Stories about learning improvement
Assessment practitioners, educational developers, educators, and others have collaborated to improve student learning. Read their stories.
Story Summaries & Keywords
Communication
This learning improvement project is a story of alignment: identifying what skills students need to be successful, creating relevant learning opportunities, and providing feedback across their journeys. The Communication BA/BS is one of the largest programs at Tennessee State University and has approximately 300 majors. Tennessee State University, a Historically Black College and University is located in Nashville, Tennessee and received the Carnegie classification of R2 (Doctoral Institution, High Research).
Keywords: portfolio, learning improvement, communication studies
Faculty in the Computer Information Systems undergraduate program at James Madison University worked with assessment and faculty development colleagues to develop a rubric and implement curricular changes to foster the development of key skills; interventions resulted in increased student performance and a budding culture of learning improvement within the program.
Keywords: program, undergraduate, business, discipline-specific learning outcome, curriculum change, assignment design, rubric
The faculty teaching a consumer sciences course at the University of Alabama collaborated to increase application/practice and teamwork activities during class after assessment results indicated students' shortcomings in critical thinking skills. Rubric evaluation of reflection papers showed students' skills increased after the pedagogical changes. Additionally, students shared that their perception of practice went from uncomfortable and unnecessary to essential to build skills.
Keywords: course, undergraduate, social science, critical thinking learning outcome, pedagogy change, rubric
As part of an initiative to improve student success in its STEM programs, York College of Pennsylvania piloted adaptive learning courseware in a General Chemistry course. The courseware yielded improved student scores, with positive implications for use in the College’s other STEM programs.
Keywords: course, undergraduate, science, discipline-specific learning outcome, pedagogy change, test
Graduate faculty utilized rubrics and implemented intentional curriculum interventions that led to improved student learning in our Masters (MA) program based on rubric results. The targeted SLO for improvement was on culture: demonstrate the ability to apply cultural norms in a range of communicative settings (professional, community, etc.).
Keywords: graduate education, culture, rubrics, Hawaiian language
The faculty member responsible for an American History course (a general education and transfer course) at Waubonsee Community College improved her students' information literacy skills by determining student areas of weakness and implementing scaffolded assignments as the solution. She used a modified AAC&U Information Literacy VALUE rubric to evaluate student performance on an essay question given as part the final exam.
Keywords: course, general education, humanities, information literacy learning outcome, assignment design, rubric
The Pacific Islands Studies program at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa engaged faculty and creative-thinking graduate assistants in improving student writing skills and assessment measures. In addition to improving student achievement, the learning improvement process created opportunities for faculty reflection and discussion of teaching and assessment practice and led to a shared sense of purpose and accomplishment in meeting students’ needs.
Keywords: program, undergraduate, interdisciplinary, written communication learning outcome, curriculum changes, pedagogy changes, assignment design, rubric
The School of Nursing at Auburn University faculty undertook a learning improvement project focused on the patient safety outcomes. They examined exam results before and after interventions. To improve student performance they added content throughout the curriculum, created simulation vignettes, held brown-bag sessions, and discussed effective strategies. By implementing small, pivotal changes, they observed improved student learning.
Keywords: program, undergraduate, nursing, NCLEX exam, curriculum changes, pedagogy changes
Social Welfare
The PhD program in Social Welfare at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa undertook a learning improvement project involving the qualifying exam. Through a better alignment of the curriculum and better timing of the exam, the faculty saw improved student learning.
Keywords: graduate program, quantitative research, qualifying exam, curriculum alignment
The Learning Improvement Community's goal is to provide a space for successful learning improvement stories. We recognize that the teaching, learning, and assessment practices represented take place in a "local” institutional context. The information contained in this website is for information purposes only. We do not control or guarantee the accuracy, relevance, timeliness, or completeness of information and practices presented in these stories.