QCC / CUNY
Department of Social Sciences
Individual Course Assessment Report for
SS 211 - Introduction to Macroeconomics
Date Submitted: May11, 2011
By Faculty Participants:
Dr. P. Azrak, Dr. C. Dowlah, Prof. J. Gilleaudeau, Dr. P. Manfra
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Course and General Education Objectives
SS 211 - Macroeconomics
SS 211 Macroeconomics studies the determination of national income, unemployment, pricelevels, the impact of government spending, taxation, monetary policy, the banking system,
economic growth and international trade.
Course Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, students will:
C1) Identify and comprehend traditional and current issues in Economics.
C2) Define the main areas and concepts of Macroeconomics, especially unemployment,
inflation and the business cycle.
C3) Develop skills of critical analysis.
General Education Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, students will:
G1) Use information management and technology skills effectively for academic research
and lifelong learning.
G2) Use analytic reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence to make
informed decisions.
G3) Communicate effectively through reading, writing, listening and speaking.
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Course Assessment Method:
Fifteen course sections comprised of 291 students were assessed via the following survey
questionnaire:
Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statements by marking the
Scantron form accordingly:
A = You agree with the statement
B = You are neutral - neither agree nor disagree with the statement
C = You disagree with the statement
1) This class helped me understand and discuss economic concepts and theories.
(examples: supply and demand, opportunity costs, gains from trade)
2) This class helped me understand the importance of economic reasoning
to decision making in business, government, and households.
3) This class helped me weigh decisions on the basis of their costs and benefits.
4) This class helped me apply economics to my own life and decisions.
5) This class helped me understand the power and limits of economic reasoning.
6) This class helped me understand human behavior in economic terms.
7) This class helped me better understand issues like trade, growth, and the business cycle.
8) This class helped me better understand fiscal and monetary policies.
9) This class helped me read economic articles and literature with more sophistication.
10) This class helped me use graphical analysis to gain insight into economic issues and
problems.
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Summary Table of Results:
The figures quoted in respective cells correspond to the proportion of students who agreed with
survey queries regarding specific Course Objectives (C1, C2, C3) and General Educational
Objectives (G1, G2,G3) as stated on a previous page.
Note that most objectives are met by more than one question, but also note that most questions
meet more than one objective.
Question
C1
C2
1
80.4
80.4
2
76.3
C3
G1
G2
76.3
3
64.3
64.3
4
63.6
63.6
5
66.3
66.3
6
66.0
66.0
7
77.7
77.7
8
67.6
67.6
9
53.7
10
64.3
64.3
59.0
64.9
Totals:
75.5
G3
75.2
Number of sections surveyed: 15
67.3
53.7
53.7
Number of survey respondents: 291
Weighted Average of Course Objective Results: 72.0
Weighted Average of General Education Objectives Results: 62.0
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Course Objectives Results:
The first course objective concerning student abilities to identify and comprehend traditional and
current issues in Economics was surveyed over 4 questions with an “agree” response ranging
from 67.6 to 80.4 percent, with a 75.5 percent “agree” response average.
Similar results were attained for the second course objective that concerned itself with student
abilities to define main areas and concepts of Macroeconomics. Surveyed over 3 questions, many
overlapping those used for course objective one, an “agree” response range of 67.6 to 80.4
percent was attained, with a 75.2 percent “agree” response average.
The “agree” response for the third course objective, concerning students developing skills of
critical analysis, was the lowest. Surveyed over 5 questions, it attained an “agree” response range
of 63.6 to 76.3 percent, while averaging an “agree” response of 67.3 percent. Though a slightly
weaker response, it was the tightest of the three distributions.
All told, the weighted average of all course objectives “agree” responses was a respectable 72.0
percent.
General Education Objectives Results:
The first general education objective concerning student abilities to use information management
and technology skills for academic research and lifelong learning was surveyed over two
questions with an “agree” response range of 53.7 to 64.3 percent, with an average “agree”
response of 59.0 percent.
