the program learning outcomes review process...program learning outcomes to be assessed and the...

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The Program Learning Outcomes Review Process

A summary of the procedure for the Evaluation and Improvement of

Program Effectiveness in relation to General Education and Program

Learning Outcomes for Division Directors and Program Supervisors

Office of Institutional Planning and Assessment Northeast Alabama Community College

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Reserved:

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Contents

Summary of Procedures 4 Guidelines for Completing Effective Reviews 6 Instructions for Annual Submission of Completed Reviews 9 NACC Student Learning Outcomes 11

Northeast Alabama Community College Office of Institutional Planning and Assessment and SACSCOC Accreditation Liaison Brad Dudley, Director Olivia Dodd, Assistant Revised July 2020

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Summary of Procedures

The review of General Education and Program Learning Outcomes (PLO) for any given academic year will be limited to fall and spring semesters, with the exception of those courses taught only during the summer of the specified review year. The review year is made up of the fall, spring, and PREVIOUS summer semester.

Fall and Spring Semesters Division Director/Program Supervisor Responsibility

Beginning of semester:

Remind the faculty who teach courses in which PLO assessments are embedded of the PLO review process.

Orient any instructors new to the process. Announce deadline for PLO Form submission to your office.

End of semester:

Review each instructor’s PLO Form in a timely manner.

Obtain necessary revisions from instructors.

Collate evaluations for each PLO assessment, noting any suggested

improvements to be made to the program. Discuss results of evaluations with faculty as needed.

Send completed PLO Forms to the Office of Institutional Planning and Assessment through the OIPA Shared Folder. The deadline for submission of

PLO Forms to OIPA will be two weeks into the next semester. (Fall 2020 deadline is Jan. 15, 2021 / Spring 2021 deadline is June 4, 2021)

Instructor Responsibility

Beginning of semester:

Review syllabus in order to ensure a thorough PLO evaluation. End of semester:

All instructors teaching a course in which a PLO assessment is embedded must individually complete a PLO Form. Instructors document the results of the assessments of the outcomes and explain how these results may be used to improve the program.

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Summer Semester

Instructor Responsibility

Any courses taught only during the summer semester of the review year are to be evaluated.

Follow the same procedure as for fall and spring semesters.

General education and program outcomes assessed in courses during the fall and/or spring semesters are not evaluated during the summer.

Division Director/Program Supervisor Responsibility

During the summer semester:

Collate the PREVIOUS summer, fall and spring evaluations for each PLO assessment.

Compile the data to determine the degree to which general education and program learning outcomes have been met and the degree to which instructors have formulated acceptable plans to improve the program(s).

Meet with instructors to discuss changes in program delivery to improve studentattainment of program learning outcomes.

Complete the RESULTS OF EVALUATION and IMPROVEMENTS columns on the Unit Goals (Program Outcomes) form.

At the end of summer semester:

Follow the same procedure for general education and program learning outcomes evaluated during the summer semester. (These outcomes will

be reported on the Unit Goals/Program Outcomes form for the following

academic year.) Submission of Completed Reviews Completed reviews, including all PLO Forms and the completed Unit Goals (Program Outcomes) forms, will be submitted to the Office of Institutional Planning and Assessment through the OIPA Shared Folder found on your computer desktop. (If you do not have access to this folder, notify OIPA immediately.)

Approval of completed reviews:

Reviews are checked by the Director of Institutional Planning and Assessment, who recommends approval by the Curriculum Committee.

Incomplete or incorrect forms will be returned to the director/supervisor for revision.

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Guidelines for Completing Effective Reviews The following information is intended to assist instructors in producing completed forms that fulfill the purpose of the review process and present the results in a uniform format.

The purpose of the evaluation of general education and program learning outcomes is to ensure that the general education outcomes and program learning outcomes are being

attained by students in their program of study. The general education outcomes and program learning outcomes to be assessed and the methods employed to assess each stated outcome in any given course are included in the course syllabus.

Course Review Schedule

Course reviews for each academic year are to be completed during the fall and spring semesters, with the exception of those courses taught only during the summer of the specified review year. These courses are also identified with the descriptions of the General Education Outcomes.

PLO Form Each instructor of a general education outcome class must complete an independent evaluation of student attainment of program learning outcomes. A separate form must be completed for each mode of delivery (dual enrollment, online, and traditional). All instructors, both full-time and adjunct, are required to evaluate the program learning outcomes embedded in their courses. The following is a description of what is expected to be completed in each section of the PLO Form: Column 1: General Education/Program Learning Outcome

This column specifies the outcome that is to be assessed.

