Assessment

Assessment

Prince George’s Community College (PGCC) is dedicated to helping our students achieve their educational goals. To ensure that PGCC students will experience the best learning environment possible, the entire college is engaged in a rigorous assessment process. The college continuously measures, reviews, and improves both courses and programs to meet institutional learning goals. Through this process, PGCC ensures that all of our students have the opportunity to achieve their academic goals.

Course Assessment

Every course at PGCC has an identified set of learning outcomes that describes the knowledge, skills, and/or values which will be the focus of the course. Defining clear and specific course learning outcomes ensures that students experience a consistent learning environment across different sections of a course. In every academic department, faculty select key courses to be assessed in any given semester. The degree to which students grasp the intended learning outcomes is evaluated in every course assessed through an analysis of selected assignments and other projects. In addition to monitoring the degree to which course learning outcomes are being met, PGCC also assesses the validity of course sequences, e.g. Introduction to Psychology followed by a more focused course in adolescent behavior, which provides the necessary foundation to enable a student to succeed in a higher level course. This “scaffolding approach” helps ensure that courses provide the building blocks of learning outcomes and a core set of competencies for all students. This is accomplished by having learning outcomes in required courses carefully “mapped” (connected) to learning outcomes for the program of study and/or to institutional learning outcomes (“student core competencies”).

Program Assessment

Every program at PGCC has an identified set of learning outcomes which describe the knowledge, skills, and values that every graduate of the program will possess upon completion. Program specific courses have learning outcomes that have been mapped to the program outcomes. As a result, every assignment, project, or activity completed in a program specific course is directly building the knowledge, skills, and values needed to be successful in the field of study.

Student Core Competencies

While each program of study requires students to master specific skills necessary to be successful in the field, there is also a set of “core competencies” which PGCC has established as a necessary foundation of skills for every graduate. PGCC has identified six core competencies which every graduate of a two-year program will possess. These student core competencies are specifically addressed in the General Education coursework and also appear throughout the curriculum at PGCC. The core competencies are measured by 17 measurable outcomes (MOs), which are also our Institutional Learning Outcomes. MOs are fully defined statements that can be easily integrated into classroom assignments and grading/rubric expectations. All students graduating with an associate degree will have obtained these competencies as defined.

Student Core Competencies	Measurable Outcome	Measurable Outcome Definition
	MO1.1: Write in standard English at the college level	Students’ writing will contain clear and concise sentences; unified, coherent, and well-developed paragraphs; and a logical organizational structure. Their writing should also reflect an awareness of audience and be appropriate for the assignment’s rhetorical situation. Grammar and usage rules should be applied correctly, and appropriate diction should be used.
	MO1.2: Speak in standard English at the college level	Students will communicate effectively using Standard English by adhering to standard grammar and usage rules, using appropriate diction and non-verbal cues, taking into account audience and rhetorical situation and organizing ideas logically.
	MO 1.3: Read and comprehend college-level materials	While reading, students will identify the main idea and the details/evidence of the text and understand or infer the meaning of the language in the text.
	MO 1.4: Read and analyze college-level materials	When analyzing college-level materials, students will identify the purpose, point of view, tone, and main points of the text and draw conclusions and infer meaning. Students will also assess the quality of the evidence presented and its relevance to their purpose.

Student Core Competencies	Measurable Outcome	Measurable Outcome Definition
	MO 2.1: Comprehend mathematical concepts and methods	Students will calculate and solve mathematical problems, explain mathematical concepts and processes, and recognize or identify situations for which a particular method or process is appropriate.
	MO 2.2: Engage in qualitative and quantitative reasoning to interpret, analyze, and solve problems	Students will select the appropriate approach(s) (e.g., numerical, graphical, symbolic, and verbal) and use multiple problem solving tools (e.g., symbolic/algebraic notation, graphs, and tables) to identify, analyze, and solve problems.
	MO 2.3: Explain natural processes and analyze issues using appropriate evidence, employing the principles of the biological, physical, and/or behavioral sciences	Students will apply the scientific method of inquiry to draw conclusions, use scientific theories to explain physical phenomena or occurrences, and explain the impact of scientific theories, discoveries, and technological changes on society.
	MO 2.4: Apply the principles of the social sciences	Students will use theories, concepts, and principles to analyze human behavior (e.g., individual or group), social institutions (e.g., corporations, the family, educational institutions, courts of law) political institutions (e.g., government), and global institutions (e.g., United Nations, International Monetary Fund).