The second general education objective concerning student use of analytic reasoning to identify
issues or problems and evaluate evidence to make informed decisions was surveyed over 5
questions, with an “agree” response range of 63.6 to 66.3 percent, with an average “agree”
response of 64.9 percent. It was a stronger result than the first general education objective with a
much tighter dispersion of response.
The last general education objective concerning student abilities to communicate through
reading, writing, listening and speaking, was only touched on by a single survey question with a
poor “agree” response of 53.7 percent.
All told, the weighted average of all general education objectives “agree” responses was a 62.0
percent, much lower than for the course objectives and a possible point of departure for forming
a successful action plan.
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Action Plan:
On the whole, the assessment was successful, with a majority of students responding that most
objectives, both course and general educational, had been fulfilled; however, there was room for
improvement. So, what can be done?
First, it would probably be useful to convene a committee, comprising full-time economics
faculty, to review, and possibly revise, standards of our master syllabus. Objectives could be
clarified and honed in this way.
Second, having taken the first proposed action, full-time economics faculty might find it easier to
carefully craft questions for future surveys and assessment so as to extract more specific
information regarding achievement of priorities and objectives.
In essence, clearly stated objectives would facilitate greatly factor-specific assessment in the
future. And presumably, better assessment would further enhance the faculty’s ability to meet
stated objectives and to provide excellent student outcomes.
Third, the relatively weak “agree” response (53.7 percent) regarding the last general education
objective concerning student abilities to communicate through reading, writing, listening and
speaking is disappointing.
The aforementioned committee of full-time economics faculty members will be convened to
investigate the issue and make more precise recommendations as to classroom implementation.
In summary, to improve student outcomes and student agreement with stated course and general
education objectives, we must:
•
Update, improve, and clarify stated objectives
•
Dispense objectives to all economics faculty, emphasizing the importance of achieving
objectives for student outcomes
•
Improve future surveys for more refined factor-assessment
•
Emphasize, with greater vigor and consistency, student’s exercising their communication
skills, especially so, as we are such a diverse institution
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QCC COURSE ASSESSMENT
Date: Spring 2008
Department: Social Sciences
Course: SS-211, Introduction to Macroeconomics
Curriculum or Curricula: ________________
PART I. STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
TABLE 1. EDUCATIONAL CONTEXT
SS-211, Introduction to Macroeconomics, is an entry-level course that provides students with
an overview of the fundamental principles of economics at the national level. This course
presents students with an introduction to the role of the government in the economy through
the use of monetary and fiscal policies. The course includes coverage of the measurement and
indicators of economic growth, employment, and inflation.
This course is required in one curriculum: the A.S. degree in Business Administration.
TABLE 2. CURRICULAR OBJECTIVES
Curricular objectives addressed by this course:
1. Communicate effectively through reading, writing, listening and speaking.
2. Use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to
make informed decisions.
3. Use information management and technology skills effectively for academic research and
lifelong learning.
