Spotlight on Assessment:
Biology and Political Science
The Assessment Committee recognizes the Biology Program for Excellence in Benchmarking
An area that programs often find challenging is benchmarking. Biology has done an excellent job in providing internal benchmarks as well as benchmarking against the MFT. In the analysis section of their 3-Year Assessment Report, for SLO 1 - Students will demonstrate a broad, comprehensive knowledge of the main areas of biology (including evolution, diversity, ecology, cell biology, and genetics) and the ability to apply this knowledge to address new questions. (Specialized Knowledge) the Department reported:
“The Benchmark for % correct on Posttest questions should be 70% or higher. Pre/Posttest questions cover content essential to the main areas of Biology. Upper division post-test questions require more critical thinking and understanding of content than lower division courses. Posttest scores averages have been lower more recently in lower division BIOL 105 but the Upper division Biol 301 saw student improvement in understanding of the content resulting in their ability to apply it correctly. MFT scores suggest that CMU biology students are leaving the institution with a broad background in the Biological Sciences with students scoring above 50 (on a scaled score range of 20-100) in discreet categories across the board. CMU students also scored higher than the National Mean % correct score in all categories (except plants which were equal). The MFT exams are given to over 40,000 students annually at a variety of higher education institutions. The CMU biology program is providing a well-rounded education with students consistently being able to answer questions above the national average”.
The Assessment Committee Recognizes the Political Science Program for Excellence in SLO Alignment
Aligning Program SLOs with the CMU Institutional SLOs can be challenging. While the Institutional and Program SLOs must align, the Program SLOs also need to be unique and detailed to each specific Program. The Political Science Program SLOs are aligned with CMU Institutional SLOs, with specificity to the program, clearly identifying the learning that Political Science students should achieve upon completion of the Program. The Political Science Program Student Learning Outcomes are well written and clear with aspirational yet achievable outcomes. The Assessment Committee recognizes the Political Science Program SLOs as a model that could be used by others when writing program SLOs.
Apply political concepts and theories to political issues. (Specialized Knowledge/Applied Learning)
Analyze a political argument using established political science methods. (Quantitative Fluency)
Defend a political argument using established political science methods. (Communication Fluency)
Critically analyze the theories and concepts relevant to political science. (Critical Thinking)
Devise a strategy to promote civic involvement within the broader community for themselves and others. (Personal and Social Responsibility)
Articulate diverse perspectives surrounding a political issue. (Information Literacy)
Congratulations Political Science Faculty on Closing the Assessment Loop!
The most significant program improvement as a result of assessment data has been to expand offerings in the area of international relations (IR) and political theory. Both internal assessment data and data from the MFT field exam showed that comparative politics (CP) and international relations (IR) areas were the weakest areas of political science for our students. Consequently, a new hire in IR allowed for more courses in the subfield. The scores of our students on the MFAT exam in the CP area rose 28% and in the IR area 54% when compared to scores before the hire. POLS 151 Introduction to Political Ideas was added to the curriculum as a direct result of assessments that indicated students needed more background and beginning level instructions in that sub-field. Discussion with students about their theory preparation suggested they would greatly benefit from exposure to political theory before they took it at the 400 level. POLS 151 was designed to address these needs and to be part of the core of the major. The course has proven quite popular for majors and essential learning students alike (it is an essential learning option for Social and Behavioral Science requirements), drawing more students into the program. POLS 151 supports SLO #3 (Articulate diverse perspective surrounding a political issue (critical thinking)) through exposing students to at least 12 different political theory perspectives and asking them to use those perspectives to engage contemporary political issues in class discussion and on exams. It supports SLO #4 (Devise a strategy to promote civic involvement within the broader community for themselves and others (civic engagement)) by asking them to identify civic values necessary for developing community engagement and participation among citizens.
The Western Colorado Peace Officers Academy has utilized many differing assessment activities including panels, exams, papers, presentations, and specific skills tests to achieve remarkable results. While many programs have high benchmarks, this program expects all students to acquire select skills at a 100% attainment rate. This level of Student Learning Outcome achievement is demonstrated in the 425 out of 427 students from this program who have passed the demanding state POST certification. Furthermore, the retention rate of this program is 97% with a 92% job placement rate. This data points to assessment that is clearly systematic, systemic and intentional. At the end of each semester, a program debrief is conducted and any changes/improvements are implemented before the next group of cadets begins the program. The program is reviewed each semester and must meet the stringent requirements of the Peace Officer Standard and Training Board, thus the program is on a continuous review cycle.
Excellent job on assessment by the Western Colorado Peace Officers Academy!
Congratulations Accounting Faculty!
Fall 2019, accounting faculty met and discussed assessment results and areas where the accounting program could be improved to better prepare students for future employment. Accounting faculty used assessment data to identify areas of concern and then addressed those concerns through both course and curriculum changes. Faculty agreed to add at least one writing assignment to each Acct 300 and Acct 400 level class and grade students on writing quality in addition to content, after students did not meet the benchmark in written communication. This will be reassessed Spring 2020 to see if improvement occurred. Organization Behavior, Mang 301, was added to the accounting program, effective Fall 2019, to address a deficiency in teamwork, identified through assessment results. To increase student success in Intermediate Accounting, Learning Objective Quizzes were utilized to encourage use of the textbook and textbook resources. The success of using the quizzes will be reassessed Spring 2020. Based upon assessment results, areas for improvement have been identified and changes are underway. Reassessment will follow to measure the success of the change strategies used in the continuous improvement of the program
2019 CMU Chemists - Dr. Joe Richards; Ms. Suzanne Kenney; Dr. Phil Kiefer; Dr. Tim D'Andrea; Dr. Sam Lohse; Dr. Andrew Wolff; Dr. Andrew Vinyard; Dr. David Weinberg
Spotlight on Assessment
Chemistry Program
The Assessment Committee would like to recognize the Chemistry program as the Spotlight on Assessment Spring 2019.
