A
TMCC
COURSE ASSESSMENT REPORT (CAR)
Revised 09/06/2012
Course Prefix, Number and Title: PSY 240-Introduction to Research Methods
Division/Unit: Division of Liberal Arts/Social Sciences
Submitted by: Nicole Ballardini
Contributing Faculty: Paula Frioli-Peters
Academic Year: 2012-2013
Assessment Semester: Fall X Spring D
Complete and electronically submit your assessment report to your Department Chair/Coordinator/Director. As needed, please attach supporting documents and/or
a narrative description of the assessment activities in your course.
Course Outcomes
In the boxes below, summarize
the outcomes assessed in your
course during the year.
Outcome#)
Students will understand
scientific methodology, research
method design.
Assessment Measures
Assessment Results
Use of Results
Effect on Course
In the boxes below, summarize
the methods used to assess course
outcomes during the last year.
In the boxes below, summarize
the results of your assessment
activities during the last year.
In the boxes below, summarize
how you are or how you plan to
use the results to improve student
learning.
Based on the results of this
assessment, will you revise your
outcomes? If so, please
summarize how and why in the
boxes below:
Knowledge will be assessed via
embedded multiple choice and/or
true and false questions on a
quizlexam.
At the end of the semester, I gave
a short 15 question quiz which
covered all the chapters and the
class average was 13.5 (89%). In
addition, the final exam was
cumulative; the average score
was 47.72/50 which corresponds
to a 95 percent. The majority of
error was due to students
differentiating between basic and
applied research.
Since there was some difficulty
differentiating between basic and
applied research, I will provide
summaries ofjournal articles in a
class activity where students will
identify the summaries as basic
or applied research. In the
Spring 2013 semester, I
implemented a review session
after each chapter with multiple
choice questions emphasizing
key concepts. These reviews
direct the student to study and
read thoroughly those areas that
are pivotal in research design and
provide a means to begin
discussion on terms that are
causing confusion.
I believe that outcome #I is
assessed well with this measure
for an overall understanding of
research methods.
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A
TMCC
COURSE ASSESSMENT REPORT (CAR)
Course Prefix, Number and Title: PSY 240-Introduction to Research Methods
Division/Unit: Division of Liberal Arts/Social Sciences
Submitted by: Nicole Ballardini
Contributing Faculty: Paula Frioli-Peters
Academic Year: 2012-2013
Course Outcomes
Outcome# 2
Students will demonstrate
understanding of how to conduct
literature/research reviews.
Outcome#J
Students will demonstrate the
ability to interpret
professional/scholarly empirical
research reports.
Assessment Measures
Assessment Results
Understanding will be measured
via written exercises, using
rubrics.
Not assessed during Fall 2012
semester.
Ability will be measured via
journal review essays using
operationally defined rubric.
There were nine peer reviewed
articles given to the students with
direct factual questions and
discussion questions. The class
mean was 117.26 or 87%. The
most difficult area for the
students was the discussion
questions because the expectation
was that they would apply the
key concepts such as external
validity and reliability from the
primary textbook to analyze the
article. These questions required
critical thinking in that the
students had to consider
alternative directions to test the
original hypothesis or identify a
problem with the study and
present a solution. As the article
assignments progressed in the
semester, quality of discussion
became apparent. From the I''
five articles to the last four,
improvement was 2%.
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Use of Results
Effect on Course
I believe that with better
constructed discussion questions
following the articles, the
students will show significant
improvement with the current
assessment procedure. Hence,
we will see an increase of more
than 2% by the end of the
semester. I predict this result in
that during classroom discussion,
problems and solutions are
pointed out more frequently as I
prod the students and the
semester proceeds.
I believe that outcome #3 will be
better assessed with carefully
constructed essay or discussion
questions and the improvement
will be noticeable.
..
A
TMCC
C OURSE ASSESSMENT REPORT (CAR)
Course Prefix, Number and Title: PSY 240-lntroduction to Research Methods
Division/Unit: Division of Liberal Arts/Social Sciences
Submitted by: Nicole Ballardini
C ont ributing Faculty: Paula Frioli-Peters
Academic Year: 20 12-20 13
Please enter your name and date below to confirm you have reviewed this report
Title
Name
Date
Department Chair/Coordinator/Director
Thomas Kies
5/2/201 3
Dean
Annida Fruzzetti
6/18/2013
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Jane Nichols
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