4. Integrate knowledge and skills in their program of study.
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TABLE 3. EDUCATION OBJECTIVES
To achieve these goals, students graduating with an Associate’s degree will be able to:
Gen Ed objective’s ID
number from list (110)
1. communicate
effectively through
reading, writing,
listening, and
speaking
General educational objectives addressed by this course:
•
•
•
•
•
•
2. use analytical
reasoning to identify
economic issues or
problems and
evaluate evidence in
order to make
informed decisions
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
4. use information
management and
technology skills
effectively for
academic economic
research and lifelong
learning
5. integrate economic
knowledge and skills
in their program of
study
•
•
•
•
•
•
interpret economic texts critically and empirically
use writing to create and clarify meaning
write in varied modes, forms and voices
use writing and oral communication to connect prior
knowledge in economics to disciplinary discourse
apply principles of critical listening to evaluate economic
information
speak clearly, accurately, and coherently in several modes of
delivery
interpret economic texts critically and empirically
use writing to create and clarify economic meaning
use economic writing and oral communication to connect
prior knowledge to disciplinary discourse
apply principles of critical listening to evaluate economic
information
differentiate between economic facts, assumptions, and
conclusions in the formulation of a proposed solution or
answer
utilize economic models to analyze and interpret alternative
schools of economic thought
determine the extent of information needed for a research
economic question, problem or issue
access needed economic information effectively and
efficiently
evaluate economic information and its sources critically and
assimilate selected information
use economic information effectively to accomplish a specific
purpose
employ technology in research in economics and identify the
role of technology and its impact on the individual, the
economy, and the environment
demonstrate critical and creative thought by arriving at
solutions to economic problems
analyze and compare evidence to support/refute different
points of view on a particular economic topic
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6. differentiate and
make informed
economic decisions
about issues based on
multiple value
systems
•
•
•
•
7. work
collaboratively in
diverse groups
directed at
accomplishing
learning objectives
8. use historical or
economic
perspectives to
examine formation of
ideas, human
behavior, social
institutions, or social
processes
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
differentiate and make informed decisions about issues
based on different economic systems
identify the key elements of issues and analyze them from
the perspectives of multiple value systems
identify values and their origins in culture, religion,
philosophy, political, social or economic theory
differentiate ethical and non-ethical elements in arguments
and/or behavior
distinguish facts from economic values and economic issues
work in groups to accomplish learning tasks and reach
common goals
demonstrate interpersonal skills and accountability in
working in diverse groups
design and complete a group economic project
write about economics or make a presentation based on
group work
use historical facts to provide context for understanding
economic information
apply discipline-specific methods to retrieve information
apply discipline-specific methods to reconstruct the
economic and historical past
interpret information to analyze economic events
use social sciences concepts to analyze human behavior
discuss economic institutions from a historical or social
sciences perspective
identify economic processes in everyday life
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Table 4. Course Objectives: Desired Student Learning
the major learning objectives for students in this course.
1. Students will read economic text effectively.
2. Students will critically evaluate theories and concepts in economics.
3. Students will analyze arguments and conclusions made in economics.
4. Students will draw conclusions from economic texts.
5. Students will apply economic methods and principles to current events.
Table 5. Student Learning Outcomes
Course objectives
1. Students will read the
economics text
effectively.
2. Students will critically
evaluate theories and
concepts in economics.
3. Students will analyze
arguments and
conclusions made in
economics.
4. Students will apply
philosophical methods
and principles to
current events.
Learning outcomes
a. Students will summarize passages from assigned
readings.
b. Students will identify correct and incorrect
statements based on assigned readings.
a. Students will discriminate between different
kinds of economic theories.
b. Students will define key concepts from specific
theories.
a. Students will identify features of different
economic positions.
b. Students will identify the arguments presented
in support of various economic positions.
a. Students will identify practical application of
philosophical methods and theories.
b. Students will indicate current issues and events
where philosophical analysis is needed.
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TABLE 6: ASSIGNMENT, OUTCOMES, ACTIVITIES, AND ASSESSMENT TOOLS
Briefly describe the assignment that will be assessed:
Students will read a textbook Chapter on Markets, Demand and Supply, and the Price System
(Chapter 3 of Macroeconomics by William Boyes and Michael Melvin), and will answer
questions about the basic concepts, laws, and determinants of demand and supply, and market
equilibrium.
Desired student learning
outcomes for the assignment
A. Course Objectives
1. Students will identify basic
concepts, laws, and
determinants of demand and
supply, and market
equilibrium.
2. Students will
analyze(critically evaluate)
basic concepts, laws and
determinants of demand and
supply and market equilibrium.
3. Students will apply basic
concepts, laws, and
determinants of demand and
supply, and market
equilibriums to real-life
events.
Briefly describe the range of
activities student will
engage in for this
assignment. (see following
page)
B. General Education
Objectives
1. Students will use analytical
skills and apply logic to solve
problems
2. Students will integrate
knowledge and skills in their
major field and across
disciplines
3. Students will identify
concepts and methods of
social science to examine
human behavior, social
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What assessment tools will be
used to measure how well
students have met each
learning outcome? (see
following page)
institutions, and multi-cultural
awareness.