Column 2: Institutional Evaluation Method and Benchmark This column specifies the manner in which the outcome will be assessed.

Column 3: Evaluation Results This is the compilation of the students who completed the assessment and how many demonstrated attainment of the stated outcomes (Ex. 22/28, 19/28, etc.). Do not give a narrative. Only list the raw numbers of students who successfully demonstrated attainment of the outcome compared to the number who completed the assessment.

Column 4: Suggested Improvements Based on an analysis of the evaluation results, what improvements can be made in the program that will improve the attainment of the general education outcomes? Note: This is the most vital part of the process. First, we evaluate. Then, we study the results and determine how we can improve the program in order to improve the

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general education outcomes/program learning outcomes that are assessed in the course. Do not leave this section blank. In many cases, even for 100% attainment, an instructor realizes that improvements in the program should be made. Do NOT describe how you think the evaluation should change. You MUST suggest ways that program delivery/instruction can be improved. Each proposed improvement must be specific and detailed. Vague notations such as spending more time on a topic are not acceptable.

Unit Goals/Program Outcomes Form

This task is to be completed by the Division Director or Program Coordinator and should be a good point of reference for the instructor when the initial planning for their classes take place. The completion of this form for the previous academic year is to be done at the conclusion of the summer semester. (Ex: 2018-2019 academic year Unit Goals will be done after the Summer 2019 term concludes and this is when the Unit Goal Program Outcome Form is completed)

The following is a description of what is expected to be completed in each section of the Unit Goals Program Outcome Form:

Column 1: General Education/Program Learning Outcome This column specifies the outcome that is to be assessed.

Column 2: Institutional Evaluation Method and Benchmark This column specifies the class and manner in which the outcome will be assessed.

Column 3: Actions To Reach Goal In this column, the director will list each action taken to try and achieve the goals.

Column 4: Evaluation Results

This is the compilation of the students who completed the assessment and how many demonstrated attainment of the stated outcomes (Ex. 22/28, 19/28, etc.). Do not give a narrative. Only list the raw numbers of students who successfully demonstrated attainment of the outcome compared to the number who completed the assessment. These numbers must be separated into categories for dual enrollment, online, and traditional if the class is taught in these manners. Column 5: Improvements This column is where the director would list the improvements that have been implemented from an analysis of the evaluation of the outcome. (Since this form is being completed at the conclusion of the academic year, DO NOT USE FUTURE TENSE.) Note: The decision concerning improvements in program delivery should be

based on your review of all PLO Forms and your discussions with the

instructors. See the flowchart on the next page for assistance on how to

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complete this part of the review. List the improvements THAT HAVE BEEN

MADE in program delivery as a result of the assessment. List improvements in

a very specific manner. Vague notations such as spending more time on a topic are not acceptable. Do NOT include changes in the way the outcome is evaluated. If you wish to change evaluation methods, you must make a proposal to the Director of Institutional Planning and Assessment which could then be made to the Curriculum Committee for approval.

Select the most appropriate verb tense. In each case, use wording to indicate that the

Improvement has been—is being—was made. Avoid the use of will or will be!

All forms incomplete or in need of any type of revision will be returned to the division director/program coordinator.

The Learning Outcome Cycle

Division Directors complete the Unit

Goals Program Outcome forms at

the end of an academic year.

Directors and Coordinators will

analyze results from the previous year

with their instructors.

Areas for improvement are

targeted by directors and instructors.

Instructors implement

strategies to improve student

attainment goals in their classes.

Instructors complete the PLO for each class that

has a General Education or a

Program Learning Outcome.

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Instructions for Annual Submission of Completed Reviews

Submission of PLO Forms by Instructor to Division Director or Program Supervisor Instructors are to use the PLO form posted online. They should complete the form and then save it as a Word file. They will then use the following format to name each file:

Instructor Name_Course_Format (online, dual enrollment, or traditional)_TermYear Examples: Ragsdale_ENG101_Trad_FA15 Walker_MAT229_Trad_FA15 Ragsdale_ENG101_Online_FA15 Walker_MAT229_Online_FA15 Ragsdale_ENG101_DE_FA15 (for dual enrollment)

All forms must be submitted electronically. Each director or supervisor should specify to the division whether documents are to be submitted via email or placed in the OIPA shared folder available.

Important Technical Note: For the email option, each document must first be saved as a Word file, then attached to the email. Instructors sending more than one file should attach all their files to a single email to be submitted to the director/supervisor. This will aid in the management of a large number of emails and files.

Submission of All Forms by Division Director or Program Supervisor to the Office of Institutional Planning & Assessment

Each division director and program supervisor submits all completed PLO Forms to the Office of Institutional Planning and Assessment no later than two weeks into each semester through the OIPA Shared Folder.

