Assessment Report
July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012
Program(s) Assessed: Psychology B.A., B.S., Minor
Assessment Coordinator: Martin P. Gooden, Ph.D.
I. Assessment measures employed
A. Learning objectives for both the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Bachelor of Science
(B.S.) degrees were assessed using the online survey tool, SurveyMonkeyTM.
Psychology majors were asked to rate the degree to which the undergraduate
curriculum provided opportunities to meet each learning objective. Links to the
survey were emailed to seniors taking their second capstone course. A total of 46
majors responded.
B. Program outcomes were also assessed measuring enrollment in post-graduate
education, employment status, and the application of psychological knowledge to
life experiences. Links to the survey were emailed to psychology graduates
following graduation. Seventeen graduates responded.
C. The degree to which students demonstrated select knowledge, skills, and abilities
was assessed via paper and pencil surveys given to faculty. Evaluations for 94
B.S. students were obtained from faculty teaching a special topics research
methods course, while 189 seniors were evaluated while completing their second
capstone course.
D. The degree to which the curriculum provided psychology minors opportunities to
gain knowledge of psychology and to apply that knowledge was assessed via
surveys mailed to minors following graduation. Unfortunately, no minors
responded.
II. Assessment findings
A. Students earning either a B.A. or B.S. degree in psychology were asked to indicate
how much (1 = not at all through 5 = very much) the curriculum provided
opportunities to achieve each program learning objective (N=46).
Objective 1: Be familiar with current theory and research in diverse areas of
psychology.
Response: Approximately 41% of the respondents answered 4 or 5 (M=3.30, SD=
.98) indicating they agreed the curriculum provided opportunities to accomplish
this outcome. Mean comparisons from the previous year (2010-2011) indicate a
statistically significant decrease (M=4.06, SD=.79, N=71), t(115)=4.62, p<.0001
for this objective.
Outcome 2: Have fundamental research design and mathematical/statistical skills
needed to understand psychological science.
Response: Approximately 40% of the respondents answered 4 or 5 (M=3.36,
SD=.93) indicating they agreed the curriculum provided opportunities to
accomplish this outcome. Mean comparisons from 2010-2011 also indicate a
significant decline (M=4.03, SD=.78, N=71), t(115)= 4.20, p<.0001.
Outcome 3: Have skills in integrating and communicating about knowledge in
self-selected areas of psychology.
Response: Approximately 38% of the respondents answered 4 or 5 (M=3.63,
SD=.99) indicating they agreed the curriculum provided opportunities to
accomplish this outcome. Mean ratings from 2010-2011 show a significant
decline (M=4.36, SD= .79, N=71), t(115)= 4.41, p<.001.
Outcome 4: Have skills in effective oral and written communication.
Response: Sixty-nine percent of the respondents answered 4 or 5 (M=3.33,
SD=1.05) indicating they agreed the curriculum provided opportunities to
accomplish this outcome. Comparisons to mean ratings from 2010-2011 showed
a significant decrease (M=4.19, SD= .84, N=71), t(115)= 5.04, p<.0001.
Outcome 5: (B.S. students only, N=29): Have advanced research design,
mathematical/statistical, and computing skills needed to critically evaluate and
conduct research in a self-selected area of interest.
Response: Sixty-nine percent of respondents answered 4 or 5 (M=3.65, SD=.76)
indicating they agreed the curriculum provided opportunities to accomplish this
outcome. Mean ratings from 2010-2011 reveal no significant change (M=3.59,
SD= .76, N=25), p>.1.
Suggestions for improvements
Over this past year Learning Outcomes 1 through 4 have witnessed significant
declines. This decline is consistent with a trend that was also observed in the
2010 to 2011 academic year. In fact, as can be seen in Table 1 below, across the
past 5 years student evaluations across Learning Outcomes 1-4 have declined
considerably. This trend is troubling and suggests that some intervention is
needed to better understand the change in students’ attitudes. Interventions may
benefit from investigating what students are learning, how instruction is being
delivered, how objectives are being measured, and other factors that may account
for these declines.
