Institutional Learning Outcomes (ILOs) are goals that every student at NWTC is expected to achieve by graduation through learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. These outcomes build a solid foundation for graduates to contribute to any industry, group, or community.
NWTC's Institutional Learning Outcomes
- Critical Thinking: Analyzing problems, thoughts, and information to make decisions or establish a plan to reach a conclusion.
- Equity & Inclusion: Respecting the cultures, identities, and experiences of all individuals to contribute to inclusive and equitable teams, workplaces, services, and communities.
- Teamwork: Acting in a personally responsible and ethical manner as a contributing member of a team, discussion, and within the community.
- Communication: Sharing ideas and opinions clearly and efficiently using both words and non-verbal cues in all contexts and communication modes - written, oral, and digital.
Assessing Institutional Learning Outcomes
Instructors identify how students' skills are progressing for each institutional learning outcome. Below are some of the dimensions that are assessed.
Critical Thinking
- Identify the problem: Clear statement of the problem or issue. Understanding of the key components and context of the issue.
- Acquire relevant information: Use of relevant and credible sources. Consistency in citation practices. Use of technology to acquire information.
- Evaluate alternatives: Respect for others' viewpoints. Considering multiple outcomes and alternatives.
- Apply information to solve the problem: Use of information to solve problems, integration of diverse perspectives. Application of learning to new contexts.
- Conclusions and results: Evaluation of conclusion. Consideration of impact and effectiveness of proposed solutions.
Equity & Inclusion
- Asset-minded cultural awareness: Being sensitive and affirming toward the impacts of culture on identity development and lived experience. Explains how different aspects like culture, race, gender, ethnicity, and ability intersect and contribute to diversity. Recognizes and affirms the strengths, knowledge, and skills resulting from diverse identities and lived experiences. Describes how culture, experiences, and identities shape personal values, beliefs, norms, and biases.
- Building relationships across difference: Engaging in respectful relationships and collaboration with individuals and communities of diverse cultural backgrounds. Initiates collaboration with individuals from a variety of cultural perspectives, identities, and experiences. Communicates about cultural perspective and differences to promote cross-cultural understanding. Adapts language and behaviors to connect with others across cultural differences. Explain how power differences impact institutional and interpersonal spaces.
- Empowerment to promote equity: The critical analysis of the status quo and empowerment to make changes toward more inclusive and equitable services. Analyzes the ethical, social, and environmental impacts of inequitable language, practices, and policies. Identifies immediate and root causes of inequities in specific situations. Addresses inequities with evidence-based approaches. Incorporates processes to gather ongoing feedback or other metrics as indicators of inclusive and equitable services
Teamwork
- Team climate: Creates a positive, supportive, collaborative team environment. Encourages open communication and respect among team members. Demonstrates a cooperative and respectful attitude. Values diverse perspectives and ideas. Recognizes personal strengths and areas for improvement. Adapts and learns from others.
- Accountability: Participates actively in discussions and tasks. Contributes proactively to team's work to achieve team goals. Provides thoughtful and relevant input. Takes responsibility for individual tasks and team responsibilities. Meets commitments and deadlines.
- Leadership: Demonstrates leadership skills when needed, such as creativity, problem-solving, innovation. Facilitates collaboration and decision-making. Assists/ leads creation of goals/ outcomes. Identifies achievement of goals/ outcomes.
Communication
- Audience, Purpose, and Format: Respectfully articulates ideas with consideration of the audience, situation, barriers, and purpose for communication. Demonstrates a mind open to cultural diversity by employing appropriate language for the intended audience. Purpose is driven by the audience and the communicator’s goal for communication. The medium and format are suitable for the context, and the conventions of that format are demonstrated.
- Organization and Content: Organizes the content of their communication clearly and logically for the chosen medium and format. Follows the expectations for organization of the format. Presents content that is logical and supported, following the expectations of the intended audience i.e., researched factual evidence, statistics, testimonies, personal experiences, examples, observations, etc. Discloses appropriate information for the communication situation. Distinguishes between fact and opinion. When applicable, integrates outside sources and acknowledges the sources per industry standards.
- Visual/Design: Designs the communication per industry standards, following the expectations of the format and audience. Easy to follow and free of distractions. When using visuals, they are appropriate for the context and included where relevant for communication. If orally presented, the communicator’s non-verbal behaviors are appropriate for the audience and occasion, which includes effective use of digital content when
applicable. - Control of Language, Syntax and Mechanics: Communication is clear, concise, fluid, and appropriate. Grammar, punctuation, mechanics, pronunciation, language, and tone are fitting for the audience, purpose, and format. Any errors do not interfere with communication. Demonstrates the language and sentence structure standards for the academic and industry area. When orally presented, the communicator employs effective speaking strategies, including volume, tone, enunciation, eye contact, posture, gestures, and facial expressions for the communication situation.