Liberal Studies Assessment Report 2014-2015
AnnualAssessmentReport
AcademicYear: 2014/15
Department: LiberalStudies
Program(s): LiberalStudies:AllOptions(Quaternity,EnvironmentalStudies,GlobalandMulticulturalStudies
WhatWas Done
InFY2013/14weevaluatedlearningoutcomes5-‐8. TheseoutcomesaddresstheEnvironmentalStudiesandGlobalandMulticulturaloptionsinLiberalStudies.
Outcome4:EnvironmentalStudiesoption: Studentswillbeabletoapplynaturalscienceperspectives
toproblemsofnaturalresourceandenvironmentalmanagement.
Outcome5:EnvironmentalStudiesoption: Studentswillbeabletoapplysocialscienceperspectivestoproblemsofnaturalresourceandenvironmentalmanagement.
Outcome6: GlobalStudiesoption: Studentswillbeabletoanalyzemulticulturalliteratureorresearch
usingtechniquesfromliteraryorsocialfieldsofstudy.
Outcome7:GlobalStudiesoption:Studentswillbeabletoexplaintrendsandinter-‐relationshipsamongglobal,economicandpoliticalsystemsandtheireffectsonsocialchange,qualityoflifeandinequalities.
WhatDataWereCollected
Theseoutcomesrequiredustocollectpapersfromstudentsforcoursesofferedindifferentdepartments. Werandomlyselected20studentsinEnvironmentalStudiesandrequestedthatthey sendusawritingassignmentfromthepastyearinoneoftheirupper-‐divisionnaturalscienceandoneoftheirsocialsciencepolicycourses.Inresponsetothatcallwereceivedthefollowingnumbers ofpapers:
|
Numberofstudents |
NaturalSciencecoursepapers |
SocialScienceCoursepapers |
|
4 |
4 |
4 |
|
3 |
3 |
0 |
|
6 |
0 |
6 |
|
3 (reportedthattheydidnot havepapersintheirLS NaturalorSocSciCoursesin thelastyear). |
0 |
0 |
|
4 (neverrespondedtoour request) |
0 |
0 |
|
Totals |
7 |
10 |
WeusedasimilarselectionprocesstocollectpapersfromtheGlobalandMulticulturalStudiesoptionstudents. Weaskedthattheysenduspapersfromamulticulturaland/orareastudycourses. Inresponsewereceivedthefollowingnumbersofpapers:
|
Numberofstudents |
MulticulturalCoursepapers |
AreaStudiespapers |
|
8 |
8 |
8 |
|
4 |
4 |
0 |
|
5 |
0 |
5 |
|
3(neverrespondedtoour request |
0 |
0 |
|
Totals |
12 |
13 |
Weanalyzedthepapersusingrubricsdesignedtoassesseachlearningoutcomeinthefollowingtable:
|
LearningOutcome |
# papers |
# of reviewers |
Possible rangeof scoresonrubric (1=excellent, 2=meets expectations, 3=below expectations.) |
|
Actualscores (1=excellent, 2=meets expectations, 3=below expectations.) |
||
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
applynatural |
7 |
2 |
1-‐3 |
Depthof |
43% |
57% |
0% |
|
science |
Understanding |
|
|
|
|||
|
perspectivesto |
|
|
|
|
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problemsofnatural |
|
|
|
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|
resourceand |
Application |
14% |
43% |
43% |
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|
environmental |
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|
management. |
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|
applysocialscience |
10 |
2 |
1-‐3 |
Depthof |
50% |
50% |
0% |
|
perspectivesto |
Understanding |
|
|
|
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problemsofnatural |
|
|
|
|
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resourceand |
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|
|
|
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|
environmental |
Application |
30% |
40% |
30% |
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|
management |
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|
analyze |
12 |
2 |
1-‐3 |
Depthof |
33% |
50% |
17% |
|
multicultural |
Understanding |
|
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|
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literatureor |
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|
|
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researchusing |
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|
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techniquesfrom |
Analysis |
25% |
50% |
25% |
|||
|
literaryorsocial |
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|
Fieldsofstudy |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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explaintrendsand |
13 |
2 |
1-3 |
Depthof |
54% |
46% |
0% |
|
inter-‐relationships |
Understanding |
|
|
|
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|
amongglobal, |
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economicand |
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|
|
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|
politicalsystems |
Analysis |
23% |
31% |
46% |
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andtheireffectson |
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socialchange, |
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qualityoflifeand |
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inequalities. |
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What WasLearned
Outcome4:EnvironmentalStudiesoption: Studentswillbeabletoapplynaturalscienceperspectives
toproblemsofnaturalresourceandenvironmentalmanagement.
