Student Learning Outcomes at ORU

Since 2004, Oral Roberts University has employed a comprehensive rubric-evaluated University-wide ePortfolio system to assess its mission-focused learning outcomes as indicators of student progress. Students track their progress, while documenting that their educational experiences encompass more than academics. Data from student artifacts (essays, lab reports, video clips, reflection on co-curricular activities, etc.) are aggregated and disaggregated to measure student success and to make informed decisions for improvement of student learning through curricular and pedagogical refinements. Faculty members intentionally interact with students to inform them regarding their learning progress. Faculty members also regularly meet together to share ideas for improving assessment processes.

Since 2002, Oral Roberts University (ORU) has fostered a learning-centered paradigm emphasizing engaged learning with closer interaction between students and mentor-teachers. ORU analyzed its student learning outcomes using the AAC&U’s Greater Expectations Project model. This model suggests that student learning outcomes should flow from an institution’s mission, the curriculum and pedagogy should be designed to produce the outcomes, and assessment should indicate the extent to which an institution is accomplishing those outcomes. This analysis resulted in a modification of ORU’s Mission Statement to include emphasis on social development, leadership, and professional competence. The statement now reads: “…the University seeks to educate the whole person in spirit, mind, and body, thereby preparing its graduates to be professionally competent leaders who are spiritually alive, intellectually alert, physically disciplined, and socially adept.” With input from all levels, including students and the Board of Regents, the faculty selected the proficiencies/capacities to monitor how well students fulfill the learning outcomes identified in ORU’s Mission Statement:

Student Learning Outcomes (definitions at: ORU_Student_Learning_Outcomes)

In a two-year parallel effort on the part of both faculty and administration, ORU designed and implemented a University-wide comprehensive ePortfolio program using the new learning outcomes as indicators of student progress. Each student maintains a personal library of artifacts (class assignments or other exhibits), separated into two portfolios—one for general education and one for the major or program. The general education ePortfolio requires 32 artifacts that encompass all the proficiencies/capacities listed above (example at: General_Ed_ePortfolio_example – with student’s permission). Each major ePortfolio includes appropriate University outcomes, as well as outcomes specific to the area of study (example at: major_ePortfolio_example – with student’s permission). Artifacts are assessed using rubrics that interface online with the artifacts and automatically enter the results into an assessment database. Tables of Contents for the majors may be seen at: Departmental_Tables_of_Contents.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Usefulness of ePortfolio Data

Using external accreditation criteria as benchmarks, ORU’s School of Education and Engineering Department serve as examples that the institution has begun documenting whether actual achievement levels of students are acceptable given the mission, student population, and resources available. Some majors and programs are in earlier stages of documentation, but making progress. To cite a specific example related to critical thinking, each student in the Principles of Chemistry lab course writes a 250-300 word abstract for a meat analysis lab exercise. The student’s hypothesis as to which of four types of meat is the healthiest and most cost-effective is then tested by analyzing the results of the lab experiment. The abstract is submitted electronically to a faculty member via ePortfolio under the Intellectually Alert outcome and Critical Thinking proficiency. The faculty member assesses the abstract using the Critical Thinking rubric criteria, which include a clearly identified purpose a...
Read more

Using Student Learning Outcomes for Program Improvement

As part of the process to use outcomes for improvement, ORU regularly incorporates information about success with student learning outcomes in discussions and decision-making processes at all levels. At least twice during most semesters, faculty members who serve as course coordinators meet to discuss student learning outcomes. They revise course assessment rubrics to better measure student learning, determine which assignments should be designated as ePortfolio artifacts for data analysis, and ensure that student learning outcomes further the mission of the department, school, and University. Student learning outcome results are integral to the ORU program review process. Faculty members from each major and program compile a self-study document, incorporating variables such as student learning results harvested from ePortfolio and other sources. The program review process also includes surveying students, faculty, alumni, employers, and graduate faculty of alumni who pursue graduate d...
Read more

ePortfolio Data for External Accreditation

A report from the Association of American Colleges and Universities states that a “purposeful educational program starts at the endpoint, with the desired characteristics of an institution’s graduates, and asks the faculty to reason backwards from outcomes to the implementation of an intentionally designed curriculum to cultivate the desired qualities.” This statement characterizes ORU’s process to articulate the University’s student learning outcomes with their accompanying proficiencies/capacities, as well as the development of the ePortfolio process. ORU’s School of Education has been collecting ePortfolio data since 2002. The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) has heralded the ORU School of Education’s ePortfolio system as an example for all member institutions. The Oklahoma State Board of Education has done likewise. It serves as a model for other ORU programs to determine whether student learning outcomes have been achieved. Undergraduate faculty in ...
Read more