1. Students will identify
correct and incorrect
statements on the basic
concepts, laws and
determinants of demand and
supply, and market
equilibrium.
2. Students will demonstrate
comprehension (critical
evaluation) of the basic
concepts and laws of demand
and supply, and the price and
non-price determinants of
demand and supply, and their
implications on market
equilibrium.
3. Students will demonstrate
economic way of thinking by
interpreting and identifying
practical uses of the concepts,
laws, and determinants of
demand and supply, and
market equilibriums..
A. Students will be assigned
a text-chapter on the basic
concepts, laws and
determinants of demand and
supply.
B. Students will be
presented with textual and
graphical examples on basic
concepts, laws, and
determinants of demand and
supply.
C. Students will be given an
assignment (on a specific
market situation) to
demonstrate their
interpretative ability (or
economic way of thinking)
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A. A paper-and-pencil test
comprised of multiple choice,
true-false, and brief writtenanswer questions.
PART III. ASSESSMENT STANDARDS (RUBRICS)
Before the assignment is given, prepare a description of the standards by which
students’ performance will be measured. This could be a checklist, a descriptive holistic
scale, or another form. The rubric (or a version of it) may be given to the students with
the assignment so they will know what the instructor’s expectations are for this
assignment. Please note that while individual student performance is being measured,
the assessment project is collecting performance data ONLY for the student groups as a
whole.
TABLE 7: ASSESSMENT STANDARDS (RUBRICS)
Brief description of assignment:
Students will read a textbook Chapter on Markets, Demand and Supply, and the Price System
(Chapter 3 of Macroeconomics by William Boyes and Michael Melvin), and will answer
questions about the basic concepts, laws, and determinants of demand and supply, and market
equilibrium.
Desired student learning
outcomes from the
assignment:
Assessment measures
for each learning
outcome:
Standards for student performance:
1. Students will identify
correct and incorrect
statements on the basic
concepts, laws and
determinants of demand and
supply, and market
equilibrium.
A. A paper-and-pencil
test comprised of
multiple choice, truefalse, and brief writtenanswer questions.
A. Out of 3 questions on Outcome 1,
the following standards apply: 0 =
Poor; 1= Fair; 2= Good; 3 Excellent.
50% of the class is expected to score
2-3.
B. Same as A
B. A. Out of 3 questions on Outcome
1, the following standards apply: 0 =
Poor; 1= Fair; 2= Good; 3 Excellent.
50% of the class is expected to score
2-3.
2. Students will demonstrate
comprehension (critical
evaluation) of the basic
concepts and laws of demand
and supply, and the price and
non-price determinants of
demand and supply, and their
implications on market
equilibrium.
C. Same as A
3. Students will demonstrate
economic way of thinking by
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C. A. Out of 3 questions on Outcome
1, the following standards apply: 0 =
Poor; 1= Fair; 2= Good; 3 Excellent.
interpreting and identifying
practical uses of the concepts,
laws, and determinants of
demand and supply, and
market equilibriums.
50% of the class is expected to score
2-3.
For each of the learning outcomes, there will be 3 questions: 3 true-false questions for
Outcome 1; 3 multiple choice questions for Outcome 2; and 3 constructed answer for
Outcome 3.
PART IV. ASSESSMENT RESULTS (ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT IS ATTTACHED)
TABLE 8: SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS
Use the following table to report the student results on the assessment. If you prefer, you may
report outcomes using the rubric(s), or other graphical representation. Include a comparison of
the outcomes you expected (from Table 7, Column 3) with the actual results. NOTE: A number
of the pilot assessments did not include expected success rates so there is no comparison of
expected and actual outcomes in some of the examples below. However, projecting outcomes
is an important part of the assessment process; comparison between expected and actual
outcomes helps set benchmarks for student performance.
TABLE 8: SUMMARY OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS
Desired student learning
outcomes:
(Copy from, Column 1,Table 6
above; include Curricular
and/or General Education
Objectives addressed)
1. Desired student learning
outcomes for the assignment
A. Course Objectives
1. Students will identify basic
concepts, laws, and
determinants of demand and
supply, and market equilibrium.