The Chemistry faculty have utilized many differing assessment activities including tests, papers, presentations, and the Major Field Test (MFT). Student data was used and assessment was clearly systematic and intentional. Several changes have been implemented within the courses of the program. As examples, in Chemistry 341, based upon assessment data from past years, the Instructor spent more time reviewing relevant theory which then allowed students to achieve the learning outcome at the capstone level, demonstrating an increased comprehension of the material. Another action taken in Chemistry 341 this year, based upon assessment data received in prior years, was an emphasis by the Instructor on comparing collected data to known values. Assessment data to be gathered the next semester will demonstrate the effectiveness of this strategy or the need for additional interventions.
Excellent job on assessment by the chemistry faculty!
Through the process of program assessment, the History Discipline has developed new teaching strategies and reformed our core course curriculum, based on assessment data collected during the first several years of implementation. We recognized during the process of creating Program SLOs, for example, that while we had introduced our majors to the concepts of historical method and research, they did not have a firm understanding of historiography, which our discipline defines as the ongoing conversation that evolves over time between historians. Mastering historiography is a skill essential to developing an advanced research project in our history capstone. The history faculty acted by adding a new Junior Seminar in Historiography to our core curriculum, beginning in spring 2014. The new course aligns our core to create a more efficient and hierarchical learning structure to assess our SLOs, while highlighting the research strengths of our faculty. As a result, this spring, two students from a recent section of Junior Seminar went on to create presentations for the Phi Alpha Theta Regional Conference, and one of these students won an award for best paper.
Additionally, program assessment has been valuable in identifying areas of strength as well as challenges in our summative and formative course offerings. After several years of data collection on two of our SLOs that assess student’s ability to critically analyze secondary sources (mainly written by historians studying an era) and primary sources (documents produced during the era one is studying), we found that majors who had taken the history capstone course had difficulties creating suitable historical research questions. Such questions are essential to formulating and executing an advanced research project. As part of our action, individual faculty agreed to design a distinctive strategy or strategies to teach students how to create appropriately rigorous research questions, as part of their critically analyzing secondary and primary sources. We further identified innovative strategies for addressing this pedagogic challenge. Through program assessment, the history faculty have been able to improve actively our commitment to excellence in undergraduate education at CMU.
The Assessment Committee Recognizes the Outdoor Recreation Program for Closing the Loop.
The Outdoor Recreation Program has done an excellent job in evaluating SLOs with the goal of improving the program. The Outdoor Recreation Program has an expected Student Learning Outcome (SLO) of being able to explain and navigate the relationships between the outdoor recreation industry and state/federal legislation, public lands and water, climate science, wildlife corridors, and regulatory agencies. This SLO aligns with the CMU Institutional SLO of Critical Thinking and is assessed through OREC 205. On the Final Exam students were assessed in essay and multiple-choice questions about policy and regulatory impacts on public lands and the OREC industry. The results showed that in 2021, 15 students had a mean score 86% and in 2022, 20 students had a mean score of 89%. Key Findings concluded that the student scores did not accurately reflect their knowledge and ability to understand the concepts. Students could not articulate the complex relationships between the outdoor recreation industry and state/federal legislation, public lands and water, climate science, wildlife corridors, and regulatory agencies. Analysis revealed that although the topics were addressed in other courses, like OREC 205 and POLS 488, students needed to have more comprehensive instruction. After review, this was found to be a program deficiency that needed to be addressed. The faculty met and determined a course needed to be added to the OREC program to teach these concepts. The assessment finding had a budgetary impact of hiring an adjunct faculty to teach the new course. OREC 335 Public Lands Management and Outdoor Recreation, 3 Credits, was added to the program requirements in Spring 2023 with the following course description: Explores the field of public lands and resource management. Examines the role of federal, state, tribal, and local governments, businesses, non-governmental organizations, recreation users, and wildlife in public lands. Examines histories, current issues, and cultural trends in public lands agencies, as well as policies that govern land management. This course will be taught in the Spring semester beginning in 2024 with assessment to follow that semester to evaluate the effectiveness of the course in addressing the SLO deficiency.
The Surgical Technology Program has aligned their program SLOs with CMU SLOs in a manner that allows clarity for both the program and the institutional SLOs. Graduates of the program have a clear definition of what will be learned during the program course of study and upon graduation from CMU. The SLOs are clearly stated, measurable, fit within the context of Bloom’s Taxonomy and most importantly allow for program change to occur. The Program SLOs follow:
Outcome #1 The graduate will define and demonstrate the scope and breadth of surgical technology and related skills using evidence-based resources. (Information Literacy)
Outcome #2 The graduate will identify and calculate therapeutic interventions for selected patient populations. (Quantitative Literacy)
Outcome #3 The graduate will summarize discipline-specific case presentations to professionals and peers. (Communication Literacy)
Outcome #4 The graduate will interpret administrative and clinical policies to advocate for patient safety during surgical procedures. (Critical Thinking)
Outcome #5 The graduate will translate discipline-specific concepts into clinical surgical practice. (Specialized Knowledge)
Outcome #6 The graduate will apply the ethical, legal, moral, and medical values related to the patient and the surgical team during the perioperative experience. (Personal and Social Responsibility)