Learning Assessment Committee

Committee Responsibilities

• Ensure quality assessment of learning outcomes college-wide by reviewing course/program outcomes and recommending enhancements through the curriculum committee process.
• Advocate for a culture of continuous improvement of service to students through assessment. Clarify, for all college personnel, the importance of analyzing and reporting assessment results, developing and following-through on action plans, and updating the curriculum.
• Participate in creating effective college report templates that appropriately address outcomes. Ensure integration of assessment results into college reports.
• Work with faculty and deans to clarify needs and requirements in regard to assessment, and provide support and training to departments/units.
• Assist departments/units in meeting accreditation standards pertaining to assessment.
• Maintain a repository of evidence for assessment at the college.
• Produce and maintain documents and resource materials regarding assessment for the college community.
• Promote student awareness of SLOs, PLOs, and ILOs.

Member Responsibilities

• Convey information from LAC meetings to constituency  
• Attend and help facilitate workshops or other college assessment activities 
• Answer questions about assessment and data entry (be able to direct folks to training materials) 
• Help departments organize around assessment, for example:
  
  • choosing a lead for each class to choose/create an assessment tool and rubric  
  • instructors may do individual data entry or report to lead  
  • have a gathering for faculty to enter results with support  
  • having dedicated or rotating department lead to do organizing   
  • encourage watching training videos together at department and/or division meetings  
  • develop questions to use for department assessment  
• Help market ILO common rubric and surveys 
  
  • Identify courses and recruit 2 faculty from represented area to use common rubric to assess ILO 
  • Identify courses and recruit 3 faculty from represented area to use simple ILO surveys (ask faculty you think likely to participate if they have any assignment that would work for the survey) 
  • Identify 5 service areas and specific leads to use ILO surveys
  • Identify 5 administrative units and specific leads to use ILO surveys
  • Help chairs identify clubs/student activities and PD day workshops that can use ILO surveys 

Assessment practices at Laney College ensure quality educational opportunities that respond to the needs of the local and global community. Assessment is an ongoing process that improves student learning and institutional effectiveness through dialogue based on evidence. We value honesty, integrity, curiosity, and the courage to ask deep and interesting questions about student learning, our teaching practices, and our effectiveness as a learner-centered college.

Assessment is the process of collecting evidence to see if students are actually learning what we’re teaching. The focus is on what the student is able to do or demonstrate, rather than just listing an inventory of what was covered in a particular class. Here is a useful definition from Linda Suskie in her book Assessing Student Learning: A Common Sense Guide (p. 3).

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.

As you may know, the Accrediting Commission (ACCJC) requires colleges to assess student learning. As a process, assessment of learning and subsequent updates to the curriculum is meant to be faculty-driven. The good news is that there are lots of possibilities, and nobody HAS to do an assessment in any particular way. You can choose assessment methods that will work for you and that will give you the information you can use to improve student learning.

Assessment isn’t the same as assigning grades. Grades alone do not give enough information on the specific strengths and challenges of students. In addition, grading standards might be vague, while assessment information is very specific.

The instructor is more proactive in helping students learn. Expectations are made very clear so that students know what to expect and know where to focus their energies. There should be frequent prompt feedback that gives enough detail so that students understand their strengths and challenges.

Faculty should be curious to learn how their teaching impacts student learning and, as rational decision-makers, they should want to reflect on evidence, rather than rely on conjecture, to guide decision-making. (Mary Allen, Assessing Academic Programs in Higher Education, p. 13.)

Approved by LAC 4.16.21, by Faculty Senate 4.20.21

Whereas assessment…

• involves creating outcomes, collaboratively assessing, discussing, and reflecting on results of assessment, developing and implementing improvement plans, for SLOs, SAOs, AUOs, PLOs, and ILOs
• is the primary way to evaluate, update, and improve curriculum, services, and administrative processes
• is a key, direct, practical, and effective way to benefit students
• is a collaborative endeavor necessitating institutional time for the efforts required of department/unit members
• requires time for department/unit members to develop expertise in assessment processes
• encourages department/unit camaraderie and a sense of pride and belonging among colleagues
• leads to robust discussion of standards in departments/units with standardized tests and/or licensing exams
• is an effective way of creating alignment of student learning with department/unit ideals
• is critical for accreditation

Resolved,

• the college will, in collaboration with the Learning Assessment Committee, devote significantly more institutional time and support for assessment work, such as retreats and standing agenda items for assessment at shared governance meetings, department meetings, etc.
• the college will devote significant time on Professional Development days for departments/units to work on all stages of assessment

This is a spreadsheet with all the SLOs and PLOs for the college, sortable by department. The first tab contains detailed instructions on how to fill out your plan. Upload the completed spreadsheet to your Comprehensive Program Review. Departments are responsible for keeping and following their plans, and reporting progress in Annual Program Reviews.

