Sociology Program Assessment - Essex County Collegesloat.essex.edu/.../SLOAT_Spring_2011_Final_Reports_B… · Web view9.How comfortable do you feel solving word ... so make sure

compiled by Susan Gaulden, SLOAT Facilitator

FINAL REPORTS FOR SPRING 2011 SLOAT COURSES

Final Reports for Spring 2011 SLOAT CoursesACC 102 Rachel Pernia, Business

AFE 083 Troy Hamilton, Center for Academic Foundations

AFM 083 Violeta De Pierola & Arturo Vera, Center for Academic Foundations

ART 100 Barbara Pogue, Humanities

BIO 100 Ezdehar Abu-Hatab & Lynn Wilson, Biology & Chemistry

BIO 121 Jill Stein, Biology & Chemistry

BUS 101 Nathan Himelstein, Business

ENG 096 Eileen DeFreece, Humanities

ENG 101 Richard Bogart, Humanities

ENG 102 Patricia Bartinique & Kevin Hayes, Humanities

ENR 100 Alkis Dimopoulos, ETCS

ESL 080 Milena Rubinstein, Bilingual Studies

HST 101 David Berry & Margaret Stevens, Humanities

MTH 086 Shohreh Andresky & Ines Figueiras, Mathematics & Physics

MTH 100 Carlos Castillo & Soraida Romero, Mathematics & Physics

OPH 127 Charles Harrison, Nursing & Allied Health

PTA 202 Tom Donofrio, Nursing & Allied Health

RDG 096 Margaret Botney & Sean O’Connell, Humanities

RTC 106 John Marfo, Nursing & Allied Health

Abstract – 1

RTC 203 Mary Ellen Carpenter, Nursing & Allied Health

SOC 101 Akil Khalfani, Social Sciences

SOC 111 Arzelia Said, Social Sciences

Abstract – 2

Members of the Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Team (SLOAT) at ECC are assigned the task of determining the level of student mastery of various SLOs (i.e., Course Goals and all associated MPOs, General Education Goals if applicable, and Program Goals if applicable) specific to their SLOAT course. This book is a compilation of the Spring 2011 SLOAT Final Reports, which each contain course-specific findings. These final reports, along with other SLOAT course assessment documents, may be found on the ECC SLO Assessment website http://sloat.mathography.org, which is maintained by Professor Ron Bannon, Mathematics & Physics.PRINCIPLES OF MANAGERIAL ACCOUNTING (ACC

102) SLOAT SPRING 2011 REPORT

SUBMITTED BY RACHEL PERNIA

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this assessment study is to investigate and document the level of student mastery of the various desired learning outcomes of Principles of Managerial Accounting (ACC 102). ACC 102 is the second semester of a two-semester course sequence covering principles of accounting. The prerequisite for this course is successful completion (i.e., with a grade of C or better) of Principles of Financial Accounting (ACC 101). Thus, the courses should preferably be taken sequentially to increase the students’ chance of success in ACC 102.

The ACC 101 – 102 course sequence is a requirement for Accounting and Business Administration majors (both AAS and AS degrees). Approximately 8 sections, which each contained 30 to 35 students, were offered in the Spring 2011; 6 of these 8 sections (or roughly 75% of the ACC 102 enrollment) were used to collect data for this assessment study. Faculty and administrative support for evaluating this course in terms of student learning outcomes was very strong and such efforts made were well appreciated.

ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY

The ACC 102 faculty blueprinted 25 multiple-choice questions (see ACC 102 – Appendix A) to the following six Measurable Course Performance Objectives (MPOs), which are related to the stated two Course Goals:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the specific practice of using equity financing of operations.

1.1 describe and illustrate the characteristics of stock, classes of stock, and entries for issuing stock;

1.2 describe and illustrate the accounting for cash dividends and stock dividends; and1.3 describe and illustrate the reporting of stockholders’ equity.

2. Prepare specific financial reports and analyses.

2.1 analyze the cash flow activities reported in the statement of cash flows; 2.2 prepare a statement of cash flows using the direct method; and

ACC 102 – 1

2.3 describe basic financial statement analytical methods.

There were approximately 3 to 6 multiple-choice questions selected for and blueprinted to each MPO. The percentage of students who answered each MPO-specific series of multiple-choice questions correctly was then averaged to calculate a final average score for each MPO. This MPO-final average score would then summarily represent the level of student mastery of this desired student learning objective.

The assessment timeline included the 6th and/or 7th week of the Spring 2011 semester (i.e., February 28 – March 11) when testing was conducted in six (6) ACC 102 sections. These sections, which were comprised of 172 enrolled students, included three (3) full-time faculty sections (3 main campus day classes) and 3 adjunct faculty sections (1 main campus evening, 1 main campus weekend, and 1 West Caldwell campus). Furthermore, students were asked to complete a brief survey (see ACC 102 – Appendix B) after finishing the in-class assessment test.

RESULTS OF THE ASSESSMENT TEST & DATA ANALYSIS

The results of the assessment test are given in the table below.

MPO Tested Test Question # % of Students Who Answered Correctly MPO Final Average Score

1.1

2 59.30 %

59.20 %

3 50.58 %4 43.60 %6 75.58 %8 83.72 %12 42.44 %

1.29 59.30 %

55.43 %10 33.72 %11 73.26 %

1.3

1 68.02 %

59.59 %5 50.58 %7 69.77 %13 50.00 %

2.114 77.33 %

49.22 %15 41.28 %16 29.07 %

2.217 65.70 %

68.60 %18 54.65 %19 85.47 %

2.3 20 67.44 % 60.17 %21 67.44 %

ACC 102 – 2

22 45.93 %23 55.23 %24 64.53 %25 60.47 %

ACC 102 – 3

Based on results of the assessment (seen in the table above) and defining student achievement of an MPO as when the MPO Final Average Score is 70% or more (i.e., 70% or more of student responses to all questions blueprinted to this MPO were correct), none of the MPOs was fully achieved by students in this study. However, if performance on individual test questions is taken into account, it is apparent that some level of MPO student achievement was obtained since correct student responses to 5 blueprinted questions (i.e., question #s 6, 8, 11, 14, and 19) exceeded 70%. It is also important to consider that students seem to have least mastered the following learning objectives, which earned MPO-final average scores of 55.43% and 49.22% respectively:

MPO 1.2 describe and illustrate the accounting for cash dividends and stock dividends

MPO 2.1 analyze the cash flow activities reported in the statement of cash flows

It should be noted that this was the first test given in the semester for several of the ACC 102 classes in the SLOAT cohort. It is often the case that the first test of the semester tends to have lower grades, until the students become familiar with the instructor’s testing methods. Also, material included on the first test of ACC 102 is heavily based on concepts learned in Principles of Financial Accounting (ACC 101), and some students require more review of those concepts before they master the material of this course (i.e., ACC 102).

Also, because several classes and their respective instructors were involved in this study, there may have been variances as to how the assessment test was administered from class to class in terms of available time, study aides and other factors. The next study will address these possible variances by specifying a set of common test-administration guidelines to be carefully followed by all sections in the SLOAT cohort.

RESULTS OF THE STUDENT SURVEY

Students in the study cohort were also asked to complete a brief survey to give us an idea of the amount of time they spend studying as well as other factors that affect their preparation for the class and performance on tests. The student survey results are summarized below.

1. What grade are you currently earning in ACC 102 so far this semester?A 11.3% B 31.6% C 39.0% D 16.5% F 1.5%

2. How much time in total did you study for this test?Less than two hours (< 2 hrs) 18.1% Between two and four hours (2 – 4 hrs) 30.6%Between four and six hours (4 – 6 hrs) 21.5% More than six hours (> 6 hrs) 29.9%

ACC 102 – 4

3. Did you seek any of the additional help options listed below? Please circle all that apply.Tutoring 31% Help from the Professor during Office Hours 15%Study with Classmates 54%

4. If you did not seek additional help, why have you not done so?I do not need it 12.5% I am too busy 55% I don’t find the tutors helpful 3.7%I am embarrassed to get help 5% Other ___________ 24%

5. Do you have the required textbook – Principles of Financial Accounting II: Managerial – ACC 102 – for this course?Yes 97% No 3%

6. How many times have you been absent from class?Zero or one 66.9% Two or three 27.3% More than three 5.7%

7. How much of the assigned homework have you completed?More than 75% (> 75%) 73.9% Between 50% and 75% (50% – 75%)

17.9%Between 25% and 50% (25% – 50%) 6.7% Less than 25% (< 25%) 1.5%

8. Have you used an online homework package to complete the homework?Yes 27.6% No 72.4%

9. If you have used an online homework package to complete your homework, do you feel it helped you achieve a higher grade in the class?Definitely 27.3% Maybe 24.2% No 7% Not Applicable

41.4%

10. How long ago did you complete ACC 101 – Principles of Financial Accounting I?Last semester (Fall 2010) 76.1% Two semesters/terms ago (Spring 2010/Summer 2010) 14.6%Before 2 semesters/terms ago – when? 9.3%

11. What was your grade in ACC 101 – Principles of Financial Accounting I?A 33.6% B 41% C 25.4% D 0% F 0%

ACC 102 – 5

12. Are you an Accounting major?Yes 34% No 66%

In summary, the results of the student survey indicate the following:

At least 70% of students reported studying less than 6 hours for this test. 6 hours is not enough time to ensure mastery of the material.

55% of students reported that they did not seek additional help, even though the test results indicated they did not fully understand the material.

27% of students reported using the online homework software to complete their assignments. They felt it definitely helped them achieve a higher grade.

SUMMARY

The results of the ACC 102 assessment study established a baseline to use for future assessment studies for this course. It raised the awareness of instructors as to the level of student mastery of the required material, and it identified student learning content areas of strength and concern where additional focus is required. This assessment provides us with information to fine tune our instruction and to better prepare future assessment studies of ACC 102. In addition, this report has been distributed to accounting faculty and is being discussed as we plan our approach to teaching ACC 102 for Fall 2011.

PLAN OF ACTION (INTERVENTION)

Based on discussions involving the Chairperson of the Business Division and the Accounting faculty of the results of this assessment study, our plan of action is as follows:

ACC 102 students will be given early in the semester a multiple-choice test on the Principles of Financial Accounting (i.e., ACC 101) basic concepts.

Students who score 70% or less on this review exam will be encouraged to do the following:

o attend a series of ‘Review of ACC 101 Basics’ workshops at the Learning Center; and

o complete and submit an ACC 101 practice problem.

After the intervention described above is implemented early in the Fall 2011 semester to determine and address student learning areas of weakness, an assessment study similar to the one conducted in Spring 2011 will be repeated. The results of the Fall 2011 assessment study will be compared to the baseline Spring 2011 student learning outcomes assessment data (i.e., MPO

ACC 102 – 6

final average scores) to determine whether the implemented interventions improved the level of student achievement of the MPOs in ACC 102.

ACC 102 – 7

AFE 083 Student Learning Outcomes Assessment (SLO)Spring 2011 Final Report

prepared by Troy Hamilton, CAF

Introductio n

Academic Foundations English 083 (AFE 083) is a non-general-education course that focuses on writing, reading and study skills. This course is designed to emphasize fluency, the writing process, sentence structure, editing and revision, paragraph and essay development, the comprehension and analysis of texts, and effective study habits and skills. The reading skills will be applied to selections of fiction and non-fiction including essays reflecting the various rhetorical modes. Study skills instruction includes emphasis on listening, note taking, following directions, understanding texts, goal setting, time management, and test taking. Special emphasis will be placed on helping students to overcome the anxieties of testing, reading, writing and studying. The following are the listed course goals for AFE 083:

1. Write a five-paragraph essay.2. Utilize proper research techniques necessary to write a fully-cited research paper using

Modern Language Association (MLA) style format.

Purpose

This assessment of student learning outcomes (SLOs) conducted by Troy Hamilton seeks to help the other Center for Academic Foundations English instructors to better understand exactly what topics/skills students are mastering in the course. More than just engaging in information gathering, the desired intention of this study is to analyze and understand student progress for the purpose of modifying and refining how they are being taught. The hope and expectation is that each instructor, after the data is shared, will be encouraged to alter and/or modify their teaching approach to meet the needs of their individual students.

Methodology

The primary purpose of the student learning outcomes (SLO) study conducted in Spring 2011 for AFE 083 was to assess course goal 1 as was done in Fall 2010. Each of the five instructors who participated in this necessary assessment analyzed students’ essays to evaluate, among other things, how well the students were able to develop and sustain their arguments throughout the essay. Of the instructors participating in data collection for this study, two are full-time and three are part-time adjunct instructors.

a. The sample population of students selected to participate in the assessment were twenty- five, in total, from Sections 002, 003, LS3, OAC and DE1 (5 students from each sections). Instructors were asked to identify the first five students listed on their class roster to be part of the study. This approach helped to prevent instructors from purposefully selecting their best students to be part of the assessment cohort.

AFE 083 – 1

b. The essays chosen for the assessment were the last essays the students were required to write before they sat for the midterm exam and final exam.

c. The checklist rubric that was used to score the essays is given below.

Essex County College (SLOAT)Outcomes Assessment Survey

AFE 083/Spring 2011

English Assignment Survey Assignment due Date_______________ Section Number__________Assignment Topic_______________________________________________________________

For each of the following outcomes identified for inclusion in a paper assignment in AFE 083, please indicate their occurrence or lack of occurrence in your student’s writing:

1. Does the essay include an appropriate introductory paragraph? Yes Somewhat No

2. Is there an appropriate topic sentence with the author’s name and title of the essay? Yes Somewhat No

3. Was a relevant thesis statement incorporated within the introductory paragraph? Yes Somewhat No

4. Was a relevant three-point sentence established? Yes Somewhat No

5. Were the body paragraphs well structured? Yes Somewhat No

6. Were the body paragraphs related to each other in a logical structure that supported the thesis? Yes Somewhat No

7. Was proper in-text citation used? Yes Somewhat No

8. Did the paper contain an appropriate concluding paragraph? Yes Somewhat No

9. Did the paper include an acceptable level of mechanics and language usage? Yes Somewhat No

AFE 083 – 2

Measurable Course Performance Objectives (MPOs) related to course goals 1 are as follows:

1.1 write an appropriate introductory paragraph;1.2 compose an appropriate topic sentence;1.3 construct a clear thesis statement;1.4 establish a three-point sentence;1.5 compose an appropriate topic sentence for each body paragraph;1.6 utilize in-text citation;1.7 write a concluding sentence for each body paragraph;1.8 write an appropriate concluding paragraph; and1.9 use correct grammar and syntax throughout the essay

Student achievement of MPOs 1.1 through 1.3 provides evidence of how well students are able to develop an appropriate introductory paragraph, whereas achievement of MPOs 1.4 through 1.7 and 1.9 and MPO 1.8 were used to assess the body paragraph and conclusion paragraph respectively.

Assessment Results for the Midterm Exam:

50% of the students in the cohort were able to develop an appropriate introductory paragraph (i.e., achieved MPOs 1.1. – 1.3) before the midterm exam (both the midterm and final exams were designed by the Humanities Division). The first three questions on the checklist rubric were formulated to assess the introductory paragraph.

52% of the students were able to develop an appropriate body paragraph utilizing MLA in-text citation (i.e., achieved MPOs 1.4 – 1.7 and 1.9) before the midterm exam. Questions 4 through 7 and 9 on the checklist rubric were formulated to assess the body paragraphs.

49% of the students were able to develop an appropriate concluding paragraph before the midterm exam. Question 8 on the checklist rubric was designed to assess student ability to develop an appropriate concluding paragraph.

AFE 083 – 3

Intro Body Conclusion0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

50 52 49

Midterm Assesment

Responses

Diagram 1

These findings, as displayed in Diagram1, indicate that by the Spring 2011 midterm exam, only 50% (introductory paragraph), 52% (body paragraphs) and 49% (concluding paragraph) of the sampled students attained the corresponding Measurable Performance Objectives (MPOs). For this study, if 70% of the students are able to accomplish a given objective, it is considered ‘achieved.’ In this particular study conducted prior to midterm, none of the MPOs were achieved. This implies that by the eighth week of the semester students were not performing/writing at the expected, desired level. It seems that, based on anecdotal information gathered in discussions with students after the midterm assessment, a number of factors contributed to their lack of achievement. Some of the factors reported by students were external, such as employment, financial difficulties, and child rearing. It is safe to conclude that these factors prohibited students from attending class regularly, which directly impacted their academic performance. In spite of this and based on the study findings, it is clear that AFE English instructors and Supplemental Instructors (SIs) need to come up with more effective pedagogical strategies in an effort to enhance their students’ performance to preferably exceed 70% MPO achievability before the midterm exam.

Assessment Results for the Final Exam:

By the time the final exam was administered, MPOs 1.1 through 1.9 were better accomplished by the AFE students than before the midterm exam, which is certainly a good thing. However, several of the MPOs were still not quite achieved (as determined by the 70% benchmark).

69% of students were able to develop an appropriate introductory paragraph before the final exam, which is a considerable improvement from the midterm assessment (50%).

AFE 083 – 4

MPOs considered achieved

71% of students were able to develop appropriate body paragraphs correctly utilizing MLA in-text citation before the final exam, which is a considerable improvement from the midterm assessment (52%).

68% of the students were able to develop an appropriate concluding paragraph before the final exam, which is a considerable improvement from the midterm assessment (49%).


10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

69 71 68

Final Assesment

Responses

Diagram 2

Summary

As indicated in Diagrams 1 and 2, which are based on the information gathered from the assessment, AFE 083 instructors in the CAF department need to spend more time developing their students’ writing skills before the midterm exam if 70% or more of the students are to be able to achieve the course MPOs by the eighth week of the semester. This will definitely improve the writing skills of the students within CAF. When students can develop a good introductory paragraph, it is more likely that the overall structure—tone, diction and structural arguments—of the essay will be adequate as well. Some of the strategies English instructors can implement in order to improve their students' success include the following:

spend more class time on the pre-writing process have students engaging in timed writing drills, journals, etc. have students attend mandatory tutoring sessions that emphasize classroom

lecture topics and help facilitate additional writing skills require that the supplemental instructor (SI) spend more time with struggling

students during the mandatory tutoring sessions and within the Learning CenterFall 2010 – Spring 2011 SLO Findings Comparison:

AFE 083 – 5

MPOs considered achieved


10

20

30

40

50

60

70

50 5249

6063 61

Midterm Comparisons

Spring 2011Fall 2010

Diagram 3


66

68

70

72

74

76

69

71

68

71

75

71

Final Comparisons

Spring 2011Fall 2010

Diagram 4

As can be seen in Diagrams 3 and 4, it appears that student achievement of course MPOs before the midterm and before the final was better in Fall 2010 than in Spring 2011. However, this trend may be explained by examining the data collection cohort used for each semester. For the Fall 2010 SLOAT study, only two full-time instructors participated in the information gathering process, whereas in Spring 2011 two full-time and three new adjunct instructors collected data. It is critical that the CAF department dedicates adequate time to developing and maintaining a

AFE 083 – 6

strong support network for new and continuing adjuncts in an effort to build a stronger learning community for both instructors and students.

The SLO assessment information gathered this semester has provided the CAF program with a greater understanding of how we can better meet students’ needs. A number of measures will be taken over Summer 2011 to ensure and streamline coordination among CAF English instructors so that all instructors are on the same page. New teaching strategies, intervention methods, and student support strategies will be derived and readied for implementation in Fall 2011 in AFE 083. Plans are already in place to adopt a new handbook for both students and instructors. In preparation for the new semester and academic year, a concerted effort is underway for CAF instructors and SI leaders to ensure that, starting in Fall 2011, the Center for Academic Foundations will be the best practices model for students retention and maintenance of academic standards at Essex County College.

AFE 083 – 7

AFM 083 Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) AssessmentSLOAT Spring 2011 Final Report

prepared by Violeta De Pierola and Arturo Vera

*Introduction

Academic Foundations Math 083 is a beginning mathematics course designed to take students from concrete arithmetic ideas to the more abstract algebraic forms of these ideas. One of the instructional components of AFM 083 is two mandatory sessions (one hour each) of tutoring per week and the required completion of ALEKS (computer software) assignments. The Academic Foundations Math 083 course outline lists the following goals:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental concepts and theories from arithmetic, algebra and geometry.

2. Utilize various problem-solving and critical-thinking techniques to set up and solve real-world applications.

3. Communicate accurate mathematical terminology and notation in written and/or oral form in order to explain strategies to solve problems as well as to interpret found solutions.

*Purpose

The purpose of the SLOAT was to determine if the students enrolled in AFM 083 are successful in learning the goals set forth in the course outline. It was also meant to assist the Math instructors understand how the students enrolled in the Center for Academic Foundations learn and what different teaching techniques they can use. This assessment was conducted by Violeta De Pierola and Arturo Vera, and it was done based on 40 students.

*Methodology

During the Spring 2011 SLOAT assessment, the two goals that were assessed were goals 1 and 2 from the course outline (same as Fall 2010). We decided to continue to assess the first two goals to determine if the new approaches and techniques recommended and implemented as a result of the Fall 2010 semester assessment study were effective in improving our student learning outcome results. We also compared the Fall 2010 and Spring 2011 results from the pre-test, midterm exam and post-test. AFM 083 course goals 1 and 2 and all related measurable course performance objectives (MPOs) are given below. 1. Demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental concepts and theories from arithmetic, algebra

and geometry:

AFM 083 – 1

1.1 perform arithmetic operations on signed numbers;1.2 perform arithmetic operations on fractions;1.3 perform arithmetic operations on decimals;1.4 perform arithmetic operations on percents;1.5 determine the perimeter and area for simple geometric figures;1.6 determine whether a ratio is a proportion;1.7 convert from one unit of measure to another;1.8 simplify basic algebraic operations; and1.9 solve simple linear equations involving one operation

2. Utilize various problem-solving and critical-thinking techniques to set up and solve real world applications:

2.1 apply arithmetic to solve application problems encountered in daily life

*Population

A total of 40 students as a sample size were selected from 5 sections of AFM 083. Specifically, the entire student population of the 5 sections were administered the pre-test, midterm exam, questionnaire, and post-test. For purposes of data analysis, we sampled only 40 of those students (i.e., 8 from each section).

The purpose of this assessment was to help determine whether students taking AFM 083 are achieving the Measureable Performance Objectives (MPOs) as outlined for this course. To do so, we began by blueprinting the pre-test administered to all students. Then we randomly chose 8 students from each section and tracked questionnaire responses, quiz and test scores, and ALEKS (an online homework software) statistics.

*Instrumentation

For this study we used data from 4 sources:- Outcomes data from SLOAT 2010 (Fall)- Blueprinted multiple-choice questions*- Questionnaires*- Statistics from ALEKS*Copies of assessment instruments used are included in Appendices A, B, and C of this

report.

*Results

AFM 083 – 2

Pre- test, Midterm exam, and Post-test Results

Graphs comparing the scores the 40 sampled students received on the pre-test, midterm exam and post-tests are given below.

Interpreting this graphed data and comparing the results with the Fall 2010 SLOAT AFM 083 assessment, we observed the average increase from pre-test to post-test in Fall 2010 was 50.95%, and for Spring 2011 the average increase from pre-test to post-test was 48.97%. A possible reason for this small difference is that during Fall 2010 all four of sections used in SLO data collection were taught by full-time instructors in the Center for Academic Foundations. Even though students in the sample were randomly selected, we believe that having full-time instructors had a positive impact on their performance. In Spring 2011, five AFM 083 sections participated in data collection. Four of these sections were taught by adjuncts and only one was taught by a full-time instructor in the Center for Academic Foundations.

Pre-test, Midterm Exam and Post-test Scores

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 80

102030405060708090

100

Section 002

Pre-test

Midterm exam

Post-test

AFM 083 – 3

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 80

102030405060708090

100

Section LS2

Pre-test

Midterm exam

Post-test

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 80

102030405060708090

100

Section OAC

Pre-test

Midterm exam

Post-test

AFM 083 – 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 80

102030405060708090

100

Section LS5

Pre-test

Midterm exam

Post-test

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 80

102030405060708090

100

Section 008

Pre-test

Midterm exam

Post-test

AFM 083 – 5

The pre- and post-tests were given by the instructors in class. The pre-test was administered on the first day of class. Students were asked to try their best and were not allowed to use calculators. The post-test was also given by the instructors in class at the end of the semester. Interpreting the graphs above, it is evident that the students’ scores changed drastically.

In section 002, the average score on the pre-test was 31.2%, the midterm exam average score was 61.8%, and the average score on the post-test was 81.3% indicating an increase of 50.1% during the semester. In section LS2, the average score on the pre-test was 35.0%, the midterm exam average score was 85.7%, and the average score on the post-test was 80% indicating an increase of 45% during the semester. In section OAC, the average score on the pre-test was 20.9%, the midterm exam average score was 78.3%, and the average score on the post-test was 79.1% on the post-test indicating an increase of 58.2% during the semester. In section LS5, the average score on the pre-test was 28.1%, midterm exam average score was 74.8%, and the average score on the post-test was 72.8% indicating an increase of 44.7% during the semester. In section 008, the average score on the pre-test was 25.6%, the midterm exam average score was 75.6%, and the average score on the post-test was 72.5% indicating an increase of 46.9% during the semester

It is evident from the pre-test data that that the students scored quite low as they entered this course. Many different factors could have caused this such as the fact that students did not expect the pre-test, returned to school after many years, and were not well-prepared mathematically. These are just a few reasons reported by the students to explain why they did not perform well on the pre-test.

Questionnaire Results

As in Fall 2010, students were administered two questionnaires. The first one was conducted before they took the midterm exam, and the second one was administered before the final exam. Average student responses to both questionnaires are given in AFM 083 – Appendix B. From looking at the average responses of students’ answers to the survey, we can conclude that the students still need extra help when working on the following MPOs:

1.1 perform arithmetic operations on signed numbers1.2 perform arithmetic operations on fractions1.8 simplify basic algebraic operations2.1 apply arithmetic to solve application problems encountered in daily life

It is notable that the students are still reporting some of the same content issues as they did in Fall 2010 even though new instructional techniques were implemented. We believe this is a result of sampling different instructor’s classes to assess. The average student responses for each question related to these four MPOs were less than 70%. Since students need at least 70% to pass the course, the instructors should ensure that students spend more time practicing these topics. This information is already being shared with CAF instructors and students.

