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Student Learning Outcomes and Assessment Cycle (SLOAC)

Instructions for the C3MS System: SLOAC Input

THE LINK to the SLO Documentation Site: http://www.foothill.edu/cms/

Using this feature you can develop, assess, reflect upon, and document the complete SLOA cycle by answering a series of familiar questions!

Note that we have tested this process, but acknowledge that your creativity and diligence will probably uncover some bugs or issues we haven’t yet thought of. We are relying on you to let us know your questions, concerns or “punch lists” for this site so we can make it work for you. The site itself is a learning outcome cycle, dependent on your assessment, reflection, and comments for its continual improvement.

Send your comments to Rosemary Arca at arcarosemary@foothill.edu so that she may compile them for the web designer.

Here’s how it works:

• Go to the C3MS link located on the Staff Resources page of the Foothill website.
• Click on C3MS or on this link http://www.foothill.edu/cms/
• Click on Course Outline Editor
• Use the login ID and password assigned to you as editor of this course outline.
  At this time, you may ONLY post SLOs for the courses assigned to you as a course outline editor. If you need verify your login ID or change your editor assignment, contact Cori Nunez at nunezcori@foothill.edu or x7439
• Scroll down the page and find Accreditation: Student Learning Outcomes Worksheets
• You will see listed all of the courses you may edit. You can also click on Help Me! to read about SLO design and development.

Here’s what the page will look like. Note that the Accreditation/SLO section is mid-page.

Here’s something to think about not only as you begin input, but also when you return to write your reflection. You will most likely have two parallel processes going on with any given course:

1. First time writing of the SLOs
2. And revision, reflection or addition of SLOs to existing records

 Your process will work a little differently depending if your working on the new process or the revision/reflection/addition process. Keep that in mind.

• To continue---Click View on the course you are working on for the SLO process. Or if you see a list, click on the button of the course you’d like to work on.
• You can click on Edit or Update to add an assessment strategy or reflection. You can also click on the View Status button to remind yourself of what you still need to do to complete the process.
  
  Note that the first time you open that course, you will follow the directions there. However, as you revisit the entry (record) of this course, you will receive an ALERT message that a duplicate record exists and you will click on Review Current.
  
  This ALERT merely reminds you that you have an SLOAC in process, needing perhaps the addition of the Reflection section or a re-envisioning of the SLO itself. Remember that the SLOA cycle is a recursive process of reflection based on assessment data.

Once you click on Review Current, you will see not only the catalog description of the course, but also four buttons.

• Click on the button for the step in the SLOA process you are working on. Let’s take the buttons one at a time.
• Click on the Edit Outcomes button. Here’s what you’ll see.

• In this section, you will post your SLOs. Type your SLO in the box provided. You will need to write a minimum of two SLOs per course. You may include more. You can click Add SLO to get another box.
• When you’ve written the SLOs, click on Check In. This will “publish” your SLOs. The published list of SLOs is the only section open to the public.

 

Now you can continue on to enter your assessment strategies for each SLO or you can, as Scarlett said, “think about that tomorrow.”

• Click on the Edit Strategies button. This is what this section looks like.

 

These are assessment strategies. You can, as always, click on Help Me! for more information.

Here you can update or revise your assessment strategies as you wish. For each SLO you’ve written, you’ll see an assessment strategy field to type in.

Note that you do not have to upload any assessment data or instruments. However, we do invite you to upload a rubric you’ve developed (using the Edit Rubrics button) so that we may use them to assess our institutional outcomes.

• When you’ve posted the assessment strategies, you may move on to the reflection section by clicking the Continue button and posting reflections on each SLO there.
  
  OR
  
  You can review your work to date by clicking on View Status.

• Click on the Edit Reflections button. Here’s what you see.

Remember that you will most likely have those parallel processes of new SLO and some “in play” so when you’re presented with options (or stages in the SLOA cycle) which button you’re clicking will depend on if you’re beginning or editing a process.

• To begin the Reflection cycle, click on the Create Reflection button for each SLO.

 

Note also that you will be offered a range of questions to reflect on. You may answer any or all of these questions and even though when you click on View Status of the Reflection section, you’ll see red arrows, you can still complete the process with just one green one.

Now here’s the important thing: Once you have written two SLOs for each course, matched them to assessments, reflected on the data you’ve collected, and written a reflection, you’re done!

We wanted to have you click a TA DA button and have celebratory music playing, but we were told there was “not enough bandwidth.”

SO…you’ll note at the bottom of the Reflection page there’s a paragraph or two acknowledging all your hard work, but no TA DA button. Just imagine one and note that you can click View Status or Return to Options to write a new SLO or exit the window and return to Foothill World!

One final note about the Edit Rubrics button – the option you use for uploading your rubric. This is just an option and we appreciate your willingness to share.

END NOTES:

As always, note that the SLOA process is just that, a cycle of review and change, and the website reflects those options you have to revise, update, or enhance your SLOs.

These lengthy instructions are also a work in process. Please let Rosemary know at
arcarosemary@foothill.edu where they seemed incongruous or flat out incorrect. We rely on your experiences to help us revise, update, and enhance the website!

Also let us know what Help Me! buttons you would like to see added. You can also watch for our workshops and training in SLO design, assessment, reflection, and teaching via the Office of Instruction website.

Thank you very much.

 

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