A
TMCC
COURSE ASSESSMENT REPORT (CAR)
Revised I 0/21120 13
Course Prefix, Number and Title: BIOL 106-Introduction to Evolution and Adaptation
Division/Unit: Science/Biology
Submitted by: Meeghan Gray
Contributing Faculty:
Academic Year: 2013-2014 (Fa112013)
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 demonstrate
cognitive knowledge of: the
scientific process, biological
evolution and adaptation.
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:
Students were given a 21
true/false question quiz on the
first day of class (pre-test) and
the last day of class (post-test).
They were also asked to explain
the theory of evolution and
whether they accepted it or not.
Quiz questions were developed
by Meeghan Gray to cover
course content and to address
common misconceptions. These
questions have been used across
the country to test student's
knowledge of evolution.
Student test scores came from
one section from the Fall 2013
semester. Results indicate an
increase in learning with an
average Hake score gain of 0.31.
Paired t-tests showed significant
differences between pre and posttests, with students averaging
53% in the pre-test and 75% in
the post-test (n=21, t=8.74,
p<O.OOOI).
Overall, the true/false
misconception quiz assessed
most topics in class and students
showed a significant increase
from their pre-test scores. Even
though students showed a
moderate gain in knowledge, the
post-test average was still a C.
This indicates that the assessment
can use some tweaking, but more
importantly, we should address
these misconceptions in the
curriculum, particularly those
topics including intelligent
design, the origin of life,
randomness, and the time frame
of evolution.
The outcomes have been
reworded, but overall they
continue to reflect curriculum of
the course.
An analysis of each individual
question on the test showed a
mean increase of21% in post-test
scores (see table 1 below).
However, on several individual
questions (e.g., 4, 6, 9, 19)
students actually performed
worse on the post-test. This was a
surprising result since these
questions covered topics of when
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A
TMCC
COURSE ASSESSMENT REPORT (CAR)
Course Prefix, Number and Title: BIOL 106-Introduction to Evolution and Adaptation
Division/Unit: Science/Biology
Submitted by: Meeghan Gray
Contributing Faculty:
Academic Year: 2013-2014 (Fall2013)
Course Outcomes
Assessment Measures
Assessment Results
Use of Results
Effect on Course
The essay portion of the
assessment demonstrated that
students could clearly define and
explain the concept of evolution
using scientific terms. This will
continued to be used in the
assessment.
The outcomes have been
reworded, but overall they
continue to reflect curriculum of
the course.
evolution occurs, how
randomness fits into evolution,
and intelligent design. These
were topics covered extensively
in the course, so we might want
to spend more time covering
these topics and the
misconceptions surrounding
them. Question 3 showed little
improvement as students
continue to associate evolution
with origin of life hypotheses.
This needs to be addressed in the
curriculum.
Outcome#2
Students will demonstrate
competency in the ability to
read, listen, interpret, and
communicate the above
biological concepts through
appropriate spoken or written
forms.
Students were given a 21
true/false question quiz on the
first day of class (pre-test) and
the last day of class (post-test).
They were also asked to explain
the theory of evolution and
whether they accepted it or not.
Quiz questions were developed
by Meeghan Gray to cover
course content and to address
common misconceptions. These
questions have been used across
the country to test student's
knowledge of evolution.
In addition to answering the
true/false questions, students
were asked to explain evolution
and whether or not they accept
this as a theory. For pre-test
answers, most students used the
term "accept" when referring to
evolution, however many used
the term "believe." Many
students had thoughtful answers
than included terms like change,
evidence, support, adaptation,
environment, and millions of
years. However, many students
also referred to evolution only for
humans, included misconceptions
about humans evolving from
monkeys, and that evolution
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A
TMCC
COURSE ASSESSMENT REPORT (CAR)
Course Pref"o:, Number and Title: BIOL 106-Introduction to Evolution and Adaptation
Division/Unit: Science/Biology
Submitted by: Meeghan Gray
Contributing Faculty:
Academic Year: 2013-2014 (Fall2013)
Course Outcomes
Assessment Measures
Assessment Results
Use of Results
Effect on Course
arises out of wants or needs.