To organize your files in the OIPA Shared Folder, click on the Program Learning Outcomes folder, and click on your unit’s subfolder. Create folders as necessary following the naming conventions below. Save all PLO Forms for a given course in a single folder for each semester, titled as follows:

ENG 101_PLO Forms_FA15 MTH 100_PLO Forms_FA15 ILT 192_PLO Forms_FA15 CHD 204_PLO Forms_FA15

All submissions are to be made via the OIPA Shared Folder. Do not email the submissions or send print copies.

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NACC Division Directors and Supervisors 2019-2020 AA and AS Programs (General Learning Outcomes):

Written Communication – Joan Reeves

Oral Communication – Rob Woodall

Mathematical Computation – Adam Niblett

Computer Literacy – Haley Johnson

Information Literacy – Dr. Julia Everett

Critical Thinking – Rodney Land AAS Programs (Program Learning Outcomes)

Business – Haley Johnson

Child Development – Joan Reeves

Computer Information Systems – Haley Johnson

Criminal Justice – Rob Woodall

Drafting and Design Technology – Kelly Black

Emergency Medical Services – Ethan Pugh o Management o Paramedic o Rescue Technology

Engineering Technician – Deni Adkins

Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration – Casey Pearson

Industrial Electronics Technology (Mechatronics) – Dennis Lester

Industrial Systems Technology o Electrical and Instrumentation – Aaron Hall o Machine Tool Technology – Hugo DeAngelis o Mechanical Maintenance – Dennis Lester o Multi Skilled – Dennis Lester o Welding Technology – John Fowler

Medical Assisting Technology – Marilyn Dalton

Nursing – Dr. Myrna Williamson o Practical Nursing – Dr. Myrna Williamson

Office Administration – Haley Johnson o General o Medical Office o Paralegal

Salon and Spa Management – Regina Gilliland o Cosmetology o Esthetics o Therapeutic Massage

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General Education Learning Outcomes General education outcomes are concerned with the global knowledge and abilities of students upon completion of a two-year degree.

A.A. and A.S. Degree Programs The A.A. and A.S. degree programs are designed for transfer and, as such, constitute a general/pre-liberal arts curriculum. The general education outcomes serve as the competencies identified by the College that students should attain as a result of completing the A.A. or A.S. Degree Programs:

Written Communication—Students will demonstrate adequate writing skills by developing ideas and organizing content effectively. (ENG 100 and 101)

Oral Communication—Students will articulate ideas, concepts, and theories in a clear fashion

using language and elocution skills indicative of college-level preparation. (SPH 107)

Mathematical Computation—Students will compute basic mathematical operations accurately, comprehend mathematical information, and utilize analytical thinking skills to solve problems. (MTH 100 and MTH 116)

Computer Literacy—Students will use current technology and develop computer skills for

informational, academic, personal, and professional needs. (CIS 146)

Information Literacy—Students will locate, access, and analyze information that facilitates learning and critical inquiry. (Library Orientation in ENG 101 and SPH 107)

Critical Thinking – Students will process and evaluate information carefully and then apply reasoning in the use of that information to make a decision and employ an action. (BIO 103 and BIO 201) Note: Critical Thinking will be incorporated to the AA and AS Programs as the sixth General Education Learning Outcome beginning in the Fall 2020 term.

Northeast Alabama Community College

Student Learning Outcomes

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Program Learning Outcomes A.A.S. Degree Programs In addition to the general education outcomes, for each career and technical program the College has identified program learning outcomes (PLO) based on the principle that each graduate should exhibit, in a professional manner, the knowledge and skills of a qualified practitioner in the field. The PLO for each career/technical program are listed as follows: A.A.S.-Business Graduates of the Business Program will be able to:

Demonstrate competence in financial accounting process and systems. (BUS 241)

Demonstrate an understanding of macroeconomic theory, analysis, and policy applications, including supply and demand and market equilibrium, the American banking system and the Federal Reserve. (ECO 231)

A.A.S.-Child Development Graduates of the Child Development Program will be able to:

Function as a competent entry-level child care worker by performing necessary skills for working in a child care facility. (CHD 215)

Plan programs that promote and maintain safe and healthy learning environments. (CHD 206)

Apply foundational knowledge of methods and materials for teaching young children from birth to age 8. (CHD 204)

Exhibit a positive work ethic. (CHD 215) A.A.S.-Computer Information Systems Graduates of the Computer Information Systems Program will be able to:

Demonstrate knowledge of computer terminology and components. (CIS 199)

