assessing experiential l earning
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Assessing Experiential L earning. Are students learning what we want them to learn?. What have you learned from experience?. Examples Developmental Psychology students and the “older” generation Pie making with Grandma Lucy My student teacher and her Christmas Vacation saga - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Assessing Experiential
LearningAre students learning what we want them to learn?
What have you learned from experience? Examples
Developmental Psychology students and the “older” generation
Pie making with Grandma Lucy My student teacher and her Christmas Vacation
saga What do these have in common?
They were direct encounters with the “phenomena being studied rather than merely thinking or only considering the possibility of doing something about it.”
They resulted in an education that occurred as a result of direct participation in the events of life—learn by doing!
What was learned?
Successful Assessment of Experiential Learning involves Defining terminology Sequencing experiences and Designing
opportunities and assessments Assessing
What I’ve learned from culture building…
A “Culture” of Experiential Learning? Language
How do you define Experiential Learning in your department/program?
Symbols and Practice What are your program’s practices with regard to
experiential learning? Stories
What experiential learning experiences have you used thus far OR what successes have been used at ISU thus far and how can we learn from them?
What is Assessment exactly? Assessment is the ongoing process of:
Establishing clear, measurable expected outcomes of student learning.
Ensuring that students have sufficient opportunities to achieve those outcomes.
Systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well student learning matches our expectations.
Using the resulting information to understand and improve student learning.
How do you know that experiential learning is meeting the needs of your program?
The Assessment Process
Establish Learning
Outcomes
Provide Opportunities for
Learning (Map outcomes to the
curriculum)
Assess Student Learning
Use the Results
Be honest about why you are doing assessmentCompliance CommitmentExternal Questions Internal QuestionsNumber & Amount Quality & UtilityReporting InterpretingCollecting it Using itAccreditation LearningBecause we have to Because we want to improve
Other key definitions needed Community Engagement Experiential Learning Others?
What is Community Engagement? ISU defines Community Engagement as: the
development of collaborative partnerships between education, business, social services, and government that contribute to the academic mission of the University and directly benefit the community. Community engagement includes activities in teaching, research, and service endeavors of faculty, students, and staff.
Community Engagement Examples Technical assistance and applied research to help increase understanding
of a local or regional problem or test solutions for that problem. Lectures, seminars, and other public forum that provides a neutral place
to explore community issues. Extension of learning beyond the University walls and into the community. Enriching the cultural life of the community. Service, including internships and service-learning, that directly benefits
the public. Economic development initiatives, including technology transfer and
support for small businesses. Involvement of community members in planning and decision making
activities of the University.
Experiential Learning Definition ISU Defines Experiential Learning as, “Engaging
students in learning through sequential exposure to challenging, compelling, and enriching activities conducted in appropriate settings. It integrates development of knowledge, skills, and dispositions, and fosters application of methods of critical inquiry. It engages students in personal reflection in order to organize, interpret, and bring meaning and coherence to their learning experience.”
ISU Strategic Goal for Experiential Learning Advance experiential learning to where all ISU
student shave a significant experiential learning experience within their major.
Initiatives to achieve Goal 2 Infuse experiential learning as a core component in
all academic programs Apply the science of learning to the learning of
science Coordinate and elevate leadership studies
ISU Experiential Learning (from ISU Goal 2)
Current curricular and co-curricular offerings that can be categorized as experiential learning: Programs associated with the First-Year Experience Internships, practica, field experiences Collaborative student-faculty research A collaborative ISU student-faculty-staff service project Organized service-learning project, including reflection on
knowledge gained An ISU business venture involving students Last-year capstone experiences An ISU fund-raising venture involving students Work experience opportunities for students in offices, labs,
libraries, residence halls, etc.
Other sources of Experiential Learning information What do your professional organizations suggest?
NCATE AACSB ACCE NASAD American Historical Association AAC&U American Dietetic Association The American Society for Cell Biology Others?
American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) 3.3.2 Program Learning Outcomes The development of professional skills and knowledge is a central requirement of
an ACCE accredited master’s degree program. ACCE requires that all graduates of accredited master’s degree programs be able to demonstrate mastery of the following: Critical thinking and creativity Problem solving and decision making Effective and professional oral and written communications Use of information and communication technology Principles of leadership in business and management Current issues in construction Complex project decision making and associated risk management Professional ethics including application to situations and choices Advanced construction management practices Research methods
American Council for Construction Education (ACCE) For each category, programs seeking accreditation by
ACCE must 1. Define program learning outcomes for each category. 2. Cross reference each program learning outcome to
relevant course objectives and/or other evidence. 3.Describe how each program learning outcome is
assessed.
Standards and Criteria for Accreditation of Master’s Degree Construction Education Programs, Document 103MD
National Association of Schools of Art and Design NASAD Standards/Handbook Competencies Summary
Item 3. (Ceramics) Essential Competencies, Experiences, and Opportunities (H.IX.A.3.) Understanding of basic design principles, particularly as related to ceramics.
Advanced work in three-dimensional design. The development of solutions to design problems should continue throughout the degree program.
Knowledge and skills in the use of basic tools, techniques, and processes sufficient to produce work from concept to finished object. This includes knowledge of raw materials and technical procedures such as clays, glazes, and firing.
Understanding of the industrial applications of ceramics techniques. Understanding of the place of ceramics within the history of art, design, and culture. Functional knowledge of basic business practices. Preparation of clay bodies and glazes, kiln stacking procedures, and firing processes.
Special firing methods such as salt glaze and raku are recommended. Easy and regular access to materials, equipment, and library resources related to
the study of ceramics. Completion of a final project related to the exhibition of original work.
Blending Expectations How do Community Engagement and Experiential
Learning come together in my discipline? What makes Experiential Learning, Experiential at ISU?
