Tarrant County College District Quality Enhancement Plan, 2013 PowerOn: Critical Thinking On-site Review: November 19-21, 2013 Tarrant County College District Quality Enhancement Plan, 2013 PowerOn: Critical Thinking On-site Review: November 19-21, 2013 Tarrant County College District Table of Contents Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... 1 Beginning the QEP Development Process .................................................................................... 2 Understanding the Tarrant County College District Identity................................................ 2 Governing the District ............................................................................................ 2 Moving to a Data-Driven Institution ........................................................................ 2 Supporting the Mission and Strategic Plan ............................................................. 2 Incorporating the District’s Student Learning Outcomes ......................................... 3 Integrating the Statement of Values ....................................................................... 4 Studying the Students ....................................................................................................... 4 Analyzing Survey of Entering Student Engagement Data ....................................... 4 Analyzing Students in Developmental Education ................................................... 4 Learning about Students through Financial Aid Information ................................... 5 Defining TCCD’s Identity within the Higher Education Community ..................................... 5 Developing the QEP ..................................................................................................................... 6 Selecting a Theme............................................................................................................. 6 Recommending Themes ........................................................................................ 6 Establishing a QEP Topic Selection Committee ..................................................... 7 Forming the Core Team ......................................................................................... 9 Forming the Expanded Development Committee ................................................... 9 Involving Students ..................................................................................................1 1 Student Focus Groups ................................................................................1 1 Community College Survey of Student Engagement Data .......................... 12 Surveying Faculty Members during Fall 2012 ........................................................ 13 Conducting Campus-Based Coordinator Chats ...................................................... 13 Surveying at Assessment Day ...............................................................................1 3 Surveying at Connections Day ...............................................................................1 4 Comparing Results of the Surveys .........................................................................1 4 Conducting Faculty Member Focus Groups ........................................................... 15 Surveying Support Services Staff ...........................................................................1 6 Incorporating Biology and Allied Health Program Data ........................................... 17 Using a Logic Model .............................................................................................17 Connecting to the Curriculum Development Office ................................................. 17 Identifying the Topic ......................................................................................................................18 Engaging Students through the PowerOn Marketing Campaign Creation .......................... 18 Selecting a Campaign ...........................................................................................19 Voting Throughout the District ................................................................................19 Summarizing Pre-Implementation Activities .......................................................................21 Defining Critical Thinking and Stating the Desired Student Learning Outcomes ............................ 21 Establishing Student Learning Outcomes ..........................................................................21 Reviewing Literature and Identifying Best Practices ......................................................................22 Examining the Critical Thinking Literature ..........................................................................22 Reviewing Philosophical Approaches .....................................................................22 Reviewing Psychological Approaches ....................................................................23 Reviewing Educational Approaches .......................................................................23 Analyzing Critical Thinking Definitions ...............................................................................2 4 Identifying Best Practices: Instructional Methods and Change Agents ............................... 25 Delivering Critical Thinking in the Classroom .....................................................................25 ii Tarrant County College District Applying the Literature to QEP Faculty Development ........................................................ 27 Finding the Appropriate Model for QEP Faculty Development ........................................... 28 Assessing Students’ Critical Thinking Skills .......................................................................29 Studying Standardized Critical Thinking Tests ....................................................... 29 Using Course-Embedded Assessments ................................................................. 29 Using Indirect Measures ........................................................................................ 30 Implementing the QEP ..................................................................................................................3 2 Implementing the Plan .......................................................................................................3 2 Year 1: Fall 2013-Spring 2014 ...............................................................................3 2 Year 2: Fall 2014-Spring 2015 ...............................................................................33 Years 3-5: Fall 2015-Spring 2018 ..........................................................................3 3 PowerOn Faculty Development Program ...........................................................................34 PowerOn Faculty Learning Communities, Year 1 ................................................... 34 PowerOn Faculty Learning Communities, Years 2-5 .............................................. 35 Establishing Procedures for Faculty to Create Additional PowerOn Courses ......... 35 Supporting the Faculty Members ...........................................................................3 5 Supporting the Faculty Development Program ....................................................... 36 Assessing the Faculty Development Program and Support Elements .................... 36 Establishing a Method for Student Assessment of PowerOn Courses .................... 36 Establishing a Timeline .................................................................................................................3 7 Contextualizing the QEP into the District’s Organizational Structure ............................................ 42 Ensuring Institutional Capability ....................................................................................................43 Creating Positions, Reallocating Personnel and Creating Partnerships ............................. 43 Providing Physical Spaces ................................................................................................4 3 Budgeting for Faculty Member Stipends and Faculty Development ................................... 43 Funding the Direct Assessment .........................................................................................4 4 Funding Other Expenses ...................................................................................................4 4 Viewing the Overall Budget ...............................................................................................4 4 Assessing PowerOn ......................................................................................................................4 6 Conducting Baseline Direct Assessment: External Standardized Exam ............................. 49 Considering Option 1: Pretest/Posttest Research Design ...................................... 49 Considering Option 2: Representative Student Sample ......................................... 49 Deploying Option 2 ................................................................................................50 Providing Ongoing Direct Assessment...............................................................................51 Using Direct Assessment: Artifact-Based Measures ..........................................................51 Creating the Course-Based Assessments ..............................................................51 Conducting