The Spring 2011 AFM 083 class syllabus was enhanced to include much content from the course outlines prepared by SLOAT members. The following elements have been added to the syllabus:

Course Number and Name

AFM 083 – 6

Credit Hours Prerequisites Co-requisites Course Description Course Goals Course Requirements Methods of Evaluation Academic Integrity Student Code of Conduct Course Content Outline (by week)

By including all of these elements, the students will be more aware of what is expected from them in AFM 083 on day one, and they will also know what they must learn by end of the semester.

*Suggestions

After reviewing all the data collected from the assessment, we realize that instructors need to spend more time reviewing fractions (adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing), relating word problems to real life, and solving basic algebraic equations. Some suggestions to help students learn more effectively include the following:

Instructors can have SIs work with students struggling in these areas during mandatory tutoring sessions.

Students can work on ALEKS at least one day per week during tutoring time. Instructors will need to review ALEKS student records data weekly to determine who has

mastered the skills mentioned above and who has not. Proper interventions can then be implemented on an individual student basis as warranted.

Students can work collaboratively on the more difficult topics.

AFM 083 – 7

APPENDIX A

Center for Academic FoundationsAcademic Foundation Mathematics

AFM 083 Pre-test

Name: ____________________________ Date: ____________ Section: ________

1. Name the property that is illustrated below.4 x (3+6) = (4 x 3) + (4 x 6)

2. What is the product of 1636 and 58?

3. Write in expanded form 353,999.

4. Write in expanded form x5.

5. What is nine thousand, seventy-eight in standard form?

6. The average age of students in College X is 23.58, and the average age of students in College Y is 23.5798. Which College has the lower average student age?

7. Express seventy-one thousand, seventy-one and seventy-six hundredths in decimal form.

8. Evaluate: -22 + (-11) + 11 + (-10)

9. Evaluate: d3 – b3 if b = 5; d = 6.

10. Write the following phrase using symbols: Twice the difference of x and y

AFM 083 – Appendix A – 1

Center for Academic FoundationsAcademic Foundation MathematicsAFM 083 Midterm Questionnaire


Please mark only one X on the one that applies to you.

1. How do you think you will do on the midterm exam?__ Really good __ good __ average __ not so good

On a scale from 0% - 100%:

2. How comfortable do you feel rounding? (Round 8,416 to the nearest thousand.)__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%

3. How comfortable do you feel dividing fractions? (Divide 38 ÷

28 .)

__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%

4. How comfortable do you feel finding a product? (Find the product of -90 and 60.)__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%

5. How comfortable do you feel with prime factorization? (Find the prime factorization of 144.)

__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%

6. How comfortable do you feel finding the perimeter? (A rectangle has a length of 26m and a width of 12m. Find the perimeter of the rectangle)

__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%

7. How comfortable do you feel with evaluating expressions? (Evaluate −x

y for x = 12 and

y = -3.)__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%

8. How comfortable do you feel simplifying? (Simplify -8 ÷ 2 + (-6)²)__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%

9. How comfortable do you feel with absolute value? (Write in ascending order – -׀, ׀4-׀׀9 ,

– ׀8׀ , ׀17׀ .)__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%


10. How comfortable do you feel with multiplying fractions? [Multiply ( 53 ) x (

94 ) x (

25

) .]__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%


AFM 083 Final Questionnaire



1 How do you think you will do on the final exam?__ Really good __ good __ average __ not so good

2. Do you think you will do better on the final exam then you did on the midterm exam?___ yes ___ no


3. How comfortable do you feel working with order of operations? (Simplify 20-16 ÷ 4.)__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%

4. How comfortable do you feel working with percents? (Write 0.818 as a percent.)__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%

5. How comfortable do you feel solving proportions? ( 38 =

616 Is this proportion true?)

__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%

6. How comfortable do you feel simplifying variable expressions? [Simplify 4+5m+(-5m).]__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%

7. How comfortable do you feel solving equations? (Solve 2d = -12.)__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%

8. How comfortable do you feel dividing fractions? (Divide -110 ÷ 317 .)

__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%

9. How comfortable do you feel solving word problems? (A digital camera with a regular price of $265 is on sale for 19% off the regular price. Find the sale price.)__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%

10. How comfortable do you feel multiplying exponential expressions? (Multiply z³ * z² * z.)


__ 100% __ 75% __50% __25% __0%


APPENDIX BCenter for Academic Foundations

Academic Foundation MathematicsAFM 083 Midterm Questionnaire

Spring 2011 Results



1. How do you think you will do on the midterm exam?__ Really good __ good __ average __ not so good


2. How comfortable do you feel rounding? (Round 8,416 to the nearest thousand.)75%

3. How comfortable do you feel dividing fractions? (Divide 38 ÷

28 .)

57%

4. How comfortable do you feel finding a product? (Find the product of -90 and 60.)61%

5. How comfortable do you feel with prime factorization? (Find the prime factorization of 144.)

78%

6. How comfortable do you feel finding the perimeter? (A rectangle has a length of 26m and a width of 12m. Find the perimeter of the rectangle)

70%

7. How comfortable do you feel with evaluating expressions? (Evaluate −x

y for x = 12 and

y = -3.)55%

8. How comfortable do you feel simplifying? (Simplify -8 ÷ 2 + (-6)²)70%

9. How comfortable do you feel with absolute value? (Write in ascending order – -׀, ׀4-׀׀9 ,

– ׀8׀ , ׀17׀ .)79%

AFM 083 – Appendix B – 5

10. How comfortable do you feel with multiplying fractions? [Multiply ( 53 ) x (

94 ) x (

25

) .]60%


AFM 083 Final Questionnaire Spring 2011 Results



1 How do you think you will do on the final exam?good

2. Do you think you will do better on the final exam then you did on the midterm exam?yes


3. How comfortable do you feel working with order of operations? (Simplify 20-16 ÷ 4.)89%

4. How comfortable do you feel working with percents? (Write 0.818 as a percent.)78%

5. How comfortable do you feel solving proportions? ( 38 =

616 Is this proportion true?)

70%

6. How comfortable do you feel simplifying variable expressions? [Simplify 4+5m+(-5m).]63%

7. How comfortable do you feel solving equations? (Solve 2d = -12.)72%

8. How comfortable do you feel dividing fractions? (Divide -110 ÷ 317 .)

68%

9. How comfortable do you feel solving word problems? (A digital camera with a regular price of $265 is on sale for 19% off the regular price. Find the sale price.)59%


10. How comfortable do you feel multiplying exponential expressions? (Multiply z³ * z² * z.) 69%


APPENDIX CALEKS Results by Section Spring 2011

Section

# of Student

sActive Users 28-Feb

# of Student

sActive Users 31-Mar

E of Student

s

# of no-show

students

Active Users 30-Apr

002 31 25 43% 30 25 59% 28 11 17 78%

008 15 11 45% 15 11 68% 15 0 15 73%

LS2 17 12 62% 16 12 82% 16 4 12 97%

LS5 17 9 43% 15 9 48% 15 2 13 59%

OAC 23 21 36% 23 21 43% 22 3 19 52%

AFM 083 – Appendix C – 1

SLOAT Summary 05/17/2011 Prof. Barbara Pogue

ART APPRECIATION – ART 100 – 3.0 credit hours

ART 100 B01 was chosen for analysis; at semester’s end (Spring 2011) there were 30 students evaluated.

The above course is both an AA and AS degree program additional requirement under the General Education category of Humanistic Perspective. The purpose of Art Appreciation is to give students an introduction to great works of world art as well as to encourage them to question the nature and relevance of art to daily life. Students are also introduced to the elements and principles of design and asked to demonstrate comprehension of the principles of design by constructing a Principles of Design booklet.

For SLOAT, I decided to focus attention on the Principles of Design booklet, as it required a wide variety of educational behaviors in comprehension, knowledge, evaluation, analysis and application: distinguishing, comparing, interpreting, identifying, deciding, classifying and explaining the various principles of design: variety and unity, symmetrical and asymmetrical balance, rhythm, scale, proportion, emphasis and subordination. Students choose two examples of each principle from popular magazines, carefully place them in a booklet, and type an explanation of why each example was chosen.

The Principles of Design booklet relates to Course Goal number 4: “prepare and present information using a computer by creating a Principles of Design booklet” (see ART 100 Course Outline) and to the related Measurable Performance Objectives (MPOs): “use magazines to gather examples of each of the principles of design; use computers to type up explanations of why each illustration fits the criteria for the principles; and assemble images, titles and explanations, along with a cover sheet, into a booklet.” (see ART 100 Course Outline)

I prepare and distribute to all students a handout of instructions (see ART 100 – Appendix A) on how to do the booklet, as well as speak extensively on the subject in classes and show examples of previously submitted booklets. Students read the relevant chapter in their textbooks to further enhance their knowledge of the principles. Finally, there is one day solely devoted to working on the booklets in class, and then the students are required to complete the project on their own time.

When completing the ART 100 Fall 2010 SLOAT assessment, I realized that my checklist of how I would evaluate the booklets (see ART 100 – Appendix B) was simply not a good enough assessment instrument. The booklets, by their nature, take a long time to complete, so I give the instructions about two months before the due date, which is the last week of class. I decided, as a result of my experiences last semester, to spend more time in class on the project.

ART 100 – 1

The last week, I collected the booklets and determined what grade the student would receive for his/her booklet. I then sat down with each one and gave a detailed explanation of the correct and the less correct illustrations and explanations in each booklet. This was much more satisfactory than last semester. The students immediately understood why they got the grade they did.

As a check on the rationale for doing the booklet, one of my final exam questions was: “On the back of this paper, evaluate the course. What worked? What didn’t? What did you like the most and the least? What did you learn the most from doing? What could I do better in the future? This question is worth 10 points…and …, you don’t have to be positive. Negative comments are also helpful.”

Out of a total of 20 responses (students who had an A average weren’t required to take the final), 15 commented that they learned a lot from either the lectures or the in-class projects such as the color wheel, the collages and the masks. Sixteen (80%) reported that the single thing they learned the most from doing was the Principles of Design booklet. Not one student reported he/she didn’t like or didn’t learn from doing the booklet. Not one chose it as something he/she learned the least from doing.

Therefore, I have learned that spending more time in class working on the booklet, and that sitting down with each student to explain the grades, while extremely (!) time-consuming, insured understanding and created no untoward consequences in the final evaluations.

ART 100 – 2

Appendix A – Principles of Design Booklet Handout

Due date: Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Hints for doing the booklet:

It should be on plain white typing paper, standard sized – 8 x 11”.

It should have a cover page containing the following information: PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN BOOKLET and your name. That’s all.

The booklet must be put in a binder or a loose-leaf notebook. The pages should not be loose. You can buy various binders in the Bookstore.

It should have at least 14 pages. It must include at least 2 examples of each of the following principles of design:

1) Unity and Variety

2) Proportion

3) Scale

4) Emphasis and Subordination

5) Rhythm

6) Asymmetrical Balance

7) Symmetrical Balance

Get lots of colorful magazines; your illustrations will come from them.

1. Carefully cut out and paste examples of each of the 7 principles of design from magazines. Please try to cut out all the words from the picture. Sometimes you’re not able to do this without destroying the image, so I do understand if a few words are present.

2. Glue the magazine pictures to the white typing paper.

3. Type the principle of design on the top of the page.

4. Still on the same page, but on the bottom, type an explanation of why this is a good example of that particular principle.

5. Be careful not to misspell any of the principles of design! I take points off for spelling mistakes. Watch your grammar, too. Write in complete sentences.

6. Be neat when you cut and paste. Neatness definitely counts.

ART 100 – Appendix A – 1

7. Choose big rather than small illustrations from magazines. Small is not good when it comes to the booklet.

I will not accept printed or handwritten booklets, so make sure you allow yourself plenty of time to do all the necessary typing. You may show me your explanations beforehand, to check on whether they are acceptably written. You may also show me your pictures beforehand, to check on whether they are correct. You can always come to my office and sit down and we’ll go over what you have. I am happy to do that. Any booklets that are handed in late will be marked down one full grade.

ART 100 – Appendix A – 2

Appendix B – Principles of Design Booklet Assessment Sheet for SLOAT

Criteria Checklist:

Plain white typing paper

Cover page

Binder or a loose-leaf notebook

14 pages minimum

2 examples of each of the following principles of design:

1) Unity and Variety

2) Emphasis and Subordination

3) Symmetrical Balance

4) Asymmetrical Balance

5) Proportion

6) Scale

7) Rhythm

All words cut out

Principle of design on the top of the page

Explanation on the bottom

Misspellings

Grammar

Complete sentences

Neatness

On time

ART 100 – Appendix B – 1

BIO 100 – Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Team (SLOAT)

Spring 2011 Final Report Lynn Wilson and Ezdehar Abu Hatab

__________________________________________________________________

Introduction

BIO 100 is a beginning laboratory science class for students who plan to continue into medical, biological or related sciences. This course covers selected biology topics and introduces examples of physical science vocabulary and theory related to biological study.

The aim of BIO 100 is to provide a background for the student who has never studied biology in order to increase the chance of success in more advanced biology courses such as BIO 103 – 104, BIO 121 – 122, and BIO 211. It is notable that since BIO 100 is a foundations course, the material taught in this course is (or should be) designed to introduce new concepts, ideas, terminology etc. to students who have either no background in biology and are seeing it for the first time or for those who need a refresher (including returning, older or foreign students). This course also prepares students for chemistry, pharmacology and nursing requirements. Topics include the following: systems, tissues, inorganic and organic body chemistry, cells, cell membranes and cell respiration. Laboratory includes measuring instruments, microscopy and dissection techniques. While there are four course goals related to BIO 100, we decided to focus on the following two:

[Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to do the following:]

Course Goal #1 – Explain terminology and fundamental concepts relevant to the structural organization of the human body, homeostasis and anatomical regions and cavities.

Course Goal #2 – Explain terminology and fundamental concepts relevant to basic chemistry and biochemistry including, but not limited to, matter and energy, atoms and elements, chemical bonds, chemical reactions and inorganic compounds.

Purpose

The purpose of this SLOAT study was to assess the level of student mastery of various course learning objectives related to the two BIO 100 course goals given above and to evaluate specific multiple-choice questions embedded in exams to determine their adequacy and BIO 100 level-appropriateness.

BIO 100 – 1

Methodology

For this assessment study, two sections of BIO 100 were chosen – sections 001 and 002. One section was taught by a full-time faculty member and the other an adjunct professor. A total of 41 students were given two exams described as follows: Exam 1: Homeostasis, Anatomical Terminology, Body Cavities, and Membranes – given in mid-February; and Exam 2: Chemistry – administered in mid-March.

We chose to embed our assessment questions on the exams that were standard for the course. Five assessment questions from each exam were blueprinted to course objectives and students were provided with ScanTron answer sheets (for these two exams only) to ease the process of data collection.

Results

The student learning outcomes data collected points out differences between the results of Exam 1 and Exam 2. (See BIO 100 – Appendix A.)

Exam 1 on Homeostasis, Anatomical Terminology etc. was administered by both a full-time and part-time instructor in their respective classes. The questions on Exam 1 covered the major topics in the Introduction Chapter of the text used for this course. Note that, traditionally, the first four chapters of the current Anatomy and Physiology text book is used in BIO 100 because it covers basic topics that are universal to both A&P I (BIO 121) and General Biology I (BIO 103).

The graph of student performance on the five assessment questions embedded in Exam 1 (see BIO 100 – Appendix B) reveals that, overall, students did not do very well on these questions. Based on these results, it is clear that many students did not meet BIO 100 Course Goal 1. In fact, students in both sections performed worst on Question #4, Which is not true concerning Positive Feedback? Specifically, student performance on this question was nearly the same result for both sections – the majority of students (over 90% in Section 001 and 85% in Section 002) answered incorrectly. In order to help students achieve MPO 1.4, explain how the body works cooperatively in order to maintain balance, which is related to Course Goal 1 and the learning objective that Question #4 was blueprinted to, it is important for instructors to give more relevant examples of the positive feedback mechanism and even to reinforce these examples by using visual aids and interactive software that should be incorporated into the PowerPoint presentation using during lectures. In addition, discussing case studies that illustrate the idea of the positive feedback mechanism would probably be beneficial to the student’s mastery of this concept. Lastly, it is suggested that practice exams should be included in the curriculum in order to enhance students’ grasps of the concepts presented in the course.

Student performance on assessment-embedded questions on Exam 2, which were blueprinted to the MPOs related to the second BIO 100 Course Goal (Chemistry), was much better than on Exam 1. In fact, most students did reasonably well on 4 of the 5 assessment questions, with the

BIO 100 – 2

exception being Question #2, An organism’s mass is composed of 6 or 7 elements, what are they?, which 57% of the students in section 001 and 50% of the students in section 002 answered incorrectly,. This being said, the study of the structure of atoms (the basis of Question #2) is an important theme in that elements are considered building blocks for larger structures (molecules – micro and macro) and they are the composition of living systems. Additionally, the structure of atoms is one of the fundamental concepts alluded to in Course Goal 2. In order to help students achieve MPO 2.1, explain how the atomic theory is related to the properties of elements and how these properties determine the qualities seen in different elements, which is related to Course Goal 2 and the learning objective that Question #2 was blueprinted to, instructors should provide the student with hands on (practical) models so they can better understand and become proficient in chemical structure (chemical structure determines function). Virtual labs (software) would also be helpful to reinforce reactivity.

Conclusion

In examining the data, there are a number of conclusions that may be drawn from the results obtained in this assessment study of student learning outcomes. One such conclusion is that the difference in student performance results on Exams 1 and 2 could stem from either not enough emphasis being placed on the Introduction Chapter, or it may be simply due to the familiar situation in which the first exam of the semester is usually the most difficult for students since they are not familiar with the course (e.g., what topics are important to study, how to study biology, etc.) or with the testing style of the instructor. If the former reason given is the case, then instructors should emphasize the Introduction Chapter and encourage students to seriously study its content matter. On the other hand, if the latter reason given is the case, then better student performance results can be explained as follows: By the time the second exam is administered, students are more comfortable with the subject matter, their study habits may improve in response to the poor results achieved on Exam 1, and they are more familiar with the testing style of the professor.

BIO 100 is considered a “supplemental course” in that students who take Foundations of Biology are usually looking to advance to more difficult or rigorous courses such as Anatomy & Physiology, General Biology and other higher-level BIO courses. In order to prepare students for these challenging subjects, it is necessary that they be able to think critically about concepts in biology. By implementing in the course some of the suggestions mentioned above, students who pass BIO 100 successfully will be better prepared to compete with others in their field of study.

BIO 100 – 3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1 2 3 4 5Exam Assessment Questions 1 – 5

Perc

ent

incorrect

correct

Exam 1 – Homeostasis, Anatomical Terminology, Body Cavities, and Membranes (Section 002 Results)

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1 2 3 4 5Exam Assessment Questions 1 – 5

Perc

ent

incorrect

correct

BIO 100 – APPENDIX A

BIO 100 – Appendix A – 1

Exam 1 – Homeostasis, Anatomical Terminology, Body Cavities, and Membranes (Section 001) Results

Exam 2 – Chemistry (Section 001 Results)

Perc

ent

Exam Assessment Questions 1 – 5

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Exam 2 – Chemistry (Section 002 Results)

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1 2 3 4 5

Perc

ent

incorrect

correct


1 2 3 4 5

incorrectcorrect

Exam Assessment Questions 1 – 5

BIO 100 – APPENDIX B

Exam 1 Questions: Homeostasis, Anatomical Terminology, Body Cavities, and Membranes

1. The Right Lung is ___________ to the Left Lung.a. ipsilateralb. contralateralc. intermediated. deepe. superficial Answer: b

2. The part of the Feedback System that continually monitors or receives information concerning the body’s environment is called:

a. effectorb. receptorc. control centerd. none of the abovee. all of the above Answer: b

3. The part of the Feedback System that receives information about the change and decides on the appropriate response is called:

a. effectorb. receptorc. control centerd. none of the abovee. all of the above Answer: c

4. Which is not true concerning Positive Feedback?a. usually occurs in special eventsb. must be shut off by outside sourcec. the stimulus is amplifiedd. none are truee. all are true Answer: e

5. The physiological range for blood pressure is:a. 140/85b. 110/50c. 120/90d. 120/80e. none of the above Answer: d

BIO 100 – Appendix B – 1

Exam 2 Questions: Chemistry

1. What occupies space and has weight or mass?a. gravityb. matterc. atmosphered. none of the abovee. all of the above Answer: b

2. An organism’s mass is composed of 6 or 7 elements, what are they?a. CHONPSb. CFeNOPSc. CHNKPSd. CHNaKPSe. KHNOPS Answer: a

3. The smallest portion of an element that retains its chemical properties is called an:a. protonb. atomc. electrond. particlee. none of the above Answer: b

4. Which particles have a positive charge?a. electronsb. protonsc. neutronsd. both b and ce. none of the above Answer: b

5. The atomic mass unit is the combined weight of:a. electrons and neutronsb. protons and electronsc. protons and neutronsd. all of the abovee. none of the above Answer: c


BIO 121 – Spring 2011 – SLOAT Final Report – Jill Stein

Introduction

The purpose of this assessment is to document the progress of a cohort of students taking BIO 121 during the Spring 2011 semester, and to compare the results of this assessment with a similar one done in Fall 2010. (For general information regarding the importance and role of BIO 121 as a required or elective course, please refer to the BIO 121 – Fall 2010 – SLOAT Final Report, which can be found on the ECC SLO Assessment website, http://sloat.mathography.org.)

Currently, the only pre-requisites for BIO 121 are completion of all remedial courses, if necessary, or demonstration of college-level readiness in Mathematics and English. There is no college science pre-requisite. New for the Spring semester, the students received a pre-test on the first day of class to assess their reading comprehension and math skills. Further, a basic text in Anatomy and Physiology, one simpler than the required text, was recommended as part of the class syllabus. The students were given the same exams as those in the Fall semester, the percent of students showing proficiency for each measurable course performance objective (MPO) was established, and the results compared with those from the Fall semester.

Methodology

Pre-test: The pre-test was administered only on the first day of class. Since late registration continues through the first week of classes, some students were able to register for the class after the pre-test had been given. The test consisted of nine questions, four math and five reading comprehension.Math Pre-test: Questions from a prior MTH 092 midterm exam were used. The questions were provided by Prof. Shoreh Andresky of the Math Department.Reading Pre-test: Questions from a prior RDG 096 final exam were used. The questions were provided by Prof. Carol Kushner of the English Department.

Unit Exams: Forty-seven students, comprising two sections, were part of the initial cohort. This number was based on the official class lists after the “no shows” were removed. In addition, one student withdrew after the second week and did not take any exams. Eight exams were given in class at varying intervals throughout the semester starting with the third week of class. Each exam contained a variety of short answer questions which were blueprinted to specific MPOs. Assessment methods used were direct, summative, quantitative, and objective. Multiple questions were used to assess each MPO. Each question was scored for the number of students selecting the correct answer. This number was converted to a percentage of the total

BIO 121 – 1

number of students taking the exam. Multiple percentages for each MPO were then averaged to determine the overall student success for each MPO.

Results

Thirty-seven students took the pre-test on the first day of class. At the end of the semester, the results from the pre-test were compared with the students’ final grades to see if any correlation could be made between the pre-test score and the final course grade.

Table 1: Overall Score on Pre-test Compared to Final Grade in Course

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1A 3 2 1B+ 1 1B 2 3 4 2 1C+

C 1 1D 2 1F 1 2W 3 2 1 2 1

The sample size is small, but the results seem to show that a score of 6 or higher would indicate likely success in the course. A score of 5 is borderline, and a score of less than 4 would indicate a greater potential for an unsuccessful outcome.

A clearer picture emerges when the results are separated into the reading and math components.

Table 2: Reading Score on Pre-test Compared to Final Grade in Course

5 4 3 2 1 0A 6B+ 1 1B 5 6 1C+

C 2D 2 1F 1 1 1W 4 1 3 1

BIO 121 – 2

Table 3: Math Score on Pre-test Compared to Final Grade in Course

5 4 3 2 1 0A 3 2 1B+ 2B 4 3 5C+

C 1 1D 1 1 1F 2W 1 2 2 4 1

These results show that good reading comprehension scores are indicative of potential success, while poor reading comprehension skills generally point to unsuccessful outcomes. No such broad generalizations can be made about the math scores. Five students who scored a two on the math pre-test received As and Bs, as did 5 students who scored a four on the test. One student scored a zero on the math pre-test and still completed the course with an A.

The attrition for this cohort was also determined. As shown in Figure 1 below, the number of students taking the exams declined over the course of the semester, from 47 to 29. However, in comparison with the Fall 2010 semester, there was a marked improvement in retention, from 44% (Fall 2010, series 2) to 62% (Spring 2011, series 1).

Figure 1: Number of Students in the CohortWho Took Each BIO 121 Exam

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 80

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

Series1Series2

BIO 121 – 3

The steep decline in the number of students remaining after Exam 4 can be attributed to the fact that midterm warnings were received at that time.

Student success for each MPO is shown in Table 4 below. The first number is from the Fall 2010 semester, while the second number is from the Spring 2011 semester.

Table 4: Student Success for Each MPO on Exams 1 - 8

MPO Exam 1 Exam 2 Exam 3 Exam 4 Exam 5 Exam 6 Exam 7 Exam 81.1 68.7/79.6 1.2 61.2/66.0 1.3 56.7/64.6 1.4 49.4/64.1 1.5 55.9/58.7 1.6 62.3/74.4 2.1 62.7/66.8 2.2 73.1/76.5 57.5/62.6 2.3 65.6/67.1 2.4 70.1/72.4 69.2/69.53.1 56.4/75.2 3.2 70.8/80.9 3.3 68.2/71.9 72.2/76.6 3.4 69.9/68.2 3.5 61.3/71.0 72.5/76.6

Increases in student success are noted for all MPOs, with the exception of 3.4, with a decline of 2.4%. Most changes were modest, but significant increases were noted for MPOs 3.1 (33.3%), 1.4 (29.8%), 1.6 (19.4%), and 3.2 (14.3%).

Students were asked to complete brief surveys after Exams 1 and 2. Forty-six students completed the survey after Exam 1 (see BIO 121 – Appendix A for full results). Once again, students cited test anxiety, insufficient biology background and overcommitted schedules as barriers to success. However, more students indicated that they felt fully prepared (48%) this semester, as opposed to only 32% in the Fall. This confidence was well placed, as noted by the increases in student success for the MPOs assessed in Exam 1.

Forty-three students completed the survey after Exam 2 (see BIO 121 – Appendix B for full results). Although success rates improved for all MPOs assessed with this exam, percentages are still relatively low due to the nature of the material (cell biology and biochemistry), and most overall scores declined from the first exam. Many students indicated

BIO 121 – 4

that they felt overwhelmed by the amount of material and didn’t know which topics should be given more weight than others. Additional issues, such as sickness and family emergencies, continued to play important roles.

