2.19 – Assessment of Student Learning
A. Purpose
Assessment of student learning is used for improvement of student learning, instructional improvement, curriculum development, and fostering student academic success.
B. Policy
The college will engage in ongoing assessment of student learning as part of its commitment to the educational outcomes of its students.
C. Procedures
The assessment process is supported by Academic Affairs and includes the substantial participation of faculty. The college has three levels of interconnected student learning outcomes. Those are:
- Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
- Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
- Course Objectives (COs)
Each leader of an educational program or their designee will identify student learning outcomes associated with each level and execute an assessment plan. Assessment plans should include the program’s mission; clearly articulated PLOs; the ILOs the program intends to examine that year; the methods for measuring the ILOs, PLOs, and COs; and the targets or benchmarks for determining success. Assessment plans also include a curriculum map demonstrating where and how the COs, PLOs, and ILOs are met within the educational program. Assessment plans are reviewed annually by program faculty and modified as necessary.
The leaders of educational programs or their designee will submit annual reports to the vice chancellor for academic affairs or their designee describing assessments conducted, findings, analysis of the results, and a description of how the results have been used to make improvements at the course, program, and/or institutional level.
Assessment plans and annual reports will be required in addition to any other evaluation-related reporting obligations, such as those for program review, specialized accreditation, and cocurricular activities.
D. Definitions
Course Objectives are student learning outcomes at the course level. Course objectives are formal and established statements of what a student is expected to learn or be able to do in a course. The statements should be well-defined and utilize Bloom’s Taxonomy of Measurable Verbs.
Institutional Learning Outcomes are the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that students are expected to develop as a result of their overall experiences with Ozarks Technical Community College.
Program Learning Outcomes are the comprehensive statements that describe what students will know or be able to do when they have completed a program. They are broad, realistic, and meaningful.
Student Learning Outcomes specify what students will know or be able to do when they have completed a course or program. The statements should be well-defined and utilize Bloom’s Taxonomy of Measurable Verbs.
E. Authority
This policy is maintained under the authority of the vice chancellor for academic affairs
F. Related Policies
2.02 Curriculum Development and Revision
G. Implementation
Policy approved and adopted by the Board of Trustees on 12/13/2021.
Purpose and procedures approved and adopted by the Cabinet on 11/30/2021. Set for review in fiscal year 2024-2025.