Install, configure, and upgrade a computer operating system. (CIS 268)

Install and troubleshoot computer hardware. (CIS 269) A.A.S.-Criminal Justice Graduates of the Criminal Justice Program will be able to:

Function as a competent entry-level worker in a law enforcement agency demonstrating knowledge and skills retained from course work. (CRJ 280)

Exhibit a thorough knowledge of the law enforcement agency. (CRJ 280) A.A.S.-Drafting and Design Technology Graduates of the Drafting and Design Technology will be able to:

Demonstrate correct use of precision measurement instruments (ADM 101)

Rill read and interpret technical drawings. (ADM 101)

Sketch orthographic views of objects. (DDT 220)

Employ basic operating system functions in order to use CADD software to produce and plot pictorial and multi-view working drawings. (DDT 220)

Apply dimensions, tolerances and notes to acceptable industry standards. (GD&T, threaded fasteners & weldments) (DDT 220)

Exhibit a positive work ethic and good employability skills. (ADM 150-154)

Function as a competent entry-level CAD technician. (ADM 150-154)

Perform tasks in a safe manner. (ADM 150-154)

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A.A.S.-Emergency Medical Services (Management) Graduates of the Emergency Medical Services (Management) Program will be able to:

Perform tasks in a safe manner. (EMS 119)

Display a positive work ethic. (EMS 119)

Make decisions based on available data. (EMS 234) A.A.S.-Emergency Medical Services (Rescue Technology) Graduates of the Emergency Medical Services (Rescue Technology) Program will be able to:



Make decisions based on available data. (EMS 234) A.A.S.-Emergency Medical Services (Paramedic) Graduates of the Emergency Medical Services (Paramedic) Program will be able to:



Function as a competent, entry-level paramedic. (EMS 254)

Use current technology and develop computer skills for informational, academic, personal, and professional needs. (EMS 255)

A.A.S.-Engineering Technician Graduates of the Engineering Technician Program will be able to:

Function as a competent entry-level engineering technician by demonstrating knowledge and skills retained from coursework. (ADM 150-154)


Exhibit a positive work ethic. (ADM 150-154) A.A.S.-Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Graduates of the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Program will be able to:

Function as a competent entry-level HVAC-R technician by demonstrating knowledge and skills retained from course work (ADM 150-154)

Perform all tasks in a safe manner. (ADM 150-154)

Exhibit a positive work ethic. (ADM 150-154)

A.A.S.-Industrial Electronics Technology (Mechatronics) Graduates of the Industrial Electronics Technology (Mechatronics) Program will be able to:

Perform all tasks in a safe manner. (ADM 150-154)


Function as a competent entry-level industrial electrician. (ADM 150-154) A.A.S.-Industrial Systems Technology-Electrical and Instrumentation Option Graduates of the Industrial Systems Technology Program (Electrical and Instrumentation Option) will be able to:

Function as a competent entry-level Industrial Maintenance Technician by demonstrating knowledge and skills retained from course work. (ADM 150-154)



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A.A.S.-Industrial Systems Technology-Mechanical Maintenance Option Graduates of the Industrial Systems Technology Program (Industrial Maintenance Option) will be able to:



Exhibit a positive work ethic. (ADM 150-154) A.A.S.-Industrial Systems Technology-Multi-Skilled Option Graduates of the Industrial Systems Technology Program (Multi-Skilled Option) will be able to:



Exhibit a positive work ethic. (ADM 150-154) A.A.S.-Industrial Systems Technology-Machine Tool Technology Option Graduates of the Industrial Systems Technology Program (Machine Tool Technology Option) will be able to:

Function as a competent entry-level machinist by demonstrating knowledge and skills retained from course work. (ADM 150-154)


Exhibit a positive work ethic. (ADM 150-154) A.A.S.-Industrial Systems Technology-Welding Technology Option Graduates of the Industrial Systems Technology Program (Welding Technology Option) will be able to:

Function as a competent entry-level welder by demonstrating knowledge and skills retained from course work. (ADM 150-154)



A.A.S.-Medical Assisting Technology Graduates of the Medical Assistant Program will be able to:

Function as a competent entry-level medical assistant by performing clinical and administrative duties. (MAT 229)

Perform tasks in a safe manner. (MAT 229)

Exhibit a positive work ethic. (MAT 229) A.A.S.-Nursing Graduates of the Nursing Program will be able to:

Advocate for patients and families in ways that promote their self-determination, integrity and ongoing growth as human beings. (NUR 221)

Recognize the patient or designee as the source of control and full partner in providing compassionate and coordinated care based on respect for patient’s preferences, values and needs. (NUR 221)

