Student Learning Resources

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness offers student learning assessment related sessions and workshops throughout the year. Additionally, departmental, unit, and/or individual consultations for faculty, staff, and administrators across the campus can be provided as needed. Session offerings are listed on the OIE calendar, and participants must register at training.lsu.edu.

The Certificate of Achievement in Student Learning Assessment is offered by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness as recognition of members of the LSU community who have completed the scaffolded series of sessions necessary to earn the certificate.

The Certificate of Achievement consists of five sessions offered in an intentional order. These sessions are intended to support assessment coordinators across campus in their efforts to design and prepare their assessment processes for annual reporting and a commitment to continued student learning improvement. Each session is offered over the course of the semester (some sessions are offered more frequently) to ensure that the Certificate of Achievement can be earned during a single semester.

Topics are listed below and can be adjusted to meet the campus community needs and/or time constraints. Typically, a session is one-hour in length, workshops are three hours in length, and consultations will vary.

Certificate of Achievement in Student Learning Sessions

In order to complete and receive the Certificate of Achievement the following five sessions must be taken in order. In order to attend a session, please register at training.lsu.edu.

Session 1: Student Learning Assessment: Foundation and Fundamentals

Foundation and Fundamentals, is the first in the series of five scaffolded sessions. Upon successful completion of this session, participants will be able to: define assessment, describe the value of assessment, and understand the assessment process at LSU.

Session 2: Student Learning Assessment: Planning, Annual Reporting, and Impact Reporting

Planning, Annual Reporting, and Impact Reporting, is the second in the series of five scaffolded sessions. Upon successful completion of this session, participants will be able to: write meaningful assessment plans, annual student learning assessment reports, and program impact reports.

Session 3: Student Learning Assessment: Rubric Development

Rubric Development, is the third in the series of five scaffolded sessions. Rubrics are valuable tools in assessing student learning as they help make grading consistent and fair, clarify expectations for both students and faculty, and help identify areas of improvement for the program.

Upon successful completion of this session, participants will be able to classify varying types of rubrics and construct a rubric that can be used for assessment.

Session 4: Student Learning Assessment: Using Evidence to Improve Learning

Using Evidence to Improve Learning, is the fourth in the series of five scaffolded sessions. Upon successful completion of this session, participants will discuss the appropriateness of evidence collected, how using multiple measures and integrating student learning data with institutional data can help tell your program/unit story, and discuss common barriers often found when collecting evidence for student learning assessment purposes.

Session 5: Student Learning Assessment: Actionable Insights

Actionable Insights, is the fifth in the series of five scaffolded sessions. Upon successful completion of this session, participants will be able to use data collected through the assessment process to make best practice data-driven decisions.

Student Learning Workshops

The below workshop topics are by request only; to schedule, please email Dr. Tara Rose.

Applying the Backwards Design Framework

Applying the Backwards Design Framework provides beginner level material needed to design your courses/programs. Participants will be introduced to three stages of backwards design: (1) identifying the desired results; (2) determining acceptable evidences of learning; and (3) designing the learning experience.

Assignment Design

Assignments are powerful teaching tools; this workshop will bring faculty together for collegial exchange and knowledge building. Faculty are asked to bring an assignment with them to the workshop. The assignment might be a draft assignment they are currently working on, one that has worked well but may be in need of a refresh, or one that has not worked as well as they had hoped. Finally, the assignment should be one in which the student is asked to demonstrate either critical thinking, quantitative literacy, written communication, or integrative learning. At the end of the workshop faculty will leave with a revised assignment that aligns to one of the outcomes above and the corresponding VALUE Rubric.

Building Rubrics

If you love chocolate and learning, this workshop is for you. Building rubrics will provide participants with the basic elements of an academic rubric, while brainstorming the essential components of the world’s best chocolate chip cookie!

Student Learning Consultation Topics

The below consultation topics are by request only and typically vary in length; to schedule, please email Dr. Coral Bender.

Outcomes Assessment for Administrative and Student Support Units

Outcomes assessment for administrative and student support units introduces the basic key terms and lexicon necessary for a shared understanding of what assessment is and how assessment of student learning and student success outcomes can jump-start their unit’s commitment to continuous improvement. An introduction to the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) is also shared.

Taskstream 101

Taskstream 101 training is offered by appointment only and follows an open-ended format focusing on addressing participants’ questions related to student learning assessment reporting. Participants are invited to ask questions relating to any challenges encountered using the software. Zoom and screenshares are utilized to make most efficient use of time.

Using Evidence to Improve Learning

Does the evidence you are collecting address student learning issues appropriate to the program/unit? Does the evidence you are collecting tell you something about how well the program/unit is accomplishing its mission and outcomes? The questions you have about student learning should guide the decision of evidence collected and identify gaps where a new type of evidence might be needed. The using evidence to improve learning workshop will provide an opportunity for attendees to discuss the appropriateness of evidence collected, how using multiple measures and integrating student learning data with institutional data can help tell your program/unit story, and discuss common barriers often found when collecting evidence for student learning assessment purposes.