Learning & Assessment

Learning Outcomes Assessment (LOA) is a high priority at Greenfield Community College, reflecting our strong commitment to student development and the ongoing improvement of our programs and services. By gathering and interpreting information about student learning, LOA helps us understand whether students are achieving the knowledge and skills we intend through both academic and co-curricular experiences.

This process is more than evaluation—it is a thoughtful and intentional response to change, ensuring that we remain student-centered and adaptive to evolving needs. Ultimately, LOA provides insight into how our students’ experiences at GCC make a lasting difference in their lives, while guiding us in our shared mission of continuous improvement in student learning.

Marie Breheny

Director of Institutional Effectiveness

Institutional Research

BrehenyM@gcc.mass.edu (413) 775-1397 S208

BS, Fordham University, MS, Iona College, EDS, PhD, Florida Institute of Technology

Shawn Durrett

Associate Director of Learning Outcomes Assessment

Institutional Effectiveness

DurrettS@gcc.mass.edu (413) 775-1401 S329

BA, Macalester College, MFA, University of Michigan

The Assessment Cycle at GCC

Programs follow a three-year Assessment Cycle so that all of their Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) have been assessed in any given three-year period. PLOs are clearly-articulated statements about the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that students will attain as the result of their successful participation in and completion of a particular Associates Degree, Certificate, or co-curricular activity. The three-year assessment cycle starts with developing or reviewing learning outcomes for the program, and mapping those outcomes onto delivery points in the curriculum. Student assignments are used as evidence of learning and rated for accomplishment of the outcomes using some measurement like a rubric or exam questions. The data is analyzed to determine how well, on the whole, students are achieving the outcomes. Where achievement does not hit the desired level, programs close the loop by designing program modifications, and then the cycle begins again.

The Committee on Learning Outcomes Assessment was newly formed in the spring of the 2021-2022 academic year. The committee charge is to work with the ADLOA to provide faculty support and guidance on Learning Outcomes Assessment at Greenfield Community College, including caretaking of General Education learning outcomes. CLOA receives any revisions to Program Learning Outcomes and passes those to the Curriculum and Academic Policy (CAP) Committee. CLOA works to inspire a culture of ongoing learning improvement using assessment to facilitate student success, and to ensure the continued institutional integrity of our courses and programs. Assessment is not evaluation of faculty or staff, but of student learning achievement.