Make judgments in practice, substantiated with evidence, that integrate nursing science in the provision of safe, quality care and promote the health of patients within a family and community context. (NUR 221)

Use information and technology to communicate, manage knowledge, mitigate error, and support decision making. (NUR 221)

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Minimize risk of harm to patients and providers through both system effectiveness and individual performance. (NUR 221)

Implement one’s role as a nurse in ways that reflect integrity, responsibility, ethical practices, and an evolving identity as a nurse committed to evidence-based practice, caring, advocacy, and safe, quality care for diverse patients within a family and community context. (NUR 221)

Function effectively within nursing and inter-professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality patient care. (NUR 221)

Examine the evidence that underlies clinical nursing practice to challenge the status quo, question underlying assumptions, and offer new insights to improve the quality of care for patients, families and communities. (NUR 221)

Use data to monitor the outcomes of care processes and use improvement methods to design and test changes to continuously improve the quality and safety of health care systems. (NUR 221)

Integrate best evidence-based practice with clinical expertise, patient/family preferences, and values for delivery of optimal health care. (NUR 221)

Certificate-Practical Nursing Graduates of the Practical Nursing Program will be able to:

Promote the human dignity, integrity, self-determination and personal growth of patients, oneself, and members of the health care team. (NUR 114, NUR 115)

Advocate for the patient and family in the provision of compassionate and coordinated care to support the health, safety, and well-being of patients and families. (NUR 114, NUR 115)

Provide a rationale for judgments used in the provision of safe, quality care and for decisions that promote the health of patients within a family context. (NUR 114, NUR 115)

Incorporate information and technology within own scope of practice to support safe processes of care. (NUR 114, NUR 115)

Demonstrate the effective use of strategies to reduce risk of harm to self or others. (NUR 114, NUR 115)

Demonstrate awareness of good practice, boundaries of practice, and professional identity formation including knowledge and attitudes derived from self-understanding and empathy, ethical questions and choices that are gleaned from a situation, awareness of patient needs, and other contextual knowing. (NUR 114, NUR 115)

Function competently within own scope of practice as a member of the health care team. (NUR 114, NUR 115)

By collaborating with health care team members, utilize evidence, tradition, and patient preferences in predictable patient care situations to promote optimal health status. (NUR 114, NUR 115)

Utilize various sources of information to review outcomes of care identifying potential areas for improvement of the quality and safety of care. (NUR 114, NUR 115)

Implement evidence-based practice in the provision of individualized health care. (NUR 114, NUR 115)

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A.A.S.-Office Administration-General Option Graduates of the Office Administration Program (General Option) will be able to:

Create, format, and edit business documents. (BUS 215)

Maintain office records using alphabetic, numeric, and geographic records management skills.(OAD 138)

Transcribe documents from dictated recordings. (OAD 200)

A.A.S.-Office Administration-Medical Office Option Graduates of the Office Administration Program (Medical Office Option) will be able to:


Maintain office records using alphabetic, numeric, and geographic records management skills. (OAD 138)

Transcribe a medical related, dictated letter or report. (OAD 212) A.A.S.-Office Administration-Paralegal Option Graduates of the Office Administration Program (Paralegal Option) will be able to:


Maintain office records using alphabetic, numeric, and geographic records management skills.(OAD 138)

Students will be able to organize and maintain a law office, including basic management; scheduling; equipment operation; and creating, filing, and retrieving legal documents. (PRL 282)

Note: PRL 282 is taught in the rotation of PRL courses. It was last taught in Spring 2019 and will next be taught in Fall 2020.

A.A.S.-Salon and Spa Management-Cosmetology Option Graduates of the Salon and Spa Management Program (Cosmetology Option) will be able to:

Function as a competent entry-level salon and spa professional. (COS 190)

Perform tasks in a safe manner. (COS 190)

Exhibit a positive work ethic. (COS 190) A.A.S.-Salon and Spa Management-Esthetics Option Graduates of the Salon and Spa Management Program (Esthetics Option) will be able to:

Function as a competent entry-level salon and spa professional. (COS 190)

Perform tasks in a safe manner. (COS 190)

Exhibit a positive work ethic. (COS 190) A.A.S.-Salon and Spa Management-Therapeutic Massage Option Graduates of the Salon and Spa Management Program (Therapeutic Massage Option) will be able to:

Function as a competent entry-level massage therapist. (MSG 206)

Perform tasks in a safe manner. (MSG 206)

Exhibit a positive work ethic. (MSG 206) Note: MSG 206 is only taught in the Summer term of each academic year.

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