Student Learning Outcomes at Orange Coast College
Student learning outcomes (SLOs) are statements describing our intentions about what students should know, understand, and/or be able to do as a result of their educational experience at Orange Coast College. Orange Coast College has developed SLOs at the course, program and institutional levels. Each SLO, regardless of the level, is assessed at least once every three years. Orange Coast College has demonstrated proficiency as measured by the ACCJC Rubric for Evaluating Institutional Effectiveness; the College currently has in place processes to achieve sustainable continuous quality improvement.
SLO assessment results are entered into the college's integrated database, Solutions. Solutions is available on the college's Institutional Effectiveness portal site as well as through the link below. Trainings are provided by the college's Assessment and Improvement Coordinator (see contact information at the bottom of this page).
Course Level SLOs (CSLOs)
Faculty are responsible for constructing appropriate SLOs for courses in their content area. All course student learning outcomes (CSLOs) are submitted to the College’s Curriculum Committee for review and approval. CSLOs are listed on course syllabi and are also viewable through the online schedule of classes.
CSLOs are assessed by faculty teaching the course using a variety of assessment methods. Orange Coast College encourages faculty to develop authentic assessment methods for CSLO assessment. The College defines authentic assessment as, "an evaluation in which students must apply knowledge, skills, and/or dispositions learned in a course to activities that replicate experiences they would have outside the classroom. Students creatively apply what they have learned rather than simply recalling content. Therefore, authentic assessment measures the skills, knowledge, and dispositions that students acquire through course participation that can be applied to their professional, personal or civic endeavors."
Program Level SLOs (PSLOs)
Faculty who teach within a program are responsible for defining program level student learning outcomes (PSLOs). The College, through a shared governance process, has endorsed mapping CSLOs to PSLOs as the preferred method of assessing PSLOs. Programs can choose other methods such as an external examination or a capstone project, if desired.
Instructional Student Learning Outcomes (ISLOs)
ISLOS are assessed through indirect and direct methods of assessment. The indirect method uses locally derived questions as well as questions on the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) related to the four ISLO areas: Communication, Thinking Skills, Social and Global Awareness, and Personal Development and Responsibility. The direct method assesses students close to graduating for competencies in Communication, Thinking Skills, Social and Global Awareness, and Personal Development and Responsibility.
Help with SLOs
For more information on or assistance with SLOs, please contact one of the Assessment and Improvement Coordinators:
- Anna Hanlon at ahanlon@occ.cccd.edu or 714-432-0202 x26177
- Kelly Holt at kholt@occ.cccd.edu or 714-432-0202 x26907