Table 1: Average Ratings of Curriculum Outcomes 2007-2012
2007-2008
2008-2009
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012
Outcome #1
Outcome #2
Outcome #3
Outcome #4
Outcome #5
BS Only
4.44
4.22
4.41
4.06
3.30
4.22
4.08
4.29
4.03
3.36
4.45
4.36
4.56
4.36
3.63
4.48
4.28
4.53
4.19
3.33
4.65
4.10
3.78
3.59
3.65
Shifting towards the B.S.
As noted in previous assessments, the trend towards the BS degree appears to be
continuing. An examination of the number of students enrolled within the major,
and the distribution across the 2 degree-types (B.A. vs. B.S.) reveals a continual
increase in the number of students pursuing the B.S. degree (see Table 2).
Table 2.
Term/YR
Enrollment
F06
F07
F08
F09
F10
F11
F12
B.A.
B.A.
Intent
B.A.
Total
B.S.
B.S.
Intent
B.S.
Total
Total
% of BA
among total
% of BS
among total
410
329
279
259
309
273
274
49
30
49
44
75
37
36
459
359
328
303
384
310
310
61
157
234
299
327
355
323
118
146
183
160
152
189
47
179
303
417
459
479
544
370
638
662
745
762
863
854
680
71.94%
54.23%
44.03%
39.76%
44.50%
36.30%
45.59%
28.06%
45.77%
55.97%
60.24%
55.50%
63.70%
54.41%
Despite declines in the number of students intending to pursue the B.S. degree in
psychology during the Fall of 2012, enrollment trends continue to indicate a
preference for the B.S. These findings are encouraging and suggest that students
remain interested in the opportunities available with the B.S. degree. Some of
these opportunities include 3 topic concentrations in Behavioral Neuroscience,
Cognition and Perception, and Industrial and Organizational Psychology. BS
students are also required to complete additional course work in research
methodology, statistics, and data analysis. Despite the added “science”
requirements, students still appear eager for the rigor presented by the B.S.
degree.
Declines in Enrollment: Fall 2012
Regarding the decline in the number of students expressing their intention to
pursue the B.S., anecdotal reports from academic advisors in the University
College (UC) suggests that the decrease this fall semester may be an anomaly
attributable to difficulties advisors and students had with registering for the
redesigned Introduction to Psychology course (PSY1010). The new course was
redesigned in preparation for the University switch from a quarter system to a
semester system. The re-designed course contains a laboratory component, and
an integrative writing component, each planned for either the first or second have
of the semester term. In response to classroom spacing limitations, students in
some sections of PSY1010 were scheduled to complete the laboratory portion of
the course during the first half of the semester and the integrative writing
component (which involved online instruction) during the second half of the term.
For other students, this ordering was reversed. In communicating how students
would register for the lecture, its lab, and the online writing component, feedback
from students and advisors suggested that the registration process was confusing.
Despite efforts to simplify the process, many opted to avoid PSY1010. The
decline in the number of students enrolling in the course and the corresponding
decline in the number of intending B.S. students suggested that the registration
process may have had a negative impact on enrollment.
B. Findings regarding B.A. and B.S. program outcomes based on the post-graduation
survey.
Graduate School Enrollment (N=45): 6.82% or 3 students reported they are
currently enrolled in or have been admitted to a graduate program or a
professional school. This figure is slightly less than those who reported being
admitted to a graduate program in the 2010-2011 calendar year (7.25% or 5
students from a total N=69).
Employment (N=45): 8.89% or 4 students reported they had received and
accepted an employment offer. This represents a slight decline from the 5 students
(7.14%, N=70) who reported they had received and accepted an employment offer
during 2010-2011.
Application of Knowledge (N=46): 27% or 16 respondents answered 4 or 5
(M=2.92 SD=.90) indicating they agreed they have been able to apply their
knowledge of psychology to the issues they have confronted in education,
employment, and interpersonal relations. A comparison of the mean ratings from
2010-2011 indicate that the decrease is statistically significant (M=3.81, SD= .98,
N=70, t(114)= 4.93, p<.0001).
