Student Learning Outcomes (SLO's)

Student Learning Outcomes

Student Learning Outcomes are statements that specify what students will know, be able to do or be able to demonstrate when they have completed or participated in a Course or Program. SLO's specify an action by the student that must be observable, measurable and able to be demonstrated.

Grades are objectives. SLO's are measurable and observable outcomes.

Objectives - Grades	Outcomes - SLO's
*Objectives are intended results* or consequences of instruction, curricula, programs or activities.**	*Outcomes are achieved results of what was learned - the evidence* that learning took place.**
*Objectives are focused on performances that all students* are expected to demonstrate at the end of instruction, for example the normal distribution of grades.**	Outcomes are single student-centered and describe what it is that the student should learn. SLOs are not grades, but observable skills.
Objectives *define the key elements that must be taught every time* the course is delivered.**	*Outcomes are measurable statements* that specify what learners will know or be able to do as a result of successfully completing a course.**
Because calculation of a course grade often involves a combination of sources such as class participation and other objectives, the single course grade does not directly represent the student’s achievement of a specific learning outcome or skill.	*Instead of how many students received A’s or D’s in the course, the SLO’s are geared to describe a specific skill* that is acquired which is central to the course.**

Well-written SLO's use action verbs, the present tense, and avoid terms such as "will appreciate" or "become aware" or "understand." How does one measure appreciation or understanding? Good SLO's also exhibit academic rigor, a quality that takes the SLO out of the realm of something that is generally understood by most people, and becomes a measurable outcome of rigorous academic study.

SLO Example	Reasons
Poor: The student will acquire an appreciation of Spanish language literature.	Uses the future tense. Contains acquire an appreciation, which is inherently not measurable. Spanish language literature is too broad. This SLO lacks academic rigor.
Better: Interpret Spanish poetry in the cultural context of its period.	Interpretation can be measured in a research paper, a test, or an oral presentation. It specifically addresses poetry, and within historical context.
Better: Compare Catalan, Galician, Jewish and Arabic traditions in Spanish literature.	Comparisons can be measured in a research paper, an essay, test or oral presentation. Student must be aware of academically accepted traditions in Spanish literature in the Old World.
Best: Distinguish between Anti-Barroquism, Neoclassicism, and pre-Romanticism of the Spanish Enlightenment.	Student can distinguish between highly specialized movements in Spanish literature at a specific period in history. Could be a research paper or questions on a final. An example of the highest level of academic rigor.

Course Student Learning Outcomes (CSLOs) are found in each Course's syllabus.

Program Student Learning Outcomes (PSLOs) are found in the College Catalog.

Institutional Student Learning Outcomes are below on this page.

Oxnard College uses the application eLumen to store SLO's and the resulting metrics. Each individual student is assessed on a scorecard according to the rubric for that specific Course SLO.

Most rubrics at Oxnard are based on the following Mastery Levels:
EXEMPLARY, EXCEEDS STANDARDS, STANDARD, BELOW STANDARD and NO PROFICIENCY.

Some rubrics are simply PASS or NO PASS.

Departments create their own Program and Course SLO's and rubrics with input from Faculty, Department Chairs and Deans. Because students are assessed individually, elumen can break down the reporting based on gender, ethnicity and race. The source of the eLumen data is the Banner grading system.

Once a term, all faculty are notified that the scorecard assessments are ready for the course sections that he or she has taught in the current term. The first video below is for regular faculty logins and scorecard completion. The second is for Department Chairs or Coordinators who wish to see the progress of completed scorecards.

Faculty Scorecard Video	This video walks Faculty users through the process of scoring the assessments that are sent out towards the end of a term. Please print a copy of the completed scorecard assessment when through.
Discipline Coordinator Video	Faculty can also have a higher-level role if they are also Department Chairs, Deans or Coordinators. Be sure to change from Faculty to Coordinator (upper left) to access the administrative functions, such as seeing what scorecards are completed or running reports. Please note that these higher-level roles cannot see individual scorecards, only the Faculty role can do that.
eLumen Assessment Guide	Downloadable PDF with step-by-step instructions on how to complete the scorecard assessments and how to use an (optional) Excel spreadsheet to upload CSLO scores.
SLOs are Not Grades	PDF that outlines the difference between Grades and Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). Links to white papers and approaches to SLO's by nationally recognized institutions.

Institutional Student Learning Outcome (ISLO's)

Institutional Learning Outcomes describe the abilities, skills and knowledge that students will acquire at Oxnard College. As part of the experience, students will also develop attitudes and outlooks befitting a college-educated person. The ten ISLO's below describe the competencies that every dedicated student will have after successful completion of their education at Oxnard College. All the Program SLO's from all the Disciplines / Departments are mapped to one or more ISLO.
1	Subject Knowledge - The student understands the discipline's basic content, principles, methodologies, and perspectives.	6	Information Retrieval and Technological Competency - Student demonstrates the ability to find, organize, understand, critically examine and use information from various sources using a variety of technologies.
2	Communication - Student exhibits the ability to communicate clearly and effectively	7	Global Perspectives and/or Multicultural Awareness - Student demonstrates global awareness to look at issues from multiple perspectives and uses skills for participating in global and local societies.
3	Critical Thinking and Analytic Reasoning - Student applies critical thinking skills and reasoning to demonstrate continuous inquiry, problem solving, and learning.	8	Community Involvement, Leadership and Social Responsibility - Student understands the complexities of ethical judgment, leadership, social and/or civil responsibility as applied to social and ethical issues.
4	Quantitative Reasoning - Student applies quantitative and symbolic reasoning to obtain objective solutions to problems and equations.	9	Lifelong Learning and Life Skills - Student demonstrates effective self-management and interpersonal skills and the skills for a career, transfer, lifelong learning, health and/or self-improvement.
5	Creative Expression - Student expresses originality, imagination and innovation.	10	Interdisciplinary Studies - Student applies more than one discipline's approach to a topic, problem or method.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes (PSLO's) are specific to a Discipline or Department that offers Degrees or Certificates. Each PSLO "contains" the scores from one or more Course SLO's.

One or more Course SLO's are mapped to a Program SLO.

For example, Mathematics could have a Program SLO of "Student can solve basic linear equations." For the Algebra 101 course, there are two Course SLO's about solving linear equations with one variable and another CSLO for finding the intercept.

Once a term, scorecards are sent to all Faculty who teach Algebra 101. Each student is individually scored from a low of "no proficiency" to the highest of "exemplary" on these two Course SLO's. So there will be two scores (there are two CSLO's) for each student. A student could be scored a "no proficiency" on on CSLO, and have a "standard" on the other.

The individual scorecard scores are added together into the one Program SLO "bucket." A report for the Math Department would show that for all the Algebra 101 courses taught that term, 30% were exemplary, 15% exceeded standards, and so forth. It is impossible to tell what individual students received, or what faculty taught the course.

Graphic with a bucket into which Course SLO scores are being poured

Scores are broken down into five Mastery Levels:

EXEMPLARY
EXCEEDS STANDARDS
STANDARD
BELOW STANDARD
NO PROFICIENCY

Mastery Levels are essentially rubrics. Many courses have a pass/fail rubric, where students can be scored only as "standard" or "no proficiency."

Every Discipline/Department determines how they want to use the Mastery Levels, there is no college-wide directive.

SLOs are Not Grades PDF

This PDF explains the difference between grades and student learning outcomes. It also has a list of white papers and websites that discuss students learning outcomes.

Student Learning Outcomes

Objectives - Grades

Outcomes - SLO's

SLO Examples

Where Are the SLOs?

eLumen

Institutional Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Grades vs SLO's PDF

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