Student Core Competencies	Measurable Outcome	Measurable Outcome Definition
	MO 3.1: Reason abstractly and think critically	Students will demonstrate their critical thinking through answering questions and making statements and then defend the validity of these responses and statements. Students will argue a point of view, both verbally and in writing, in a succinct, well-organized and logical manner. Students will produce well-reasoned arguments on topics and ideas based on evidence.

Student Core Competencies	Measurable Outcome	Measurable Outcome Definition
	MO 4.1: Recognize the need for information	Students will calculate and solve mathematical problems, explain mathematical concepts and processes, and recognize or identify situations for which a particular method or process is appropriate.
	MO 4.2: Locate, evaluate, and effectively synthesize needed information	Students will select the appropriate approach(s) (e.g., numerical, graphical, symbolic, and verbal) and use multiple problem solving tools (e.g., symbolic/algebraic notation, graphs, and tables) to identify, analyze, and solve problems.
	MO 4.3:-Utilize computer software and other technologies to enhance college-level learning, communication, and visual literacy	Students will apply the scientific method of inquiry to draw conclusions, use scientific theories to explain physical phenomena or occurrences, and explain the impact of scientific theories, discoveries, and technological changes on society.

Student Core Competencies	Measurable Outcome	Measurable Outcome Definition
	MO 5.1: Compare and contrast the core values and traditions of various cultures within the global environment	Students will analyze and communicate similarities and differences among customs, manners, beliefs, and traditions of multiple cultures around the world. Students will use this ability to address core issues from the perspective of different cultures, political orders or technological contexts and explain how these different perspectives contribute to outcomes that depart from current norms or dominant cultural assumptions.
	MO 5.2: Comprehend the nature and value of the fine, literary, and performing arts	Students will recognize the concepts that form the foundation of imaginative, aesthetic, and intellectual approaches used in the formulation and execution of the visual, written, aural, and performing arts.
	MO 5.3: Relate fine, literary, and performing arts to human experiences	Students will connect the distinctive life experiences and viewpoints of the originators of visual, written, aural, and performing arts with the originators’ creations. Students will compare and contrast their own unique life experiences and the originators’ viewpoints and experiences.

Student Core Competencies	Measurable Outcome	Measurable Outcome Definition
	MO 6.1: Evaluate ethical principles	Students will identify and evaluate ethical concepts, issues, and cases in the context of their particular disciplines.
	MO 6.2: Apply ethical principles in professional and personal decision-making	Students will uphold academic integrity, demonstrating an understanding of the forms of academic dishonesty, such as plagiarism, as well as the consequences of academic dishonesty and effective prevention strategies. In applying ethical principles in academic contexts, students will engage source materials responsibly, representing viewpoints accurately through summaries, paraphrases, and quotations; students will use appropriate, discipline-specific documentation styles to attribute source materials explicitly and directly. Students will also apply ethical principles and/or discipline-specific rules to solve actual or hypothetical problems relevant to their discipline.

Continuous Improvement

Every semester, PGCC works to identify ways to improve student performance and to hold itself to the highest standards of academic rigor. This is accomplished through a process of collecting data from the classroom, having faculty examine those data, and identifying areas where students’ performance on course learning outcomes could be improved. Faculty make adjustments to the course to enrich the experience of our students and then measure the course performance again to ensure that these adjustments indeed result in improved academic performance. Through this cycle of continuous improvement, in which data are regularly analyzed and acted upon, PGCC ensures that students are offered the best possible learning environment and that all students have the opportunity to achieve their academic goals. Information about each program of study, including required program and general education courses, is offered in Programs of Study .