Aligning and Assessing Student Learning
 

During the third week in May, the School of Nursing faculty participated in a day of learning to improve alignment of student learning program outcomes and course objectives within the Avila School of Nursing curriculum.

To identify how we could use this day to improve existing excellence within the SoN, the Center worked with the dean and chair of Nursing to create a PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) that directed our efforts to creating change that resulted in improvement. After several meetings we identified the following deliverables as proof of successful change of behavior. These included:

Create a blueprint that aligns course objectives with assignment/assessments in one of your courses.
Created a plan for implementation of assessment blueprints in all of your courses.
Created a rubric for one assignment in one of your courses.
Created a script for intentional sharing of content and competency alignment or rubric.

We began our day with a post it note activity analyzing the following questions:

How do you guide student ownership of informative, formative, and transformative learning?

How does your course design facilitate student ownership of learning?

This activity allowed the faculty to identify those processes that were effective and areas for growth within course design and facilitation.

Next we reviewed the Big Idea of Constructivism within higher education

“‘Constructive’ aspect refers to what the learner does, which is to construct meaning
through relevant learning activities. The ‘alignment’ aspect refers to what the teacher does,
which is to set up a learning environment that supports the learning activities appropriate to achieving the desired learning outcomes. The key is that the components in the teaching system, especially the teaching methods used and the assessment tasks, are aligned to the learning activities assumed in the intended outcomes.” (Biggs, 2003)

[caption id="attachment_207" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Rhonda and Bruce Discussing the “Big Idea” of the Day[/caption]

The final learning of the morning was an introduction to Mediational Learning Experiences helped faculty to customize course facilitation to help students move between intent, meaning, and transending content presented. The professor should use divergent questions to help facilitate learning.This takes intentional planning. Some questions that could transcend all courses could be:

How will you use the information to become an effective nurse?
Where can you use this information other than in this course or on the state exam?
If (this happened), what would you do and how would you know that your decision was the best choice?
How do you know that information?
Can you ask your question in a different way?
Help me understand how you might do that.
Where else can you go to find that information?
What will you use to assess your confidence level during practice?
What will you do if you are not confident when your are in a clinical experience?
Can you describe how this content will have an impact on your future practice?

[caption id="attachment_209" align="alignleft" width="150"] Mediational Learning Experiences[/caption]

As of May 1st,  Andria Stokes, Director of the Center for Transformational Learning, will be moving from Foyle Hall 924 to Carondelet Hall. With her move, the Center will be located within the instructional […]