Talking Stick - May/June 2008 - (Page 19)

Mapping Your Way Mapping is an integral part of creating and assessing learning outcomes. recognize what you don’t know,” Minor advises – and, without faculty, “we’re creating a good learning experience in a vacuum.” Wiltgen cites the residence life curriculum institute at the University of Delaware as a resource that jump-started his team. “It was great for us to go to the residence curriculum institute to look at the goals of our housing,” he says, emphasizing that their learning outcomes are evolving because of that experience. Minor concurs. “I’d like to give a lot of credit to the University of Delaware,” he says. “They’ve renewed a lot of interest in this outcome.” Deﬁne your programs. A program is a deliberate project to help people achieve certain learning outcomes. A program might be anything from a series of themed movie nights to a service project. Describe each program. Along with the title, write a statement on what makes the program special, what its focus and values are, and what “roles” the program participants will take on after the program’s completion. Create a “program outcome guide.” Explain what a student must know to participate in the program and what tasks students will perform to show that outcomes have been achieved. Create a “program map.” Graphically outline the components of a program, in chronological order. Indicate related program elements and show collaborations with other programs. Link your programs. Look at how your programs unite to provide a seamless learning experience. Note gaps. Do the programs ﬁt your learning outcomes? Michael Griffel is the director of university residences at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. He, along with Michael Jolly and Dee Dee Kanikkeberg from the University of Idaho in Moscow, presented this information at the 2007 ACUHO-I Annual Conference and Exposition in Seattle, Washington. Choose your approach. There is no one right way to create learning outcomes. Kuh recommends they be developed based on the mission of the institution and the goals of student affairs and residence life. In addition to university, student affairs, and housing administrators, faculty and students should be involved as well: “We need to be working … with our partners in academics – faculty and academic affairs – to get a more holistic assessment. Folks who see students in different venues can contribute various observations. It’s the same with librarians, IT, and custodial staff.” Minor also advises starting at the top of the institution and working down and then tailoring the project to the institution. “Learning outcomes are different for different institutions,” he says. “But they should support the institution’s goals.” Wiltgen explains that at Gettysburg College they developed learning outcomes for each department within student affairs, all tied to the overall learning outcomes of student affairs. Starting at the top and working down may not be necessary for every institution, Piper explains: “The usual approach is: ‘What are the learning outcomes for this institution?’ and work down from there. But here we went in the opposite direction.” At California State University, Northridge, the student affairs department had already begun to work on learning outcomes when the university president mandated that the university become more learning-centered. “There are lots of ways to do it,” Piper says. Decide what you will assess and how. “You’ve got to prioritize a bit what you want to ﬁnd out,” Kuh says. “You can’t ﬁnd out everything.” Wiltgen agrees. “Be careful not to assess everything. Pick what’s important. It’s similar to a qualitative dissertation. The data can get away from you. You have to be controlling what your key indicators are.” May + June 2008 19

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Talking Stick - May/June 2008

Talking Stick - May/June 2008 Contents Online Now Vision Just In Your ACUHO-I Transitions Res Life Facilities Business Calendar Managing Move-In Madness Strike Up the Brand 44 for the Future There Goes the Neighborhood Academic Communities Conversations First Takes Reporting Out New Members On the Spot

Talking Stick - May/June 2008

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