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Student Learning Outcomes FAQ

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Handbook

• For detailed explanations including how to use eLumen, please reference our SLO Handbook 2021 

Frequently Asked Questions About SLOs

1. What is the purpose of Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) assessment?

The purpose of SLO assessment is to improve teaching and learning.

2. What is the difference between SLOs and grades?

Grades are inclusive of everything that happens in the course.  SLO assessment focuses on specific skills and competencies that students acquire during a course.

3. What is the difference between outcomes and objectives?

Objectives are smaller steps that must be acquired, leading to a larger, overarching outcome.

4. How many SLOs do I need in a course?

Faculty as subject experts determine the number of competencies that students are expected to master in a course.  Typically, there are 2-4 CSLOs.

5. How are SLOs assessed?

There are many different methods and tools used for the assessment of student learning.  It is the faculty's decision on how to go about the assessment process.

6. How often do faculty need to assess SLOs or SAOs?

While there is an absolute minimum (see 3-year timeline requirements), the real question should relate to what faculty want to focus on to improve teaching and learning. Then using the 3-year timeline, plan to gather the pertinent SLO data.

7. Does every CSLO and PSLO need to be assessed?

No, but every degree and certificate, and every course not part of a degree or certificate needs to be assessed at least once over the 3-year timeline. 

8. Why is it important to plan for PSLO assessment?

Assessing a PSLO requires a complete data set.  That is, all of the CSLOs that map up to a PSLO should be assessed the same semester.

9. Our degree requires courses from other departments, do we map those to our degree’s PSLOs?

No. When planning for a PSLO assessment, only collect CSLO data from your own department.

10. What should happen with SLO assessment data?

Analysis and discussion of SLO assessment data is the reason why we collect data.  Faculty review the data to identify gaps in student performance – and to share best practices.  Documentation and reporting out of the discussion occurs in departmental minutes and program review.

11. Do we need to use a statistical analysis of the data?

No!  Reviewing the data and the essential faculty reflections form the foundation of a discussion.

12. Can I disaggregate the data?

Yes, PSLO data can be disaggregated but CSLO data cannot.  Plan (using the 3-year planning template), so that complete PSLO data sets are created. For a complete PSLO data set, CSLOs need to be mapped, and all the mapped CSLOs should ideally be assessed the same semester or acdamic year.

13. What are the characteristics that can be disaggregated?

After collecting the PSLO data, reports can be run to examine (1) section attributes (DE, online, hybrid, face to face) or (2) demographics (gender, age, ethnicity, EOPS, veterans, foster youth).