Guiding Principles for Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes
Kishwaukee College is committed not only to providing quality, innovative, and affordable educational opportunities to our students, but also to measuring our success in providing those opportunities. To that end, the College endeavors to develop student outcome measures that are in line with the following basic principles:
- We affirm the importance of developing student learning outcomes that are derived from our mission statement: Kishwaukee College improves lives by providing equitable, student-centered education.
- We maintain that the outcomes developed should be applicable to all of the different constituencies of learners we serve, including those in transfer programs, career technology programs, adult education programs, developmental courses, and continuing education.
- We believe in the importance of measuring outcomes in both curricular programs and co-curricular programs and services such as athletics and student organizations.
- We affirm the importance of measuring outcomes at all levels (college level, program level, course level) and recognize that different measuring instruments may be appropriate at different levels.
- We maintain that the importance of outcomes measures is to be found in their invaluable role in the continuous improvement of the educational opportunities we offer at all levels.
- We believe that developing, measuring, and using student learning outcomes is a dynamic process, one that should be a regular part of what we do both in planning and delivering educational opportunities and demonstrating our accountability to our learners, our community, and our accreditors.
Institutional-Level Student Learning Outcomes
Kishwaukee College is “improving lives by providing equitable, student-centered education” for all learners who pass through our doors. To that end, we aim to enhance learners’ lives by guiding them in the development of a set of four core competences that will enable them to fulfill their educational goals.
- Critical competence: Learners will be able to understand, apply, and analyze concepts. Learners will develop the ability to organize their thinking about concepts according to the dictates of sound reasoning, as appropriate. Learners will demonstrate the capacity to formulate appropriate conclusions based on their reasoning.
- Creative competence: Learners will exhibit the ability to recognize connections and transfer concepts between areas, as appropriate. Learners will demonstrate the ability to synthesize concepts and ideas. Learners will use innovative thinking and explore multiple perspectives in formulating solutions to problems encountered in different aspects of their experience.
- Communicative competence: Learners will be able to formulate a central message and share it with others. Learners will demonstrate the ability to support that central message and present their discourse according to sound organizational principles. Learners will exhibit an appropriate command of the elements necessary for communicating that central message to others.
- Cultural competence: Learners will recognize the various factors that shape individual and group identity, with an emphasis on the various components of culture. Learners will demonstrate the capacity to engage difference in various social settings.
Individual programs and courses will assess students using a variety of measures. Some include interviews, capstone experiences, course embedded measures, performance demonstrations, and portfolios.
Program Level Student Learning Outcomes
ISLO - Institutional Student Learning Outcomes
GE PSLO - General Education Program Student Learning Outcomes
AAS PSLO - Associate in Applied Science Program Student Learning Outcomes
| Institutional Student Learning Outcomes |
AA 100 Associate in Arts, A.A.
AS 120 Associate in Science, A.S.
AES 140 Associate in Engineering Science, A.E.S.
AFA 130 Associate in Fine Arts, Art Option
General Education Program Student Learning Outcomes |
Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.)
Program Student Learning Outcomes |
ISLO 1
CRITICAL COMPETENCE |
GE PSLO 1: Quantitative - Learners will use quantitative evidence to support arguments and clearly defend those arguments in a variety of formats.
GE PSLO 2: Analytic - Learners will evaluate assumptions, limitations, context and evidence to draw logical conclusions. |
AAS PSLO 1: Quantitative - Learners will use quantitative evidence to support arguments and clearly defend those arguments in a variety of formats.
AAS PSLO 2: Analytic - Learners will evaluate assumptions, limitations, context and evidence to draw logical conclusions.
AAS PSLO 3: Acquisition of Knowledge/Skills - Learners will utilize relevant sources of information to gain and demonstrate industry or occupational skills needed for success in the [program name] workplace. |
ISLO 2
CREATIVE COMPETENCE |
GE PSLO 3: Synthesis - Learners will connect experiences to deepen understanding of fields of study and to broaden their own points of view.
GE PSLO 4: Innovation - Learners will create new knowledge or a new approach.
GE PLSO - Adaptation - Learners will apply knowledge to solve problems or explore issues in different ways. |
AAS PSLO 4: Synthesis - Learners will connect experiences to deepen understanding of [program name] fields of study and to broaden their own points of view.
AAS PLSO 5: Adaptation - Learners will apply knowledge to solve problems or explore issues in different ways. |
ISLO 3
COMMUNICATIVE COMPETENCE |
GE PSLO 6: Organization - Learners will demonstrate organization and content development.
GE PSLO 7: Presentation - Learners will use appropriate syntax, mechanics, delivery techniques, language choices, design, medias, musical, or formatting to present a message or concept
GE PSLO 8: Support - Learners will support a central message appropriate to the audience.
GE PSLO 9: Crediting Sources - Learners will use credible and relevant sources.
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AAS PSLO 6: Organization - Learners will demonstrate organization and content development.
AAS PSLO 7: Presentation - Learners will use appropriate syntax, mechanics, delivery techniques, language choices, design, medias, musical, or formatting to present a message or concept
AAS PSLO 8: Support - Learners will support a central message appropriate to the audience.
AAS PSLO 9: Crediting Sources - Learners will use credible and relevant sources.
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ISLO 4
CULTURAL COMPETENCE |
GE PSLO 8 : Knowledge - Learners will demonstrate an awareness of cultural rules and biases.
GE PSLO 9: Application - Learners will use course content to provide goods and services in diverse settings. |
AAS PLSO 8: Knowledge - Learners will demonstrate an awareness of cultural rules and biases.
AAS PSLO 9: Work Ethic - Learners will support a constructive workplace climate by understanding their individual contribution to the [program name] workplace, interacting positively with team members, and fostering an effective work environment. |
Click on Assessment Visualization to view Institutional SLOs and Program SLOs in a graphic format.
Click on Addendum to view (in the Policies, Procedures, & Information Changes section) the new Assessment information.
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