Instructional Planning Yearly Update
Date ______12/14/2013___________________
Department __History______________________
Division ____HASS_____________________
Goals and Recommendations from Program Plan
List the top five Goals and Recommendations from the last Program Plan and indicate whether they have been met?
Goals / Recommendations from six-year plan In progress
Goal Met
Comments
(identify source
of funding)
Hire a full-time faculty member
Yes
No
Continue to offer a variety of “world” history
courses for major preparation and to serve the
ongoing needs of the community
Obtain new furniture in Rooms 425 and 426
to replace broken and inefficient student
desks
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Make sure that the equipment in the new
“Smart” classrooms is functioning properly
and consistently and that all faculty have
sufficient training to make sure that it is used
appropriately. Continue to fund the
acquisition of rolling maps so that every
history classroom has appropriate and useful
maps
Yes
somewhat
Improve outside classroom services that foster Yes
student success
No
The department is strongly considering asking the college to
fund a position to replace Rosemary Brogan in the Fall 2014
Thus far, we have been able to maintain our transferable
history courses in all regions of the world (World History,
China, Japan, Middle East)
Dean O’Connor has authorized the funds for new desks, and
the faculty who teach in rooms 425 and 426 are coming to
consensus on the particular type of desk to purchase.
Conversations between history faculty and IT have resulted in
fewer glitches and more problem-solving by faculty. However
“Smart” rooms in the 400 Building still do not have consistent
configurations. In rooms 425 and 426, the laptop computers
are bolted into metal boxes attached to the wall that force the
instructor to face AWAY from the classroom, whereas rooms
403 and 405 have desktop computers on mobile media stations
that allow the instructor to FACE the classroom while they use
the computer.
The History Department strongly endorses expanding campus
writing and tutoring services, such as the Writing Center.
There are many students who need face-to-face tutoring and
instruction in writing and study skills, and faculty office hours
cannot always meet the demand.
New Goals and Recommendations
List any new goals and recommendations identified by the department
Goal/Recommendation
Cost
Explanation/Evidence of Need
Promote and expand enrollment in the History
As part of the History Department’s already articulated goal of
of Mexico through guest speakers
providing ‘world’ history, the History of Mexico (HIST 16C) needs
more promotion/marketing to expand enrollment. The department
Revised September 28, 2012
would like to bring some guest speakers to campus to address issues in
Mexican history.
SLO Assessment Progress: In a sentence or two, describe where your department should be on the Revolving Wheel of Assessment (what
assessment you should have done in the last year) and what was actually done. If you’re not sure where you should be on the Revolving Wheel
contact the SLO Coordinator (x6366). If any task was not completed, explain why.
We are currently analyzing the Student Learner Outcome of “Synthesize and address the major events, ideas, and transformations in social, cultural,
political, economic, intellectual, and diplomatic history.” This SLO was announced and discussed as our SLO for the year at our department flex meeting on
8/30/13
Fill out the Assessment Results section below.
SLO Assessment Results: List SLO assessments, dialogues, and priorities identified as a result of your assessment below. Attach
Departmental Assessment Analysis Forms completed in the last two semesters.
Core Competency, Course
SLO, or CTE Program SLO
Assessed. Example: all course
SLOs for English 1A, 1B and 2
“Synthesize and address the
major events, ideas, and
transformations in social, cultural,
political, economic, intellectual,
and diplomatic history.”
This SLO is department-wide and
is part of SLO’s on every
syllabus; each instructor adds
their geographic or chronological
focus - i.e. ‘“Synthesize and
Revised September 28, 2012
Date of meeting where
analysis / dialogue took
place. Example: Department
Meeting 8/27/10
Department Meeting
12/12/13
Priorities identified for program as a result of assessment. Example:
Develop strategies for teaching research and documentation skills; share
rubrics for research papers; provide more instructional support outside of
class.
Sharing our rubrics, grade-breakdowns, and our experiences grading, we
discussed the quality and content of take-home and in-class essays that
asked students to combine information from different sources (lecture,
readings, audio/visual), describe the patterns found in the synthesized
whole, and analyze how the addition of new information changes our
understanding of history.
Most instructors found that half of our students had strong skills of
synthesis, and could successfully add new information to previous course
content and explain how the addition of new information from a different
address the major events, ideas,
and transformations in United
Sates (or Japanese or Western
Civilization) social, cultural,
political, economic, intellectual,
and diplomatic history (since, or
before ,1500 or 1865)”
source challenged, complicated, or reinforced already established content.
However, most instructors also noted that half of our students had a hard
time synthesizing information from different sources all at once. These
students often relied on just one resource (the textbook, or lecture, or online
resources) and did not include information from other sources. Or, the
students addressed some transformations (political or religious) and ignored
others (social, cultural).
Furthermore, when it came to writing down their synthesis of information
and explaining how illustrated major historical transformation,
approximately one-quarter to one-half displayed a lack of basic writing
skills.
Our meeting came to the consensus that students need more practice in the
basic skills of making, and writing about, larger connections in history.
Revised September 28, 2012