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JRCERT Update

Schans

Table 1
Characteristics of SMART SLOs 3
Criteria Description
Specific States the specific knowledge, skills, and abilities students will be able to demonstrate.
Measurable Stated in quantifiable terms.
Achievable Addresses the question: Are students capable of acquiring the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities in the des-
ignated timeframe?
Realistic Focuses on the relevant knowledge, skills, and abilities of which graduates of the program should be proficient.
Time-Bound States a timeframe for students to acquire and demonstrate acquisition of the requisite knowledge, skills, and
abilities.
Abbreviation: SLO, student learning outcome.
 describe the broadest and most comprehensive credentialing exam pass rates, job placement rates,
goals of the course program completion rates, graduate satisfaction, and
 focus on what a student should be able to do, employer satisfaction. To assure transparency and
think, or value with the knowledge covered, not accountability, Standard Five, Objectives 5.2 and 5.3,
what the instructor or course will cover address program effectiveness data with the require-
 have 3 to 7 outcomes for courses (fewer or more ment of collecting and publishing the data. In addition,
are possible) and 3 to 5 outcomes for programs to accredited programs must analyze and share SLO data
keep the assessment process from becoming cum- and program effectiveness data to foster continuous
bersome and unproductive program improvement. Table 2 identifies the JRCERT
 employ active verbs taken from various levels of Standards and Objectives associated with either SLOs
Bloom’s taxonomy (eg, students should be able to or program effectiveness data. 5
define or describe early in the program and analyze Submission of a program’s self-study or interim
or evaluate later in the program) report demonstrates Standard Five can be a trouble-
 avoid ambiguous verbs such as learn, gain, or some area. In fact, Standard Five, Objective 5.4,
understand generally is the most commonly cited objective in the
 be written in intelligible language, understandable Standards for an Accredited Educational Program.
to students so that they are aware of expectations The common errors associated with trying to address
 be measurable Standard Five, specifically Objective 5.4, are:
 program faculty analyzing program effectiveness
SLOs vs Program Effectiveness Data data and not SLO data
An SLO describes how students are performing,  program officials sharing program effectiveness
whereas program effectiveness data reflect how the data only and not SLO data during an advisory
program is performing. The Joint Review Committee committee meeting or assessment committee
on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) meeting
requires accredited programs to develop an assess-  programs not adequately documenting the analy-
ment plan that, at a minimum, measures the program’s sis and sharing of the SLOs
SLOs in relation to the following goals: clinical A close analysis of SLOs is important to determine
competence, critical thinking, professionalism, and whether the curriculum is preparing students for suc-
communication skills. This plan must include goals, cess. If an advisory committee does not feel qualified
SLOs, measurement tools, benchmarks, timeframes, to discuss the results, an assessment committee could
and parties responsible for data collection. Program be developed with individuals who are better suited to
effectiveness data that must be collected include analyze topics of curricular design and assessment.

RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY, January/February 2019, Volume 90, Number 3 313
Reprinted with permission from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists for educational purposes. ©2019. All rights reserved.