2. Students will
analyze(critically evaluate)
basic concepts, laws and
Student achievement: Describe the group
achievement of each desired outcome and the
knowledge and cognitive processes demonstrated.
ASSESSMENT RESULTS
QUESTION
PERECENT CORRECT
1.
2.
44%
57%
3.
68%
4.
94%
5.
70%
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determinants of demand and
6.
supply and market equilibrium.
Question
3. Students will apply basic
concepts, laws, and
7.
determinants of demand and
supply, and market equilibriums 8.
9.
to real-life events.
B. General Education
Objectives
1. Students will use analytical
skills and apply logic to solve
problems
2. Students will integrate
knowledge and skills in their
major field and across
disciplines
3. Students will identify
concepts and methods of social
science to examine human
behavior, social institutions,
and multi-cultural awareness.
48%
Poor
(0)
29%
35%
9%
Fair
(1)
19%
39%
27%
Good
(2)
18%
18%
39%
Excellent
(3)
43%
7%
30%
EXPECTED OUTCOME: 50% BETWEEN 2 AND 3
ACTUAL OUTCOME:
QUESTION 7: 52%
QUESTION 8: 25%
QUESTION 9: 69%
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TABLE 9. EVALUATION AND RESULTING ACTION PLAN
In the table below, or in a separate attachment, interpret and evaluate the assessment
results, and describe the actions to be taken as a result of the assessment. In the evaluation
of achievement, take into account student success in demonstrating the types of knowledge
and the cognitive processes identified in the Course Objectives.
A. Analysis and interpretation of assessment results:
What does this show about what and how the students learned?
The assessment results indicate that students performed better than expected on the
following questions: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 9. The outcomes for questions 1, 6, and 8 were
less than expected. The answer for question 8 was less than satisfactory and indicated
that while students were aware of the concept they were unable to explain the
market process.
B. Evaluation of the assessment process:
What do the results suggest about how well the assignment and the assessment process
worked both to help students learn and to show what they have learned?
The assessment instrument captured the desired outcomes and the students’
performance indicates that they satisfactorily grasped the course materials.
C. Resulting action plan:
Based on A and B, what changes, if any, do you anticipate making?
No changes are anticipated at this time.
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Queensborough Community College
Department of Social Sciences
Name _____________________________
SS-211, Macroeconomics Course Assessment Test
Spring 2008
True/False Directions: For questions 1– 3 darken A for true and B for false on the Scantron.
1. According to the law of demand, there is a positive (direct) relationship between price and quantity
demanded.
2. According to the law of supply, there is a positive (direct) relationship between price and quantity
supplied.
3. If the government imposes a price ceiling in the market for gasoline that is below the equilibrium price
this should cause a shortage of gasoline.
Multiple Choice Directions: For questions 4- 6 darken the appropriate space on the Scantron.
Use the graph below to answer questions 4 and 5.
4. According to the graph, the equilibrium price and quantity in the market are:
a. P$35 and Q200
b. P$35 and Q600
c. P$25 and Q400
d. P$15 and Q200
5. At a price of $35 there exists:
a. a surplus
b. a shortage
c. equilibrium
d. none of the above
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Use the graph below to answer question 6. This graph represents the market for personal
computers.
Price
S
$1,100
$1,000
e
$900
D
0
50,000
D1
Quantity
6. Which of the following determinants of demand could have caused the demand curve for personal
computers to shift from D to D1?
a. a decrease in the expected price of computers
b. an increase in consumer income
c. a decrease in the cost of manufacturing computers
d. an increase in the price of computers
Written Response Directions: For questions 7 – 9 provide a short written answer in the space below each
question.
7. Explain what will happen to the equilibrium price and quantity if market supply increases because firms
use new production technology.
8. Explain how the “invisible hand” of the market restores the market to equilibrium when the price is above
the equilibrium (assume no government intervention in market).
9. Assume digital cameras and memory cards are complementary goods. If the price of digital cameras
decreases, explain what will happen to the demand for memory cards.
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