher education and Outcomes Assessment (OA), the goal of improving student learning is meant to drive the assessment process and is thought to promote student achievement, higher retention rates, and increased rates of completion. There are also essential questions within this process that are expected to be continuously re-examined as fundamental building blocks to enhance student performance: “What should students be learning?” and “What are students actually learning?”² This concept of aligning curriculum outcomes (what students “should” be learning) with activities that effectively measure student progress (what students are “actually” learning), represents the underlying principle that guides assessment practices today. In addition, outcomes assessment has also become an important measure of institutional compliance for specific requirements of accreditation relating to Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) standards for assessment and student learning.

Why Grades Alone are not Enough

Many faculty members confuse the assessment of learning outcomes with the grading of individual student assignments. Often, the question that arises is, “Aren’t we already assessing our students by issuing a grade in the course?” While this may be one way of evaluating individual student learning for one person in a specific course for any given semester, it does not provide an ability to gauge learning in the context of common skillsets that are expected to be achieved through a particular curriculum, program, or at an institutional level. There are also unique factors of classroom grading that may not apply directly to learning objectives, since “Grades can include letter grades, percentages and even a simple pass/fail… [as well as] participation, attendance, classroom behavior and even effort.”³ Finally, outcomes assessment also embodies a crucial “extended action” or “analysis” component that is known as “closing the loop.” This important step involves analyzing and implementing action to improve student learning. In order to accomplish this, there is an expectation that results garnered from the assessment process will then be interpreted and utilized to initiate positive, measurable change for improvement for future students within the classroom, discipline, program, or curriculum that is involved in the assessment process.

¹ Garfolo & L’Huillier, 2015, p. 153.
² Ibid.
³ Concordia University, 2013, n.p.

The Holistic Nature of Assessment

First, Let’s Define What We Mean by the Term “Holistic”:

ho·lis·tic /hōˈlistik/: characterized by comprehension of the parts of something as intimately interconnected and explicable only by reference to the whole⁴

MC’s Integrated Assessment Process

All assessment activities at MC are interconnected and reflect multiple ways in which student performance is measured. Changes that are implemented as a result of these assessment functions serve as building blocks for student success across the entire College. Student performance at one level may affect student performance across many areas, thereby potentially impacting not only the individual student, but also the broader view of MC’s performance as an institution. For this reason, assessment takes place at different levels within the College, as well as across different academic curriculums, special programs, and administrative areas. This process not only acknowledges those areas where students are thriving at the College, but also reveals important opportunities for change and/or innovation in areas where student success strategies might need to be enhanced.

The MC assessment process integrates assessment activities so that all assessment functions are streamlined into one continuous cycle. This integration allows for crucial connections to be made between different assessment processes so that student performance can be measured and considered in a variety of contexts (i.e., beyond the individual classroom).One way to do this is to examine student performance collectively across all sections of a particular course. For instance, General Education competencies are assessed through an approved Signature assignment that is administered by faculty every semester in all sections of the same course. By examining and scoring a collection of these signature assignments during any given time period, a broad snapshot of student performance in these competencies can be obtained. This exercise can then be extended to the collective examination of Signature assignments across all Gen Ed disciplines. In this way, student performance in Gen Ed competencies can then be considered on a collegewide (or institutional) scale.

Another approach to measuring student performance is to assess students across a specific curriculum of study (i.e., a certificate or degree program), also known as “program assessment.” Faculty members within a program determine which assignments (or other measurable instruments) they will use to reflect student performance in their program during a specific assessment time period. And finally, at a macro level, the College Area Review (CAR) examines a discipline or program across the entire College.

While each process might be conducted separately throughout the College, they all build upon one another to influence student performance collectively, across different areas of student engagement. Through this multifaceted approach, we can address the needs of students both individually, and holistically (as a whole), thereby positively impacting students from multiple vantage points to maximize student success collegewide.

⁴ Google Dictionary. (2021). Definition of Holistic.

Basic Terminology

Explanation of Basic Assessment Terms Used at MC*
*For a full list of terms, please the Glossary at the end of this handbook

Assessment:

Assessment systematically examines patterns of student learning across courses and programs and uses this information to improve educational practices.⁵ The goal of assessment is to improve student learning and to ensure that students receive a high-quality educational experience.

Assessment for accountability: The assessment of some unit, such as a department, program or the entire institution, which is used to satisfy some group of external stakeholders. Stakeholders might include accreditation agencies, state government, or trustees.⁶

Assessment for improvement: Assessment activities that are designed to feed the results directly, and ideally, immediately, back into revising the course, program or institution with the goal of improving student learning.⁷

Discipline:

A specific academic area of study that offers courses at MC.

