Outcomes
Assessment
Reports
a newsletter and Web log
by Frank Vozzo
 
Director of Student Learning Outcomes Assessment
 

 
February 13, 2006

In this report:

The New York State Education Department has set the following rules defining credit hours in higher education:

"Time on task is the total learning time spent by a student in a college course, including instructional time as well as time spent studying and completing course assignments (e.g., reading, research, writing, individual and group projects.) Regardless of the delivery method or the particular learning activities employed, the amount of learning time in any college course should meet the guideline of the Carnegie unit, a total of 45 hours for one semester credit (in conventional classroom education this breaks down into 15 hours of instruction plus 30 hours of student work/study out of class)." (NYSED Policies on Distance Higher Education: Determining Time on Task in On-line Education)

"Semester hour means a credit, point, or other unit granted for the satisfactory completion of a course which requires at least 15 hours (of 50 minutes each) of instruction and at least 30 hours of supplementary assignments, except as otherwise provided pursuant to section 52.2(c)(4) of this Subchapter. This basic measure shall be adjusted proportionately to translate the value of other academic calendars and formats of study in relation to the credit granted for study during the two semesters that comprise an academic year." (Title 8 Chapter II Regulations of the Commissioner, Part 50, section 50.1(o))

Since it is not combined with an increase in the length of the semester to 15 weeks (contact time), the new block schedule makes it institutional policy that the time traditional undergraduate students spend with instructors in the classroom is reduced by four hours and twenty minutes over the full semester for a three-credit lecture course.  To comply with NYSED regulations (and to avoid doing a disservice to our students), the institution should require that students do more homework.  Unfortunately, surveys of our students have shown that on average they already spend far too little time studying course material outside of the classroom (see CampusCruiser/My Cruiser/My Committees/TSC Faculty Staff and Administrators/Shared Files/Institutional Research and Planning/Planning Documents/Environmental Scan 2005.doc, page 2).

I propose that the following statement be added to the existing College Policy Statements that are distributed with all undergraduate course syllabi (the statement should also be emphasized with incoming students during orientation):

Undergraduate Credit Hour Policy

 

     Sage offers undergraduate courses in a variety of instructional formats, including traditional lecture, laboratory, internship, clinical setting, reduced seat time, and classes offered partially or totally on-line.  For all formats, the credit hour is defined as the academic credit awarded for satisfactory completion of a combined 45 hours of student time spent on task in direct contact with instructor, studying and completing course assignments (e.g., reading, research, writing, individual and group projects).  The bulk of a student’s course time is therefore spent working outside of the classroom.  Students may be required in some courses to independently study and master some course material.

The institution should regularly assess the degree to which students are complying with these guidelines, and address deficiencies.

You may have seen the announcements on CampusCruiser about ongoing improvements in the technology infrastructure at Sage (including, most recently, password consolidations).  The improvements are not random: they are guided by an Institutional Technology Plan, which you can download from CampusCruiser/My Cruiser/My Committees/TSC Faculty Staff and Administrators/Shared Files/Computing Services Information/2005 Technology plan.doc.

Included in the plan are some significant new initiatives (all of them follow national trends) that will affect every member of the faculty (pages 2-3):

III.  Create a technology environment that supports teaching and learning in the 21st century

B.   Provide access to tools that support integration of technology in the classroom

1.   Review and re-formulate the equipment acquisition plan to ensure that future needs will be met.

2.   Implement a laptop requirement for Fall 2008.

3.   Integrate the use of electronic portfolios to document learning, support outcomes assessment, and showcase student achievement.

4.   Create additional technology enabled spaces on both campuses to support technology integration in teaching and learning.

C.   Support the development of faculty proficiency in the use of technology

1.   Establish a baseline of faculty technology knowledge and develop a series of workshops that will provide baseline competencies and offer the opportunity for faculty to move to the next level of competency when ready.

2.   Explore the possibility of making technology a part of the evaluation process and a formal item for consideration by the Rank, Tenure and Promotion Committee.

3.   Develop a plan for recognition of achievement in the use of technology in the classroom.

4.   Develop multimedia training experiences that can be accessed anyplace, anytime.

We must keep outcomes assessment (not just added convenience and cost reductions) in mind as we move forward with these changes.  It will up to all of us to document how required laptops and required electronic portfolios improve student learning outcomes.  We should write and administer survey questions now that will give us some "before" and "after" information about our students.

Implementation of the faculty development initiatives will take time.  Why wait for the administration to come knocking at your door a year or two down the road?  There are many useful and fun tools available that are relatively easy to learn.  Find a faculty member now who is familiar with technology integration and pick his or her brain for ideas you can use.  Work with Ellen Murphy to increase your skills; check out the "Resource Center" tab on CampusCruiser.  

Health and allied services, business and commerce are the most-popular intended major fields for today's high school seniors (see CampusCruiser/My Cruiser/My Committees/TSC Faculty Staff and Administrators/Shared Files/Institutional Research and Planning/Planning Documents/Environmental Scan 2005.doc, page 6).  With the large number of undergraduate programs available, it comes as no surprise that alliances have been forming amongst institutions with business related majors to address the need to assess learning outcomes.

One such alliance is the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE).  While it is mainly an accrediting body, the IACBE hosts annual conferences open to members and non-members, facilitating conversations about outcomes assessment.

Undergraduate programs in entrepreneurship are becoming more common, and special conferences are being held to promote outcomes assessment within this community.

There are several outcomes assessment instruments available for programs interested in "benchmarking" against "national norms":

You can read a couple of Web documents describing outcomes assessment at local IACBE accredited colleges:

 

 

In next week's OARs: what do employers really want our graduates to be able to do?

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