Discussion

As noted in BIO 121 – Fall 2010 – SLOAT Final Report, the content for BIO 121 is both quantitatively and qualitatively difficult to master, and critical thinking and analysis are required to answer some of the questions. Anecdotally and demonstrably, many students are unaccustomed to this type of course, are insufficiently prepared, and lacking in the appropriate study skills. Students have informally told me that they really needed to “wake up” earlier than they did in order to receive the grade that they wanted. Therefore, I felt it was imperative to convey this challenge to the students from the minute that they entered the classroom.

The purpose of the pre-test was really two-fold. One was to obtain some idea of the true skill sets that my students had, regardless of which courses they had taken, and then to see if their performance on this test could be related in any way to the final outcomes. Although the sample size was small, reading comprehension scores seemed to give a good indication of potential success or failure (see Table 2). Further assessment may support or negate this statement. Although math scores did not correlate with success or failure, this does not mean to say that the requirement for completion of remedial math should be removed. Critical thinking skills learned in math class are very important to overall success. The second purpose, implied and not overt, was to let the students know, by giving a pre-test the very first day, that this course was going to require hard work, and that they had better get started immediately. In addition, mindful of their incomplete science backgrounds, a basic text was listed in the class syllabus as an optional purchase. This fact was reiterated multiple times over the course of the semester, with student recommendations for specific purchases mentioned during class.

As can be seen from Figure 1 and Table 4, outcomes improved from the Fall 2010 to Spring 2011 semesters. At this time, it would be foolish to attribute these differences in outcomes merely to these two small changes. Although it is typical to find older students in BIO 121 (coming back to school for a career change to the health sciences), this semester seemed to have an overabundance of this type of student (specific numbers not determined). These students are normally highly motivated and very receptive to suggestions on ways to improve performance. However, this does seem to be a good start, and these changes should be continued.

In addition, BIO 100, the preparatory course, continues to be a very useful and highly undervalued tool for acclimating our students to the rigors of BIO 121. Further, the large block of information covered on Exam 2 will be scrutinized for appropriate focus and importance.

BIO 121 – 5

Appendix A – Student Survey Administered After Exam 1 in BIO 121

N = 39 Fall 2010 SCORE EARNED ON EXAM #1 ________

PLEASE ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS HONESTLY:

1. How prepared were you for this exam based on the work you’ve done so far? (Circle one.)

FULLY PREPARED 12 SOMEWHAT PREPARED 23

NOT AT ALL PREPARED 3

2. Do you have a copy of the required textbook (or a similar book by a different author)?

YES 35 NO 4

3. Do you have a copy of the lab manual?

YES 33 NO 6

4. How much homework have you done so far this term? (Circle one.)

ALL 20 MOST (>50%) 14 SOME (<50%) 3 NONE 2

5. How did you find the level of the exam? (Circle one.)

TOO HARD 5 REASONABLE 32 TOO EASY 1

6. Did you feel rushed to complete the exam? (Circle one.)YES 1 NO 37

7. If you didn’t do as well as you’d hoped, why not? (Circle all that apply.)

TEST ANXIETY 13 INSUFFICIENT BIOLOGY BACKGROUND 7

DIDN’T STUDY ENOUGH – LAZY 1

DIDN’T STUDY ENOUGH – OVERCOMMITTED SCHEDULE 16

OTHER: see written report

ADDITIONAL HELPFUL COMMENTS CAN BE WRITTEN ON THE BACK OF THIS SHEET.


Appendix A – Student Survey Administered After Exam 1 in BIO 121

N = 46 Spring 2011 SCORE EARNED ON EXAM #1 ________


1. How prepared were you for this exam based on the work you’ve done so far? (Circle one.)

FULLY PREPARED 22 SOMEWHAT PREPARED 22

NOT AT ALL PREPARED 2

2. Do you have a copy of the required textbook (or a similar book by a different author)?

YES 42 NO 4

3. Do you have a copy of the lab manual?

YES 43 NO 3

4. How much homework have you done so far this term? (Circle one.)

ALL 32 MOST (>50%) 7 SOME (<50%) 6 NONE 1



6. Did you feel rushed to complete the exam? (Circle one.)YES 2 NO 44

7. If you didn’t do as well as you’d hoped, why not? (Circle all that apply.)

TEST ANXIETY 12 INSUFFICIENT BIOLOGY BACKGROUND 10

DIDN’T STUDY ENOUGH – LAZY 1

DIDN’T STUDY ENOUGH – OVERCOMMITTED SCHEDULE 10

OTHER: see written report

ADDITIONAL HELPFUL COMMENTS CAN BE WRITTEN ON THE BACK OF THIS SHEET.


Appendix B – Student Survey Administered After Exam 2 in BIO 121

N = 31 Fall 2010 SCORE EARNED ON EXAM #2 _____________


1. How did you do on this exam compared to Exam #1?

BETTER 2 ABOUT THE SAME 7 WORSE 22

2. If you did better on this exam, why was this so? (Circle all that are applicable. Leave it blank if necessary.)

STUDIED MORE HAVE THE BOOK NOW COMPLETED MORE HOMEWORK

WASN’T AS NERVOUS – KIND OF KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT 2 DIDN’T MISS AS MANY CLASSES

OTHER: _________ 3. If you did worse on this exam, why was this so? (Circle all that are applicable. Leave it

blank if necessary.)

TEST ANXIETY 7 BAD BIOLOGY BACKGROUND 7 MISSED TOO MANY CLASSES

DIDN’T STUDY ENOUGH – LAZY DIDN’T STUDY ENOUGH – OVERCOMMITTED SCHEDULE 10

DIDN’T DO ENOUGH HOMEWORK 1 OTHER: see written report



5. Did you feel rushed to complete the exam? (Circle one.)

YES 3 NO 27


Appendix B – Student Survey Administered After Exam 2 in BIO 121

N = 43 Spring 2011 SCORE EARNED ON EXAM #2 _____________


2. How did you do on this exam compared to Exam #1?

BETTER 1 ABOUT THE SAME 9 WORSE 33

2. If you did better on this exam, why was this so? (Circle all that are applicable. Leave it blank if necessary.)

STUDIED MORE 3 HAVE THE BOOK NOW 1 COMPLETED MORE HOMEWORK

WASN’T AS NERVOUS – KIND OF KNEW WHAT TO EXPECT 1 DIDN’T MISS AS MANY CLASSES

OTHER: _________ 3. If you did worse on this exam, why was this so? (Circle all that are applicable. Leave it

blank if necessary.)

TEST ANXIETY 8 BAD BIOLOGY BACKGROUND 4 MISSED TOO MANY CLASSES 10

DIDN’T STUDY ENOUGH – LAZY 3 DIDN’T STUDY ENOUGH – OVERCOMMITTED SCHEDULE 10

DIDN’T DO ENOUGH HOMEWORK 2 OTHER: see written report



5. Did you feel rushed to complete the exam? (Circle one.)

YES 0 NO 42


Spring 2011 SLOAT Assessment Final Report BUS 101 Business Organization & Management

Dr. Nathan HimelsteinJuly 25, 2011

I. The purpose of this study was to determine what questions on the departmental final exam most students got wrong. Once these questions were ascertained, we suggest that more time should be spent in reviewing the related topic and concepts.

II. Methodology (SLOAT Assessment Plan)

a. An item analysis from the ScanTron scoring sheets was conducted from 8 sections of BUS 101. The sections included day, evening and weekend classes. The previous assessment conducted in Fall 2010 only included 6 day sections whereas this assessment covered 8 sections. A total of 121 students’ scores were analyzed.

b. Dr. Nathan Himelstein collected data from his three sections, one section from Prof. Janet Forster’s (adjunct) class , two sections from Prof. Douglas Sayour’s (adjunct) classes, one section from Prof. Marva Rudder’s (adjunct) class, and one section from Prof. Donald Salaam’s (adjunct) class for this study. The student performance results were obtained during the Spring 2011 final exam period (April 15 – April 21, 2011).

c. InstrumentationWording and content of the questions on the departmental exam were based upon Bloom’s Taxonomy and AACSB parameters. Furthermore, the questions were chosen from the Test Question Bank developed by McGraw-Hill for the textbook used in this course (i.e., Understanding Business by Nickels, McHugh & Mc Hugh, 9th edition) and were based on the chapters covered in the course as stated on the departmental syllabus given to all students enrolled in the course.

d. Collection of DataAll students were given a 100-question final exam and noted their answers on ScanTron scoring sheets. The answers were then scanned, and an item analysis form was fed through the machine to determine the number of wrong responses to each question.

e. Processing of Data (Who and How)Each item analysis was reviewed by Dr. Nathan Himelstein, and the results were summarized. Questions answered incorrectly by more than 9 students in any given class were identified.

BUS 101 – 1

III. Results:

Results of student performance on the final exams for the 8 sections on which data was collected is given in the table below.

Section # Final Exam Mean Score # of Students

# of Questions (out of 100) Incorrectly Answered by

More than 9 Students/Class002 72.3 9 1003 74.0 21 19004 73.1 17 11006 67.5 14 7007 56.4 18 35012 55.4 13 16LS1 67.7 12 7KN1 78.8 17 7

The questions which the students frequently marked wrong will be given to the instructors of BUS 101 so that next semester these areas can be further explained and emphasized more.

It is notable that the adjunct instructors who teach sections 006, 007, 012, LS1, and KN1 do not have the teaching experience that the instructors who teach sections 002, 003, and 004 have; regardless though, the content of the questions that were answered incorrectly by 9 or more students enrolled in any section must still be noted as material for which students have a learning deficiency.

Please also note that the final exam mean score for sections 002, 003, 004, and KN1 are in close range of each other. In addition, the final exam mean scores of sections 006 and LS1 are also in close range of each other as is also the case for the mean scores of sections 007 and 012.

The specific questions for which more than 9 students per class provided the wrong answers are given below.

2. Fayol’s principle sates that each worker should report to one, and only one, boss. (unity of command)

4. In Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the desire for love and acceptance would fall into the category of (social needs).

5. Historically, the (National Labor Relations Act) strengthened the labor unions, while the (Taft-Hartley Act) supported management’s efforts.

BUS 101 – 2

6. (Collective bargaining) is the process by which representatives of a union meet with representatives of management to negotiate a contract for workers.

9. The first federal minimum wage was established by the (Fair Labor Standards Act).

10. Granting a foreign company the right to manufacture your product or to use your firm’s trademark in return for a fee is called (licensing).

12. (Employee orientation) introduces new employees to the organization, their fellow workers, their supervisors, and to the policies, practices, and objectives of the firm.

15. A nation has a (comparative advantage) in the production of a good or service if it can produce that good or service more effectively or efficiently than it can produce other goods.

16. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth thought that every job could be broken down into a series of elementary motions that they called (Therbligs).

18. Which of the following prohibits monopolies, attempts to monopolize, and any restraint of trade? (Sherman Act)

21. Employees often work with managers to develop a(n) (mission statement) that outlines the fundamental purposes of their organization.

22. The social movement designed to increase and strengthen the rights and powers of buyers in business transactions is called (consumerism).

23. A firm that wants to distribute its products as widely in a market as possible would use a(n) (intensive) distribution strategy.

25. According to Herzberg, which of the following groups of motivational factors would give employees the most satisfaction? (interesting work, earned recognition & growth opportunity)

26. The Product Life Cycle consists of (4) stages.

27. Rewards that come from someone else in recognition of good work are (extrinsic) rewards.

28. The Hawthorne studies were conducted by (Elton Mayo) and his colleagues from Harvard University.

29. Nightbrite company’s (promotion mix) relies heavily on advertising, personal selling, and a limited use of product sampling.

BUS 101 – 3

31. The optimum number of subordinates a manager can supervise is referred to as the (span of control).

38. The (Wagner) Act established the National Labor Relations Board.

43. Herzberg found that good pay (was a hygiene factor rather than a motivator).

44. The Proctor & Gamble (P&G) company produces bar soap, disposable diapers, deodorants, laundry detergents, cookies, cake mix, shampoo, shortening and many other products. The products are part of P&G’s (product mix).

46. In evaluating the best advertising medium to reach a specific target market the clear choice is (direct mail).

52. Which of the following product attributes is lease emphasized on television ads? (price)

53. The Taft-Hartley Act (required management to bargain in good faith with union representatives).

57. Efforts by the Federal Reserve Bank (the Fed) to control the money supply and interest rates are know as (monetary policy).

60. Which of the following are products consumers buy after comparing quality, price, and style from a variety of sellers? (shopping goods)

63. The (autocratic) style of leadership is characterized by making managerial decisions without consulting others.

66. (Management) is the art of utilizing organizational resources to accomplish goals at work.

67. Which of the following about S corporations is most accurate? (The major attraction of S corporations is that they avoid the problem of double taxation.)

70. Barker Brothers Pens utilizes a strategy of low priced pens to attract customers and discourage competition. This represents a (penetration) strategy.

71. The (World Trade Organization) represents the first attempt to establish a truly global mediation center to resolve international trade disputes.

76. Which of the following is a factor of production? (knowledge)

80. The goal of (promotion) is to inform and remind people in a target market about specific products eventually persuading them to participate in an exchange.

BUS 101 – 4

82. Which of the following established a government agency to enforce the laws regulating unfair competition? (Federal Trade Commission Act)

83. (Contingency) planning prepares alternative courses of that may be used if the primary plans are not achieving objectives.

86. An owner of a corporation is known as a(n) (stockholder).

87. In a(n) (centralized) organization, decision-making authority is concentrated at the top level of management.

90. The personal satisfaction people feel when they have done a job well is a(n) (intrinsic) reward.

92. Supervisory management personnel spend most of their time on (technical and human relations skills).

93. The (sole proprietorship) is the most common form of business ownership.

94. To be competitive, (William Ouchi) recommended that American firms adopt a new management style that was a hybrid of the approaches used by Japanese firms and those used by American firms called (Theory Z).

98. Promotions and transfers are (internal) sources available to human resource managers in their recruiting efforts.

100.The purpose of (training and development) is to increase an employees’ ability to perform productively.

It is important to note that the questions listed above, as well as all questions on the final exam, were based on the measurable course performance objectives (MPOs). The specific questions, which were frequently answered incorrectly by students in the studied cohort, will be shared with all faculty (full-time and adjunct) assigned to teach BUS 101 so that when the related topics are covered during the semester, these concepts should be given further emphasis in the lectures and on assignments. Regarding assignments, it is important to note that the CONNECT Learn Smart (McGraw Hill Learning Management System) modules are strongly recommended for use in BUS 101. These modules are designed to emphasize the fundamental concepts of the course and give students practice on mastering the MPOs. For this reason, it is imperative that all instructors who teach this course in the future require the students to complete the Learn Smart modules. Hopefully, this will result in a higher level of student mastery of the MPOs for BUS 101, which will then be seen in better student performance on the final exam. This was, in fact, the case in Dr. Himelstein’s class where every single student who completed the Learn Smart modules received an A or B as a final course grade.

BUS 101 – 5

SLOAT Spring 2011 REPORTSubmitted by: Dr. Eileen De Freece

Introduction

Similar to the ENG 096 SLOAT Fall 2010 semester assessment study, two assessment instruments were used to help measure the achievement of student learning outcomes in ENG 096 during the Spring 2011 semester. Both assessment instruments were developed based on Course Goals and related Measurable Course Performance Objectives (MPOs) present in the ENG 096 course outline. This assessment study measured two learning outcomes: First, a checklist rubric was used to assess the achievement of essay development skills by students across the course, based upon the first Course Goal listed on the outline, “write a composition.” This rubric was used twice during the semester to measure any change in the outcome, i.e. value-added learning in the course.

The second instrument was a questionnaire, completed by students in the ENG 096 sections, regarding their readiness for the midterm essay, in order to measure, to some extent, student achievement of the second Course Goal, “implement critical reading techniques to analyze selected materials.” Specifically, the questions on the questionnaire are designed to evaluate whether students read the source material critically and analytically, and whether they appropriately prepared for the midterm essay. The questionnaire is also meant to document the most common reasons why students fall short in achieving the second Course Goal.

Study support from faculty and students proved strong and the results were interesting and worthy of consideration.

Methodology

Of the two assessment instruments used in this study, the first was used to collect data on a random sample of students enrolled in ENG 096. The anonymous nature of the study was made clear to the instructors who received a checklist rubric designed to evaluate student mastery of each of the Measureable Performance Outcomes (MPOs) listed on the revised ENG 096 outline under the first Course Goal, “write a composition.” Instructors were given ample copies of the rubric and were asked to use it to evaluate the most recent essay submitted by the first five students on their class roster. By selecting students alphabetically from the class roster, the random nature of the study was assured. Instructors rated each essay for the presence and mastery of all items listed on the checklist rubric according to a three-point scale labeled, “Yes,” “Somewhat,” or “No.”

Despite clearly given instructions, one instructor completed rubrics for all students in two sections during the March assessment. All of this data was counted in this assessment study data collection. Also, another instructor failed to include the section number in the March survey but, again, results were counted in this assessment nonetheless.

The first distribution and collection of the surveys happened in early March while the second was completed in late April after the final essay to note any changes in the outcomes.

ENG 096 – 1

Eleven sections of ENG 096 participated in the early March rubric, while only nine sections participated in the April rubric. Similar to the ENG 096 SLOAT Fall 2010 assessment, timing continues to be an issue in the April (final) assessment, as some instructors seemed to be overly busy with grading and other end-of-the-semester duties and, thus, chose not to participate in collecting data for this SLOAT study.

The second instrument, a student questionnaire regarding mid-term essay preparedness, was distributed to ENG 096 instructors the week following the Divisional mid-term essay. A total of 237 students, a representative sample of the student enrollment in the course, responded to this questionnaire. As with the essay rubric, the questionnaire was administered and evaluated anonymously. The results and original instruments are stored in my office.

Results

Results from the checklist rubric distributed to ENG 096 instructors and the questionnaire administered to ENG 096 students after the mid-term essay provide insight into students’ abilities and awareness. The items, which are based on the ENG 096 – Course Goal 1 MPOs, included on the twice-distributed checklist rubric were as follows:

1. The paper includes an appropriate subject based upon the given writing assignment.2. A specific topic was addressed within the assigned subject for the paper.3. A relevant thesis statement was incorporated within the introductory paragraph.4. Body paragraphs were well-structured.5. Body paragraphs were related to each other in a logical structure that supported the thesis.6. The paper contained an appropriate concluding paragraph.7. The paper approaches an acceptable level of mechanics and language usage.8. The paper demonstrates an acceptable level of mechanics and language usage.

Instructors were asked to evaluate the first five (alphabetically on the class roster) students’ papers to insure randomness and, for each question, respond “Yes,” “Somewhat,” or “No” to each item depending on the presence/student mastery of each objective in the essay.

Results of the first distribution of the rubric during early March 2011 follow:

1. The paper includes an appropriate subject based upon the given writing assignment.Yes 40 (37%) Somewhat 36 (33%) No 32 (30%)

2. A specific topic was addressed within the assigned subject for the paper.

Yes 47 (46%) Somewhat 20 (19%) No 38 (36%)

3. A relevant thesis statement was incorporated within the introductory paragraph.Yes 29 (27%) Somewhat 36 (33%) No 44 (40%)

4. Body paragraphs were well-structured.Yes 25 (23%) Somewhat 30 (27%) No 55 (50%)

ENG 096 – 2

SLOAT Essay Checklist Rubric Results March 2011

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8Item Number

Student Percentage Answered

YesSomewhatNo

5. Body paragraphs were related to each other in a logical structure that supported the thesis.

Yes 25 (23%) Somewhat 39 (36%) No 45 (41%)

6. The paper contained an appropriate concluding paragraph.Yes 29 (27%) Somewhat 42 (36%) No 38 (35%)

7. The paper approaches an acceptable level of mechanics and language usage.Yes 27 (25%) Somewhat 33 (31%) No 48 (44%)

8. The paper demonstrates an acceptable level of mechanics and language usage.Yes 22 (21%) Somewhat 26 (25%) No 58 (55%)

For all eight checklist rubric items, the underwhelming number of “Yes” responses was very discouraging, especially for items 3, 4, and 5. Student underperformance on these 3 items implies a need for thesis development in the introductory paragraph and well-structured body paragraphs that support the thesis appropriate for the ENG 096 level. The other item receiving the least positive response, item number 8, indicates the need for “an acceptable level of mechanics and language usage,” which was not present for more than half (55%) of the students assessed at midterm.

The March 2011 checklist rubric results are graphed below.

ENG 096 – 3

In April 2011 (near the end of the semester), ENG 096 instructors once again used the same checklist rubric to evaluate a subsequent essay. It was anticipated that some improvement would be seen in the second study. Faculty participation was lower in April than March, which was disappointing. Again, it seems that timing was an issue, as faculty was absorbed in Divisional final essay preparation and other end-of-the-semester tasks.

Results of the second distribution of the rubric during April 2011 follow:

1. The paper includes an appropriate subject based upon the given writing assignment.Yes 31 (72%) Somewhat 12 (30%) No 0 (0%)

2. A specific topic was addressed within the assigned subject for the paper.Yes 33 (77%) Somewhat 9 (21%) No 1 (2%)

3. A relevant thesis statement was incorporated within the introductory paragraph.Yes 26 (60%) Somewhat 12 (30%) No 5 (10%)

4. Body paragraphs were well-structured.Yes 18 (42%) Somewhat 19 (44%) No 6 (14%)

5. Body paragraphs were related to each other in a logical structure that supported the thesis.Yes 20 (48%) Somewhat 18 (43%) No 4 (9%)

6. The paper contained an appropriate concluding paragraph.Yes 21 (54%) Somewhat 14 (36%) No 4 (10%)

7. The paper approaches an acceptable level of mechanics and language usage.Yes 22 (56%) Somewhat 13 (33%) No 4 (10%)

8. The paper demonstrates an acceptable level of mechanics and language usage.Yes 18 (50%) Somewhat 15 (42%) No 3 (8%)

Although fewer faculty members participated in the April 2011 checklist rubric essay evaluation, it was interesting that item 1 presented more positive results with 72% (as opposed to 37% in March) marked “Yes.” And item 3 illustrates a significant increase from 27% to 60%. It is evident that more support is still needed for paragraph development (represented in items 4 and 5) at the end of the semester even though there was a slight increase in positive responses on the rubric: Items 4 and 5 show a moderate increase from 23% and 23% at midterm to 42% and 48%, respectively, by the end of the semester. Support for “mechanics and language usage” is apparent with 50% (as opposed to only 21% in March) of the students demonstrating “an acceptable level of mechanics and usage” (item 8).

ENG 096 – 4

SLOAT Essay Checklist Rubric Results April 2011

0%

10%

20%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Item Number


YesSomewhatNo

The April 2011 checklist rubric results are graphed below.

Another assessment instrument that was used during the Spring 2011 SLOAT study was a questionnaire that was distributed to ENG 096 students a week after taking the Divisional mid-term essay. The anonymous responses allowed students to openly consider their own preparedness for the mid-term essay. Students were asked five questions dealing with their performance and preparedness. Note the following self-reported student responses:

1. Are you pleased with your score on the exam?Yes 97 (43%) Somewhat 77 (34%) No 50 (22%)

2. Did the professor accurately tell you what to expect on the exam before the exam date? Yes 192 (84%) Somewhat 34 (15%) No 2 (1%)

3. Did you adequately prepare for the exam?Yes 133 (59%) Somewhat 82 (36%) No 11 (5%)

If not, why not? (Circle all that apply)A. Did not have time to study 17 (28%)B. Did not know the exam was scheduled 7 (12%)C. Have an overcommitted schedule 23 (38%)D. Did not study enough during the semester 13 (22%)

ENG 096 – 5

Mid-Term Student Questionnaire Responses

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

1 2 3 4 5Item Number


YesSomewhatNo

4. Did the exam relate to what you have been learning in class?Yes 157 (71%) Somewhat 49 (22%) No 15 (7%)

5. Do you feel confident that you will attain college-level writing by semester’s end?Yes 163 (74%) Somewhat 51 (23%) No 6 (3%)

The student questionnaire results are graphed below.

Of the 237 students who responded to the mid-term questionnaire, 60 responses were given to item 3, A through D. Of these self-reported student responses, 17 (28%) checked A (did not have time to study), 7 (12%) chose B (did not know the exam was scheduled), 23 (38%) circled C (have an overcommitted schedule), and 13 (22%) marked off D (did not study enough during the semester). Similar to the Fall 2010 SLOAT assessment study, these responses revealed that our students have overcommitted schedules.

ENG 096 – 6

As reported above, student responses to question number 1 on the questionnaire reveals that only 34% were “Somewhat” satisfied with their mid-term scores while 22% were not pleased at all, which may indicate the desire to improve.

A positive response to question number 2 on the questionnaire indicated that 84% of students felt that their professors accurately explained “what to expect on the exam before the exam date.” In question number four, 71% of students agreed that the exam related to what was being learned in class, while question number 5 positively noted that 74% of student respondents felt confident they would attain “college-level writing by semester’s end.”

Summary

The evaluation of student achievement of course learning objectives for ENG 096 during the Spring 2011 semester proved to be an enlightening experience. Both full- and part-time faculty members seemed to understand and even appreciate the importance of conducting this study. Many were eager to participate. Results indicated several strengths in terms of the course structure and the effective approach taken by faculty to fulfill the course requirements.

The results of the student essay analysis pointed to the need for further support for ENG 096 students who struggle with thesis development and issues with word usage, mechanics, and sentence structure. Although the College offers tutorial resources in the Learning Center, it seems that students at this developmental level are in dire need of a separate course focusing on grammar and editing. When one considers that the Humanities Division offers three developmental level courses (ENG 085, 096, and RDG 096), it seems plausible to offer students extra support with a grammar course. Such a course could also provide support for the college-level composition courses as necessary.

ENG 096 – 7

ENG 101 SLOAT SPRING 2011 REPORTSubmitted by: Prof. Richard Bogart

INTRODUCTION

Two instruments were used to measure the achievement of outcomes in ENG 101 during the Spring 2011 semester. These were based upon the Course Goals developed in the revised ENG 101 outline and the approach developed in the ENG 101 Spring 2011 SLOAT Assessment Plan, which was submitted and approved for use. The purpose of these instruments was to assess the student achievement of two different course goals. The first, a rubric, was designed to randomly assess the achievement of essay development skills by students across the course. This rubric was used twice during the semester to measure any change which took place in this outcome. The second was also a rubric; this time, however, designed to randomly assess the achievement of skills required to develop a research project. This was based upon the fourth of the Course Goals listed in the current outline, “Write a documented paper.”

