Assessment

Student Learning Outcomes at NOVA

Why Assess Student Learning

Assessment of student learning is a process to collect and analyze student learning results with the intent to improve student learning.⁴ The assessment process provides essential feedback to the faculty and the students on how well student learning outcomes are being met. Assessment also provides evidence demonstrating that effective learning has taken place, and provides the instructor with meaningful information to reflect upon when preparing future instruction. Furthermore, assessment also informs internal and external stakeholders of the schools’ quality of programs, and it serves as a standard for regional accreditation.

Student Learning Outcomes are being met

Evidence demonstrating that effective learning is taking place

Instructor preparing for future instruction

Informing stakeholders of quality of programs

Why Assess Student Learning

Assessment of student learning is a process to collect and analyze student learning results with the intent to improve student learning.⁴ The assessment process provides essential feedback to the faculty and the students on how well student learning outcomes are being met. Assessment also provides evidence demonstrating that effective learning has taken place, and provides the instructor with meaningful information to reflect upon when preparing future instruction. Furthermore, assessment also informs internal and external stakeholders of the schools’ quality of programs, and it serves as a standard for regional accreditation.

Student Learning Outcomes are being met

Evidence demonstrating that effective learning is taking place

Instructor preparing for future instruction

Informing stakeholders of quality of programs

Assessing Student Learning at NOVA

SLO, SLO, and Program Goals: 2020-21: 94.4%, 2021-22: 96%, % change +1.6; Assessment Methods: 2020-21: 98.5%, 2021-22: 97.8%, % change -0.7; Assessment Results: 2020-21: 99.3%, 2021-22: 98.5%, % change -0.8; Use of Results: 2020-21: 97.1%, 2021-22: 93.3%, % change -3.8; Average: 2020-21: 97.3%, 2021-22: 96.4%, % change -0.9

Assessment of student learning is critical to ensure that students are gaining the knowledge and skills they need to be successful at NOVA. Each year, instructional programs conduct assessments on three student learning outcomes (SLO), one college-wide core learning outcome (CLO), and program goals, which include graduation and program-placement results. Instructional programs document four areas in their annual reports that address: 1) the outcome being assessed; 2) the method utilized to assess each outcome;
3) the results of the assessment; and 4) how the program will use the results to continuously improve student learning.

The data below illustrate the effectiveness and quality of reporting of
college-wide NOVA programs and disciplines at meeting the requirements of the four areas in the annual assessment report from the past two assessment cycles.⁵

The Five Subcategories of the Institutional Effectiveness Report

The Office of Strategic Insights (OSI) evaluates the annual Student Learning Outcomes and the Discipline Assessment Reports and provides program-level and college-wide analyses of all action items identified in the reports designed to promote program or discipline improvement. These improvement actions are captured under the Continuous Improvement (formerly known as Use of Results) section of the reports. A coding system is used to categorize all improvement actions, and these categories are comprised of sub-categories and included in an institutional effectiveness audit and later presented in the annual Institutional Effectiveness Audit Report for internal and external stakeholders to review.⁴

Institutional Effectiveness Report Subcategories: Co-curricular resources: co-curricular opportunities; academic support/advising; program resources: financial, human resources, general resources; curriculum-specific: curricular change, course revision, pedagogy change, subject matter expert feedback; SLO assessment process: SLO assessment change, data analysis method change, SLO change, target change, increase sample size, communication on the assessment process; college-level: dual enrollment, articulation agreement, recruitment/marketing

Core Learning Outcomes (CLO) Assessment at NOVA

Change in action improvement ranking, 2019-20 to 2021-22: academic support/advising from 1 to 3; course revision from 2 to 1; pedagogy change from 3 to 2; SLO assessment change from 4 to 5; curricular change from 5 to 4

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Core Learning Outcomes (CLO) Assessment at NOVA

Core Learning Outcomes (CLO) are six general education competencies that NOVA graduates must achieve, and each program and stand alone discipline must assess one CLO each assessment cycle.

Why do we need CLOs?

Core learning outcomes are required for three essential reasons:

For Faculty: Knowledge and improvement of teaching effectiveness
For Students: To improve core student learning
For Public Accountability: Also required by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV)

What are NOVA’s CLOs?

VCCS General Education Policy (5.0.2.0) defines six General Education Competencies for which all Virginia Community Colleges must determine learning outcomes and assess in accordance with SACSCOC accreditation standards and SCHEV policy. The general education competencies are:

Civic engagement
Critical thinking
Professional readiness
Quantitative literacy
Scientific literacy
Written Communication

Who Should
Assess CLOs?

Who Should Assess CLOs?

All degree-awarding programs, stand alone disciplines, and select certificates should assess at least one CLO per year in addition to three SLOs for the programs and one SLO for
the disciplines.

How often should we measure each CLO?

CLOs are assessed each academic year on a college-wide rotating schedule. Programs and disciplines have the option to choose between two available CLOs. All CLOs should be assessed at least 2-3 times in every 10-year period.

What is NOVA’s College-Wide CLO Assessment Schedule?

2023-24: Critical Thinking, Quantitative Literacy

2024-25: Civic Engagement, Written Communication

2025-26: Professional Readiness, Scientific Literacy

2026-27: Critical Thinking, Quantitative Literacy

2027-28: Civic Engagement, Written Communication

How do we Measure Overall Student Achievement of CLOs?

The most common way to gather information on CLOs is to use student assignments faculty already administer in their courses. This is called “embedded assessments” and they provide the most direct evidence of CLOs.

Citations

Banta, T. (2002). Building a Scholarship of Assessment. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
Altbach, P., Arthurs, A., Boyers, E., et al. (2003). Refinancing the college dream. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). https://sacscoc.org/accrediting-standards/.

Pacific Crest. (2000). Program Assessment Handbook. Lislie, IL: Pacific Crest, Inc.
NOVA Office of Strategic Insights.

Banta, T. (2002). Building a Scholarship of Assessment. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass.
Altbach, P., Arthurs, A., Boyers, E., et al. (2003). Refinancing the college dream. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). https://sacscoc.org/accrediting-standards/.
Pacific Crest. (2000). Program Assessment Handbook. Lislie, IL: Pacific Crest, Inc.
NOVA Office of Strategic Insights.