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Student Learning Outcomes
Overview | Guides | Campus Examples | Documents to Download
Inquiry-Based Approach
The Bonner Foundation recommends that teams use an inquiry-based approach, like the one developed at the University of Richmond, to get started. You can learn more about that here: Inquiry-Based Assessment - Overview. The methodology involves examining students' work as a way to better understand and distill learning outcomes. It is an empowering (and even fun) way to discern learning outcomes from looking at the evidence of student learning you already have, such as in the form of reflections and narratives.
Then, once you have an idea of some of the outcomes you want to define and measure, the following presentation may be helpful to you as your campus team works on defining student learning outcomes that are tied to community/civic engagement. On the Documents to Download page, you will find links to other power-points slides as well as other resources. This resource was prepared by Kristin Norris, Director of Assessment at IUPUI, as a presenter at the 2015 Bonner Assessment Institute. It presents several helpful worksheets and processes, which will allow your team to connect its efforts with the broader institutional mission and vision, as well as specific departments and programs. Developing a set of outcomes and a strategy for assessing them may involve several months (or even a year or more) of work.
Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment Tools
Utilizing proven student learning outcomes and assessment tools from a campus or from other initiatives can be productive practice. One excellent resource is the VALUE Initiative of the Association of American Colleges and Universities or the strategic planning and metrics as developed by the Corporation for National and Community Service, has been helpful. After engaging in your own inquiry-based process (see Data Labs) or other thinking, your center staff - working in conjunction with institutional research, faculty and others – may then draw on 17 rubrics for the following essential learning outcomes:
These include the following rubrics, tied to the areas of the Liberal Education and America's Promise (LEAP) initiative, common across undergraduate education.
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Intellectual and Practical Skills
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Personal and Social Responsibility
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Integrative and Applied Learning
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Other Rubrics
Many campuses have modified or adapted these rubrics to develop one (or more) that can be used to evaluate their intended student learning outcomes, using authentic assessment (e-portfolios, student presentations of learning, etc.) We believe that three, in particular, are helpful to consult in order to build a shared set of outcomes across projects and institutions.
- Civic Engagement Rubric: Civic engagement is "working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values, and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes." In addition, civic engagement encompasses actions wherein individuals participate in activities of personal and public concern that are both individually life enriching and socially beneficial to the community. Learning indicators include:
- Diversity of communities and cultures
- Analysis of knowledge
- Civic identity and commitment
- Civic communication
- Civic action and reflection
- Civic contexts and structures
- Integrative Learning Rubric: Integrative learning is an understanding and a disposition that a student builds across the curriculum and co-curriculum, from making simple connections among ideas and experiences to synthesizing and transferring learning to new, complex situations within and beyond the campus. Learning indicators include:
- Connections to experience
- Connections to discipline
- Transfer
- Integrated communication
- Reflection and self-assessment
- Creative Thinking Rubric: Creative thinking is both the capacity to combine or synthesize existing ideas, images, or expertise in original ways and the experience of thinking, reacting, and working in an imaginative way characterized by a high degree of innovation, divergent thinking, and risk taking. Learning indicators include:
AAC&U Civic Engagement Rubric
Civic engagement is "working to make a difference in the civic life of our communities and developing the combination of knowledge, skills, values, and motivation to make that difference. It means promoting the quality of life in a community, through both political and non-political processes." In addition, civic engagement encompasses actions wherein individuals participate in activities of personal and public concern that are both individually life enriching and socially beneficial to the community.
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Capstone
4
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Milestones
3-2
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Benchmark
1
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Diversity of Communities and Cultures
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Demonstrates evidence of adjustment in own attitudes and beliefs because of working within and learning from diversity of communities and cultures. Promotes others' engagement with diversity.
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Reflects on how own attitudes and beliefs are different from those of other cultures and communities. Exhibits curiosity about what can be learned from diversity of communities and cultures.
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Has awareness that own attitudes and beliefs are different from those of other cultures and communities. Exhibits little curiosity about what can be learned from diversity of communities and cultures.
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Expresses attitudes and beliefs as an individual, from a one-sided view. Is indifferent or resistant to what can be learned from diversity of communities and cultures.
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Analysis of Knowledge
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Connects and extends knowledge (facts, theories, etc.) from one's own academic study/field/discipline to civic engagement and to one's own participation in civic life, politics, and government.
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Analyzes knowledge (facts, theories, etc.) from one's own academic study/field/discipline making relevant connections to civic engagement and to one's own participation in civic life, politics, and government.
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Begins to connect knowledge (facts, theories, etc.) from one's own academic study/field/discipline to civic engagement and to tone's own participation in civic life, politics, and government.
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Begins to identify knowledge (facts, theories, etc.) from one's own academic study/field/discipline that is relevant to civic engagement and to one's own participation in civic life, politics, and government.
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Civic Identity and Commitment
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Provides evidence of experience in civic-engagement activities and describes what she/he has learned about her or himself as it relates to a reinforced and clarified sense of civic identity and continued commitment to public action.
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Provides evidence of experience in civic-engagement activities and describes what she/he has learned about her or himself as it relates to a growing sense of civic identity and commitment.
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Evidence suggests involvement in civic-engagement activities is generated from expectations or course requirements rather than from a sense of civic identity.
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Provides little evidence of her/his experience in civic-engagement activities and does not connect experiences to civic identity.
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Civic Communication
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Tailors communication strategies to effectively express, listen, and adapt to others to establish relationships to further civic action
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Effectively communicates in civic context, showing ability to do all of the following: express, listen, and adapt ideas and messages based on others' perspectives.
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Communicates in civic context, showing ability to do more than one of the following: express, listen, and adapt ideas and messages based on others' perspectives.
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Communicates in civic context, showing ability to do one of the following: express, listen, and adapt ideas and messages based on others' perspectives.
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Civic Action and Reflection
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Demonstrates independent experience andshows initiative in team leadership of complex or multiple civic engagement activities, accompanied by reflective insights or analysis about the aims and accomplishments of one’s actions.
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Demonstrates independent experience and team leadership of civic action, with reflective insights or analysis about the aims and accomplishments of one’s actions.
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Has clearlyparticipated in civically focused actions and begins to reflect or describe how these actions may benefit individual(s) or communities.
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Has experimented with some civic activities but shows little internalized understanding of their aims or effects and little commitment to future action.
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Civic Contexts/Structures
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Demonstrates ability and commitment tocollaboratively work across and withincommunity contexts and structures to achieve a civic aim.
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Demonstrates ability and commitment to work actively withincommunity contexts and structures to achieve a civic aim.
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Demonstrates experience identifying intentional ways toparticipate in civic contexts and structures.
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Experiments with civic contexts and structures, tries out a few to see what fits.
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Note: Click here to access information about the AAC&U VALUE Project (Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education) and download 17 VALUE Rubrics
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