Queensborough Community College/CUNY Department of Social Sciences
Individual Course Assessment Report
Date Submitted: June 2, 2011
Course No./Title: SS310/ Introduction to Sociology
Course Description (from QCC Catalog or course Master Syllabus)
Introductory analysis and description of structure and dynamics of human society; special
emphasis on application of scientific methods of observation and analysis of social groups,
intergroup relations, social change, social stratification, and social institutions
General Education Objectives (GEO) Assessed (from course Master Syllabus)
2.
6.
8.
use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence in order to
make informed decisions
differentiate and make informed decisions about issues based on multiple value systems
use historical or social sciences perspectives to examine formation of ideas, human
behavior, social institutions, or social processes
Individual Course Objectives (CO) Assessed (from course Master Syllabus)
SS310 Course Objectives Assessed:
1.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of theories and concepts in contemporary
sociology.
2.
Students will assess contemporary sociological debates about the nature of modern and
postmodern society.
3.
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the methods used to conduct sociological
research.
Curricular Objectives (CO) Assessed (if applicable):
N/A
Participants
No. Sections Assessed: 43
No. Students Assessed: 1,049
Course Assessment Method
SS310 Introduction to Sociology Students completed an Outcomes Survey in class for SS310 Sociology (Appendix A). The
survey asked students if they agreed, were neutral, or disagreed with ten statements, each of
which assessed a General Education Objective, a Course Objective, or both. In the results that
follow, we collapse the categories indicating “disagree” and “neutral,” reporting only the
percentages of students who agreed that they had achieved each objective.
Course Assessment Results
I. General Education Objectives Results
Summary: Eight items on the survey assessed the General Education Objectives of SS310
Introduction to Sociology. Overall, the percentage of students agreeing that they had achieved
these objectives averaged 79%, indicating that most students had developed cognitive skills
emphasized in the General Education Curriculum.
Gen Ed Objectives (GEO) Results Summary Table
Gen Ed
Objective
GEO #2
Survey
Question
Q#1
Q#2
Sub-total
% Agree (N)
81 (850)
88 (922)
84 (1772)
GEO #6
Q#3
Q#4
Sub-total
67 (701)
73 (767)
70 (1468)
GEO #8
Q#7
Q#8
Q#9
Q#10
Sub-total
Total
70 (735)
87 (910)
78 (821)
89 (932)
81 (3398)
79 (6638)
Results for individual survey questions and the objectives they assessed varied but were still
generally positive:
!
GEO #2 – use analytical reasoning to identify issues or problems and evaluate evidence
in order to make informed decisions: SS310 develops students’ analytical reasoning
skills by helping them to understand sociological theories and concepts. An average of
84% of students agreed that the class helped them to grasp core sociological ideas (survey
questions 1 and 2). The ability to apply this knowledge to contemporary issues or
problems overlaps with GEO #6 – differentiate and make informed decisions about
SS310 Introduction to Sociology issues based on multiple value systems. More than two-thirds of students (70%) agreed
that the class helped them to apply sociology to everyday life and to understand
contemporary social issues (survey questions 3 and 4).
!
GEO #8 – use historical or social sciences perspectives to examine formation of ideas,
human behavior, social institutions, or social processes: SS310 emphasizes four
dimensions of social life: social institutions, power, inequality, and the individual in
society. An average of 79% of students agreed that the class enabled them to examine
these social dynamics (survey questions 7-10).
II. Curricular and/or Course Objectives Results
Summary: Seven survey items assessed whether or not students achieved the SS310 course
objectives. On average, 79% of students indicated that they had achieved the course goals
emphasized in introductory sociology classes. This is the same percentage as the mean results
for the General Education Objectives.
Course Objectives (CO) Results Summary Table
Course
Objective
CO #1
Survey
Question
Q #1
Q#2
Q#8
Sub-total
% Agree (N)
81 (850)
88 (922)
87 (910)
85 (2682)
CO#2
Q#9
Q#10
Sub-total
78 (821)
89 (932)
84 (1753)
CO #3
Q #5
Q#6
Sub-total
63 (663)
70 (732)
67 (1395)
Total
79 (5830)
The percentage of students agreeing with individual survey items ranged from 63% to 89%; the
average for individual course objectives ranged from 67% to 85%:
SS310 Introduction to Sociology !
CO #1 – Students will demonstrate an understanding of theories and concepts in
contemporary sociology. An average of 85% of students agreed that the class helped
them to understand sociological theories (survey question 1), concepts (survey question
2), and the relationship of the individual and society (survey question 8).
