Curriculum Committee Discussion of Student Learning Outcomes and Their Inclusion in Course Outlines of Record using the phrase "Student Learning Outcomes" as compared to learning objectives.

5/10/05 Minutes of the Curriculum Committee Exerpt:

B. Discussions

1. Assessment, Learning Outcomes – Susan Mills and/or Arend Flick

2. Courses into Disciplines on Course Outlines

3. Course Outlines of Record – revisions to template

Arend Flick provided good information and handouts about Learning Objectives vs. Student Learning Outcomes. He suggested that objectives are more teacher-focused, while outcomes are focused on what the student should know or be able to do after completing the course. He and Susan both felt that our current course outline template is on the right track. Possible revisions include:

• Renaming Learning Objectives to Student Learning Outcomes and including assessment information in that field:
  • Outcome
  • Assessment
  • Outcome
  • Assessment
• Asking for at least three SLOs but probably no more than seven.
• Renaming Methods of Evaluation to Methods of Assessment, and relating them back to the SLOs as above.
• Thinking about grading as relating to individual students and assessment relating to groups of students.

Les Dean talked briefly about where to put the Disciplines field on course outlines. The subcommittee will incorporate that information, as well as the other revisions they have been working on, into a template they will present for review and possible adoption at the 5/24 meeting.

5/24/05:

1. MSC Marsh/Herzig (unanimous) to approve the revised Course Outline Template, to be effective with all submissions beginning fall 2005.