Integrates development of knowledge, skills, & dispositions
Fosters application of methods of critical inquiry Engage in reflection for organization, interpretation, and
meaning
How do I operationalize/define these definitions in my program?
Writing Learning Outcomes Students should be able to <<action verb>>
<<something>> Students will <<action verb>> <<something>> Students will be able to <<action verb>>
<<something>> Examples:
Ceramics students will evaluate works of art and design.
Beginning Construction Management students should be able to frame a wall that adheres to local building codes.
Nursing students should be able to handle hazardous and infections materials appropriately.
Outcomes in Experiential Learning Institutional Program Course
Outcomes in Experiential Learning Institutional Level
Provide technical assistance and applied research to help increase understanding of a local or regional problem or test solutions for that problem.
Program Level Conduct collaborative research in the ecosystems in
the local watershed to benefit the community and region.
Course Level Assist community members in planting gardens to
attract bees to the area.
What do you want students to get out of Experiential Learning in your program?
How can my English Majors apply what they have learned in an experiential learning opportunity?
What can Political Science graduates do when they complete the program?
How can students in your program use their skills to improve the community?
Examples: Habitat for Humanity build Cosmetology program parties Candy company going green Tax preparation
Action Verbs Lower level outcomes (typically at the course
level)Knowledge Comprehension
Application
Cite Associate ApplyCount Classify CalculateDefine Compare ClassifyDraw Differentiate DramatizeIdentify Explain IllustrateList Predict InterpretName Report RestructureQuote Restate SolveRecite Review SketchState Translate Write
Action Verbs Higher Level Outcomes (more often upper level courses or
program outcomes) Analysis Synthesis EvaluationAnalyze Assemble AppraiseCategorize Compose AssessCompare/Contrast
Create Evaluate
Debate Design GradeDistinguish Formulate JudgeExperiment Prescribe RankSeparate Propose ScoreSummarize Synthesize Validate
Experiential Learning: Defining Outcomes at the Program Level Teacher Education Candidates will be able to modify lessons
to relate instruction to students’ lives. MIS Students will design a data management system for a
small business. Environmental Studies students will conduct research on
commuting patterns of UWEC faculty and staff. At the direction of the City Council, Economics students will
collect data on gas prices in Eau Claire during summer 2012. Social Work students will teach local seniors how to use
email and Facebook.
Write some outcomes Who are the intended students? What do you want them to learn? Write an outcome. Remember the format:
Students will <<action verb>> <<something>>
Sequencing Experiential Learning
Introductory Experience
Students learn the basics of the discipline in practice.
Context Experiences
Students engage in a variety of experiences related to advanced contexts of the discipline.
Culminating ExperienceStudents synthesize what has been learned in the previous experiences and put this learning into mentored practice.
What are you already doing in…? Teacher Education Construction Management Music Performance Television Radio Theater MIS Communication Disorders
Speech-Language Pathology Athletic Training Nursing Social Work Creative Writing Flight Pilot Others?
Where will the Experiential Learning Happen? Design opportunities for students to learn what
you want them to learn Internships Case studies Student Teaching Apprenticeships Others? Make a list.
At what level will the experience be designed? Beginning/Introductory Intermediate/Context Culminating/Capstone
Assessments needed Once the Experiential Learning experience
(curriculum) has been designed and aligned to the outcomes, how will you assess it?
Examples (linked to outcomes) Observations Portfolios Projects Others?
What are the givens? What are the expectations? Do you expect your students to dress properly? Do you expect your students to show up on time? Are these the intended learning outcomes? What are the “dispositions” you want students to
learn?
Conduct an Assessment Inventory Have we established learning outcomes for
experiential learning in our program? Have we provided opportunities for students to
engage in learning through sequential exposure to challenging, compelling, and enriching activities in appropriate settings?
What assessment data do we already have? How have we used the assessment results we
currently possess?
Experiential Learning Challenges and SolutionsChallenges Ran
kPossible Solutions
Lack of Faculty buy-inDifficult to assessDoesn’t fit my programUnsure of how to design an experiential learning sequenceIt’s a lot of workLack of resourcesOther (specify)Other (specify)
What has worked? List Experiential Learning examples you know of
that have worked at ISU or elsewhere in the past?
How can you adapt those examples to fit your discipline?
What professional development would help you personally integrate Experiential Learning into your program/courses?
Assessing the Experiential Learning Experience AAC&U rubric example Rubric Design
What are the measurable elements of the Experiential Learning Experience?
Getting Started Be willing to take risks Realize some things will not always be fully
successful Start small Avoid rewards and threats Develop a solid foundation that can sustain a
program over the long haul, realizing change happens
Ready, Set, GO! Develop learning outcomes for Experiential
Learning in your program Design opportunities for students to demonstrate
the intended learning outcomes Assess the intended learning that occurs in these
opportunities Use the results to improve the learning
opportunities Do it again
Points to Ponder Like other outcomes, make sure that the
Experiential Learning outcomes for your program make sense to the learners.
Be creative. Don’t feel the need to reinvent the wheel.
Capitalize on what has already been done and make it your own.
Celebrate the little victories—remember it’s about learning.
Thank you!
Resources Consulted
AACU.org Allen, M.J. (2004). Assessing academic programs in higher education. Bolton,
MA: Anker. Banta, T.W., Jones, E.A. & Black, K.E. (2009). Designing effective assessment:
Principles and profiles of good practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Banta, T.W. (2002). Building a scholarship of assessment. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass. Maurrasse, D.J. (2002). Higher education-community partnerships: Assessing
progress in the field. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 31, 131-139. Suskie, L. (2009). Assessing student learning: A common sense guide, 2nd ed.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.