Faculty and student support were very strong for this undertaking and the results were logical and worthy of consideration.

METHODOLOGY

As stated above, two instruments were used. Both were intended for a limited sample of all course sections. In order to randomize the sample and avoid instructors weighing the results by selecting subjects, the anonymous nature of the study was made clear. In both cases, instructors were given two different rubrics, approved by the SLOAT chair, that were designed to evaluate each of the eight Measurable Performance Outcomes (MPOs) listed under the first course goal, “Write a composition,” and each of the ten MPOs listed under the fourth goal, “Write a documented paper,” respectively.

In the first case, instructors were given sufficient copies of the forms and were asked to take the most recent essay which their students had submitted and to evaluate each of the first five essays, selected alphabetically to maintain the random nature of the study, for the eight elements. They rated each on a three point scale labeled, “yes,” “somewhat,” or “no.”

The first distribution and collection of questionnaires took place during February. The forms were returned to me and, since they were anonymous, work study students in the Division totaled the results by category.

ENG 101 – 1

This activity was repeated between late March and early April, in order to measure any changes in the outcomes.

Twenty-five sections participated in the February rubric. This represented an increase of one section over the response during the Fall 2010 semester. Twenty-six sections participated in the second, which was conducted during April. This represented a remarkable increase in participation over the second Fall study when only fifteen instructors participated. This may be due to the fact that the rubric was sent out a little earlier in the semester in an effort to avoid the decrease in participation which had taken place during the previous semester.

The second instrument, the rubric evaluating the documented paper, was distributed in early April. Results were received from sixteen sections.

As with the essay rubric, the documented paper rubric was administered and evaluated in a manner that was completely anonymous. Since there was no identifying information on the forms, work study students, again were used to total the results for each category.

The results and original instruments were returned to me, and the original instruments are currently stored in my office.

RESULTS

The results from the rubrics distributed to ENG 101 faculty regarding course goals one and four drew a clear picture of abilities and perceptions.

The statements on the rubric regarding the short essay, which was distributed twice, were as follows:

1) The paper includes an appropriate subject based upon the given writing assignment.

2) A specific topic was developed within the assigned subject for the paper.3) An introduction provides background regarding the paper’s thesis.4) A relevant thesis statement is incorporated into the introduction.5) Body paragraphs were well-structured.6) Body paragraphs were related to each other in a logical structure that supported

the thesis.7) The paper contained an appropriate concluding paragraph.8) The paper demonstrates an acceptable level of mechanics and language usage.

For each statement, the faculty members were asked to use the first five papers alphabetically, to insure randomness, and to respond “yes, “somewhat,” or “no” for each statement. The

ENG 101 – 2

statements were directly drawn from the Student Learning Outcomes on the ENG 101 course outline.

For the first administration of the rubric, distributed during February of 2011, the following results were received:

1) The paper includes an appropriate subject based upon the given writing assignment.Yes 94 (79%) Somewhat 17 (14%) No 8 (7%)

2) A specific topic was developed within the assigned subject for the paper.Yes 91 (73%) Somewhat 25 (22%) No 8 (6%)

3) An introduction provides background regarding the paper’s thesis.Yes 79 (67%) Somewhat 30 (25%) No 9 (8%)

4) A relevant thesis statement is incorporated into the introduction.Yes 69 (58%) Somewhat 30 (25%) No 20 (7%)

5) Body paragraphs were well-structured.Yes 62 (53%) Somewhat 38 (32%) No 18 (15%)

6) Body paragraphs were related to each other in a logical structure that supported the thesis.Yes 57 (48%) Somewhat 49 (40%) No 14 (12%)

7) The paper contained an appropriate concluding paragraph.Yes 70 (58%) Somewhat 33 (27%) No 18 (15%)

8) The paper demonstrates an acceptable level of mechanics and language usage.Yes 62 (52%) Somewhat 33 (28%) No 24 (20%)

The response to the first statement of the rubric was considerably weaker than the response for the Fall 2010 semester, where 91% of the papers had received a clear “yes.” It may not be surprising if a lower level of preparedness is found for a first semester college-level course during the less traditional Spring semester, although in an institution where so significant a number of students are required to first take development pre-requisites, one might be less likely to anticipate this.

ENG 101 – 3

The results can be charted as follows:

As can be clearly seen from the chart, there were very few “no” answers given. This may indicate a relatively strong level of preparation for the course, either in earlier education, or, when applicable, in developmental programs. The weakest scores in paragraph structure and mechanics would, however, indicate a need to look to those areas and discuss ways in which support services could be provided, perhaps outside of the traditional classroom setting, for students still struggling in those areas.

In April 2011, ENG 101 instructors were once again given the same rubric to fill out for a subsequent assignment. It was anticipated that some patterns of improvement would be seen in the second study.

Participation continued to be strong for this assignment. As noted above, response for the second paper had been lower in the Fall 2010 semester.

The results for the April 2011 rubric were as follows:

1) The paper includes an appropriate subject based upon the given writing assignment.Yes 109 (86%) Somewhat 16 (13%) No 2 (1%)

2) A specific topic was developed within the assigned subject for the paper.Yes 89 (65%) Somewhat 44 (32%) No 5 (3%)

ENG 101 – 4

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 80.0%

10.0%20.0%30.0%40.0%50.0%60.0%70.0%80.0%

SLOAT Short Paper Rubric - Feb-ruary 2011

YesSomewhatNo

3) An introduction provides background regarding the paper’s thesis.Yes 78 (61%) Somewhat 42 (33%) No 7 (6%)

4) A relevant thesis statement is incorporated into the introduction.Yes 80 (65%) Somewhat 37 (30%) No 7 (5 %)

5) Body paragraphs were well-structured.Yes 79 (62%) Somewhat 40 (31%) No 9 (7%)

6) Body paragraphs were related to each other in a logical structure that supported the thesis.Yes 78 (61%) Somewhat 45 (35%) No 5 (4%)

7) The paper contained an appropriate concluding paragraph.Yes 87 (67%) Somewhat 35 (27%) No 6 (6%)

8) The paper demonstrates an acceptable level of mechanics and language usage.Yes 73 (57%) Somewhat 39 (30%) No 16 (13%)

The results for the April 2011 rubric can be charted as follows:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 80%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%

SLOAT Short Paper Rubric -- April 2011

YesSomewhatNo

Significant differences were seen in the two studies when one compares the combined scores of “yes” and “somewhat” to the scores of “no.” There were lower percentages of “no” scores in all areas in the second paper, thus demonstrating improvement from the first paper to the subsequent sampling.

ENG 101 – 5

There was very significant improvement under standard (MPO) six, regarding the logical relationship of body paragraphs within an essay. It is logical that this would be an area of emphasis in the course, since instruction is centered on the study of essay structure and developing essays to various purposes. The “yes” rate in that category went from 48% to 61% and the combined “yes” and “somewhat” ratings went from 88% to 96%.The weakest area continued to be “mechanics and language usage,” but, even in that area, the combined “yes” and “somewhat” scores on the second paper reached 87% compared to 80% on the first submission.

It remains clear, however, that the issue of supplemental support for ENG 101 students, relevant to mechanics and sentence structure, should be explored.

Another instrument that was used during the Spring 2011 semester was a rubric which was distributed to ENG 101 instructors to complete regarding the documented paper. Like the other instruments, this was conducted in a completely anonymous fashion. Doing so is vital to encouraging open participation by both students and faculty members.

The rubric for the documented paper reflected the ten MPOs listed under the fourth course goal, “Write a documented paper.”

The categories on the rubric were as follows:

1) The paper includes an introduction providing background necessary for understanding the argument to be made.

2) A thesis which is relevant to the assignment and to the argument being made is incorporated into the introduction.

3) The paper contains focused and unified body paragraphs relevant to the assignment and the thesis.

4) Body paragraphs are constructed in a logical progression so that each sentence leads into the next.

5) Body paragraphs are presented in a structured and logical sequence.6) The paper provides and discusses appropriate textual evidence from a primary

source to support the points made.7) The paper provides and discusses appropriate textual evidence from secondary

research sources to support the points made.8) The student enters into a dialogue with the sources so that the student’s voice

emerges and exercises control over the argument.9) The student documents all sources used in the research paper in accordance with

MLA format providing both in-text citations and a works cited page.10) The paper includes an appropriate conclusion that brings the argument to a natural

and logical close.

ENG 101 – 6

As with the rubrics for the short papers, faculty were instructed to review a random sampling of five students’ papers for each section of ENG 101 on their schedule. One area of weakness that occurred was that, due to the number of items, the items continued onto a second page. To simplify matters, I had the form printed on both sides of the paper.

As a result, while results were received from sixteen sections, only twelve sections provided responses to the last four items. Apparently the instructors of four of the sections did not observe the continuation on the back of the form. In the future, I will be careful to provide a direction, at the bottom to turn the paper over.

The response was also low, compared to the responses to the short paper rubrics. There are at least three possible reasons for this. One may be that the rubric was done late in the semester; however, it was only distributed three days after the second short paper rubric, which received much stronger response. Another possibility is that instructors might have been confused receiving two similar forms within days of each other. Thinking of that, I sent a follow-up memo out to everyone pointing out the difference.

A third possibility may be that a substantial number of ENG 101 instructors, despite it being clearly stated as a requirement in the course outline, may not be assigning the research paper as an element of ENG 101. If this is the case, it obviously requires follow-up on the Divisional level.

At any rate, the responses to the documented paper rubric were as follows:

1) The paper includes an introduction providing background necessary for understanding the argument to be made.Yes 48 (64%) Somewhat 20 (27%) No 7 (9%)

2) A thesis which is relevant to the assignment and to the argument being made is incorporated into the introduction.Yes 46 (62%) Somewhat 22 (30%) No 6 (8%)

3) The paper contains focused and unified body paragraphs relevant to the assignment and the thesis.Yes 51 (67%) Somewhat 20 (26%) No 5 (6%)

4) Body paragraphs are constructed in a logical progression so that each sentence leads into the next.Yes 52 (68%) Somewhat 17 (22%) No 7 (9%)

ENG 101 – 7

5) Body paragraphs are presented in a structured and logical sequence.Yes 41 (55%) Somewhat 29 (39%) No 4 (6%)

6) The paper provides and discusses appropriate textual evidence from a primary source to support the points made.Yes 42 (57%) Somewhat 18 (24%) No 14 (19%)

7) The paper provides and discusses appropriate textual evidence from secondary research sources to support the points made.Yes 24 (39%) Somewhat 28 (46%) No 9 (15%)

8) The student enters into a dialogue with the sources so that the student’s voice emerges and exercises control over the argument.Yes 36 (61%) Somewhat 15 (25%) No 8 (14%)

9) The student documents all sources used in the research paper in accordance with MLA format providing both in-text citations and a works cited page.Yes 13 (22%) Somewhat 29 (48%) No 18 (30%)

10) The paper includes an appropriate conclusion that brings the argument to a natural and logical close.Yes 44 (75%) Somewhat 10 (17%) No 5 (8%)

The areas of obvious weakness in this study, MPOs seven and nine, are not surprising. For the most part, the other skills would have been acquired and practiced in earlier courses and throughout ENG 101. The use of secondary research sources (number seven) and the use of appropriate in-text citations and a works cited page (number nine), however, would be more clearly directed toward the documented paper assignment.

Students have clearly had an introduction to the areas, since the combined scores of “yes” and “somewhat” for the two MPOs are 95% and 70% respectively, and that introduction should be re-enforced in either ENG 102 or 105, where the documented paper is a major element of the course.

The graphed scores appear below.

ENG 101 – 8

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 100%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%

SLOAT Documented Paper Rubric -- April 2011

YesSomewhatNo

SUMMARY

The evaluation of Student Learning Outcomes for ENG 101 during the Spring 2011 semester was certainly a positive experience. Faculty members, both full- and part-time, appeared to understand the important nature of the study and were willing to cooperate.

The results indicated several strengths regarding the structure of the course and the appropriate approach taken by the faculty to the fulfillment of the course requirements.

The survey also continued to indicate a possible need for greater support for many students who are struggling with issues of mechanics and sentence structure. Since this is not the case with 57% of the students in the second rubric, the results would not indicate the need for greater emphasis on these factors in the course. At this level, such work would probably be best approached in a prescriptive manner rather than a class-wide manner.

The College, of course, already has several opportunities available for this type of directed work including the student access of the Learning Center.

The possibility of more being needed, however, should be considered. One possibility might be a separate “grammar” course for students on the Freshman Composition level, similar to the course that has been offered at Rutgers-Newark in the past.

ENG 101 – 9

ENG 102 SLOAT SPRING 2011 REPORTSubmitted by Professor Patricia Bartinique and Professor Kevin Hayes

Introduction

A rubric was developed and used to measure student achievement of outcomes in ENG 102 during the Spring 2011 semester. This rubric directly assessed student performance in relation to course goal #4: Demonstrate effective composition skills through the writing of critical essays about literary elements. In our judgment, this course goal was so closely aligned with GEG #1 (Students will communicate effectively in both speech and writing) that the same rubric could be used to assess student performance in response to the general education goal, at least in part.

Because ENG 102 was only included in the SLOAT assessment initiative beginning this Spring and because ENG 102 focuses upon a different course goal during its second half, the production of a multiple-source research paper, by the time the assessment plan and the rubric were developed, it was only feasible to ask instructors to use the rubric once.

Faculty support of this assessment effort was strong. Out of the thirty-nine sections of ENG 102 offered in the Spring, twenty-seven sections participated. The majority of ENG 102 sections were taught by instructors who understand that we must create a culture of assessment, and that we must assess our students' performance in order to improve learning outcomes.

Methodology

The rubric that was used consisted of nine items, each one directly responsive to the measurable performance objectives listed under course goal #4 on the departmental course outline. The outline had previously been approved both by the SLOAT chair and by the content experts within the Humanities Division who have been assigned to review all of our course outlines. When we communicated with ENG 102 instructors, we emphasized that the study was anonymous to ensure that the sample would be random and would not be weighted to ensure positive results. Instructors were asked to randomize the sample by using the rubric to assess the most recent essay written by each of the first five students listed alphabetically on their class rosters. Instructors rated the essays for each of the nine items on a three-point scale labeled "yes," "somewhat," or "no."

Instructions and rubrics was disseminated to instructors the sixth week of the semester, and instructors were asked to return the rubrics to us no later than the end of the ninth week. Once the completed rubrics were returned to us, a work study student in our Division tabulated the results by category since the rubrics were anonymous and raised no confidentiality issues. The results and the original rubrics upon which these results are based are currently stored in Professor Hayes's office.

ENG 102 – 1

Results

The results of our study were as follows:

1) The paper includes an introduction providing background necessary for understanding the argument to be made.Yes 85 (63%) Somewhat 41 (30%) No 9 (7%)

2) The introduction includes a thesis relevant to the assignment and to the argument being made in the body of the essay.Yes 78 (58%) Somewhat 46 (34%) No 11 (8%)

3) The body paragraphs are focused, unified, and relevant to the assignment and the essay’s thesis.Yes 68 (51%) Somewhat 60 (45%) No 6 (4%)

4) The body paragraphs are organized in a logical progression so that each sentence leads into the next.Yes 74 (55%) Somewhat 55 (41%) No 6 (4%)

5) The body paragraphs are presented in a structured and logical sequence.Yes 76 (56%) Somewhat 55 (41%) No 4 (3%)

6) The body paragraphs provide and discuss appropriate textual evidence from the primary source to support the points made.Yes 76 (56%) Somewhat 51 (38%) No 8 (6%)

7) The essay enters into a dialogue with the sources so that the student’s voice emerges and exercises control over the argument.Yes 72 (53%) Somewhat 49 (36%) No 14(10%)

8) The paper documents all sources used in accordance with MLA format providing both in-text citations and a works cited page.Yes 51 (38%) Somewhat 61 (45%) No 23 (17%)

9) The essay includes an appropriate conclusion that brings the argument to a logical and natural close.Yes 82 (61%) Somewhat 44 (32%) No 9 (7%)

Analysis of Results and Future Plans for Student Assessment

The results demonstrate that by the middle of the semester, the majority of students included in the sample have achieved at least partial mastery of each of the measurable

ENG 102 – 2

performance objectives we intend to teach them and expect them to learn. In seven of the nine categories, the percentage of students who possess at least partial mastery of the required skill is more than 90%, and in the other two (items 7 and 8) the percentage of students who possess at least partial mastery of the required skill exceeds 80%.

While we find these results to be encouraging and an indication that ENG 102 in on the right track in meeting its objectives, we also recognize the need for further research and for refinement in the delivery of curriculum to improve the rates of student success.

As the logical next step, now that we have developed this rubric, during the Fall semester, it is our intent to provide adjuncts with rubrics at the beginning of the course and to ask instructors to evaluate a random sample of students on both their first critical essay about literary elements and their last. Because ENG 102 was included in the SLOAT initiative for the first time this past Spring, we do not know how much students may have improved in their mastery of the necessary skills over the course of the first half of the semester, and that is something we need to find out.

In addition, Professor Bartinique is developing a rubric to assess student research papers, a rubric that is responsive to ENG 102's first course goal. There are enough commonalities between the measurable performance objectives listed under Course Goal #4 and Course Goal #1 so that we should be able to use the results derived from using that rubric on research papers that have already been gathered so that we can reach some conclusions about progress made by students in gaining certain necessary skills before the course has ended. This rubric will be used by the Humanities Division's Testing Committee to assess student research papers once it has been completed.

Finally, we are looking carefully at these results and considering several different options for addressing them. In terms of demonstrating relatively complete mastery, students were weakest in providing MLA documentation. There is a possibility that this weakness is rooted in the fact that MLA rules are relatively lenient when the only source that is being used in an essay is the textbook for the course. Indeed, there has some debate within the English Department with regard to the inclusion of this MPO under course goal #4. Some of us favor the elimination of this objective while others argue that students need the practice in preparation for the research paper. In order to decide the issue one way or the other, we need to assess the research papers to see how well students do with the documentation of sources when MLA rules are more absolute.

In addition, we are concerned about the percentage of students who fall into the category of having somewhat mastered the necessary skill. We have selected two categories for improvement in the fall: MPO #3 (The body paragraphs are focused, unified, and relevant to the assignment and the essay's thesis.) and MPO #7 (The essay enters into a dialogue with the sources so that the student's voice emerges and exercises control over the argument.). MPO #3 was selected because a high number of students demonstrated only partial mastery of the skill, and MPO #7 was selected because it was the only category other than the documentation of sources category in which 10% or more of the students did not demonstrate at least partial mastery. Besides, we believe that these MPOs are interdependent and improving one will most likely improve the other as well. Professor Hayes, the ENG 102 coordinator, will be writing a

ENG 102 – 3

memo to ENG 102 instructors asking them to devote a bit more emphasis to the development of these skills and suggesting strategies that can be used as they make this effort. Professor Hayes's memo may also ask instructors to emphasize the documentation of sources more, depending upon what we find out once the ENG 102 research papers have been evaluated.

ENG 102 – 4

ENR 100 SLOAT ASSESSMENT STUDY

Spring 2011 Final Report by Alkis W. Dimopoulos

I. INTRODUCTION

This report focuses on student learning outcomes in the course ENR 100, Introduction to Engineering Technologies and Sciences, offered by the Engineering Technologies and Computer Sciences Division at ECC. The material taught in this course is the foundation upon which the upper-level courses depend for students to have the skills necessary to master more advanced material.

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I may remember. Involve me and I learn.”Benjamin Franklin

The philosophy in teaching ENR 100 is to help the students move beyond the point of where everything is presented as lecture, handouts and memorization of problem-solving methods and where the instructor is looking for the “correct” answer. The students learn how to apply the material taught (e.g., mathematics, physics, equations, etc.) to real-world applications. Real-world problems in engineering rarely come with all of the information required for their solution, and typically they cannot be solved by looking at how someone else solved the exact same problem.

The student learning outcomes (SLOs) chosen for this evaluation involve ethics, mathematics and science, speaking and presentation, engineering design, problem solving and decision making, and project management and teamwork. Practicing engineers often make decisions that will affect the lives of other people. Without a firm understanding that all decisions must be based on ethical principles, there is a high probability that the consequences will be disastrous. Additionally, most engineering projects are too large for one individual to be accomplished and, thus, practicing engineers must learn early on the importance of functioning effectively within a team, putting aside personal differences and achieving goals by combining individual talents and ideas.

In teaching ENR 100, the following instruments were utilized in addition to lectures and assigned homework:

Research papers evaluating and identifying common traits engineers possess, as well as activities engineers engage in.

Videos on real-world engineering and architectural projects, as well as hypothetical situations in engineering ethics, project management and time management.

In-class workshops/surveys designed to obtain the opinion of the students about learning outcomes, as well as quantifying the student learning outcomes.

A term project, in which the students working in a team environment, design and build scale models of certain structures following given specifications and applying design

ENR 100 – 1

concepts, project management and time management strategies taught in class, with the primary idea being for the students to have a first "hands-on" practical experience. It is notable that, upon completion of the project, the students present a technical paper identifying issues faced during the construction of the scale model, deliver an oral PowerPoint presentation, and finally perform a strength test of the structure designed and built.

II. SLOAT ASSESSMENT PLAN

a. Population

The data for the assessment of the course MPOs was collected from the students enrolled in ENR 100 section OAC, which originally included 17 students and concluded the semester with 16 students. One student received an incomplete for the course due to extended illness.

b. Administration

The following SLOs were chosen for the assessment:

SLO #1 (Course Goal 2): Discuss the type of work that engineers and other professionals perform and describe the specific writing, speaking, mathematics, computer, engineering design, problem-solving and decision-making skills needed to perform such work.

Measurable Course Performance Objectives (MPOs) corresponding to SLO #1 are as follows:

2.1 determine the common traits engineers possess and the common activities engineers engage in;

2.2 explain the importance of communicating with others both orally and in written form;

2.3 discuss the importance of time management in project execution; and2.4 describe the importance of quality and value in engineering.

SLO #2 (Course Goal 3): Describe requirements of the engineering profession.

MPOs corresponding to SLO #2 are as follows:

3.1 identify and describe the professional behavior standards, including ethics, under which engineers must perform;

3.2 describe the importance of safety and health considerations in engineering activities;

3.3 name and describe the various engineering professional societies; and3.4 explain the requirements for obtaining engineering licensure.

ENR 100 – 2

c. Instrumentation

Sample questions used for MPO determination are presented in the table below. A minimum of two questions pertaining to each MPO were used during the semester for the evaluation of student achievement of the MPOs.

MPO Sample Question Used to Determine Student Achievement of MPO

2.1 determine the common traits engineers possess and the common activities engineers engage in

Discuss five traits of a good engineer.

2.2 explain the importance of communicating with others both orally and in written form

Discuss the importance of effective communication skills in engineering.

2.3 discuss the importance of time management in project execution

As a requirement for the completion of this course you were required to complete a term project. Discuss what was learned from the class project.

2.4 describe the importance of quality and value in engineering

Is there any connection between the concepts of project management, productivity, training and quality? Discuss.

3.1 identify and describe the professional behavior standards, including ethics, under which engineers must perform

Having watched the class video “Incident at Morales”, can you identify any ethical issues? Briefly discuss.

3.2 describe the importance of safety and health considerations in engineering activities

In the class video “Incident at Morales”, what safety actions would you have taken if you were the design engineer of the new chemical plant?

3.3 name and describe the various engineering professional societies

Name and describe the services of five engineering professional societies.

3.4 explain the requirements for obtaining engineering licensure

What are the requirements for a Professional Engineering License?

ENR 100 – 3

III. RESULTS

Based on the results of data collected on exams given during Spring 2011 in ENR 100, all MPOs for the course were achieved. Specifically, the percentages of student mastery of MPOs were as follows:

SLO #1 MPO 2.1: MPO achieved. 88% of the students answered the questions correctly and 12%

answered the questions partially. MPO 2.2: MPO achieved. 81% of the students answered the questions correctly and 19%



answered the questions partially.

SLO #2 MPO 3.1: MPO achieved. 94% of the students answered the questions correctly and 6%




answered the questions partially.

In addition to using exam questions for MPO assessment, several surveys were administered during the semester with interesting results.

At the end of the second week of the semester, 47% of the students had not purchased the textbook and, at the end of the fourth week of the semester, 29% of the students had still not purchased the textbook.

In the beginning of the fourth week of the semester, 82% of the students could name at least three topics that were discussed during the previous (third) week of the semester.

76% of the students reported having anxiety prior to the first exam, 53% prior to the second exam, 25% prior to the third exam, and 38% prior to the final exam.

69% of the students reported doing the assigned homework by themselves, 19% with some help from others, and 12% occasionally copy the homework from other students.

13% of the students study two hours per week for the course, 81% three hours per week, and 6% 4 hours per week.

ENR 100 – 4

A summary of the MPO assessment findings is presented in the table below.

Course Goal MPO Achieved Partially Achieved

Not Achieved

2. Discuss the type of work that engineers and other professionals perform and describe the specific writing, speaking, mathematics, computer, engineering design, problem-solving and decision-making skills needed to perform such work.

2.1 Determine the common traits engineers possess and the common activities engineers engage in.

2.2 Explain the importance of communicating with others both orally and in written form.

2.3 Discuss the importance of time management in project execution.

2.4 Describe the importance of quality and value in engineering.

Course Goal MPO Achieved Partially Achieved

Not Achieved

3. Describe requirements of the engineering profession.

3.1 Identify and describe the professional behavior standards, including ethics, under which engineers must perform.

3.2 Describe the importance of safety and health considerations in engineering activities.

3.3 Name and describe the various engineering professional societies.

ENR 100 – 5

3.4 Explain the requirements for obtaining engineering licensure.

CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATIONS

Based on the writer's experience (having taught sections of ENR 100 during the previous five semesters at ECC) and as should be expected, absenteeism has a negative effect on student performance in the course, especially regarding sequential topics. The students enrolled in Spring 2011 ENR 100 Section OAC were exceptional. Absenteeism was minimal, the students were focused, prepared their homework on time, performed remarkably well in their exams. Collectively, these attributes, of course, was reflected in their class performance/grades. In fact, no student completing the course earned a grade lower than B.

As stated previously, this particular cohort of students (Spring 2011 ENR 100 Section OAC) were exceptional. However, the following recommendations can be suggested:

Some students are not able to learn without adequate help. The balance between structure and flexibility must be managed carefully. Too much structure will result in rigidity and too much flexibility will result in insufficient guidance.