General Education (Gen Ed) Competencies & Proficiencies:

Skillsets that are considered to be fundamental to any undergraduate student’s academic curriculum; these skillsets are usually initiated through a General Education Program and continuously improved upon as the student increases course levels within any academic major or curriculum; ideally, these skillsets should reach a level of proficiency upon graduation. These core competencies include the following (visit the Office of Assessment site for individual rubrics and descriptions):

Arts and Aesthetic Awareness
Critical Analysis
Effective Communication, Writing
Information Literacy
Integrative Learning
Effective Communication, Oral Communication
Personal, Social and Civic Responsibility
Quantitative Reasoning,
Scientific Reasoning
Technological Competency

⁵ Carnegie Mellon University. (2022a). Adapted from: www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/gradingassessment.htmlnew window

⁶ Carnegie Mellon University. (2022b). Adapted from: www.cmu.edu/teaching/assessment/basics/glossary.htmlnew window.
⁷ Ibid.

Office of Assessment:

Oversees and organizes collegewide assessment activities; supports and maintains assessment committees that assist, evaluate, and provide feedback for assessment processes; provides training on assessment techniques, assists faculty/staff with assessment planning, and ensures that MC’s assessment practices meet accreditation standards.

Program:

Academic: Any discipline that offers a certificate or degree.

Administrative: Any area of the college that offers a special curriculum and/or service for students.

Student Learning Outcomes (SLO’s):

Learning outcomes can be defined as the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities that an instructor intends for students to learn or develop.⁸ Both course-level and program-level outcomes are determined by faculty in the discipline as part of the curriculum process where course outcomes are aligned to support program outcomes, which are aligned with the college mission and goals. Part of the assessment process is gathering and reflecting on data on student achievement of benchmarks set for these outcomes in order to adjust instruction or benchmarks or both.

Course level outcomes: The focus is on what a student will be able to do as a result of being in the course. Good SLO’s define and structure a student’s learning in the course by clearly articulating the expectations of successful completion of a course. SLO’s enhance student learning in multi-section courses by ensuring that students are expected to master the same content, skills, and attitudes, while allowing instructors to tailor instruction.

Program level outcomes: These are broader than course-level outcomes and they should indicate the expectations for a student who has completed the series of courses in the program curriculum. They often reflect the knowledge, skills and competencies that are mastered and reinforced by taking these courses.

⁸Yale University. (2021). Adapted from: poorvucenter.yale.edu/IntendedLearningOutcomesnew window.

A Few Words on the Subject of Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Merriam Webster defines the word “outcome” as:

out·come \ ˈau̇t-ˌkəm: “Something that follows as a result or ”⁹

What does the word outcome mean in the context of Student Learning Outcomes Assessment?

Outcomes are specific, measurable statements that indicate what students are expected to learn as a result of completing a course of study, assignment, or learning activity.

Assessment practices measure student achievement and evidence of learning by examining student performance based on these outcomes.

How are outcomes created?

Outcomes are usually developed by the faculty who are teaching or overseeing a particular course of study, assignment, or learning activity. As experts in their field, these faculty determine the most relevant skills, knowledge, or abilities that a student should acquire as a result of completing that particular educational experience.

*For detailed guidance on outcome creation, please access the 1-hour course through your Workday account titled “Writing Great Learning Outcomes.”

Approval of outcomes

Once outcomes have been created, they must then be approved by the Collegewide Curriculum Committee. In the case of new or significant changes to a program, approval may also be required by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). Once approved, course or program outcomes must be:

Listed in every instructor’s syllabus who is teaching the course (course-level SLOs)
Listed in every program advising guide for any certificate or degree program (program-level SLOs)
Listed in the Montgomery College Catalog (both course & program-level SLOs)

Why are outcomes so important?

Outcomes represent the fundamental building blocks of any learning experience and should be the primary focus of instruction:

They represent the “end goals” of the subject matter being taught.
They reflect the main components of knowledge that students will study and/or apply.
They constitute the basis for the overall construction of the course, activity, or assignment.
They promote consistency across similar levels of learning and can serve as readiness indicators for more advanced levels of study.

⁹ Merriam Webster. (2022). Definition of Outcomenew window.

Where can I find Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs) for a course that I’m teaching, or SLOs for a certificate/degree program?

The primary source for SLOs is the Montgomery College Catalognew window:

Course outcomes are listed in the catalog for every course offered at MC.
Program outcomes are listed in the catalog for all programs that award a degree or certificate.

Other SLO Resources:

Current Program Advising Guides
Program outcomes are listed in the program advising guides listed on the MC Program Advising site.
Any department Chair or Discipline Coordinator can provide faculty members with resources for course and/or program outcomes.
Fellow faculty members can share current syllabi that list the outcomes for that particular course.