Reporting on Student Learning Outcomes

ORU determines and communicates what counts as evidence that outcomes have been achieved. Each rubric informs students in advance of the expected performance criteria. After a faculty member evaluates an artifact using an online rubric, the student immediately receives feedback and knows the extent to which the assignment-specific outcomes were achieved. For example, the general education rubric for critical thinking artifacts includes such criteria as purpose/goal, hypothesis, evidence, conceptual understanding, assumptions, and inferences. Each rubric explains the levels of performance for each criterion.

ORU regularly collects and interprets evidence of outcomes. Rubric results are aggregated for each specific criterion. This process indicates which criteria are and are not being acceptably met by the majority of students, as well as how different segments of the student population are performing (i.e., minorities, international students, females, home-schooled students, older students, etc.). The aggregate data provide statistical performance indicators that help the University make informed decisions regarding curricular and pedagogical reform. For the Academic year 2005-06, the overall score for the General Education Outcomes at the University were (on a 0 to 4-point scale): Spiritually Alive, 3.0; Intellectually Alert, 3.0; Physically Disciplined, 2.8; and Socially Adept, 3.4. The University will issue a report to each student as a “Personal Dashboard,” showing personal progress to date on each of the Outcomes, compared with all other students at the University. The score for Professionally Competent will be compared with other students in the same major. Beginning in Fall 2007, the Personal Dashboard will be included with the student’s regular grade report.

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