ECC students are very diverse and, therefore, so are their learning styles. Some students need to listen to a lecture, some need to read the text, some need to do both, and some need to make mistakes so they can learn what they don't understand. Instructors should be able to make the distinction and provide the students the amount of help they need to be successful.

Schedule in-class workshops during which the students work in groups on various topics and, thus, answers can be provided by the instructor on any questions they may have.

During the first week of the semester, administer an anonymous test on several topics that serve as the foundation of the course. This way any weaknesses the students may have will be identified early and the instructor will be able to provide necessary help to the students.

ENR 100 – 6

Essex County CollegeDivision of Bilingual Studies

Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Team (SLOAT) Spring 2011 Final Report

submitted by Milena Rubinstein & John Hills

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

During the Spring 2011 semester, four sections of ESL 080 were assessed for two primary Student Learning Outcomes. The first assessments included 84 students in the four sections. By the end of the semester, the number had decreased to 81. To assess SLO #1, two quizzes were used to collect data. One was administered in the fourth week of the semester and the second at week thirteen. The first quiz evaluated the use of the simple present tense, and the second quiz evaluated the use of the simple present, present progressive, and the future tenses. To assess SLO #2, two revision exercises were completed by students in weeks eight and thirteen of the semester. Details of the student learning outcomes and the assessment instruments and findings are given below.

SLO #1: (Course Goal 2) Recognize the correct use of the rules of grammar in speaking and writing.

Subject: English as a Second Language Course Number: ESL080

Section Number: (001, 002, 003, 004) Testing Date: Week 4

Assignment Topic: Grammar Quiz 1 – Simple Present Tense

Instructions: Circle the correct choice in each sentence below.

1. [Person A] We’re late. Let’s go. The train is / are ready to leave.

2. [Person B] I am / have surprised to see that dog on the train. What kind of dog is that? [Person A] That’s a guide dog.

3. [Person B] I aren’t / don’t know what a guide dog is.

4. [Person A] Guide dogs help / helps people with disabilities.

5. [Person B] How does a guide dog / do a guide dog help people? [Person A] A guide dog helps a blind person go from place to place.

ESL 080 – 1

6. [Person B] How dogs learn / do dogs learn to do that? [Person A] They get training at special schools.

7. [Person B] How long does the training takes / does the training take?

8. [Person A] It takes / take about 5 months.

9. [Person B] Does / Is it cost a lot of money?

10. [Person A] I am not / don’t sure how much it costs, but I imagine it isn’t cheap.

Student Results on Grammar Quiz 1 – Simple Present Tense

Question # # of Correct Responses % Correct# of Incorrect

Responses% Incorrect

1 80 95% 4 5%2 77 92% 7 8%3 82 98% 2 2%4 66 71% 18 29%5 78 93% 6 7%6 74 88% 10 12%7 72 86% 12 14%8 75 89% 9 11%9 65 77% 19 23%10 79 94% 5 6%

Note: The total number of students who took Grammar Quiz 1 was 84.

Analysis: Students scored the lowest on questions #4 and 9, though 77% of the students did answer those questions correctly. The other eight questions were answered correctly between 86 and 98% of the time. Question #4 shows that students had difficulty identifying the true subject. Question #9 shows that students had difficulty when the main verb was the verb “to be”.

ESL 080 – 2

Subject: English as a Second Language Course Number: ESL 080

Section Number: (001, 002, 003, 004) Testing Date: Week 13.

Assignment Topic: Grammar Quiz 4 – Simple Present, Present Progressive, and Future Tenses.

Instructions: Read the letter below. Fill in each blank with the simple present, present progressive or future tense.

Dear Barbara,

Please excuse me for not writing sooner. I rarely have time to sit and write to

anybody. My husband (1. work) ______________________ on his car now, and the

baby (2. sleep) ______________________. So now I (3. have) _______________ a

few moments.

I (4. be) ______________ a student now. I (5. go) ________________ to Kennedy

College twice a week. The school (6. be) ________________ a few blocks from my

house. I usually (7. walk) _______________ to school, but sometimes I (8. drive)

__________________. My mother usually (9. watch) ___________________ the baby

when I (10. go) __________________ to school. This semester I (11. study)

_____________________ English and math. Next semester I (12. take)

_________________________ a computer course. I (13. think)

___________________ knowledge about computers (14. help)

_____________________ me find a good job in the future. When the semester (15.

be) _________________ over, we (16. go) ________________________ for a

vacation.

My sister-in-law (17. live) ____________________ in Montreal. We (18. spend)

______________________Christmas with her this year. When we (19. get)

____________________ to Montreal, I (20. send) ____________________________

you a postcard.

Please write and tell me what is happening in your life.

ESL 080 – 3

Student Results on Grammar Quiz 4 – Simple Present, Present Progressive, and Future Tenses

Blank # # of Correct Responses % Correct# of Incorrect


1 71 88% 10 12%2 71 88% 10 12%3 74 91% 7 9%4 74 91% 7 9%5 65 80% 16 20%6 72 89% 9 11%7 67 83% 14 17%8 61 75% 20 25%9 56 69% 25 31%10 59 73% 22 27%11 68 84% 13 16%12 78 96% 3 4%13 67 83% 14 17%14 57 70% 24 30%15 67 83% 14 17%16 75 92% 6 8%17 68 84% 13 16%18 72 92% 9 8%19 65 80% 16 20%20 71 88% 10 12%

Note: The total number of students who took Grammar Quiz 4 was 81.

Analysis: Students scored the lowest on questions #9 and 14. In question #9, students either used the wrong tense (the future instead of the simple present) or they used the incorrect form of the simple present. In question #14, students had difficulty recognizing the need for the future tense. Overall, students had most difficulty using the future tense, especially in sentences with more than one clause. The second most common error was using the correct form of the simple present in the third person singular. The students who did well were able to successfully identify context clues in choosing the correct tense.

SLO # 2: (Course Goal 3) Apply the rules of grammar for error analysis and correction.

ESL 080 – 4

Present/Future Tense Revision Exercise

Instructions: Some of the underlined words or phrases have mistakes. Find the mistakes and correct them. If the underlined words are correct, write C.

Dear Mom,

Next week I am going to start a new job. I’m so excited. My pay will be higher. I

1.going to make $10,000 a year more than I do now. Isn’t that great? And I 2. will having a

company car. When 3. I’ll get the car, 4. I’m going send you a picture of it.

When you 5. will come and visit me? Soon, I hope. I 6. send you money for a ticket.

If 7. I’ll have time, 8. I’ll take you to visit many places. But that depends on my job. Anyway,

it 9. will nice to see you again.

I 10.write you more soon.

Love, Ana

Student Results on Present/Future Tense Revision Exercise

Item # # of Correct Responses % Correct# of Incorrect


1 68 87% 10 13%2 62 79% 16 21%3 50 64% 28 36%4 72 92% 6 8%5 54 69% 24 32%6 69 88% 9 12%7 52 66% 28 34%8 64 95% 4 5%9 60 77% 18 23%10 65 83% 13 17%

Note: The total number of students who completed the Present/Future Tense Revision Exercise was 78.

ESL 080 – 5

Analysis: The items that presented the most difficulty for students were numbers 3, 5, and 7, which represented time-and-if clauses and question form. The time-and-if clauses are a difficult concept for the students to grasp when the sentence involves future time. In these types of sentences the dependent clause requires the simple present tense even though the idea is in the future. Question formation is also always one of the most challenging structures for students at this level because of the change in sentence order.

Past/Past Progressive Tense Revision Exercise

Instructions: The highlighted verbs in the essay below have mistakes. Find the mistakes and correct them.

The Mystery of the Titanic

When the White Star Line built the Titanic, the owners felt very confident. This was the

biggest and strongest ship in the world. But on April 15, 1912, the Titanic hit a huge iceberg

while it 1. went to America.

Why the Titanic 2. went down? The iceberg was very big. The ship was 3. travel fast

when the accident happened. But perhaps the “accident” was really something else – a curse!

Nearly 3,000 years ago, a woman 4. dies in ancient Egypt. She was a priestess (a female

priest) for the sun god, Amon Ra. Priests and priestesses 5. use to very important in ancient

times. So when she died, the Egyptians 6. cover her body with special bandages. In the

twentieth century, people 7. taked the mummy to the British Museum in London. While the

museum was showing the mummy, many terrible things happened in the building. After that, the

British Museum 8. was giving the mummy to a museum in New York.

On April 15, 1912, the Titanic carried this mysterious mummy passenger to New York.

She 9. was disappearing forever in the Atlantic Ocean with 1,500 other passengers. Did she

10. destroyed them? The answer is a mystery.

Student Results on Past/Past Progressive Tense Revision Exercise

ESL 080 – 6

Item # # of Correct Responses % Correct # of Incorrect Responses % Incorrect

1 71 93% 5 7%2 57 75% 19 25%3 74 97% 2 3%4 76 100% 0 0%5 74 97% 2 3%6 73 96% 3 4%7 72 95% 4 5%8 75 98% 1 2%9 73 96% 3 4%10 57 75% 19 25%

Note: The total number of students who completed the Past/Past Progressive Tense Revision Exercise was 76.

Analysis: Students did extremely well on this late semester Past/Past Progressive Tense Revision Exercise. They were able to recognize when they needed to use simple past or past progressive tenses. The items that presented the most difficulty were numbers 2 and 10, both of which required the skill of question formation – apparently a lingering problem for 25% of the students.

CONCLUSION

At this course level, the student learning outcomes data presented above demonstrate a good rate of success for students in these four sections. After one semester of grammar instruction, some students have difficulty in the areas of question formation and subject-verb agreement in the present tense. In addition, the more advanced element of this course which deals with the use of subordinate clauses also presented difficulty. This concept is dealt with in more depth in the two more advanced ESL grammar courses.

Looking at this data, we can conclude that as instructors, we need to give students more practice with these concepts. We need to employ multiple strategies such as game playing, role-play activities in which students can produce language in more real world settings. Because many of our students are attuned to 21st century technology, they seem to benefit from computed assisted instruction and practice. Unfortunately, our present computer lab is inadequate to meet the needs of our students. There is insufficient number of computers, and the ones that are in the lab have not been properly maintained. Oftentimes a class of 24 or more students must make due with 16 or 17 operating computers and, therefore, do not have the opportunity to work independently on assignments. Finally, it is essential to understand that second language acquisition is affected by many aspects. One of them is the aspect of time. Learning a language is a lengthy process

ESL 080 – 7

which takes time and practice. Therefore, even though students may receive instruction in a particular grammatical concept and they may show understanding of the concept, this may not automatically translate into production. Using the concept in real language situations (speaking and writing) takes time and much trial and error.

ESL 080 – 8

HST 101 Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) AssessmentSLOAT Spring 2011 Final Report

by David Berry & Margaret M. Stevens

Introduction

HST 101 is a basic introductory course that surveys the history of world civilizations from prehistoric times through antiquity and into the beginning of the modern era. Notably, since HST 101 is a general education course that satisfies core requirements for many academic programs at the College, it has one of the largest volumes of student enrollment at ECC every academic year. The course description for HST 101 is as follows:

HST 101 is the first half of a two-semester sequence. It examines aspects of the major social, political, economic, religious, and intellectual developments of world civilization from earliest times to the seventeenth century. Emphasis is placed on the ideas and institutions that have shaped the culture of world civilization.

This course, as described above, is defined by three course goals which, in turn, provide the framework through which student learning can be assessed and ultimately improved. These course goals are as follows:

1. demonstrate knowledge of some of the fundamental concepts and theories of historical events and ideas related to early human societies, classical, medieval, and early modern civilizations including but not limited to Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, China, Mesoamerica, Mongols, and Europe;

2. evaluate global exchanges and perspectives in the context of social, political, religious and intellectual traditions; and

3. read, analyze, organize, and synthesize evidence, historical problems, and interpretations connected to the history of world civilizations.

SLOAT Assessment Plan

The SLOAT Spring 2011 HST 101 Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) assessment study, which was conducted by David Berry and Margaret Stevens, focuses on the aforementioned goals 1 and 3 only. The data that was collected was weighed against course goals 1 and 3 by means of both direct and indirect assessment methods for student learning. Journal entries and locally-designed quizzes and tests are the direct assessment methods that were utilized in this study. Student surveys, enrollment figures, and withdrawal statistics are the indirect assessment methods utilized in this study.

In order to assess student learning outcomes for course goals 1 and 3, the timeline for data collection relative to both course goals was established as follows: Journal Entry (5 samples) in Week 2; Midterm (6 samples) in Week 7; Quiz (2 samples) in Week 9; and Student Survey (59

HST 101 – 1

samples) in Week 16. 3 sections out of a total of 32 sections of HST 101 in the Spring 2011 semester participated in data collection for this study. That is, out of 932 total students who were enrolled in HST 101 in the Spring 2011 semester, 124 enrolled students from 3 sections were to be assessed; however, not all 124 of the students enrolled in these 3 sections participated in the assessment process that is outlined below.

Assessment Result/Findings

I. Achievement, Partial Achievement or Non-achievement of Goals/MPOs

Course Goal MPO Achieved Partially achieved

Not achieved

1. demonstrate knowledge of some of the fundamental concepts and theories of historical events and ideas related to early human societies, classical, medieval, and early modern civilizations including but not limited to Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, China, Mesoamerica, Mongols, and Europe

1.1 identify and describe key terms , names, and places of major civilizations

X

1.2 evaluate the validity of various interpretations of historical events and institutions

X

1.3 clarify and summarize information pertaining to historical events and ideas

X

Course Goal MPO Achieved Partially achieved

Not achieved

3. read, analyze, organize, and synthesize evidence, historical problems, and interpretations connected to the history of world civilizations

3.1 use primary and secondary sources to show how historical problems are confronted

X

3.2 conduct internet research and explore reliable sources on the history of world civilizations

X

HST 101 – 2

In order to determine whether each of these course goals was achieved—totally, partially, or not at all—we utilized the following data that was accumulated from direct assessment methods:

I. Direct Assessment Method Results

A. Course Goal 1

a. Journal Entries i. MPO 1.1

1. 3 students achieved2. 2 students partially achieved

ii. MPO 1.21. 1 student achieved2. 3 students partially achieved3. 1 student not achieved

iii. MPO 1.31. 2 students achieved2. 3 students partially achieved

b. Quizzesi. MPO 1.1

1. 2 students not achieved

c. Mid-Term Examinationsi. MPO 1.1

1. 2 students achieved2. 1 student partially achieved3. 3 students not achieved

B. Course Goal 3

a. Journal Entriesi. MPO 3.1

1. 1 student achieved2. 1 student partially achieved3. 3 students not achieved

ii. MPO 3.21. 3 students partially achieved2. 2 students not achieved

HST 101 – 3

II. Indirect Assessment Method Results

A. Student Learning Survey/Questionnaire

Did you buy the book for this class? Yes No45 14

Do you do the assigned homework? All Most Some None39 17 3 0

Do you study? Yes No52 6

If yes to #3, how many hours? 1 – 5 6 – 10 11 – 15 16+37 13 3 0

Do you have employment? Yes No43 16

If yes to #5, how many hours per week do you work?

1 – 10 11 – 15 16 – 25 26+6 5 12 21

Do you have children? Yes No42 17

B. Student Enrollment Figures

a. Out of 932 students who initially enrolled in the course, only 724 (~78%) remained enrolled to completion; that is, 108 (~12%) students withdrew from HST 101 in the Spring 2011 semester.

b. Interestingly, the majority of the withdrawals from the course occurred in the morning classes, including the 11:30 – 12:50 timeslot.

Interpretation of Results

Based on the results of the direct assessment data collected from the journal entries, quizzes and mid-term examinations, it appears that the general trend in student learning is toward partial or non-achievement of the course goals and MPOs that have been established for HST 101. Keep in mind, however, that our use of available data was considerably limited by the availability of only the journal entries for evaluating course goals 1 and 3 in completion. The quizzes and mid-term exam were objectively unable to be applied to MPOs 1.2 and 1.3 and also to CG 3 because each of these goals/MPOs requires a writing sample on the part of the student.

In terms of the indirect assessment methods that were used in conjunction with the student survey responses, current data is merely a starting point for identifying potential barriers as well as potential motivators for student learning. While we know that, for example, 45 students out of 59 (~76%) purchased the book, we do not necessarily know if those 45 students achieved higher final course grades than the 14 (~24%) who did not purchase same. It is also interesting to note that the vast majority, 39 students (~66%), claimed that they complete all homework assignments, but again we do not know if consistent completion of homework led to these

HST 101 – 4

students receiving higher final course grades or learning considerably more than others who completed less than all assigned tasks. Finally, in terms of employment, it would important to determine whether or not the quantity and quality of employment correlates—positively or adversely—with the level of student learning in HST 101.

Student enrollment figures are also elusive as a means of trying to determine barriers to student learning outcomes. While we know 108 (~12%) students withdrew from HST 101 in the Spring 2011 semester, we do not know at which point in the semester they withdrew. That is, for example, was it after receiving feedback from the first major writing assignment or multiple choice quiz/exam? Was it based on scheduling conflicts with non-academic related obligations—such as employment—that resulted in class withdrawals? Without understanding the circumstances surrounding withdrawals for HST 101—which seem considerably high—we are left with insufficient tools for addressing the problem of attrition in the course and, ultimately, improving the circumstances for achieving optimal student learning outcomes.

Summation and Recommendation

The assessment tools would have to be considerably improved upon in order to interpret data on a more sophisticated and useful level. We need to establish a standardized rubric in which several key historical facts, eras or concepts become one assessment tool that can be applied to students from any/every section of HST 101 at some point over the course of the semester. The challenge is creating a standard rubric without, however, delimiting the academic freedom and individual teaching methods of instructors and professors who teach the course. Rather than having simply the full-time professors define the assessment tool and then charging the part-time faculty with its implementation, we must form a collective assessment-making body comprised of both full- and part-time faculty. Needless to say, the part-time faculty ought to be financially compensated for working beyond their required allotment in the contract.

We might also want to consider adjusting or adding to the current Course Goals and corresponding MPOs so that they can be more amenable to measuring student learning by way of multiple choice exams. As they are currently articulated, writing samples and oral presentations are the primary means of gauging student learning for HST 101; however, a considerable number of our faculty and adjunct staff utilize multiple choice quizzes and exams which, in turn, do not elucidate the data that would support the measurement of student mastery of the existing HST 101 Course Goals and corresponding MPOs. The other option, however, is to require full-time and part-time faculty to consistently evaluate student writing samples from as a means of gauging student learning outcomes.

HST 101 – 5

MTH 086 SLOAT Assessment Study Report (Spring 2011)

Prepared by: Shohreh Andresky and Ines Figueiras

INTRODUCTION

Two full-time faculty members that were invited to participate in the College’s Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Team (SLOAT) conducted a study of the MTH 086 course (Introductory Algebra) in the Spring 2011 semester. The faculty members that conducted the study were Shohreh Andresky and Ines Figueiras, Instructors in the Math and Physics Division.

MTH 086 is the most commonly offered course at Essex County College. Statistics provided by the Office of Planning, Research and Assessment over three Fall semesters (Fall 2006, Fall 2007 and Fall 2008) shows that, on average, 82% of new students to Essex County College place into MTH 086. In the 2011 Mathematics Program Assessment Report, an analysis of success rates in an eight-semester time period (Spring 2006 through Fall 2009) revealed a success rate of 46%. During that time period, of the 14,400 students who took the course only 6,617 passed. The course description is as follows: “This beginning mathematics course is designed to take students from concrete arithmetic ideas to the more abstract algebraic forms of these ideas. Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on the development of arithmetic and algebraic skills and the application of these skills and concepts to the solution of practical problems. Topics covered include simplifying arithmetic and algebraic expressions, signed numbers, fractions, decimals, percents, estimations and geometric applications.” Basically, MTH 086 is a course that covers material that students should master in the elementary and middle school years (typically third grade through eighth grade). Therefore, most students taking MTH 086 need to spend a considerable amount of time studying and doing homework to master the material in this course traditionally taught in a sixteen-week time period at ECC.

PURPOSE

The study had the following two purposes: to analyze course-level Measurable Performance Objectives (MPOs); and to determine the impact on success rates of variables such as class size, day classes versus evening classes, full-time versus part-time instructors, and the main campus versus the West Essex campus. The MPOs that were analyzed all pertain to course goal #1. This course goal and its corresponding MPOs are listed below.

MTH 086 – 1

Course Goal #1: Demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental concepts and theories from arithmetic, algebra and geometry.

1.1 perform arithmetic operations on signed numbers;1.2 perform arithmetic operations on fractions;1.3 perform arithmetic operations on decimals;1.4 perform arithmetic operations on percents;1.5 determine the perimeter and area for simple geometric figures;1.6 determine whether a ratio is a proportion;1.7 convert from one unit of measure to another;1.8 simplify basic algebraic operations; and1.9 solve simple linear equations involving one operation.

METHODOLOGY

Based on Linda Suskie’s book, Assessing Student Learning: A Common Sense Guide, 2nd

edition, 14 sections of MTH 086 were selected to participate in the study to ensure a maximum 5% margin of error. This would result in a total sample size of 368, but in reality only 11 instructors chose to participate in the study resulting in a total sample size of 271.

Sample

Sections were chosen to represent students taught by full-time or part-time faculty, during the day or evening, and on either the main campus or the West Essex campus. Information regarding the sections that participated in the study is detailed in the following table:

Section # of Students Instructor

Full-time (F)

Adjunct (A)

Day(D)

Evening (E)

Main(M)

West Essex(W)

002 25 Matthew [email protected] A D M

005 28 James [email protected] A D M

008 24 Ines [email protected] F D M

017 24 Ming [email protected] F D M

018 20 Abraham [email protected] A D M

MTH 086 – 2

Section # of Students Instructor

Full-time (F)

Adjunct (A)

Day(D)

Evening (E)

Main(M)

West Essex(W)

019 25 John [email protected] A D M

025 14Anthony Bevilacqua

[email protected]

A D M

B01 24Douglas Platt

[email protected]

A D M

CW3 30 Taran [email protected] A D W

CW4 35 Nataliya [email protected] A D W

CWC 22 Anthony [email protected] A E W

Total: 271

Some general information regarding the sections that participated in the study is summarized in the following table:

% Taught by Full-Time

Faculty

% Taught by Part-Time

Faculty

% of Day

Students

% of Evening Students

% of Main Campus Students

% of West Essex Campus Students

18% 82% 92% 8% 68% 32%

Thus, the typical student participating in this study is taught by an adjunct instructor at the Main Campus, during the day.

MPO Results

MPO results were generated from student performance on the multiple-choice section of the final exam. Each multiple-choice question on the final exam was blueprinted to an MPO listed previously in this report. A total of 171 students took the final exam, that is, 63% of the original sample. A total of 100 students or 37% withdrew, received a grade of Incomplete, or stopped attending. The instructors were asked to count the number of students that answered each

MTH 086 – 3

multiple choice correctly. Those results were submitted through an online survey, which also requested answers to other questions needed for this study. An MPO is considered ‘achieved’ in this study if 70% or more of the students answered the question successfully. All 9 of the MPOs analyzed were achieved comfortably as summarized in the table below.

MPO % Achieved

1.1 perform arithmetic operations on signed numbers 90.1%

1.2 perform arithmetic operations on fractions 79.5%

1.3 perform arithmetic operations on decimals 85.1%

1.4 perform arithmetic operations on percents 79.8%

1.5 determine the perimeter and area for simple geometric figures 91.2%

1.6 determine whether a ratio is a proportion 78.9%

1.7 convert from one unit of measure to another 84.8%

1.8 simplify basic algebraic operations 82.6%

1.9 solve simple linear equations involving one operation 95.0%

Other Variables Impacting Student Success

The success rate for this sample is only 38%, considerably lower than the success rate calculated for the 2011 Mathematics Program Assessment Report of 46%. Success rate is calculated by adding all of the students with a passing grade and dividing that sum by the total of all students enrolled in the cohort (including Withdraw and Incomplete grades). Success rates among the sections for this study range from 14% to 91%. The biggest impact on the calculation of success rate are the students who either withdrew or simply stopped attending, thus defaulting to a grade of ‘F’. Exactly 100 out of the 271 students in the sample did not complete the course. Seventy students (26% of the sample) did not show up to take the final exam, and therefore earned a grade of ‘F’. Twenty-nine students (11% of the sample) withdrew, and therefore earned a grade of ‘W’. Only one student (0.4%) received an “I” (Incomplete) grade. In fact, only 25% (67 out of 271) of the students in the sample failed the final exam.

As was mentioned above, there is a large disparity in success rate among the 11 sections that participated in the study ranging from a low of 14% to a high of 91%. The average success rate for the 11 sections is 38% and the median success rate is 36%. The chart below depicts the success rate for each section that participated in the study by full-time and part-time faculty.

MTH 086 – 4

Full-Time Part-Time0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

123456789

MPO results are significantly higher than the success rates previously discussed. All 9 of the MPOs analyzed were achieved, but the success rate for this sample is only 38%. Since the success rate calculation includes all students enrolled, students that do not take the final exam significantly lower the success rate calculation. Omitting students that did not take the final exam, either because they withdrew, received an Incomplete grade or stopped attending, returns a much higher success rate of 61% (number of students that passed the final exam divided by number of students that took the final exam). In addition, the multiple-choice section of the final exam is typically easier than the rest of the exam. Therefore, it is reasonable that the MPOs analyzed on the final exam were all achieved despite the very low success rate for this sample.

Several factors were compared to do further analysis of success rates including day versus evening sections, being taught by full-time versus part-time faculty, class size, and being taught at the main campus versus the West Essex campus. The following findings are noteworthy:

Although 3 evening sections were selected to participate in the study, only 1 of the instructors completed the survey. Therefore, there is not enough data to compare day and evening sections.

Full-time faculty members taught two MTH 086 sections, and part-time faculty taught 9 sections. Although the sample size is small for full-time faculty, the success rate for full-time faculty is only 29% and the success rate for part-time faculty is significantly higher at 57%. As discussed earlier, large disparities in the success rate of the 11 sections that participated in the study contribute to the difference in success rate among full-time and

MTH 086 – 5

part-time faculty members. In particular, one part-time faculty member had an unusually high success rate of 91%.

Class size appears to have an impact on student success. Of the 11 sections that participated in the study, 6 had class sizes of 24 students or less. The remaining 5 sections had class sizes of 25 or more. The sections with class sizes of 24 or less had a success rate of 43%, whereas the larger sections with class sizes of 25 or more had a lower success rate of 34%.