In the post-test, students' answers
were much longer, more complex
and included more scientific
tenns. All students said they
accepted it, and only 1 student
continued to use the word
"believe." Most students
included in their answer
something about genetic change,
random mutations, natural
selection or other selection
pressures, common ancestors,
survival and reproduction. Many
also described evolution as a
continuous process, a series of
steps that does necessarily end
with something better or more
complex. Students also described
populations of organisms or
"species" and most did not
mention "only humans" in their
responses. In addition, most
students used tenns like tested,
supported, observable when they
mentioned that they accepted this
theory. While it is difficult to
assess these essays with a
number, it was clear that students
understood the theory much
better and it showed in their
language and the depth of their
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:
A
TMCC
COURSE ASSESSMENT REPORT (CAR)
Course Prefix, Number and Title: BIOL 106-Introduction to Evolution and Adaptation
Division/Unit: Science/Biology
Submitted by: Meeghan Gray
Contributing Faculty:
Academic Year: 2013-2014 (Fall2013)
Course Outcomes
Assessment Measures
Assessment Results
Use of Results
Effect on Course
Overall, the true/false
misconception quiz assessed
most topics in class and students
showed a significant increase
from their pre-test scores. Even
though students showed a
moderate gain in knowledge, the
post-test average was still a C.
This indicates that the assessment
can use some tweaking, but more
importantly, we should address
these misconceptions in the
curriculum, particularly those
topics including intelligent
design, the origin of life,
randomness, and the time frame
of evolution.
The outcomes have been
reworded, but overall they
continue to reflect curriculum of
the course.
answers.
Outcome#3
Students will demonstrate
knowledge of laboratory
safety procedures and
proficiency in the use of
laboratory equipment and
materials by attending four
science laboratories.
Students were given a 21
true/false question quiz on the
flrst day of class (pre-test) and
the last day of class (post-test).
They were also asked to explain
the theory of evolution and
whether they accepted it or not.
Quiz questions were developed
by Meeghan Gray to cover
course content and to address
common misconceptions. These
questions have been used across
the country to test student's
knowledge of evolution.
See results for outcome #2. All of
the lab activities complemented
the curriculum in the lecture part
of the class, so the assessment
reflected specific knowledge
gained from the lab activities.
The essay portion of the
assessment demonstrated that
students could clearly define and
explain the concept of evolution
using scientific terms. This will
continued to be used in the
assessment.
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TMCC
COURSE ASSESSMENT REPORT (CAR)
Course Prefix, Number and Title: BIOL 106-Introduction to Evolution and Adaptation
Division/Unit: Science/Biology
Submitted by: Meeghan Gray
Contributing Faculty:
Academic Year: 2013-2014 (Fall2013)
Please enter your name and date below to confirm you have reviewed rhis report:
Name
Da te
Department Chair/Coordinator/Director
Melissa A. Deadmond
5/26/2014
Dean
Ted Plaggemeyer
6/23/201 4
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Jane Nichols
' Title
I
J
!
~ Q "' ~f-A /
6/30/2014
Table 1. Individual question analysis for Fall2013 BIOL106course. Values represent the% of students who answered the
questio n correctly.
Question Number
1
2
3
6
19 20 21
4
5
7
8
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
Pre (%Correct)
48 68
4
68 32 80 48 76 40 28 36 88 28
96 80 56
96 24 24
52 36
Post {% Correctl 81 81 10
48 90
86
76
57
95
67
90
95
95 76
95 90
52
71
86 100 38
Difference {%)
-1
33 13
6
-4 54
7 48 -10 76 14
6 20 -11 39 15 47 14 27 24 54
Hake Gain
0.63 0.40 0.06 ·0.09 0.85 -0.19 0.29 0.46 ·0.34 0.58 0.76 0.91 j!.60 0.44 0.34 0.85 0.60 0~ ~5? 1.00 0.19
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