ASSESSMENT REPORT 2008-2009
GE AREA III SOCIOLOGY
FALL 2008 – SPRING 2009
PROGRAM ASSESSED: SOC200: Social Life
ASSESSMENT COORDINATOR: Gaetano Guzzo, PhD
1. ASSESSMENT MEASURES EMPLOYED
Student mastery of rubricized topics was assessed using marker questions singly and in
combination on multiple choice exams administered during SOC200: Social Life classes
during the 2008-9 academic year (Fall 08, Winter 09, and Spring 09).
The selected assessment topics were derived from the explicit SOC200: Social Life
Learning Outcome Objectives. Upon successful completion of that course, students
should be able to demonstrate an understanding of:
1. The importance of applying the sociological imagination to everyday events and
activities in order to appreciate the value of sociology as an applied, theoretical, and
research science.
2. The four basic theoretical traditions of sociology (Functionalism, Conflict Perspective,
Symbolic Interactionism, and the Feminist Perspective) and the contributions of major
theorists to the development of these perspectives.
3. The components of culture (cognitive, normative, and symbolic) and their impact on
shaping human social behavior and world view.
4. The elements of social structure and societal organization.
5. The various dimensions of social stratification/inequality that affect gender, race,
ethnicity, age, and social class in the United States and globally.
The results of this report include only one of the two department’s SOC200 instructors’
marker question results but do include a majority of all students enrolled in a SOC200
course during the assessment period (due to this instructor’s course load that included
large enrollment classes; as in 200+ students in a single section). Dr. Guzzo is the sole
instructor presently in the department that was teaching the Social Life course during the
2008-9 academic year having the requisite item analysis data to feed into this report.
The number of students assessed (N) ranged from 378 to 1,732, depending on
rubric/topic.
2. ASSESSMENT FINDINGS
The objectives and outcomes of the 2008-9 Assessment were the same as those used for
the previous academic year (for consistency and corresponding comparison):
 Use marker questions in multiple choice exams to measure student mastery of
specific sociological topics/concepts
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
Percentages of correct responses for specific test items to be weighted (per
number of students tested and number of items related to topic/concept) and
reported
More than half (10 of 17) of the topics/rubrics were correctly answered at a rate of 80%
or higher. No topics “failed” (received less than 60% correct responses). See the
attached addendum for a comparison of this and the previously reported response rates.
The outcome results (by topic/rubric and percentage correct) details were:
TABLE 1. MARKER QUESTION TABULATION
SOC200 SOCIAL LIFE: 2008/9
CORRECT ITEM RESPONSE RATES
QUESTION TOPIC
SOCIOLOGY
SCIENCE
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION
SOCIAL ISSUES AND PROBLEMS
FUNCTIONALISM
CONFLICT THEORY
SYMBOLIC INTERACTION
FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE
CULTURE
MULTICULTURALISM
GLOBAL CULTURE
CULTURAL RELATIVISM
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF REALITY
SOCIAL STRAT
GLOBAL STRAT
GENDER STRAT
(2)
2008-09(2)
98%
83%
91%
70%
76%
77%
90%
80%
89%
93%
65%
88%
76%
71%
87%
68%
93%
These are the combined/weighted scores from Guzzo.
N range: 378 - 1,732 (variable depending on topic)
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3. PROGRAM IMPROVEMENTS
Based on the outcome results, the instructors are now aware that most of the assessed
topics are successfully mastered by students. Each of the instructors made note of the
weaknesses (lowest rates) and implemented adjustments/changes in subject treatment and
presentation to further clarify those specific complex topics. Test items were evaluated
for wording and clarity and revised for the 2008-9 academic year.
4. ASSESSMENT PLAN COMPLIANCE
Based on the original assessment plan developed by the SOC200 instructors in 2006,
there were no deviations in this current Assessment Report.
5. NEW ASSESSMENT DEVELOPMENTS
There have been no new assessment developments.
This Assessment Report was prepared and submitted by Gaetano Guzzo, Department of
Sociology, Wright State University, December 3, 2009.
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ADDENDUM
Table 1a. MARKER QUESTION TABULATION COMPARISON
SOC200 SOCIAL LIFE: 2007/8 & 2008/9
CORRECT ITEM RESPONSE RATES
QUESTION TOPIC
SOCIOLOGY
SCIENCE
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION
SOCIAL ISSUES AND PROBLEMS
FUNCTIONALISM
CONFLICT THEORY
SYMBOLIC INTERACTION
FEMINIST PERSPECTIVE
CULTURE
MULTICULTURALISM
GLOBAL CULTURE
CULTURAL RELATIVISM
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF
REALITY
SOCIAL
STRAT
GLOBAL STRAT
GENDER STRAT
(1)
200708(1)
2008-09(2)
95%
75%
81%
85%
78%
70%
80%
66%
87%
85%
67%
86%
73%
98%
83%
91%
70%
76%
77%
90%
80%
89%
93%
65%
88%
76%
67%
71%
73%
95%
85%
87%
68%
93%
% CHANGE
3%
8%
10%
-15%
-2%
7%
10%
14%
2%
8%
-2%
2%
3%
4%
14%
-27%
8%
These are the combined/weighted scores from Guzzo, Jahanbegloo, and Stremlin.
Approx. N range: 800 - 1750 (variable depending on topic)
(2)
These are the combined/weighted scores from Guzzo.
N range: 378 - 1,732 (variable depending on
topic)
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