Finally, success rates were compared between the main campus and the West Essex

campus. For this study, 8 sections from the main campus and 3 sections from the West Essex campus participated. The sections at the main campus had a success rate of 29%, and the sections taught at the West Essex campus had a significantly higher success rate of 58%. This indicates greater success at the West Essex campus, but it is important to note that at the main campus only 57% of the students that enrolled in the class took the final exam and at the West Essex campus 76% took the final exam. The higher percentage of students at the West Essex campus that took the final exam could attribute to the greater success rate at West Essex.

Learning Strategies

All instructors in this study use lecturing as the primary means of teaching with many examples provided throughout the lecture, but other methods are also utilized such as board-work where all students participate in the resolution of the problem, small group work where students work in groups of two or three, and individual work where the instructor can provide personalized feedback. The latter is usually only feasible in smaller class sizes. In addition, this study revealed that 82% of the instructors grade homework and count the homework scores in the final course grade. As the use of technology increases in the MAP Division, this study also revealed that 36% of the participants in the study use online homework systems (WebAssign or MyMathLab). The instructors that grade homework, but do not use online homework systems, collect the homework on paper. The average homework grade for the students that took the final exam was 72%. It is not surprising that the average homework grade is more in line with the MPO achievement results. The importance of doing all homework assignments in a timely manner is crucial to student success, regardless of whether the instructor grades the homework or not. The MAP Division provides each instructor a course outline with a complete list of recommended homework problems.

In addition, the textbook selected by the MAP Division for the MTH 086 course at the College is custom packaged with a workbook and DVDs containing lectures when purchased at the ECC Bookstore. These DVD lectures provide a valuable resource for students that miss class or simply need to revisit a lecture.

MTH 086 – 6

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

In conclusion, the success rate for MTH 086 is very low. MTH 086 is the course that most students place into, and it is typically a problematic course for students to pass. This study revealed a success rate of only 38%, although students in this sample achieved all 9 of the MPOs analyzed. As discussed earlier, a high attributor to the low success rate is the number of students who withdraw, receive a grade of Incomplete or stop attending. For this sample, only 63% of the students enrolled actually took the final exam. The success rate is a much higher 61% when students who did not take the final exam are omitted from the success-rate-calculation cohort. Factors such as class sizes of 24 or less and being taught at the West Essex campus appear to have a positive impact on success rates, but further studies are needed.

It is recommended that a similar study be done with a larger sample size. More evening sections are needed to do a proper comparison between day and evening sections, but it is noted that the current process of data collection relies primarily on the cooperation of the instructor. Therefore, it is also recommended that the College invest in equipment, software and personnel to do proper and consistent assessment. If more resources are made available, then MPO assessment can be expanded to include all course-level MPOs. Finally, student attrition is highly problematic. Poor math and reading backgrounds certainly contribute to the low success rate of this course, but other factors such as poor attendance, poor study habits, poor note taking and lack of homework completion are also contributors. The CSS 101 (College Success Seminar) course offered at the College addresses many of these issues and should certainly emphasize how significantly student behavior and attitude influence the possibility of success in courses.

Finally and most importantly, longitudinal studies are strongly recommended. Success rates and MPO assessment are meaningless unless students can retain and apply their knowledge to successfully complete the next course. At a minimum, students should be tracked from MTH 086 or AFM 083 through the completion of their first college-level math course. One such time-consuming study was conducted several years ago by Math Department faculty. Future, more efficient longitudinal studies should be fully supported by College administration, who must allocate and/or purchase required resources and personnel to and prioritize course-sequence cohort tracking.

MTH 086 – 7

MTH 100 SLOAT ASSESSMENT STUDY REPORT (Spring 2011)

Prepared by Soraida Romero, Course Coordinator for MTH 100

I. Introduction:

An assessment study of MTH 100 at Essex County College was conducted in Spring 2011 as part of SLOAT (Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Team). The principal coordinators for this study were two full-time faculty members of the Math and Physics (MAP) Division who also served as the MTH 100 course coordinators: Carlos Castillo, Instructor of Mathematics, and Soraida Romero, Professor of Mathematics.

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was three-fold. First, the study attempted to determine whether MTH 100 students are learning eight (8) of the MPOs (Measurable Performance Objectives) that fall under the four (4) Course Goals (CGs) that have been established by the Math Department for this course. These four MTH 100 course goals are as follows:

CG #1: Demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental concepts and theories from algebra and geometry.

CG #2: Utilize various problem-solving and critical-thinking techniques together with algebra to set up and solve application problems taken from a variety of disciplines.

CG #3: Communicate accurate mathematical terminology and notation in written and/or oral form in order to explain strategies to solve problems as well as to interpret found solutions.

CG #4: Use calculators effectively as a tool to solve such problems as those described above.

The second purpose of this study was to ascertain whether any of three particular factors,

or variables, has a correlation with student success rate in MTH 100. The three factors that were looked at were as follows: having a required recitation hour as part of the course, the number of student absences, and using on-line homework software.

The third purpose of this study was to follow-up on some of the recommendations made at the conclusion of the MTH 100 SLOAT study in Fall 2010. Specifically, it was recommended that workshops should be offered to students on how to solve word problems algebraically and how to reduce math test anxiety. In addition, it was recommended that students should be given practice via hand-outs on how to verbally communicate the reason for some of their answers to math problems in the course.

II. Methodology:

MTH 100 – 1

a. Population Sample Used:

It was decided to use 8 sections of MTH 100 as the population sample for this study. Due to the fact that the Chair of the Math Department wanted most of the data gathered for this study to be done so by the middle of the semester, it was decided that this data could be gathered more quickly by using only sections taught by full-time faculty during the day and at the main campus. The following eight sections and instructors of MTH 100 were selected to participate in this study conducted in Spring 2011, with a total student population of 247 students.

Day sections at the main campus:

MTH 100-001 TRF 1:00 – 2:20 (full-time instructor Ines Figueiras)MTH 100-002 MWF 10:00 – 11:20 (full-time instructor Carlos Castillo)MTH 100-003 MWF 11:30 – 12:50 (full-time instructor Carlos Castillo)MTH 100-004 TRF 1:00 – 2:20 (full-time instructor Eman Aboelnaga)MTH 100-010 TRF 1:00 – 2:20 (full-time instructor Martin Weissman)MTH 100-011 TRF 7:00 – 8:20 (full-time instructor Soraida Romero)MTH 100-012 TRF 11:30 – 12:50 (full-time instructor Ron Bannon)MTH 100-015 TRF 1:00 – 2:20 (full-time instructor Soraida Romero)

The first four sections listed above, with a combined student population of 114 students, are part of a grant program that requires a recitation hour each week as part of the course; the remaining four sections, with a combined student population of 133 students, are regular sections with no recitation hour offered. The recitation hour was held once a week for 1 hour and 20 minutes, during which time the students worked on problems selected by the instructor that complimented that week's lectures. The recitation was run by a TA (junior- or senior-level students from local colleges). Although each instructor had one dedicated TA, three TAs were usually in the room to help support the students during each recitation session. Problems done during the recitation period were graded by the TA, and the final average of these assignments counted 5% of the student’s final course grade. Students did not work on their on-line homework package (WebAssign) during the recitation period.

b. Instrumentation:

There were four (4) different methods used to gather data for this study. These were as follows:

i. multiple-choice questions blueprinted to MPOsii. a brief student questionnaire conducted at the end of offered workshopsiii. student data obtained from each instructor by midtermiv. statistical analysis to determine correlations between success rates and three specified

variables (e.g., recitation hour, absences, and on-line homework)

i. Multiple-choice questions blueprinted to MPOs:

MTH 100 – 2

As a means of determining whether students taking MTH 100 are achieving the Measureable Performance Objectives (MPOs) for this course, Professors Castillo and Romero decided to include eight multiple-choice questions blueprinted to eight (8) MTH 100 MPOs as part of the MTH 100 Midterm Exam for the Spring 2011 semester. ScanTron sheets (including student name, student ID number, and a designated response section where the answers to the 8 multiple-choice questions would be indicated) created by Prof. Alvin Williams of the Math Department were included in each exam packet for the 8 sections of this study to facilitate the easy grading of these multiple-choice questions. These ScanTron sheets were set aside to be analyzed electronically to determine if the 8 MPOs were met by the students in the 8 sections of MTH 100. The analysis of the ScanTron sheets was also to be used to compare the acquisition of CG #3 on communication by those students (in 4 sections) who were given additional class practice on verbally explaining their answers to math problems with the students in the remaining 4 sections who did not get such additional practice.

ii. Student questionnaires conducted at the end of offered workshops:

There were two special workshops offered to students participating in this study. One, which was presented by Prof. Ming McCall, was on how to reduce math test anxiety; and the other, which was presented by Prof. Carlos Castillo, was on how to solve word problems algebraically. A brief assessment instrument (questionnaire) was given out at the end of each workshop to determine whether students enjoyed the workshop and whether they found it useful. (See MTH 100 – Appendix A for a sample of this brief questionnaire.)

iii. Student data obtained from each instructor:

At midterm, each instructor was asked to submit to Prof. Romero a sheet indicating the following data for each student participating in the study: name, ID number, number of absences to date, midterm course grade, and, if the student participated with on-line homework, the overall grade earned from these homework assignments to date. Prof. Romero organized the data and created an Excel spreadsheet that was used for further analysis of the data. (See MTH 100 – Appendix B for a copy of the Excel spreadsheet prepared by Prof. Romero and used for this part of the study.)

iv. Statistical analysis of the student data received from instructors:

With the assistance of a graduate student who was taking an educational research course at The College of New Jersey, Excel was used to conduct the statistical analysis of the data received from instructors. This graduate student, Danielle Romero, is the daughter of one of the study coordinators. The four different types of analysis completed included descriptive, correlations, T-tests and regression.

III.Results Obtained from the Three Different Methods Used to Gather Data for this Study:

MTH 100 – 3

(a) Results from multiple-choice questions blueprinted to MPOs -

Although the ScanTron sheets were completed by students and collected for analysis to determine if the 8 MPOs included in the MTH 100 Midterm Exam were achieved by the students in our sample, this part of our study has not been completed due to the unanticipated lack of equipment to read these ScanTron sheets. The College administration was scheduled to purchase the needed scanners in early Spring 2011; however, this did not occur. Therefore, until this equipment is secured, the gathered data cannot be analyzed and so this part of our intended study cannot be completed. Also, due to the fact that these ScanTron sheets have not been read, we are also prevented from determining whether CG #3 on communication has been achieved more so by the students who got additional practice on explaining the reason for their answers than those who did not. In summary, the two parts of our intended study, which depended on the analysis of the ScanTron sheets, unfortunately cannot be completed at the present time.

(b) Results from the workshop questionnaires –

Two workshops on math-related topics were conducted for ECC math students in mid-Spring semester. The first workshop was attended by only 12 students, and the second workshop was attended by 20 students. The workshop attendees were quite attentive and fully participated in each workshop. At the end of each workshop, students were asked to fill out brief questionnaires to share their opinions of the session.

The first workshop on Overcoming Math Test Anxiety was conducted by Prof. Ming McCall on Tuesday, March 29, 2011. Prof. McCall first got students to relax by telling students about her own fears about math as she grew up and then called on them to relate stories about their own experiences with math while in high school – experiences which may have impacted their ability to learn math at the college level. She then showed them how learning math does not have to tedious by presenting some short-cut methods for particular arithmetic operations which they had probably never seen before (specifically, squaring a number that ends with a 5). This allowed students to view math in a fun, entertaining way. Lastly, she gave them each a carefully-prepared handout, which included helpful hints for overcoming math test anxiety, suggestions on how to read a math textbook, and test-taking strategies, all of which were very informative and helpful. (See MTH 100 – Appendix C for a copy of this handout.)

The workshop evaluation forms from this workshop were very positive. Eighty-eight percent (88%) of the participants rated the workshop as excellent and twelve

MTH 100 – 4

percent (12%) as good. All (100%) indicated that they enjoyed the workshop, learned something new, and would recommend this type of workshop to other students.

The second workshop on Solving Word Problems Algebraically was conducted on Thursday, April 7, 2011 by Prof. Carlos Castillo. First, Prof. Castillo did a great job getting students to understand that anyone can solve a word problem using algebra. He then distributed a well-prepared, informative handout, which included a general strategy for using algebra to solve word problems and a few word problems that are taught in MTH 100. (See MTH 100 – Appendix D for a copy of this handout.) After discussing the general strategy, he carefully guided the students to follow the prescribed protocol first with an easy word problem and then with more involved problems involving coins and percent mixture.

The workshop evaluation forms returned by the participants of this second workshop were also very positive. Eighty-six percent (86%) of the participants rated the workshop as excellent and fourteen percent (14%) as good. All (100%) indicated that they enjoyed the workshop, learned something new, and would recommend this type of workshop to other students. Also many students added some important suggestions at the end, including the following:

The Math Department should offer workshops like these several times during the semester.

Consider offering a student workshop at the end of the each chapter of MTH 100. The workshop could be improved by having students become more active such as

going up to the board to solve problems.

(c) Results from student data obtained from each instructor –

Using the Student Data Spreadsheet (see MTH 100 – Appendix B) for the 247 students involved in this study, collected student data was analyzed to determine success rates based upon the following three variables:

Midterm grades earned in MTH 100 and participation in a weekly recitation hour (i.e., Is there a difference in MTH 100 midterm success rates between students who participated in a weekly recitation hour as part of their course and those who did not have a recitation hour as part of their math course?)

Midterm grades earned in MTH 100 and the number of absences incurred in MTH 100 to date (i.e., Is there a difference in MTH 100 success rates between students who have few absences (three or less) and those who have excessive absences (four or more)?)

MTH 100 – 5

Midterm grades earned in MTH 100 and participation with on-line homework (i.e., Is there a difference in MTH 100 success rates between students who were required to complete on-line homework and those who did not?)

The following results from this analysis were noted for the 247 students in this study:

(1) Grades earned in MTH 100 and participation in recitation hour:

Of the eight (8) sections participating in this study, four sections with a combined enrollment of 114 students (or 46% of the students in this study) had a weekly hour of recitation as part of their MTH 100 course and 133 students (or 54% of the students in this study) did not. This recitation hour was spent with a teaching assistant (TA) who helped them with the coursework. Comparing the success rates of students who participated in a weekly recitation hour and those who did not, we noted the following: 67/114 or 59% of the students who participated in this recitation hour were passing the course by midterm time whereas the passing rate for those who did not have a recitation hour was slightly lower at 69/133 or 52%. This comparison of success rates of students having the recitation hour and those who did not is shown in the graph below.

Recitation No Recitation48%

50%

52%

54%

56%

58%

60% 59%

52%

Success Rate and Participation in Recita-tion Hour

Succ

ess R

ate

Discussion: In this study it appears that having a recitation hour as part of the course did give students a slight advantage since more students who had a recitation hour were passing the course by midterm than those that who were without a recitation. However, this slight difference in success rate was not deemed as statistically significant in the statistical analysis.

MTH 100 – 6

(2) Grades earned in MTH 100 and number of absences incurred in MTH 100:

Of the 247 students in the study cohort, 133 (or 54%) had 0 to 3 absences, 50 (or 20%) had 4 to 6 absences, and 64 (or 26%) had 7 or more absences to date at midterm. The success rates of students with varying number of class absences are shown in the graph below.

0 to 3 4 to 6 7 or more0%

10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80% 71%

58%

26%

Success Rate and AbsencesSu

cces

s Rat

e

Discussion: This graph clearly suggests that as the number of absences increase, the success rate in the course dramatically decreases. This was confirmed by the statistical analysis of the data, which showed a significant correlation between the midterm course grades of the students in the sample with the number of absences incurred by the students.

(3) Grades earned in MTH 100 and participation with on-line homework:

Of the 247 students in the sample, 131 (or 53%) worked with the WebAssign on-line homework package and 116 (or 47%) did not. Although usage of the WebAssign homework package was a requirement of the course for all 4 MTH 100 sections in this study with recitations, there were still 10 students in these sections who did not complete any WebAssign homework at all. Of the 131 students who used this software, 83 (or 63%) earned grades of 60% or higher on this on-line homework and 48 (or 37%) earned grades of less than 60% on the homework. When comparing the success rate of students who participated with on-line homework and scored well in it (over 60%) and those who did not (less than 60%), the following was noted: 67 students (or 51%) who participated with and achieved a grade of 60% or higher on the on-line homework successfully

MTH 100 – 7

completed MTH 100; in contrast, only 8 students (or 6%) who participated with and achieved a grade below 60% on the online successfully completed MTH 100. The comparison of success rates with the usage of on-line homework is shown in the following graph.

Participated Not participate51%

52%

53%

54%

55%

56%

57%

58%57%

53%

Success Rates and On-Line Homework

Succ

ess R

ate

Discussion: Data obtained from this study suggests that students who completed on-line homework have a slightly higher success rate in MTH 100 than those who did not; also, it is noteworthy that those who score well (above 60%) on the on-line homework assignments seem to have a much higher chance of success in MTH 100 than those who score poorly on the on-line homework (i.e., 51% versus 6%). Thus, it appears that simply using the WebAssign on-line homework package alone is not sufficient to pass the course; rather, performing well on the homework (i.e., earning a grade of 60% or higher) makes success in MTH 100 much more likely. The slight difference in success rates between those who used on-line homework and those who did not was not found to be statistically significant in the statistical analysis.

(4) Other Findings:

Grades Obtained by Students in this Study: Of the 247 students, 38 (or 15%) earned an A; 16 (or 6%) earned a B+; 25 (or 10%) earned a B; 24 (or 10%) earned a C+; 24 (or 10%) earned a C; 41 (or 17%) earned a D; and 79 (or 32%) earned an F. Since success rates are determined by students earning grades of C or higher (i.e., successfully completing the course), this sample of students had a 51% success rate, which is quite comparable to the overall MTH 100 course success rate. The table below shows the pass/fail breakdown of grades in this study.

MTH 100 – 8

C or higher D or F48%

49%

50%

51%

52%

51%

49%

Grades Earned in this Study

Gra

des E

arne

d

(d) Statistical analysis of results found in this study –

Excel was used to conduct a statistical analysis of the data obtained in this study. Specifically, a descriptive analysis, correlations, T-test, and regression were all used.

The descriptive analysis shows that the midterm course average for the students in the study was 65.5% for the entire group of 247 students, 66.2% for the subgroup of 114 students who had the recitation hour (i.e., the treatment group), and 64.9% for the subgroup of 133 students who did not have a recitation hour (i.e., the control group). Also, the average number of absences to date at midterm for the entire study cohort was 4.7; 4.2 absences on average for students in the recitation group and 5.1 on average for those with no recitation.

Negative correlations (values of –0.7 or higher) were found between the midterm course average and the number of absences in all 3 groups (entire group, those with recitation hour, and those without recitation hour). This means that as the number of absences increases the midterm course average decreases. A positive correlation (+0.7 or higher) between on-line homework usage and participation in recitation hour was also found, which was to be expected since students in the recitation sections were required to use WebAssign.

The T-test analysis indicated that there was no significant difference between the midterm course average of students in the recitation sections and those not in the recitation sections; since the P-value for both groups was not less than 0.05, this indicates no significant difference in midterm course averages and participation in recitation hour. The T-test also showed no significant difference (again with P-values not less than 0.05) between midterm course average and on-line homework usage. Thus, while a slightly higher success rate was noted for students who took part in

MTH 100 – 9

recitation hour and students who used the on-line homework software, statistically the slight differences were not significant.

With P- values much less than 0.05, the regression analysis showed that absences negatively affected midterm course averages for all groups (the entire group of 247 students in the study, the 114 students with the recitation hour, the 133 students without the recitation hour, the 134 students who used on-line homework software, and the 113 students who did not use on-line homework). This statistical confirmation of the negative effects of excessive absences was quite noteworthy not only in this study but also in the larger SLOAT study conducted with students in MTH 100 in Fall 2010.

IV. Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations:

This study of 247 students taking MTH 100 in Spring 2011 was designed to assess the following:

(1) If the 8 MPOs for MTH 100 that questions on the midterm exam were blueprinted to were attained by the students in the sample.

(2) If students taking part in a weekly recitation hour as part of their MTH 100 course were more successful in the course than those who did not.

(3) If students having few absences in MTH 100 were more successful in MTH 100 than those who had many absences.

(4) If students who used an on-line homework package in MTH 100 were more successful than those who did not.

(5) If students who had additional practice on expressing the reason for their answers performed better than those who did not on those particular questions included in the midterm exam that required the reason for the answer to be stated.

(6) If students found workshops on math related topics interesting and useful.

The results of this study confirmed some findings of an earlier MTH 100 study conducted in the Fall 2010. Higher success rates were found for students who took part in a recitation hour as part of their course, had few absences, and participated with an on-line homework package; however, the statistical analysis found that only absences had a statistically significant correlation with success in the course. It was also found that students were very receptive to workshops on math-related topics. Unfortunately, due to the lack of ScanTron machines to read and analyze the data gathered on the blueprinted multiple-choice questions included on the midterm exam, we were not able to complete two intended studies, one on student acquisition of 8 MPOs for MTH 100 and the other on the effect of additional practice on stating the reason for answers to math problems.

MTH 100 – 10

Due to the results found in this MTH 100 SLOAT study, the coordinators of this study make the following recommendations:

(1) All MTH 100 instructors should make a concerted effort on the first day of class to inform their students that minimizing their absences from class to less than 3 will significantly increase their chances of success in the course. This study and earlier studies conducted in 2010 found a direct statistical correlation between success rate and low absenteeism in MTH 100, and it is critically important that students be made aware of this fact at the onset of the course.

(2) While this study and the ones conducted in 2010 found a slightly higher success rate for those students who participated with on-line homework, this was not confirmed statistically in any additional studies conducted so far. Therefore, more studies need to be conducted in the future to see if a statistical correlation can be determined.

(3) Having a recitation hour appeared to be beneficial to students who had this as part of their MTH 100 course. However, due to the fact that the student subgroup sizes were relatively small and the fact that the success rates for the students with recitation hours were not statistically significant as compared to those who did not have the recitation hour, this is an area that needs further study.

(4) While the numbers of students who participated in the math-related workshops offered as part of this study were small, the consistently positive feedback received from these students indicates that these types of workshops should be expanded and offered more frequently in the future.

(5) Since two intended areas of study were not able to be completed as part of this MTH 100 SLOAT study due to the lack of ScanTron machines to read and analyze data collected via ScanTron sheets, it is important that the College invest more money and energy on establishing an assessment infrastructure to facilitate student learning outcomes studies in the future.

MTH 100 – 11

Appendix A – Workshop Assessment Form

Workshop Assessment Form

Workshop Name:Given by: Date:

1. Did you enjoy the workshop?

Yes No

2. Did you learn something useful from this workshop?

Yes No

3. Should this type of workshop continue to be offered by the Math Department?

Yes No

4. Would you recommend attendance at this workshop to other students?

Yes No

5. Overall, how would you rate this workshop?

Excellent Good Fair Poor

6. Comments:

MTH 100 – Appendix A – 1

Appendix B – Student Data Excel Spreadsheet (Prof. Soraida Romero)

Treatment Mid. Av. Absences Online HW

1 83.50% 1

1

1 72.10% 4 11 90.80% 2 11 85.60% 1 11 83.90% 0 11 85.90% 1 11 85.10% 0 11 59.60% 2 11 83.90% 0 11 51.90% 6 11 58.00% 1 11 76.60% 0 11 28.40% 0 11 79.00% 3 11 73.80% 3 11 87.00% 1 11 82.90% 3 11 43.00% 17 11 65.40% 1 11 78.80% 2 1

MTH 100 – Appendix B – 1

Codebook

Treatment: 1 = Treatment Group (Recitation); 2 = Control Group

Midterm Average = course average at time of midterm

Appendix C – Overcoming Test Anxiety Workshop Handouts (Prof. Ming McCall)

HELPFUL HINTS TO OVERCOME TEST ANXIETY

ANXIETY – An abnormal and overwhelming sense of apprehension and fear often marked by physiological signs, by doubt concerning the reality and nature of the threat (tests), and by self-doubt.

How does one overcome anxiety?

1. DON’T PROCRASTINATE – Waiting until the last minute to do your homework will only increase the feeling of anxiety to the feelings of desperation.

2. DON’T CRAM – Specific subjects require practice, and cramming leads to frustration. It may work the first or the second time, but ultimately it will catch up to you.

3. DEVELOP GOOD STUDY SKILLS AND HABITS – Try to do a little each day. For every hour of class you have, you should spend two (2) hours studying outside of class.

4. LEARN HOW TO READ A TEXTBOOK – Help yourself. What happens when there are no tutors or teachers around?

5. FORM A STUDY GROUP – By teaching or helping others, you reinforce what you already know. Be creative, test each other and yourself. The more you know, the less anxiety you will have.

6. LEARN TO RELAX – Take a few deep breaths, try to meditate, say a prayer – whichever works – to help relieve some of the anxiety.

GOOD LUCK!

MTH 100 – Appendix C – 1

HOW TO READ A MATH TEXTBOOK

1. Write down the Chapter #, Section #, and Title.

2. Go to the exercise or problem section of the chapter.

3. Write down this page #.

4. Write down the instructions.

5. Underline any keywords (i.e., words that describe specific actions) within the instructions.

6. Write down the problem # and the problem.

7. Go back to the beginning of the chapter or section and read to solve the problem/answer the question.

Special Notes:

The problems in the beginning of the section are usually the easiest to solve.The problems in the middle of the section are usually moderately difficult to solve.The problems at the end of the section are usually the most difficult to solve.

Hint:

By following this method, you can kill two birds with one stone. You can complete the reading assignment and do your homework at the same time.

TEST TAKING STRATEGIES


Learning Good Test-taking Skills

1. Read the entire test first.

2. Complete the easiest questions first. (Don’t dwell on any particular question – you may come up with the answer as you work on different questions.)

3. Answer the more difficult questions last.

4. Try to answer each question. (Write what you know, even if you don’t know the complete answer. Writing may spark your memory.)

5. Use the full time allowed. (Never leave early. Review your answers and make necessary corrections.)

6. If your mind is blocked by tension/anxiety during an exam, try the following:a) Close your eyes.b) Take a long, deep breath.c) Let the breath out slowly.d) Concentrate on your breathing – actually feel or hear yourself breathe. Don’t allow

yourself to worry about the time, test, or tension.e) Repeat this process once. Then return to the test.

