preview

Essay On Learning Outcomes Assessment

Decent Essays

The promise of the American dream and the hope of equality, access, and educational opportunity widen the door of the community college to a diverse population of learners (American Association of Community Colleges, 2012; President’s Commission on Higher Education, 1947). The Learning Revolution has propelled the restructuring and on-going transformation of learning in the community college from the old outdated “architecture” to a renewed commitment to “building a new nation of learners”. Quality teaching and learning offers opportunities for engagement, preparation for transfer and career, and a satisfaction of the intellectual curiosities of students. Outcomes assessment is the key element in demonstrating that students have …show more content…

Documentation of Improved and Expanded Learning
One of O’Banion’s (1997) principles for the learning college stated the learning college succeeds when learning can be documented. Driven by the mission, values, and objectives of the institution, student learning outcomes measures learning that occur inside and outside of the classroom that enhances the students overall collegiate experience (Mueller, 2009). The assessment of learning outcomes is a framework designed for documenting the results of learning activities throughout the community college that is guided by the following questions: 1) “What does the learner know? 2) what can this learner do? 3) How does this decision, action, solution, improve student learning?” (O'Banion, 1997). The goal of learning outcomes is to improve and expand learning by assessing students’ knowledge acquisition and skill development (O'Banion, 1997). Assessment results provide learners with information such as retention, pass rates, and graduation statistics, empowering students to use this information to make informed decisions regarding their scholastic endeavors. Likewise, faculty uses feedback from student evaluations to make improvements to learning facilitation, however, this is only a portion of the overall data picture.
College-wide buy-in from all stakeholders

Get Access