!
CO#2 – Students will assess contemporary sociological debates about the nature of
modern and postmodern society. An average of 84% of students indicated that the class
helped them to understand dynamics of power (survey question 9) and inequalities of
race, class and gender (survey question 10) in modern and postmodern society.
!
CO#3 – Students will demonstrate an understanding of the methods used to conduct
sociological research. An average of 67% of students said the class helped them to read
sociological texts effectively (survey question 5) and to understand sociological research
methods (survey question 6).
Conclusions: Brief narrative of main conclusions drawn from course assessment project results.
On average, almost four-fifths of students (79%) completing the course assessment survey
agreed that they had achieved General Education and Course Objectives, respectively.
Examining individual objectives and survey measures shows that more than 80% of students said
they had developed analytical reasoning skills (GEO #2), were able to examine social dynamics
(GEO #8), grasped theories and concepts in sociology (CO #1), and understood sociological
debates about modern and postmodern society (CO#2). Lower percentages indicated that these
cognitive skills helped them make informed decisions about social issues (GEO #2 and #6). This
suggests that while most students grasped both sociological theory and its applications, a
minority of those who said they understood general sociological ideas were unable to connect
them to everyday life. In addition, about one-third of students did not gain an understanding of
sociological research methods or the ability to read sociological texts effectively (CO#3).
Action Plan : Description of action plan for addressing issues raised by course assessment
project.
Sociology faculty will pursue the following strategies to improve our efforts to help students
achieve General Education and Course Objectives:
(1) The results of the assessment indicated that high percentages of students developed a general
theoretical understanding of the discipline. Faculty will therefore continue to emphasize core
concepts and theories in sociology.
SS310 Introduction to Sociology (2) Because some students failed to grasp the application of sociology to everyday life, faculty
will develop strategies to help students better understand the relevance of sociology beyond the
classroom. This will be accomplished by inviting faculty to disseminate through “best practices”
workshops or texts successful techniques for achieving this objective.
It is also possible that the wording of the survey question measuring this objective was
misleading. The question asked students if the class helped them to apply sociology to everyday
life. Faculty intended this item to assess if sociology helped students understand their lives;
students, however, may have interpreted the word “apply” to mean that they developed some
practical skill they could use in everyday life. On future assessments, the item will be re-phrased
to convey more accurately the intended course objective.
(3) A minority of students (30%) were either neutral or disagreed with the statement that the
course helped them to understand sociological research methods. This result may be a
consequence of the difficulties of teaching a topic requiring advanced quantitative skills – not a
prerequisite for SS310 – to introductory-level students. Some professors, therefore, may have
chosen not to integrate this objective in their classes. Full-time sociology faculty will meet to
decide if teaching research methods should continue to be a course objective for SS310. Their
decision will subsequently be clarified for all faculty.
(3) The survey item receiving the lowest percentage of “agree” responses (63%) was question
#5: This class helped me to understand how to read sociological texts. In fact, reading
sociological texts is not a course objective for SS310. In light of the high price of textbooks and
the generally low socioeconomic status of our students, this finding may reflect the choice of
some faculty to recommend rather than to require course readings.
Timetable for action plan implementation:
Sociology faculty will implement the action plan in their courses beginning in the Fall 2011
semester.
SS310 Introduction to Sociology Appendix A
SS310 Outcomes Survey – Introduction to Sociology
Instructions: Please indicate whether you agree or disagree with the following statements by
marking the Scantron sheet in the following way:
A = You agree with the statement.
B = You are neutral about the statement. (You neither agree nor disagree.)
C = You disagree with the statement.
1. This class helped me to understand sociological theories and paradigms. (G2, C1)
2. This class helped me to understand sociological concepts like culture, social structure, norms,
etc. (G2, C1)
3. This class helped me to apply sociology to everyday life. (G6)
4. This class helped me to understand contemporary social issues. (G6)
5. This class helped me to understand how to read sociological texts. (C3)
6. This class helped me to understand research methods used in sociology such as field research
and surveys. (C3)
7. This class helped me to critically evaluate social institutions. (G8)
8. This class helped me to understand the relationship of the individual and society. (G8, C1)
9. This class helped me to understand the dynamics of power in society. (G8, C2)
10. This class helped me to understand inequalities of race, class, and gender. (G8, C2)
SS310 Introduction to Sociology