Outcome5:EnvironmentalStudiesoption: Studentswillbeabletoapplysocialscienceperspectivestoproblemsofnaturalresourceandenvironmentalmanagement.
Outcome6: GlobalStudiesoption: Studentswillbeabletoanalyzemulticulturalliteratureorresearch
usingtechniquesfromliteraryorsocialfieldsofstudy.
Outcome7:GlobalStudiesoption:Studentswillbeabletoexplaintrendsandinter-‐relationshipsamongglobal,economicandpoliticalsystemsandtheireffectsonsocialchange,qualityoflifeandinequalities.
Theresultsofourefforttolookatavarietyofdifferentpaper/projectassignmentstaughtbydifferentdepartmentsacrosstheuniversitywerethatwelearnedwhatourstudentsareandarenotbeingaskedtodoinassignmentsinsomeofthemostpopularcoursesamongourmajors. WediscoveredthatgenerallyourEnvironmentalStudiesandGlobalandMulticulturalstudiesoptionstudentsaremeeting orexceedingexpectationsinsubjectcontentareas. Inotherwords,theyshowamasteryofsubjectcontentperspectivesanddowellapplyingthetechniquesandmethodsofthosefieldsinresearchorscholarlypapers(80%ormoredoso). Itislesscommonforassignmentstorequire(orforourstudentstomasterifitisrequiredintheassignment)anapplicationoftheseperspectivestorealworldproblemsandissues. Wewouldliketoseeourstudentsinalloptionsintegratethevariousperspectivestheyarelearningintoabroaderandmoreencompassingviewpointthatdrawsfrommultipledisciplinaryperspectivesandmethods. Sometimestheyareaskedtodothisintheircoursesandsometimestheyarenotdependingonthecourse.
How WeResponded
WehavealreadyhadthreeintegrativeLiberalStudiescoursesapprovedintheLiberalStudiescurriculumandwehopethattakingsuchcoursesmightbetterhelpstudentsthinkmorebroadlyaboutimportant
social,political,literary,andculturalissuesfromavarietyofperspectives. BasedonthisassessmenttherewassomediscussionaboutwhetherweshouldrequireLSmajorsineachoptiontotakeatleast1ofthesecoursespriortotakingtheLiberalStudiescapstonecourse. Intheendwedecidedthatwearenotyetreadytoimposethatrequirement,butwediddiscussadvisingstudentswhoneedtopracticeintegratingperspectivestotakeoneofthesenewcoursesortoregisterforsomeofthecoursesthatwereviewedpapersfromthatseemedtobemosteffectiveatteachingcontentknowledgeandapplicationtorealworldproblems.
EvaluationRubrics
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Excellent |
MeetsExpectations |
BelowExpectations |
|
Teamworkand collaboration(Grouporclassassessment): |
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Collaboration |
Studentsprovide accurate,constructive andspecificfeedback ofthehighestquality tooneanother |
Studentsprovide accurate,constructive andspecificfeedback tooneanother |
Studentsareunable toprovideeffective feedbacktoone another |
|
Teamwork |
Student’sworkwell |
Student’sworkwell |
Studentsareunable |
|
together,withall |
together,withalmost |
toworktogetherand |
|
|
contributingtothe |
everyonecontributing |
unabletoachievethe |
|
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successofthegroup |
tothesuccessofthe |
goals. |
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group |
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Written Communication |
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Scopegivenassignment |
Scopeshowsareal appreciationforthe contentandcoverage |
Scopeofassignment isappropriatein contentandcoverage |
Scopeisnotsufficient toassignment. |
|
Strongandclear argumentmade whereappropriate |
Argumentsarewell definedandcomplex. |
Argumentsare defendableand discernable |
Argumentsarenot factualandoverly simplistic |
|
Reasons/Evidence |
Evidenceisrelevant, logical,and appropriatelycited. Evidenceisprovidedfrommultiplesources appropriatetothe assignment. |
Evidenceisrelevant andforthemostpart logical.Thereis minimaluseof fallaciousreasoning. |
Littleorirrelevant evidenceprovideand isonlypartiallyor minimallycited. Reasoningis fallacious. |
|
Strongmechanics (grammar,citation, followeddirections, goodrevisions) |
Mechanicsarestrong. |
Mechanicsaregood anddonotdistract fromthecontent. |
Mechanicsare problematictothe pointofdistracting fromthecontentofthepaper. |