YOU CAN LEARN TO CONTROL YOUR ANXIETY!

Think about why you become anxious and afraid.

Recognize that some thoughts are negative and self-defeating.

For each emotional, frightening thought that you have, come up with a rational counter-thought. For example, replace “I have a lot to study.” with “I have a lot to study, but if I stick to my schedule and concentrate, I can do it.”


Appendix D – Word Problems Workshop Handout (Prof. Carlos Castillo)

Word Problem Strategies

Read and reread the problem until you UNDERSTAND it. Use the variable x to represent the unknown quantity. Technically, you can use any

variable to represent the unknown. (a) If there is more than one unknown quantity, represent the other unknown quantity

in terms of x as well.(b) If two scenarios are described in the problem such as there is a plane flying with the wind and later on it flying against the wind, use x to represent one unknown and y to represent the other unknown.

(a) Build an equation relating the unknown quantities. (b) If you use two variables to represent the two unknowns, then you will need to build two equations with these two variables (i.e., a system of two linear equations).

(a) Solve the equation. (b) If you use two variables, solve the system of equations.

Check your solution to see if it makes sense in the context of the problem.

Common Word Problems in MTH 100

1. What is the total value of 4 dimes and 2 nickels?

2. A drawer contains some dimes and quarters. The number of dimes is two less than three times the number of quarters. The total value of the coins is $4.20. Find the number of each type of coin in the drawer.

3. A chemist mixes a 50% acid solution with a 25% acid solution. How many milliliters of each solution should the chemist use to a 100 ml solution that is 30% acid?

4. Flying with the wind, a pilot flew 600 miles between two cities in 4 hours. The return trip against the wind took 5 hours. Find the rate of the plane in calm air and the rate of the wind.

5. Pump A can fill a pool in 6 hours and Pump B can fill the same pool in 3 hours. How long will it take to fill the pool if both pumps are used?

MTH 100 – Appendix D – 1

OPH 127 Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Team (SLOAT) Spring 2011 Final Report by Charles Harrison

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Introduction

OPH 127 Ophthalmic Materials II is a course for second-semester Vision Care Technology majors, an integral part of the program curriculum, a continuation of OPH 126 Ophthalmic Materials I, and a prerequisite to third-semester Vision Care Technology courses.

Assessment Plan

The SLOAT Spring 2011 OPH 127 Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) assessment study focused on Course Goal 2 (describe and perform ophthalmic calculations).

All students from both sections of the course were assessed in Spring 2011. This resulted in a sample size of 26 at the start of the semester and 24 at the end of the semester. Multiple-choice questions were blueprinted to Measurable Course Performance Objectives (MPOs) related to Course Goal 2, thus making the assessment completely objective.

Of the 9 MPOs related to course goal 2, student mastery of 3 of the MPOs was evaluated on Test 1 at week 6, student mastery of 3 more of the MPOs was evaluated on Test 2 at week 10, and student mastery of the final 3 MPOs was evaluated on Test 3 at week 14. Student achievement of all 9 MPOs was re-evaluated on the Final Exam at week 15.

Findings

The table given on the next page details the results of student mastery of the 9 various components (specific learning content) included in the 6 MPOs. These results include student performance level on the 3 tests and final exam both individually and cumulatively. Overall, students achieved 4 of the 9 learning objective components in the course. This content included CROSS CYLS (90% student achievement), SPLIT PRISM (84% student achievement), EFFECT THICK/N (80% student achievement), and RESULT PRISM (78% student achievement). However, less than 70% of students were able to show competence of the following 5 learning objective components: SPHERE EQUIV (68% student achievement), EFFECT/COMP, VD (67% student achievement), OBJECT DISPLACE (58% student achievement), SHOP PRISM (54% student achievement), and SAG (48% student achievement). Although SPHERE EQUIV had an overall student achievement level of 68% as was stated above, it is important to note that the preliminary level of student mastery of this topic was a very low 46%. Soon after the second test (on which the SPHERE EQUIV SLO data was collected) instructor intervention – in the form of a comprehensive in-class review of this course

OPH 127 – 1

material – occurred with a very positive outcome, which is evidenced by the fact that 92% of the OPH 127 students answered a question related to this course material correctly on the final exam.

In contrast to this very positive improvement in student performance on SPHERE EQUIV from Test 2 to the final exam, students struggled with SAG throughout the semester despite instructor attempts to address student underperformance on this topic. While only 50% of the students answered a question related to this course material correctly on Test 1, even fewer (46%) answered a similar question correctly on the final exam. This could perhaps be explained simply to the difficulty level of this topic. Similarly, student performance on the learning objective components SHOP PRISM, OBJECT DISPLACE, and EFFECT / COMP, VD showed improvement from preliminary testing to final exam, but not as much improvement as desired. To address these student learning difficulties in order to improve the OPH 127 course, a committee will be formed within the Vision Care Technology Department to compare existing and/or create new pedagogical approaches to these topics. Specifically, this committee will be charged with generating suggested ways to revise the methodologies utilized in the instruction of these topics.

OPH 127 – 2

Spring 2011 Results of Student Mastery of the 9 MPOs Related to OPH 127 Course Goal 2

MPO SAG SHOPPRISM

SPLITPRISM

CROSSCYLS

SPHEREEQUIV

OBJECTDISPLACE

RESULTPRISM

EFFECTTHICK/N

EFFECT/ COMP,

VDTOTALS

Assessment Instrument/Question #

Test 1 Test 2 Test 3

#9 #16 #17 #2 #3 #4 #4 #5 #6

# of Students

Answering Correctly 13 of 26

(50%)11 of 26(42%)

22 of 26(85%)

23 of 26(88%)

12 of 26(46%)

13 of 26(50%)

22 of 25(88%)

20 of 25(80%)

16 of 25(64%)

152 of 231

(66%)

Assessment Instrument/Question #

Final Exam

#7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15

# of Students

Answering Correctly

11 of 24 (46%)

16 of 24(67%)

20 of 24(83%)

22 of 24(92%)

22 of 24(92%)

16 of 24(67%)

16 of 24(67%)

19 of 24(79%)

17 of 24(71%)

159 of 216

(74%)

Combined Results# of

Students Answering

24 of 50(48%)

27 of 50(54%)

42 of 50(84%)

45 of 50(90%)

34 of 50(68%)

29 of 50(58%)

38 of 49(78%)

39 of 49(80%)

33 of 49(67%)

311 of 447

(70%)

OPH

127 – 3

Correctly

Appendix A – Multiple Choice Question excerpt from the OPH 127 SP 2011 FINAL EXAM

7. Given - 3.00 - 2.00 x 90 plastic lens with a center thickness of 3.0 mm. The horizontal edge thickness of a 50 mm. round lens would be:

A. 1.1 mm.B. 1.8 mm.C. 4.9 mm.D. 6.1 mm.

8. O.D. + 4.00 P.P.D. = 62O.S. +2.25 A = 58 DBL = 20

If the shop did not decenter the lenses; how much prism would be induced to the patient?

A. 5 ^ BIB. 5 ^ BOC. 4 ^ BID. 3 ^ BO

9. A patient is prescribed O.D. 8 ^ BO and it is desired to split the prism; this would be accomplished by giving the patient:

A. O.D. 4 ^ BO O.S. 4 ^ BOB. O.D. 4 ^ BI O.S. 4 ^ BIC. O.D. 4 ^ BO O.S. 4 ^ BID. O.D. 4 ^ BI O.S. 4 ^ BO

10. Combine the following crossed cylinder Rxs into a spherocylindrical Rx form:

- 5.00 x 90 - 2.00 x 180

A. - 3.00 - 4.00 x 90B. - 5.00 + 3.00 x 180C. - 4.00 +1.00 x 90D. B and C

11. Find the spherical equivalence of the following lens:

+ 4.50 + 1.50 x 90

A. + 3.75B. + 5.25C. + 4.50D. + 2.25

12. Find the object displacement in prism diopters:

OPH 127 – Appendix A – 1

O.D. + 3.00ADD + 2.005 belowR.L. 12 mm.Executive seg.

A. 7.75 ^ BUB. 6.00 ^ BDC. 5.00 ^ BDD. 5.00 ^ BU

13. What is the resultant prism of the following?

O.S. 2.00 ^ B.U. and 4.00 ^ B.O.

A. 3.61 ^ B. U. and I. @ 153B. 4.47 ^ B. U. and O. @ 153C. 4.47 ^ B. U. and O. @ 27D. 5.39 ^ B. U. and O. @ 27

14. What is the effective power of the following lens?

D1 = + 12.00D2 = + 1.00Thickness = 6 mm.N = 1.50

A. + 13.58B. + 14.58C. + 15.38D. + 17.18

15. What is the effective power for the following Rx?

O.D. + 18.25 Examined V.D. = 10 mm.Fitted V.D. = 15 mm.

A. + 16.00B. + 17.00C. + 19.00D. + 20.00

OPH 127 – Appendix A – 2

PTA 202 SLOAT SPRING 2011 ASSESSMENT STUDY REPORT

Thomas Donofrio, PT

Purpose

The purpose of this assessment is to document the progress of students taking PTA 202 to determine laboratory and classroom competency based on course student learning objectives. This course is designed to educate the student on specific orthopedic pathologies and rehabilitation, cardiac and respiratory pathologies and treatment, burns, prosthetic and orthotic management. Advanced therapeutic exercise and use of various pieces of exercise equipment will be included. Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to do the following:

1. explain and perform selected interventions accurately and safely;

2. explain and perform selected data collection tests and measures accurately and safely; and

3. communicate appropriately and effectively in written, verbal, and nonverbal ways.

Methodology

The two course goals (taken from the course outline) that were assessed in this SLOAT study were as follows:

SLO #1: (Course Goal 1) explain and perform selected interventions accurately and safely. NOTE : Student mastery of this goal includes their being able to demonstrate knowledge of selected interventions including PROM, AROM, AAROM, stretching and strengthening techniques, stump wrapping and prosthetic prescription, environmental modifications and wheelchair prescription.

SLO #2: (Course Goal 2) explain and perform selected data collection tests and measures accurately and safely. NOTE : Student mastery of this goal includes their being able to demonstrate knowledge of selected data collection tests and measurements including manual muscle test, sensory test, vital signs and measurement of burns and wounds.

Assessment methods used in this study included a competency exam that included scoring student performance with a rubric and blueprinted final exam questions.

PTA 202 – 1

Results

The PTA 202 cumulative final exam consisted of forty questions based on material covered throughout the semester. Questions were designed to test academic knowledge of material as well as application in a clinical setting. It is important for students to be able to apply all didactic information in a critical thinking manner, especially given the complexity and uncertain nature of patient care.

Of the nineteen students registered for PTA 202 for the Spring 2011 semester, eighteen students took the final exam. The one student who did not take the final reported dropping the course due to financial hardship.

Student success level for each MPO is shown in Table 1 below. The two PTA 202 Course Goals and their corresponding MPOs are as follows:

CG 1: Explain and perform selected interventions accurately and safely.

MPOs:1.1 explain and perform postural drainage and chest physical therapy;1.2 explain and perform orthotic prescription and fitting, stump wrapping;1.3 explain and perform transfer techniques and gait training with prosthetics;1.4 identify, explain, and adapt interventions to various disease process and

manifestations;1.5 explain and perform environmental modifications and wheelchair prescription;1.6 identify and explain signs and symptoms of heart failure and adapt interventions to

cardiac rehabilitation protocol;1.7 adapt interventions to obstetrical and pregnancy situations; and1.8 explain and adapt interventions to disease and rehabilitation of the spine

CG 2: Explain and perform selected data collection tests and measures accurately and safely.

MPOs:2.1 explain and perform ROM, manual muscle test, sensory tests, and vital signs; and2.2 discuss and determine measurements of burns and wounds

Table 1: Student Success Level for Each MPO

MPOTotal Questions on the Exam Blueprinted to

Each MPO

Number of Wrong Answers Given by

Students

Overall Percentage of Correct Responses by

Students1.1 5 5 95%1.2 4 6 92%1.3 4 11 85%1.4 3 0 100%1.5 2 2 95%

PTA 202 – 2

MPOTotal Questions on the Exam Blueprinted to

Each MPO

Number of Wrong Answers Given by

Students

Overall Percentage of Correct Responses by

Students1.6 2 19 58%1.7 1 2 89%1.8 2 1 98%2.1 11 19 90%2.2 6 10 90%

Overall student success level for the final exam was high. Specifically mastery of course MPOs related to Course Goals 1 and 2 ranged from 85% to 100% excluding MPO 1.6. This objective (MP0 1.6) required students to know about cardiovascular and pulmonary disease and identify or describe the signs and symptoms associated with each disease. Student difficulty mastering this material, i.e., the disease process and associated symptoms, may be a result of our ability to present case scenarios that truly identify these types of patients. However, mastery of this content is important, as it is our hope that students are exposed to many cases during their affiliations.

Discussion

PTA 202 is the last required program course for the students before their final affiliation. At this point in their studies, each student has been on three previous affiliations and should have entry-level competency in performing treatments on all types of patients. Students should also have a greater knowledge of anatomy, disease processes, and physical therapy treatment protocols as outlined in the Guide to Physical Therapy. Through these affiliations, students gain valuable knowledge and learn critical thinking that cannot be taught in the classroom. Working with actual patients helps the students master course MPOs in a more practical, less abstract way, i.e., in an easier format than by formulating scenarios in class.

In order to address student underperformance on MPO 1.6, a variety of patient scenarios will be incorporated into the lab component of the course and different media tools will be used to cover this topic. The Nursing lab will also be used with the help of the Nursing instructors to teach this component of the class.

Student success level for the PTA 202 MPOs related to Course Goals 1 and 2 could also be a reflection of student success in previous classes, including BIO 222, PTA 201, and PTA 101.

PTA 202 – 3

RDG 096 SLOAT Final Report Spring 2011

submitted by Sean O’Connell and Margaret Botney, ECC English Department

Introduction

The primary purpose of the course assessment for RDG 096 was to measure whether the students could apply critical thinking, analytical skills, and comprehension skills to selected readings. This was based on the Course Goals submitted in the RDG 096 course outline. The department-wide midterm exam was used to measure student performance of these skills. The exam included an essay portion (see RDG 096 – Appendix A) as well as a reading comprehension portion (see RDG 096 – Appendix B). A rubric was used to measure the degree to which the students were able to apply the above mentioned critical thinking, analytical skills, and comprehension skills to selected readings (see RDG 096 – Appendix C).

Methodology

The RDG 096 midterm exam is designed to assess critical thinking, analytical skills, and comprehension skills. Each adjunct and full-time instructor who took part in the assessment was given the same exam and rubric to measure the results. It was made clear to all instructors involved that all results were to be kept anonymous. Instructors were asked to assess each member of the class’ midterm exam by filling out the rubric under each heading and marking “Yes”, “Somewhat” or “No” depending on how the student performed for each MPO.

This assessment involved student completion of an in class-reading comprehension exam and a take-home essay portion, which was designed to measure the student’s ability to use vocabulary in context (which is an important aspect of the course). Each instructor tallied their results and either e-mailed them or securely hand delivered them to me.

Results

Midterm rubric results provided insight into students’ strengths and weaknesses. The instructors were asked to evaluate the midterm exam based on the questions below that are drawn from the RDG 096 course outline. The section of the exam that directly measured that specific SLO (Student Learning Outcome) is indicated after each question below.

1. Is the student able to recognize, critique, and analyze different rhetorical modes?Rhetorical Modes section on midterm (1 – 6)

2. Does the student recognize the main topic?Multiple Choice (1)

RDG 096 – 1

3. Does the student recognize the author’s purpose?Multiple Choice (2)

4. Does the student recognize tone?Multiple Choice (3)

5. Does the student recognize the main idea?Multiple Choice (5)

6. Does the student recognize vocabulary in context?Multiple Choice (9 – 10) and Vocabulary-in-Context (1 – 5)

7. In this writing exercise, does the student demonstrate critical reading? Midterm Essay Assignment

Results for the midterm exam distributed during March of 2011 were as follows:

1. Is the student able to recognize, critique, and analyze different rhetorical modes?Yes 25 Somewhat 50 No 25

2. Does the student recognize the main topic?Yes 95 Somewhat 0 No 5

3. Does the student recognize the author’s purpose?Yes 93 Somewhat 0 No 7

4. Does the student recognize tone?Yes 37 Somewhat 20 No 43

5. Does the student recognize the main idea?Yes 94 Somewhat 0 No 6

6. Does the student recognize vocabulary in context?Yes 66 Somewhat 24 No 10

7. In this writing exercise, does the student demonstrate critical reading? Yes 58 Somewhat 21 No 21

RDG 096 – 2

Summary

The evaluation of Student Learning Outcomes for RDG 096 during Spring 2011 semester proved to be an enlightening experience. The most positives results were that students seemed to recognize the main topic, the main idea, and the author’s purpose of the given reading. Both full- and part-time faculty members seemed to understand and even appreciate the importance of conducting this study. Some instructors’ results were never received, but overall it was a positive experience. Results indicated several strengths in terms of the course structure and the effective approach taken by faculty to fulfill the course requirements. However, 43% of students had difficulty recognizing tone which could be remedied by using more readings that portrayed variations on tone; 25% of students were not able to recognize, critique, and analyze different rhetorical modes; and 21% of students were not able to demonstrate critical reading, which is a major goal of this course. A more expansive list of reading texts would perhaps help to strengthen their ability to demonstrate critical reading. However, a wider scope to the assessment study may be needed to more fully evaluate certain aspects of the course. For example, reviewing the final exam in addition to the midterm may give us a better idea of what students have mastered by the conclusion of the course and what course learning objectives they are still not achieving.

The RDG course is currently being modified to feature an added online component, which will allow students to self-assess and find out in which areas they need more practice. They will also be able to take online quizzes to determine how much of the information from each chapter they have mastered. Lastly, as was mentioned above, readings from more texts will be included in the course in Fall 2011 to stress variations on tone and the importance of critical reading in hopes of strengthening the important course MPOs where many students came up short.

RDG 096 – 3

Appendix A – Essay Question Portion of the RDG 096 Midterm Exam

Throughout the novel, characters learn various "lessons." Discuss the lessons learned by one of the following characters: Grant, Jefferson, Rev. Ambrose, Grant's students, Paul or Sheriff Guidry. Use seven of the vocabulary words given below in your essay.

Auxiliary

Inclement

Relented

Dignity

Pathetic

Contradict

Dictatorial

Commiserate

Euphoria

Excoriate

Ambivalence

Empathy

Condone

Concurrent

Credibility

RDG 096 – Appendix A – 1

Appendix B – Reading Comprehension Portion of the RDG 096 Midterm Exam

RDG 096 Midterm on Colonial Almanacs

Books were scarce and expensive in colonial America, and many families owned only one, the Bible. But starting very early in the life of the English colonies, men and women had another important source of information: almanacs, the most popular nonreligious literature in early America.

Almanacs first appeared in America in 1638 or 1639 when printers in Cambridge, Massachusetts, began publishing the Philomath Almanac, which combined an elaborate calendar of religious holidays with information about astronomy, astrology, and, as time went on, other popular interests. In the 1680s, the Farmer’s Almanac began to rival the Philomath. It was a heavily illustrated publication that set a pattern for the future by adding medical advice, practical wisdom, navigational information, and humor. It also indulged in the European custom of prognostication; through a combination of superstition, popular folklore, and astronomical (and astrological) devices, it predicted weather patterns throughout the year, crop yields, and many other things. Almanac predictions were notoriously unreliable; but in the absence of any better alternatives, many people relied on them nevertheless.

By 1700, there were dozens, perhaps hundreds, of almanacs circulating throughout the colonies and even in the sparsely settled lands to the west and north. The most popular almanacs sold tens of thousands of copies every year. Most families had at least one, and many had several. America was a multilingual society, and although most almanacs were in English, some appeared in French, Dutch, Hebrew, Norwegian, Spanish, German, and various Indian languages. For five years just after the Revolution, Benjamin Banneker of Maryland was the only African-American almanac writer, publishing a book that occasionally included harsh commentary on slavery and the slave trade.

The best known almanac in the colonies in the years before the American Revolution was published by Benjamin Franklin, a printer’s son who ran away from an apprenticeship in his older brother’s print shop in Rhode Island and eventually settled in Philadelphia. There from 1732 to 1758, he published Poor Richard’s Almanack under the pseudonym Richard Saunders. “I endeavor’d to make it both entertaining and useful,” Franklin later wrote in his autobiography. “And observing that it was generally read, . . . I consider’d it as a proper vehicle for conveying instruction among the common people, who bought scarcely any other books.” In issue after issue, Franklin accompanied his calendars, astronomical information, and other standard almanac fare with “proverbial sentences, chiefly such as inculcated industry and frugality.” One of his favorite proverbs, which he said illustrated how difficult it was for a poor man always to act honestly, stated: “It is hard for an empty sack to stand upright.” Poor Richard’s many sayings became among the most familiar passages in America. Franklin was among many writers who used the almanac to promote the new scientific discoveries of his time and to try to discredit what he considered the backward superstitions that stood in the way of knowledge. He was particularly contemptuous of astrology.

Almanacs were virtually the only widely read publications in America that contained popular humor, and they are one of the best sources today for understanding what early Americans considered funny. Not unlike later generations, they delighted in humor that ridiculed the high and mighty (aristocrats, lawyers, clergymen, politicians), that made fun of

RDG 096 – Appendix B – 1

relationships between men and women, and that expressed stereotypes about racial and ethnic groups. In the 1760s and 1770s, almanac humor was often used to disguise political ideas, in the way it ridiculed British officials and American Tories. During the war itself, humorous anecdotes about military officers and political leaders reflected the uneasy views of Americans about the long and difficult struggle.

During and after the Revolution, much almanac humor consisted of admiring anecdotes about the man who was by then perhaps the most famous and beloved man in America—Poor Richard himself, Benjamin Franklin. Much less reverential, and probably funnier to readers, was the often ribald ethnic and racial humor in many almanacs. In Beer’s Almanac of 1801, an Irishman boasted that he had owned a large estate in Ireland before leaving for America. Why, he was asked, had he left it to come to the United States? “Ah,” he replied, “It was indeed under a small encumbrance; for another man’s land lay right a top of it.”

Almanacs remained enormously popular throughout the nineteenth century, and some are still published today. But they had their greatest influence in the early years of European settlement when, for thousands of Americans, they were virtually the only source of printed information people had. “A good Almanac,” the printer Isaac Briggs wrote in 1798, in a preface to one of his own, “is like iron, far more valuable (although much less valued) than gold, if we estimate its value by its absolute usefulness to the common purposes of life.” (American History, twelfth edition, Alan Brinkley, New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007, p. 94-95)

Multiple Choice Section

Instructions: Write the letter of the correct answer in the blank provided.

_____ 1. The topic of this selection is a. Benjamin Franklinb. apprenticeshipsc. colonial almanacsd. the Revolutionary War

_____ 2. The author’s purpose in writing this selection is toa. explain the history of almanacs in colonial America b. entertain us with examples of Ben Franklin’s intelligence and witc. persuade us to read weather forecasts on a regular basis d. inform us of the value of paying attention to astrology

_____ 3. The tone of the selection could best be described as a. humorousb. objectivec. ironicd. sentimental


_____ 4. The statement “A good almanac . . . is like iron . . . .” is an example ofa. metaphorb. similec. personificationd. inference

_____ 5. Which of the following statements best expresses the main idea of the selection?a. Almanacs largely dispensed useless information.b. Popular almanacs were an integral part of early colonial life. c. Almanacs fueled the anti-slavery movement. d. Poor Richard’s Almanac helped make Ben Franklin a rich and influential man.

_____ 6. The author suggests all of the following about almanacs excepta. Almanacs often contained humorous stories.b. Almanac predictions were generally considered to be very reliable.c. Almanacs were very popular throughout the nineteenth century.d. Most almanacs were in the English language.

_____ 7. Prognostication in paragraph 2 refers toa. making a forecastb. making a prediction c. both a and bd. none of the above

_____ 8. The information presented in paragraph 4 of the selection supports which of the following statements:

a. Almanacs presented information that was both useful and entertaining.b. Proverbs were not well-received in Poor Richard’s Almanac. c. Ben Franklin was not particularly interested in new scientific discoveries.d. Ben Franklin was a follower of astrology.

_____ 9. As used in paragraph 4, the word vehicle meansa. a conveyance moving on wheelsb. a medium of communication or expressionc. a play, screenplay or other workd. a chemically inert substance

_____ 10. As described in paragraph 6, an encumbrance is likely to be all of the following excepta. hindrance b. blessingc. burden d. obstruction


True or False Section

Instructions: Indicate whether each statement is true or false by writing T or F in the blank provided.

_____ 1. A pseudonym is likely to be a fictitious name.

_____ 2. If you are multilingual, you speak only one language.

_____ 3. Your autobiography is the history of your life written by you.

_____ 4. During the Revolutionary War, Benjamin Franklin was well-known.

_____ 5. Almanacs were unlikely to poke fun at the British.

_____ 6. Almanacs were careful to contain humor that was unlikely to be offensive to any ethnic group.

_____ 7. In the United States, almanacs originated in New York.

_____ 8. Benjamin Franklin successfully completed an apprenticeship under his older brother.

_____ 9. Two rival almanacs were the Farmer’s and the Philomath.

____10. During colonial times, books were readily available.

Vocabulary-in-Context Section

Instructions: Using the context clues below and in the reading selection, choose the best definition for the italicized word and write the appropriate answer letter in the blank.

_____ 1. sparsely settled lands to the west (paragraph 3)a. denselyb. thicklyc. lightly

_____ 2. Contemptuous of astrology (paragraph 4)a. scornfulb. supportivec. admiring


_____ 3. ridiculed British officials (paragraph 5)a. deridedb. mockedc. both a and b

_____ 4. uneasy views of Americans (paragraph 5) a. comfortingb. uncertainc. strong

_____ 5. ribald ethnic and racial humor (paragraph 6)a. polite b. vulgarc. refined

Synonyms and Antonyms Section

Instructions: If a synonym is given for the underlined word, write S on the line. If an antonym is given, write A on the line.

_____ 1. scarce/plentiful

_____ 2. elaborate/simple

_____ 3. harsh/severe

_____ 4. promote/foster

_____ 5. discredit/disparage

_____ 6. reverential/adoring

_____ 7. frugality/wastefulness

_____ 8. backward/forward

_____ 9. entertaining/amusing


Rhetorical Modes Section

Instructions: Identify which rhetorical mode is being used in the examples below. Write N for narrative, P for persuasive, D for descriptive and E for expository.