C. Findings regarding learning outcomes based on faculty rating the degree (1= not
at all; 3= satisfactory; 5=excellent) to which each student demonstrated specific
knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) acquired in previous courses.
Faculty instructing five advanced special topics methods courses rated B.S.
students.
KSA 1: Be able to design a sound psychological study (N =94).
Response: Faculty rated 51% of the students as 4 or 5 indicating they had
sufficiently met this objective (M=3.76, SD=.78). Comparisons to mean ratings
from 2010-2011 showed no change (M=3.87, SD= .94, N=54), p>.1.
KSA 2: Be able to analyze data (N = 94).
Response: Faculty rated 40% of the students as 4 or 5 indicating they had
sufficiently met this objective (M=3.57, SD=.82). Comparisons to ratings from
2010-2011 showed no change (M=3.67, SD= 0.91, N=54), p>.1.
KSA 3: Ability to communicate findings effectively (N = 94).
Response: Faculty rated 50% of the students as 4 or 5 indicating they had
sufficiently met this objective (M=3.74, SD=.82). Comparisons to ratings from
2010-2011 also showed no change (M=3.78, SD= .99, N=54), p>.1.
****************
Faculty instructing 32 capstone courses across 2011-2012 rated 189 students
taking their second capstone class.
KSA 1: Have knowledge of current theory and research in diverse areas of
psychology
Response: Faculty rated 75.87% of the students as 4 or 5 indicating they had
sufficiently met this objective (M=4.07, SD= 0.61). Comparisons to ratings from
2010-2011 showed no change (M=4.07, SD= 0.73, N=137), p>.1.
KSA 2: Fundamental skills in critically evaluating theoretical concepts, research
design, and data analysis.
Response: Faculty rated 63.50% of the students as 4 or 5 indicating they had
sufficiently met this objective (M=3.99, SD = 0.67). Comparisons of mean
ratings from 2010-2011 also indicate no significant change, (M=3.96, SD= 0.73,
N=137), p>.1.
KSA 3: Effective communication skills including skills for writing literature
reviews and empirical research reports following the American Psychological
Association Manual of Style, and skills for participating in seminars and making
oral presentations following accepted standards for scientific conferences.
Response: Faculty rated 78.31% of the students as 4 or 5 indicating they had
sufficiently met this objective (M=4.10, SD= 0.66). Comparisons to mean ratings
from 2010-2011 indicate no significant change (M=4.13, SD= .68, N=137), p>.1.
D. Findings for the psychology minor.
Objectives: Graduates earning a minor in psychology were asked to indicate how
much (1 = not at all through 5 = very much) the curriculum provided
opportunities to be familiar with current theory and research in self-selected areas
of psychology. They were also asked to indicate how much (1 = not at all
through 5 = very much) they had been able to apply their knowledge of
psychology to issues in education, employment, and interpersonal relations.
Unfortunately, none of the minor students responded.
III. Program improvements
On June 11th 2012, with the generosity of the Dean of the College of Science and
Math (CoSM), the Psychology Undergraduate Program (PUP) Office was able to
hire a full-time staff member, Jennifer Papadakis, to serve as a new academic
advisor for the department. Jenny’s experience with the university, and most
recently in the CoSM Dean’s office, will enhance the PUP Office’s ability to
achieve its core mission of advising and supporting undergraduates.
Now in its 7th year of operation, the PUP Office continues to play an integral part
in promoting the undergraduate program.
Key among its functions is
collaborating with undergraduate students through Psi Chi (the National Honors
Society for psychology undergraduates) and the Psychology Club. Together they
work on activities aimed at marketing and promoting the undergraduate program,
sponsoring workshops (e.g., GRE Bootcamp), graduate student panels, and
invited presentations, as well as organizing and planning travel to academic
conferences (e.g., Mid-Western Psychological Association Conference).
IV. New assessment developments
SurveyMonkeyTM was continued this year as a mean to facilitate data collection
along with follow-up reminder emails. This mode of administration simple and
efficient, but the lower response rate suggests alternative approaches to soliciting
student feedback must be considered.
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