Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting Department of Academic Effectiveness and Assessment.

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP)

Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting

Department of Academic Effectiveness and Assessment

Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan

Progress on the QEP

Review QEP timelinesDefining Critical ThinkingQEP Initiatives and Goals

Progress and Areas of Opportunity

September 2, 2011 Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting

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Review of QEP Timelines

Efforts began in Spring 2008 at program levels

As of 2011, all disciplines institution-wide (33) have participated in learning to teach Critical Thinking (via Champions and ARTs)

One year remaining until we start finalizing the report


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Defining Critical Thinking

QEP Focus: Enhancing student learning by improving students’ ability to think critically.

SPC’s definition of Critical Thinking:


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“Critical thinking is the active and systematic process of communication, problem-solving, evaluation, analysis, synthesis, and reflection, both individually and in community, to foster understanding, support sound decision-making, and guide action.”



Six elements of Critical Thinking, thirteen student learning outcomes. Students will be able to…


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I. Communication • demonstrate the ability to communicate ideas effectively.

II. Problem-solving • identify inappropriate conclusions.

II. Problem-solving • use mathematical skills to solve real-world problems.

III. Evaluation • interpret numerical relationships in graphs.

III. Evaluation • understand the limitations of correlational data.

III. Evaluation • identify and evaluate evidence for a theory.

IV. Analysis • separate factual information from inferences.

IV. Analysis • separate relevant from irrelevant information.

V. Synthesis • identify new information that might support or contradict a hypothesis.

V. Synthesis • explain how new information can change a problem.

V. Synthesis • integrate information in order to solve a problem.

VI. Reflection • use journaling as a tool for in depth reflection of course their thinking

VI. Reflection • learn and apply new information that can change a problem.



The outcomes of the current definition of critical thinking are intended to:

Foster understanding

Support sound decision-making

Guide Action


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QEP Initiatives

Initiative #1: Student Success (primary focus of the QEP)

Initiative #2: Professional Development (culminates with student success)

Initiative #3: Critical Thinking Resources (supports student success)


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Initiative #1:Student Success



Initiative #1: Student Success


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# Goals 1-1. Enhance students’ critical thinking skills through “teaching for critical

thinking” classroom activities across the curriculum.

1-2. Develop and use general and discipline-specific assessment tools and strategies for measuring students’ critical thinking skills.

1-3. Collect student artifacts through ePortfolio.

1-4. Implement critical thinking programs supported by key student organizations.



Goal 1-1: Enhance students’ critical thinking skills through “teaching for critical thinking” classroom activities across the curriculum.


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Direct • Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT)

Measures: • ETS iSkills (due to modifications, iSkills is no longer being used)

• ETS Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress (MAPP)

• Assessment Rubric for Critical Thinking (ARC)

Indirect • Recent Alumni Survey

Measures: • Employer Survey

• Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)



Goal 1-2: Develop and use general and discipline-specific assessment tools and strategies for measuring students’ critical thinking skills.

Faculty Champion Portfolios, Academic Round Tables, Scenarios

Goal 1-3: Collect student artifacts through ePortfolio. Feasibility study reviewed current LMS (Angel) and others. Determined that

the ePortfolio would not meet our needs. CT subcommittee of Ed Oversight recommended using ePortfolio allocated funds towards CCSSE.

Goal 1-4: Implement critical thinking programs supported by key student organizations.

Great debate of 2008, SPC Reads, “The Cuban Guy”, Extreme Entrepreneurship Tour. WITS forms for Student Life and Leadership and students


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Student Success: Opportunities

Administer MAPP (institution-wide direct measure, last administered in 2007)

Consider critical thinking items on the SSI

Documentation of student journaling (V. Reflection) (aligned to ePortfolios, also single demonstration aligned to “foster understanding”)

Increase documentation of Critical Thinking programs/events and feedback

“Clean up” of faculty champion portfolios; explicitly document discipline-specific assessment examples

Conduct audit of all SPC programs (curricular and others) (SACS IE Reviewer’s template)


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Initiative #2:Professional Development





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# Goals

2-1. Provide professional development opportunities to assist faculty in developing class activities to support teaching for critical thinking.

2-2. Develop in-house critical thinking expertise (i.e., faculty champions) using the “train-the-trainer” approach.

2-3. Institute Academic Roundtables (ARTs) to investigate “teaching for critical thinking” strategies.



Goal 2-1: Provide professional development opportunities to assist faculty in developing class activities to support teaching for critical thinking. Thirteen Critical Thinking Institutes and retreats, CAT scoring workshops, ARC scoring

workshops, Online seminars, evaluations

Goal 2-2: Develop in-house critical thinking expertise (i.e., faculty champions) using the “train-the-trainer” approach. Faculty Champion meetings, six external experts on campus, online training seminars,

development of RLO and assessment checklists

Goal 2-3: Institute Academic Roundtables (ARTs) to investigate “teaching for critical thinking” strategies ART Beach Retreats, meetings with Faculty Champions, evaluations by ARTs


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Professional Development: Opportunities

In fall 2011, advanced CT seminars will be held as part of the CT Institute, where disciplines will have individual meetings to discuss the day's presentations and discuss how it applies to their discipline.

In 2011-12, QEP office will work with CETL to get in touch with new faculty about CT

Look at C&I 3-yr course review process for opportunity to develop a “teaching for critical thinking” checklist as a tool for faculty to use when modifying courses or class activities. Checklist for activities are being developed in partnership with CETL.

During 2011-2012, survey SPC faculty regarding availability and effectiveness of professional development opportunities.


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Initiative #3:Critical Thinking Resources





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# Goals

3-1. Compile electronic resources for SPC faculty and staff organized through a College gateway website.

3-2. Create and collect critical thinking reusable learning objects (RLOs) for SPC and other institutions in Florida and across the world who are seeking multimedia/electronic critical thinking materials.

3-3. Contribute to the critical thinking literature through presentation and publication of instructional portfolios of strategies that support “teaching for critical thinking.”

3-4. Acquire and use print and multimedia critical thinking library resources available at Critical Thinking Resource Centers housed in campus libraries.



Goals 3-1 (electronic resources), 3-2 (RLOs), and 3-4 (CT Resource Centers): Gateway Website, instructional portfolios, partnership with WITS,

designated space at each campus library, as well as online. Approx 30 RLOs as of 2010-2011.

Goal 3-3: Contribute to the critical thinking literature… Faculty champion presentations at CT Institutes, 33 different

instructional portfolios that include discipline-specific research.


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Critical Thinking Resources:Opportunities

Survey faculty champions to identify RLOs they implemented in their courses.

Consider focus groups of students

Survey SPC faculty to obtain feedback regarding Faculty Champions’ portfolios (literature, activities, resources)


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Assessing Progress on the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Quality Enhancement Committee Meeting Department of Academic Effectiveness and Assessment.

Documents

critical thinking resources

thinking vi

student learning outcomes

student successseptember

student successinitiative

irrelevant information

synthesisintegrate information

student successquality