1.____ What a day! I must write to you about it, because there is no one else who didn't

hate her mother, and even who doesn't hate her children. Whether you are an Italian peasant or a Superwoman I cannot yet find out; but anyhow your mother was not the Enemy.

2.____ Francis Scott Key was a Washington lawyer who witnessed the bombardment of

Fort McHenry by the British in September 1814. The fort withstood the attack, and the sight of the American flag still waving "in dawn's early light" inspired Key to write the four verses of "The Star-Spangled Banner." He set the words to the tune of an 18th-century English drinking song. Over a century later, on March 3, 1931, an act of Congress designated "The Star-Spangled Banner" as our national anthem. Ever since then, people have been complaining about both the words and the music of the anthem. Some are bothered that the first stanza ends in a question. Others are troubled by all the depressing references to war, such as "Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution." A lot of people don't even know what the lyrics are about. On top of that, the song is very difficult to sing. The low notes are too low, and the high notes are too high. For all these reasons, people have recently been talking about replacing "The Star-Spangled Banner" with a new national anthem. Many songs have been considered, but the best choice is "America the Beautiful.”

3.____ The embalmer, having allowed the appropriate interval to elapse, returns to the

attack, but now he brings into play the skills and equipment of sculptor and cosmetician. Is a hand missing? Casting one in plaster of Paris is a simple matter. "For replacement purposes, only a cast of the back of the hand is necessary; this is within the ability of the average operator and is quite adequate." If a lip or two, a nose, or an ear should be missing, the embalmer has at hand a variety of restorative waxes with which to model replacements. Pores and skin’s texture are simulated by stippling with a little brush, and over this cosmetics are laid on. Head off? Decapitation cases are rather routinely handled Ragged edges are trimmed, and head joined to torso with a series of splints, wires, and sutures. It is a good idea to have a little something at the neck--a scarf or a high collar—when time for viewing comes. Swollen mouth? Cut out tissue as needed from inside the lips. If too much is removed, the surface contour can easily be restored by padding with cotton. Swollen necks and cheeks are reduced by removing tissue through vertical incisions made down each side of the cheek. "When the deceased is casketed. the pillow will hide the suture incisions…as an extra precaution against leakage, the suture may be painted with liquid sealer.”


4.____ The afternoon grew so glowering that in the sixth inning the arc lights were turned

on – always a wan sight in the daytime, like the burning headlights of a funeral procession. Aided by the gloom, Fisher was slicing through the Sox rookies, and Williams did not come to bat in the seventh. He was second up in the eighth. This was almost certainly his last time to come to the plate in Fenway Park, and instead of merely cheering, as we had at his three previous appearances, we stood, all of us, and applauded. I had never before heard pure applause in a ballpark. No calling, no whistling, just an ocean of handclaps, minute after minute, burst after burst, crowding and running together in continuous succession like the pushes of surf at the edge of the sand. It was a somber and considered tumult. There was not a boo in it.

5._____ "The barber was cutting our hair, and our eyes were closed – as they are so likely

to be. . . Deep in a world of our own, he heard, from far away, a voice saying goodbye. It was a customer of the shop leaving. 'Goodbye,' he said to the barbers. 'Goodbye,' echoed the barbers. And without ever returning to consciousness, or opening our eyes, or thinking, we joined in. 'Goodbye,' we said before we could catch ourselves. Then, all at once, the sadness of the occasion struck us, the awful dolor of bidding farewell to someone we had never seen. We have since wondered what he looked like, and whether it was really goodbye."

6._____ When we pay our four or five bucks and seat ourselves at tenth- row center in a

theater showing a horror movie, we are daring the nightmare. Why? Some of the reasons are simple and obvious. To show that we can, that we are not afraid, that we can ride this roller coaster. Which is not to say that a really good horror movie may not surprise a scream out of us at some point, the way we may scream when the roller coaster twists through a complete 360 or plows through a lake at the bottom of the drop. And horror movies, like roller coasters, have always been the special province of the young; by the time one turns 40 or 50, one’s appetite for double twists or 360-degree loops may be considerably depleted.

We also go to reestablish our feelings of essential normality; the horror movie is innately conservative, even reactionary. Freda Jackson as the horrible melting woman in Die, Monster, Die! confirms for us that no matter how far we may be removed from the beauty of a Robert Redford or a Diana Ross, we are still light-years from true ugliness.

And we go to have fun.


Appendix C – Scoring Rubric for the RDG 096 Midterm Exam

This is the form you will use to tally up the results from the midterm exams. Please fill out one form for your entire class section cumulatively once you have corrected the exams. Please e-mail me this completed form by Friday, March 11 th .

1. Is the student able to recognize, critique, and analyze different rhetorical modes?Rhetorical Modes section on midterm (1 – 6)

Yes _____ Somewhat _____ No _____

2. Does the student recognize the main topic?Multiple Choice (1)

Yes _____ Somewhat _____ No _____

3. Does the student recognize the author’s purpose?Multiple Choice (2)

Yes _____ Somewhat _____ No _____

4. Does the student recognize tone?Multiple Choice (3)

Yes _____ Somewhat _____ No _____

5. Does the student recognize the main idea?Multiple Choice (5)

Yes _____ Somewhat _____ No _____

6. Does the student recognize vocabulary in context?Multiple Choice (9 – 10) and Vocabulary-in-Context (1 – 5)

Yes _____ Somewhat _____ No _____

7. In this writing exercise, does the student demonstrate critical reading? Midterm Essay Assignment

Yes _____ Somewhat _____ No _____

RDG 096 – Appendix C – 1

RTC 106 Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) AssessmentSLOAT Spring 2011 Final Report

submitted by John Marfo

Introduction

This course is a continuation of radiographic positioning principles with an emphasis on the bony thorax, vertebral column, and contrast media procedures (e.g., IVP, esophagus, UGI, small bowel, barium enema, etc.) supplemented with practical instruction and application to include pediatrics and geriatrics. It is important that radiology students master definite techniques and procedures with young and elderly patients. Students will master given techniques, which will help them, as technologists, save time and energy as well as minimize the amount of radiation exposure to the patients. Film critique seminars are also routinely conducted in classroom and lab sessions.

The goals of the course listed on the RTC 106 course outline are as follows: Upon completion of this course the student radiographer will be able to:

1. satisfactorily perform under laboratory conditions radiography procedures of the vertebral column, pelvic girdles, and the bony thorax for both pediatric and geriatric patients;

2. demonstrate and describe radiographic positioning and procedure of the vertebral column, pelvic girdles, and the bony thorax; and

3. identify and utilize appropriate contrast media and lab equipment for specific radiographic procedures.


The SLOAT Spring 2011 RTC 106 Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) assessment study was focused on course goal 3, which involves the identification and utilization of appropriate contrast media and lab equipment for specific radiographic procedures. Specific learning objectives (MPOs) related to course goal 3 include the following:

3.1 identify appropriate contrast media for radiographic procedures (i.e., intravenous Urography (IVU), Voiding Cystography (VCUG)/Cystogram, the esophagram, the upper gastrointestinal series (UGI), the small bowel series and the barium enema);

3.2 utilize appropriate contrast media to perform radiographic procedures (i.e., intravenous Urography (IVU), Voiding Cystography (VCUG)/Cystogram, the esophagram, the upper gastrointestinal series (UGI), the small bowel series and the barium enema); and

3.3 demonstrate and perform all operation room (OR) procedures using the C-Arm

RTC 106 –1

Students collected data related to side effects of the various contrast media used in specific radiographic procedures from six hospitals (i.e., Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, Jersey City Medical/Trauma Center in Jersey City, St. Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, Clara Mass Medical Center in Belleville, UMDNJ Main and UMDNJ ‘DOC ‘ in Newark) – see RTC 106 – Appendix A for patient survey form to report side effects and findings summary.

Students working under laboratory conditions were given instructions on the administration of contrast media, proper patient positioning, Central Ray (CR) placement, image evaluation, and shielding. Data was collected on the performance of all students (see RTC 106 – Appendix B.) It is important to note that the concepts of contrast media administration for specific radiographic procedures, side effects of the various contrast media, patient positioning, CR placement, image evaluation, and shielding were introduced and discussed extensively in class lecture during weeks 6 to 13 of the semester.

Assessment Results

Patient data was collected by the students to determine possible side effects of administration of various contrast media. These results were tabulated and are included in this report in RTC 106 – Appendix A.

Students were assessed on how well they performed radiographic procedures, which ultimately measured their level of achievement of all related course learning objectives (i.e., MPOs 3.1 – 3.3), by using a checklist rubric (see RTC 106 – Appendix B) to determine their mastery of the following clinical skills:

patient preparation for a specific procedure

patient positioning

shielding

contrast preparation and administration

patient history/precaution surveying to determine possible side effects of contrast media administration

The performance of each student, based on his/her ability to properly complete each item bulleted above, was rated as follows: Pass, Committed a Minor Error, or Fail. These cumulative student performance rating assignments are tabulated in Appendix B. To summarize, notable findings include the following:

96% of the students were successful at correctly preparing the patient for a specific procedure; only 1 student committed a minor error while performing this task. (MPO 3.2)

100% of the students demonstrated correct patient positioning. (MPO 3.2)

RTC 106 –2

92% of the students successfully demonstrated shielding during the procedure. (MPO 3.2)

88% of the students successfully identified and prepared the contrast media for the specific procedure. (MPOs 3.1, 3.2 & 3.3) Note: The greatest challenge for students seemed to be differentiating between single contrast preparation and double contrast preparation.

100% of the students identified and correctly noted patient history in order to minimize side effects of the contrast media administration. (MPOs 3.1 & 3.2)

Summary

Students were assessed by a checklist rubric while performing an activity to demonstrate mastery of skills required to be learned in RTC 106. Every student performed as the radiographic technologist while classmates took turns portraying patients. Students were very familiar with patient positioning since they should have already attained this skill in RTC 101, which is a prerequisite of RTC 106. In addition, students were very mindful of the side effects of radiation during procedures because of a project they completed in this course. Lastly, students who were not actively performing during the skill assessment period initiated discussions and engaged in rich dialog with classmates about methods of and options for patient positioning, shielding, and patient preparation.

Although the students in this cohort performed very well, recommendations for student learning and teaching improvement include the following:

Perform more demonstrations for students to observe and more opportunities for them to practice positioning, shielding and patient preparation.

Encourage students to find out about or ask patients about known allergies before administering contrast media.

Encourage students to identify the location of and procedures of use of Crash Carts at all of their hospitals and to familiarize themselves with relevant medications.

RTC 106 –3

Appendix A – Patient Survey Concerning Side Effects of Radiographic Procedures & Summary of Findings

1. Patient Sex – Circle one: Male Female

2. Patient Age: _____

3. What is the reason the doctor ordered the test? __________________________________

4. Type of contrast media procedure(s) – Circle ALL that apply.

IVP Esophagram

UGI Series Small Bowel Series

Barium Enema Cystogram

Other____________________________________

5. Has the patient had previous contrast studies? – Circle one:

Yes No

6. Has the patient had any adverse reactions to a previous X-Ray or CT –Scan Contrast Media Injection (Intravenous)? – Circle one:

Yes No

7. Has the patient had any adverse reactions to a previous X-Ray or CT –Scan Oral Contrast Media?

Yes No

8. Has the patient had any adverse reactions to any previous radiographic contrast media?

Yes No

RTC 106 – Appendix A – 1

9. Has the patient had any adverse reactions to iodine?

Yes No

10. Has the patient had any severe adverse reactions to seafood?

Yes No

11. Is the patient diabetic or on blood sugar medication?

Yes No

Notable results of data collected using the above Patient Survey is bulleted and is also summarized in the table that follows.

25 students participated and returned a total of 25 completed surveys. None of the patients surveyed reported any previous adverse reactions to intravenous or

oral contrast media. 16% of the female patients surveyed reported having severe adverse reactions to seafood

but no severe reactions to contrast media. 10% of the male and 5% of the female patients surveyed are diabetic or on blood sugar

medication but none reported having previous severe reaction to contrast media.

Reported Patient Reaction Males Females Pediatric Males

Pediatric Females

Adverse Reaction to Oral Contrast Media 0% 0% 0% 0%

Adverse Reaction to Contrast Media Injection (Intravenous) 0% 0% 0% 0%

Severe Adverse Reaction to Seafood 0% 16% 0% 0%Diabetic or on Blood Sugar Medication 10% 5% 0% 0%

Recommendation: Survey a larger population of patients for the next study.

RTC 106 – Appendix A – 2

Appendix B – Contrast Study Procedures Student Performance Checklist Rubric

Procedure(s)Student Performance Rating

Pass Minor Error Fail

1 Esophagram AP/PA/RAO/LAO/LEFT LAT

2 UGI Series AP SCOUT, RAO, LAT, PA, LPO, AP (complete in order)

3 Small Bowel Series

AP SCOUT PA/CompressionPA Follow through

4Barium

Enema – Single

AP SCOUT, AP LPO/RPO, AP AXIAL, LEFT LAT RECTUM, AP POST EVAC

5Barium

Enema – Double

AP SCOUT, LT/RT LAT DECUB, VENTRAL DECUB RECTUM

6Intravenous Urography

(IVU)

AP SCOUT, 30 DEGREES RPO/LPO, PA POST VOID

7Voiding

Cystogram (VCUG)

AP BLADDER 10 – 15 DEGREES CADDAD (FEMALE), AP VOIDING 30 DEGREES RPO (MALE)

Results of Student Performance in the Contrast Study

Pass Minor Error FailStudent prepared the patient for a specific procedure. 24 1 0

Student correctly positioned the patient for a specific procedure. 25 0 0

Student successfully demonstrated shielding during the procedure. 23 2 0

Student identified and prepared contrast media for a specific procedure.

22 3 0

Student surveyed the patient and noted any previous adverse side effects.

25 0 0

RTC 106 – Appendix B – 1

RTC 203 Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) Assessment

SLOAT Spring 2011 Final Report

prepared by M. Carpenter

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Introduction

In RTC 203, second-year radiography students learn about the specialized and highly technical procedures in radiography, such as Computerized Axial Tomography (CAT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and Angiography, and the general indications for each examination. Students are introduced to Radiation Oncology, Nuclear Medicine, and Bone Densitometry. Quality control methods are also covered. Selected radiographs supplement anatomical review of the systems to be examined, prior to radiographic procedures. Lecture is supplemented with demonstrations and opportunities for students to practice the skills in the radiographic room. Critiques of radiographic films are conducted in the classroom/laboratory. The RTC 203 course outline lists the course goals as follows:

1. describe the parts of a computer utilized in radiographic imaging;

2. identify and/or explain the basic concepts behind Computed Tomography (CT) imaging;

3. recognize and describe interventional studies performed in the radiology department;

4. explain the basic operation and safety aspects of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI);

5. describe the three types of digital imaging;

6. perform quality control tests required for imaging departments;

7. recognize and differentiate between the regulating agencies, departments, and committees, with which medical imaging departments and staff must be in compliance; and

8. describe the basic concepts of radiation oncology, nuclear medicine, and bone densitometry.


The SLOAT Spring 2011 RTC 203 Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) assessment, which was conducted by Mary Ellen Carpenter, focused on course goals 3 and 4. Data was collected for all 18-second year radiography students. Measureable performance objectives (MPOs) related to course goal 3 were assessed by analyzing student performance on blueprinted questions on test 3, the midterm exam, and the final exam. Similarly, MPOs related to course goal 4 were assessed

RTC 203 – 1

by analyzing student performance on blueprinted questions on test 4 and the midterm exam. Students were provided with class syllabi, which list course objectives, in addition to all associated reading assignments. Class PowerPoint slides and applicable journal articles were posted on eLearning for student use.

Assessment Results / Findings

Course Goal 3 – Evaluation includes comparison of student results from test 3, the midterm exam, and the final exam.Course Goal 4 – Evaluation includes comparison of student results from test 4 and the midterm exam.

Blueprinted Test / Exam (Student Performance) ResultsCourse Goal 3: Recognize and describe interventional studies performed in the radiology department.Test 3 class average in support of goal 3: 81%Midterm Exam class average in support of goals 3 and 4: 88%Final Exam class average in support of goal 3: 95%

Blueprinted Test / Exam (Student Performance) Results –Course Goal 4: Explain the basic operation and safety aspects of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).Test 4 class average in support of goal 4: 91%Midterm Exam class average in support of goals: 88%

Summary

COURSE GOAL 3: Recognize and describe interventional studies performed in the radiology department.

Students showed improvement in overall content knowledge of this goal based on increasing test scores.The grades for test 3, the midterm, and then the final exam increased in class overall average from 81%, to 88%, to 95%. In review of the test questions, areas of student learning weakness were identified.

Test questions 4 and 7 evaluated student knowledge on correct imaging option for a specific body part. This information was presented to the student while they learned about arthrography. Unfortunately, the students consistently performed poorly on this assessment. Arthrography procedures are seldom performed any more, as MRI has replaced them as a non-invasive alternative. This means there is no clinical reinforcment for this learning, so didactic instruction must include better delivery of the material.

Test question 29 included material from a student laboratory activity. Student performance was poor, though if students had studied the material from the lab as part of their test

RTC 203 – 2

preparation, the success rate on this question should have been higher. Students will be reminded that lab activities include important information.

Test question 23 pertained to patient informed consent. Students did well on the test and the final but poorly on the midterm question. Upon review, the wording was different on the midterm and it appears to have caused student confusion. In the future, wording of this test question will be re-evaluated.

Test question 24 referred to information mentioned in RTC 203, but should have been learned initially in RTC 103 – Patient Care. Students performed poorly on the test question but showed evidence of learning on the same question when presented on the final exam.

Test question 1 was based on a measurement used for catheters in medicine. Students showed improvement from the test question to the final exam question.

Finally, question 33 on the final exam presented reason for concern. While 12 students answered it correctly, 2 students answered it incorectly and 4 students chose to skip it. The content of the question is most concerning. Students are taught the properties and uses of various radiographic contrast medias in RTC 107 – Pharmacology and Contrast Media. Based on the results of this final exam question, one third of the second-year radiography students did not know that barium sulfide is NEVER injected into a joint space. Review of RTC 107 content will be performed.

Actions based on these findings will include the following:

In RTC 203, Future emphasis will be placed on arthrography indications and procedure. Currently

students perform 1 lab activity covering arthrography. This will be increased in the future. (See Test questions 4 and 7.)

Radiograph identification will continue, and students will be reminded to review this material for exam preparation. (See Test question 29.)

The wording of test questions pertaining to patient informed consent will be reviewed. (See Test question 23.)

Also, the course content of RTC 103 will be reviewed pertaining to vaso vagal responses and student learning. And the course content for RTC 107 will be reviewed for appropriate contrast media administration and student learning.

COURSE GOAL 4: Explain the basic operation and safety aspects of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).

Students performed well in this area of RTC 203 Special Procedures. An overall class test average of 91% included class high scores of 100% (2 students) and class lows of 80% (3 students). Question 28 identified confusion in terminology; specifically, students seemed to be not fully

aware of the terms gauss lines and fringe fields being mutually inclusive. Question 12 identified confusion in material content. A video viewed in class contradicted

information provided in lecture. However, it should be noted that the discrepancy was pointed out in class and the correct information was identified. Unfortunately, more than half

RTC 203 – 3

of the students failed to recognize the correct information. An alternative video may be considered for future instruction.

Question 8 was structured with a correct answer and then a more correct answer. Students tended to select the correct answer and then move on to the next question before reading all of the possilbe responses. The construction of this question was very intentional in an effort to prepare students for success on the national boards. It has been the philosophy of this program that if the student does not read and comprehend the question, they cannot answer it correctly. One third of the class answered this question incorrectly. It is believed that they selected the first correct response instead of weighing all the options and identifying the more correct answer to follow.

Actions based on these findings will include the following:

In RTC 203, Emphasis will be placed on gauss lines and fringe fields. (See Test question 28.) New DVD on MRI safety or more specific emphasis on fetal safety during MRI must be

found and used. (See Test question 12.)

Also, students in the Radiography program must continue to be reminded of the importance of reading all of the test answer options prior to making a selection and moving on to the next question. (See Test question 12.)

RTC 203 – 4

INSERT SOC 101 REPORT HERE

SOC 101 – 1

SOC 111 HELPER THEORY SPRING 2011 SLOAT REPORTsubmitted by: Professor Arzelia Dixon Said

INTRODUCTION

The Social Science Division administered an assessment instrument for students in two sections of Helper Theory (SOC 111) for the Spring 2011 semester. The two class sections were taught by a full-time professor and an adjunct faculty member. Helper Theory is a requirement for all ECC Human and Social Services (HSS) majors. The HSS program allows students to select from the following three options: addictions, mental health, or social work.

SOC 111 Course Description: This course examines ways in which the helping professions intervene in individual, group, community, and societal processes with the goal of improving social functioning.

METHODOLOGY

Fifty-six students made up the sample group used in the assessment of SOC 111. The sample consisted of all students from two of the three sections of SOC 111 offered during the Spring 2011 semester. The assessment tool used in this SLOAT study was a multiple-choice examination. Both professors administered to their classes different exams, which included ten identical questions for comparable assessment. These questions were designed to assess the level of student achievement of some of the Measurable Course Performance Objectives (MPOs) listed on the SOC 111 course outline.

The assessment questions were specifically designed to assess students’ understanding of the theoretical concepts of the helping process which are utilized by social service and mental health professionals while counseling clients. Furthermore, these questions solicited the students’ understanding of the basic foundations of the theoretical framework. Another question was designed and included on the exam to assess the students’ knowledge of and familiarity with the diverse helping professionals in the human service profession.

Measurable Course Performance Objectives (MPOs) 1.1 and 1.3 are both associated with the first course goal on the SOC 111 course outline, which states “Demonstrate knowledge of a problem-management-and-opportunity-development framework of the helping process.” MPO 1.1 requires one to “identify problem-solving theories in the helping process” and MPO 1.3 requires that one “compare the various skilled professionals and paraprofessionals in the helping profession.” Data was collected on two of the ten identical questions, which were blueprinted to MPO 1.1 and MPO 1.3, and the results were tallied by faculty members. Details of this data collection/results are given in the following paragraphs.

MPO 1.1 was assessed on Examination One to determine the students’ knowledge of the problem-solving model. The first multiple-choice question required students to select the “goals

SOC 111 – 1

of the helping relationship.” For the entire SLOAT SOC 111 study cohort, twenty-eight (28) students answered the question correctly and twenty-four (24) students answered incorrectly. (If the class section results are separated, it is noteworthy that 64% of the students answered correctly in one section and 50% answered correctly in the other section. The students who answered incorrectly comprised 36% of one section and 50% of the other section.)

MPO 1.3 was also assessed on Examination One to determine the students’ knowledge of various skilled professionals in the human service profession. The second multiple-choice question required students to select various types of human service professionals in the helping profession. Thirty-four (34) students answered the question correctly and twenty-two (22) students answered incorrectly in the combined sections of SOC 111. (If the class section results are separated, it is noteworthy that 50% of the students answered correctly in one section and 75% answered correctly in the other section. The students who answered incorrectly comprised 14% of one section and 28% of the other section.)

STUDENT SURVEY RESULTS

A short survey was also administered to the students in both sections of SOC 111. The students took the examination first and, when they turned it in to their professor, they were given an “Outcome Assessment Survey” form to complete. The purpose of this survey was to determine information on the following: how students prepare for exams, knowledge of material, frequency of reading the textbook, note taking habits, and students’ perception of the exam. In addition, survey questions concerning personal factors were included such as a question that inquired about students’ employment status (i.e., full-time, part-time, or not working).

Analysis of completed student surveys revealed four areas that appeared to be significant factors influencing student outcomes on the examination. This information is useful for planning reading assignments and reports for future semesters of SOC 111. The results given below are reported for the entire cohort (combined responses of student in the two sections of SOC 111). (Note: One survey was not filled in and two or more students did not answer all of the questions on the form.)

In response to survey Question One “How prepared were you for this exam?”, thirty-seven (37) students selected the second choice which indicated that they were “somewhat prepared” for the exam. Only nine (9) students indicated that they were “fully prepared,” and just three (3) students indicated that they were “not all prepared.”

Survey Question Three asked “How much time have you spent reading the textbook so far this semester?” The responses were as follows: twenty-three (23) students indicated they read the text “once a week;” twenty-five (25) students indicated they read the text “twice a week;” and only six (6) students indicated they read the text “three or more times a week.”

For survey Question Five “How did you find the level of the exam?”, the responses indicated that forty-two (42) students found the exam “reasonable” and five (5) students found the exam “too hard.”

SOC 111 – 2

Survey Question Six asked the students “If you think you did not do too well on the exam, what would be the reason?” Twenty (20) students indicated “test anxiety;” ten (10) students indicated they “missed too many classes;” and fourteen (14) students indicated that they “did not study enough – overcommitted schedule.”

Another survey section allowed students to write helpful comments. Some comments given included the following: “Son was distracting me while studying.” “Studied too much.” and “I think I did well.”

The results of survey Questions Nine and Ten were combined. Specifically, Question Nine asked the student “Are you employed?” and Question Ten asked the student if they work “Full-time or Part-time?” Thirty-three (33) students indicated that they were “Employed.” Of the thirty-three employed students, eighteen (18) indicated that they work “Full-time” and fifteen (15) indicated that they work “Part-time.”

FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

There appears to be a relationship between student outcomes and their preparation for the examination including the amount of time they spend reading the textbook. In addition, only four (4) students reported “studying with a fellow classmate” for the examination as was indicated on the student survey. Students are encouraged to study with their fellow classmates in order to reinforce what has been taught in the classroom and to discuss their understanding of the textbook with other students. Students have commented that they don’t have sufficient time to study with others due to personal commitments.

Several suggestions can be made to hopefully improve student learning in this course. The students can be given more weekly oral presentations and writing assignments, which reflect and/or report on assigned textbook readings. It appears that the number of times the students read their textbooks correlated to the number of times they met for class during the week. The data shows that evening students (16), who generally meet once a week, reported reading the text once a week. Similarly, daytime students (19), who generally meet twice a week, reported overall that they read the text twice a week. Significant efforts must be made to encourage students to read more often.

Future assessments might study the effect of employment and family issues on students’ academic performance. Based on the limited student survey administered during this SLOAT study, this report cannot definitively determine how other social factors affect students’ academic performance.

SOC 111 – 3

Documents

Sociology Program Assessment - Essex County Collegesloat.essex.edu/.../SLOAT_Spring_2011_Final_Reports_B… · Web view9.How comfortable do you feel solving word ... so make sure