Institutional Learning Goals, Outcomes, and Evidence

What are institutional goals and outcomes?

Institutional learning goals describe the knowledge and skills we expect our students to learn and improve upon in their educational programs at IVCC. Institutional learning outcomes are the methods that we use to measure the students progress on and toward the goals.

Why assess Institutional Learning Goals and Outcomes (ILOs)?

ILO assessment measures if students earning credentials from IVCC (degrees, certificates) have the knowledge, skills, and abilities described by our ILOs.  This process demonstrates accountability to ourselves, our students, our community, our accreditors, and other stakeholders.

When are we assessing?

Faculty should assess their courses after mid-term each semester.

What do I do with assessment if a student did not complete the assignment?
Skip the student; do not report assessment data for a student who did not complete the course assignment you are assessing.

Assessment of Student Learning

  1. IVCC has 4 Institutional Learning Goals: Communication, Inquiry, Social Consciousness, Responsibility, and 10 Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) listed below. 
  2. By assessing the ILOs, we determine if students are proficient or not yet proficient in our institutional learning goals and outcomes. 
  3. IVCC's master course outlines indicate which of the 4 ILOs are assessed in a course.  Learning may be assessed by one or more outcomes in a course.  
  4. IVCC faculty assess ILOs in assignments and evaluations (tests, quizzes) aligned to course objectives and competencies.  The Assessment Plan indicates which course outcomes and competencies are aligned to the ILOs assessed in the course.  When assessing, faculty should look for assessment evidence to determine if a student is proficient or not yet proficient in an outcome.
  5. ILO assessment evidence provides examples of knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors demonstrated by students who are proficient in an ILO.  Visit the ILO Assessment Evidence page.
  6. Alignment and assessment are done in the learning management system, Brightspace.  The results of assessment are collected and reported by subject, division, and other variables.  IVCC uses assessment results for measuring student learning and for continuous improvement.
  7. IVCC offers faculty options for learning about assessment and assessing using Brightspace.  To participate in a fully online, self-paced training course, visit www.ivcc.edu/ilotraining.  Or, go directly to the Assessment in Brightspace page for instructions.  To receive information, training, and support from an Assessment Committee member, visit the committee web page for a list of members.

IVCC Institutional Learning Goals and Outcomes

Goal 1. Communication: To communicate effectively

Is the student proficient in…
  • communicating to or with a specific audience? (Outcome 1.1)
  • demonstrating purpose and organization? (Outcome 1.2)
  • synthesizing and supporting ideas? (Outcome 1.3)

Goal 2. Inquiry: To apply critical, logical, creative, aesthetic, or quantitative analytical reasoning to formulate a judgment or conclusion

Is the student proficient in…
  • gathering and selecting information? (Outcome 2.1)
  • analyzing or investigating data? (Outcome 2.2)
  • articulating reasons for decisions or solutions? (Outcome 2.3)

Goal 3. Social Consciousness: To articulate what it means to be a socially conscious person, locally and globally

Is the student proficient in…
  • describing a social system, theoretical framework, culture, or lifestyle? (Outcome 3.1)
  • appreciating diverse perspectives or differences within social, theoretical, or cultural systems? (Outcome 3.2)

Goal 4. Responsibility: To recognize how personal choices affect self and society

Is the student proficient in…
  • articulating an assessment of self in relation to others? (Outcome 4.1)
  • demonstrating awareness of personal responsibility and positioning within a larger context, culture, community, or system of thought? (Outcome 4.2)