1. Creating a Culture of
Evidence
How do we know?
What we should do!
EDHE 606
The Learning Centered Community College
Morgan State University
2. The Learning College...
Creates substantive change in individual learners
Engages learners as full partners in the learning
process
Creates and offers as many options for learning as
possible
Assists learners to form and participate in
collaborative learning activities
Defines the roles of learning facilitators by the needs
of the learners
Succeeds only when improved and expanded
learning can be documented for its learners.
From: O’Banion, T. (1997) A learning college for the 21st century. ACE/Oryx Press:Phoenix, AZ.
3. The Learning College
succeeds only when improved
and expanded learning can be
documented for its learners
What does this learner know?
What can this learner do?
4. Two Key Questions
How does this decision, action, solution,
improve student learning?
How do we know this decision, action,
solution, improves student learning?
5. Thinking
What is your institution’s vision?
Are you achieving your vision?
How do you know? What is your
culture of evidence?
6. Building a Culture of Evidence:
The Complexities
Requires resources to do well
Long and tedious process
Must be:
– Deliberate
– Organized
– Focused
Learning Outcomes Assessment
– Faculty driven
Institutional Buy-in and Support
– Faculty
– Administration
– Trustees
7. Asking “Why do it?”
Mandated
Provides credibility
– Internal
– External
Makes us look good
Makes us feel good
Forces us to change
Continuous quality improvement
Improved and expanded student learning
8. The Dilemma:
Institutional Change and
Transformation
Thinking differently about how to collect
the data
Behaving differently by using the data to
make positive changes
Changing deliberately
Orchestrating the change by using a
planned strategy:
– John Kotter: Leading Change
– Eight strategies
10. The Learning College
Creates powerful learning environments in
which students are engaged as active
partners and have responsibility for their
own learning.
– Creates new architectures to support learning
(learning communities, redefining faculty load,
articulating credit and non-credit experiences)
– Forms cross-constituent teams in which roles
and boundaries are blurred in order to promote
student success and determine new directions
in learning.
11. The Learning College
Creates powerful learning environments in
which students are engaged as active
partners and have responsibility for their
own learning.
– Offers anyway, anywhere, anytime learning options that
fit the learning styles/ needs of all learners
– Reinforces, recognizes and rewards successful learning
– Provides extensive staff development focused on
learning so that all are viewed as learners
– Encourages student involvement in planning and
governance
– Produces evidence of student learning
12. The Learning College
Believes all students can learn
– Provides support for all learners
Student support services
Technical support services
– Collects and synthesizes outcomes data on
participation rates, pass rates, retention rates,
GPAs, graduation rates and transfer rates,
success in next course,to name a few
– Produces zero variance in academic
performance among racial groups with
high achievement for all
13. The Learning College
Produces continuous reflection on
learning and learning outcomes
– Vision and mission statements
– The language of learning
– Institutional effectiveness system
– Exploring new architectures
– Annual operating plan that encompasses
all activities with measurable objectives
at all levels
– Budget resource allocation and budget
process that are reflective of intended
measurable outcomes at all levels
14. The Learning College
Produces continuous reflection on learning
and learning outcomes
– Outcomes-based curriculum across the
institution
Student evaluation of courses
Outcomes assessment at course level
Outcomes assessment at program level
Transcripted skills
15. The Learning College
Involves everyone in the institution in
learning and leadership in learning
– Appointment, hiring evaluation, projection for
everyone to reflect evidence of a commitment
to learning
– Orientation of new faculty, administrators,
board members, staff members in terms of
their roles in learning
– Technology training available for everyone
– Participation of faculty, administrators, staff
and students in shared governance
16. The Learning College
Involves everyone in the institution in
learning and leadership in learning
– All areas of the college receive same
opportunities and acknowledgement for
contributions to learning
– The institution produces a body of evidence
supporting learning outcomes in the non-
cognitive/affective domain
– The institution provides on-going opportunities
for development and leadership surrounding
learning lead by a diverse body of
stakeholders.
17. Final Thoughts
Ifyou don’t know where you are
going, how will you know when you
get there?
– Vision and planning
What if we are not as good as we
think we are?
– Learning Outcomes Assessment cycle
What if we make mistakes?
– Risk-free philosophy