Assessment-Planning-Doc-24-25

Assessment-Planning-Doc-23-24

Assessment-Planning-Doc-22-23

Assessment-Planning-Doc-21-22

Assessment Planning Doc 20-21

Canvas Shell – ILO Resources

The information on this page, plus many more hints and examples of ILO assessment, can be found in the ILO Resources shell. All faculty were given instructor-level access to the shell in spring 2021. If you do not yet have access, please make your own request to be added to the ILO Resources shell as an instructor, via the helpdesk.

On the institutional level, Laney has three ways of assessing ILOs

Instructional and Instructional/CTE departments must participate in ILO assessment by use of common rubrics and/or surveys, and document this in Program Review

1. Common Rubrics
   • The most labor intensive and scientifically sound way of assessing ILOs, this method requires faculty to assess an assignment related to that particular ILO using the common rubric
   • Faculty enter data in currIQunet Meta, Levels 1 and 2 (see training materials)
   • The campus Assessment Coordinators collect data in Meta Level 4
   • The Learning Assessment Committee reviews data and suggests action plans
   • Periodic campus-wide discussion solidifies action plans, and engages in reflection
   • Common rubrics can be found in the table below (pdf versions, scroll past table for Word versions)
   • Download detailed Steps to Using the ILO Common Rubrics
2. Surveys
   • The simplest way to assess ILOs, this method requires faculty or classified professionals to send a link to students to complete a brief survey (2-3 substantive questions)
   • Does NOT require data entry in Meta (although data can be entered if desired)
   • Surveys may be used for classes and clubs, as well as campus events and professional development activities
   • Surveys allow the respondent to state how an assignment, event, or professional activity influenced them
   • Data are pooled for periodic campus-wide discussion, looking for patterns and establishing action plans
   • Data for a specific course, club, event, or professional development activity can also be extracted and looked at independently
   • Survey links to send to students can be found on this password protected page (ask your LAC representative or the Assessment Coordinators for the password, if you are faculty your best bet is to check out the ILO Resources Canvas shell)
   • Download detailed Steps to Using the ILO Surveys
3. Graduating Student ILO Survey
   • A brief survey (2 substantive questions) is sent to all graduating students each spring
   • The Learning Assessment Committee reviews data and suggests action plans
   • Periodic campus-wide discussion solidifies action plans, and engages in reflection
   • No Meta data entry required

Word versions of rubrics:

ILO 1 Common Rubric FINAL

ILO 2 Common Rubric FINAL

ILO 3 common rubric FINAL

ILO 4 Common Rubric FINAL

ILO 5 Common Rubric FINAL

View or download a copy of the ILOs here:

(pdf) Laney College ILOs

(Word) Laney College ILOs

Use this sortable spreadsheet to find the SLOs for your course, which must be included in your syllabus. Click the link below, then click again to download. Once you’ve downloaded the doc, click the filter at the top of each column to sort. This information can also be found in currIQunet Meta, but this format should make it a bit easier to find all the outcomes for your department. Note that PLOs are also included, on the second tab of the doc.

Current-SLOs-and-PLOs-Spring-2025-12.10.25

Current SLOs and PLOs Fall 2024 8.12.24

Current SLOs and PLOs Spring 2024 1.4.23

Current SLOs and PLOs Fall 23 6.14.23

Current SLOs and PLOs Spring 2023 1.2.23

Current SLOs and PLOs Fall 2022

Current SLOs Spring 2022

Current SLOs and PLOs Fall 2021

Current SLOs and PLOs Spring 2021

Current SLOs and PLOs Fall 2020 8.17.20