Student Learning Outcomes for the UCCS Knowledge Areas
Diverse Cultures
Assessment Procedure
To fulfill the “diverse cultures” requirement of the Core of Common Studies, students select one
course from among the 39 listed in the Bulletin. Student learning in diverse cultures was assessed
in 22 courses in 2014-15 1. Items from exams, essays, assignments, presentations,
papers/projects, reflections, journaling, discussion posts, case analysis and multiple choice tests
were used to score students’ level of proficiency in each of the three learning outcomes. A scoring
rubric categorized students as having exceeded, met or developing the outcome. Instructors
were free to define levels of proficiency according to their own standards. Not every course
assessed all three outcomes. In some courses, information was insufficient to determine whether
the student artifact assessed was in fact related to the learning outcome.
Data summaries were received from the following courses:
ADPR 4600
ANTH 1001
EDUC 1210
EDUC 3240
ENGL 4810
ENGL 4825
ENGL 4840
HEAL 1025
HIST 1401
HIST 1501
HIST 4120
INPS 2010
LEOR 3150
MANA 3035
SOCI 3280
SOCI 4400
SOWJ 2150
SPAN 3300
SPAN 3310
THEO 2420
THEO 4020
1 Some
International and Multicultural Advertising and Public Relations
Introductory Anthropology
Introduction to Schooling in a Diverse Society
Critical Inquiry into Contemporary Issues
Race, Ethnicity and Identity in American Literature and Culture
Native American / Indigenous Literatures
Postcolonial Literatures
Culture and Health
Africa
Survey of East Asian Civilization
American Immigration
Introduction to Peace Studies
The Culturally Diverse Organization
Diversity in Organizations
Race and Family
Social Inequality
Immigrants and their Communities
People and Cultures of Spain
Peoples and Cultures of Spanish America
Bridging the Racial Divide (2 sections)
The Bible in the Jewish Community (2 sections)
assessment results were from the previous academic year.
1
Assessment Results
The tables below summarize the assessment results by objective. Results are displayed by course
section and for the objective as a whole.
Overall, students demonstrated similar proficiency in all three objectives. Between 46% - 49%
were rated as having exceeded the standard for the objective, 38% - 40% met, and 11% - 14%
were developing. Students were rated slightly higher on objective 3 (Critically reflect upon one's
personal and cultural presuppositions and how these affect one's values and relationships.) Results
varied greatly by course.
Objective 1: Identify differences and similarities in communication, values, practices
and beliefs between one's own culture and other cultures.
Summary by course and overall
Course
Percent
exceeds
Percent Meets
Percent
Developing
Number of
Students
ADPR 4600
ANTH 1001
EDUC 1210
EDUC 3240
ENGL 4810
ENGL 4825
ENGL 4840
HIST 1401
HIST 1501
HIST 4120
INPS 2010
LEOR 3150
MANA 3035
SOCI 3280
SOCI 4400
SOWJ 2150
SPAN 3300
SPAN 3310
THEO 2420
THEO 4020
22%
59%
69%
79%
22%
30%
31%
94%
63%
0%
70%
47%
35%
34%
32%
39%
28%
25%
86%
32%
49%
30%
31%
21%
59%
65%
38%
6%
37%
100%
20%
41%
57%
45%
53%
42%
61%
59%
12%
39%
30%
11%
0%
0%
19%
5%
31%
0%
0%
0%
10%
12%
8%
21%
16%
19%
11%
16%
1%
29%
37
270
26
19
27
20
13
16
16
7
10
17
60
38
38
31
18
32
37
65
Objective 1 Total
49%
38%
13%
834
2
Objective 2: Explain how categories of human diversity influence personal
identities and can create structural and institutional inequity.
Summary by course and overall
Course
Percent
exceeds
Percent Meets
Percent
Developing
Number of
Students
ADPR 4600
ANTH 1001
EDUC 1210
EDUC 3240
ENGL 4810
ENGL 4825
ENGL 4840
HEAL 1025
HIST 1401
HIST 4120
LEOR 3150
MANA 3035
SOCI 3280
SOCI 4400
SOWJ 2150
SPAN 3310
THEO 2420
THEO 4020
22%
51%
62%
84%
33%
35%
38%
28%
94%
0%
47%
21%
45%
84%
38%
44%
85%
9%
49%
37%
38%
16%
44%
60%
38%
51%
6%
100%
41%
74%
39%
13%
41%
47%
12%
50%
30%
12%
0%
0%
22%
5%
23%
21%
0%
0%
12%
5%
16%
3%
21%
9%
3%
41%
37
270
26
19
27
20
13
80
16
7
17
61
38
38
29
32
37
64
Objective 2 Total
46%
40%
14%
868
3
Objective 3: Critically reflect upon one's personal and cultural presuppositions and
how these affect one's values and relationships
Summary by course and overall
Course
Percent
exceeds
Percent
Meets
Percent
Developing
Number of
Students
ADPR 4600
ANTH 1001
EDUC 1210
EDUC 3240
ENGL 4810
ENGL 4825
ENGL 4840
HIST 1401
HIST 4120
INPS 2010
LEOR 3150
MANA 3035
SOCI 3280
SOCI 4400
SOWJ 2150
SPAN 3310
THEO 2420
THEO 4020
22%
41%
27%
89%
15%
45%
38%
94%
0%
60%
47%
35%
26%
84%
90%
41%
76%
69%
33%
51%
69%
11%
44%
45%
31%
6%
100%
30%
41%
57%
53%
16%
10%
44%
20%
25%
44%
8%
4%
0%
41%
10%
31%
0%
0%
10%
12%
8%
21%
0%
0%
16%
4%
6%
36
270
26
19
27
20
13
16
7
10
17
60
38
38
31
32
37
64
Objective 3
Total
49%
40%
11%
798
4
Best practice examples:
HEAL 1025 used multiple measures across multiple sections, randomly selected assignments to
assess, trained doctoral students as raters, computed inter-rater reliabilities, and included
exemplars of essays and discussion posts at each proficiency level.
THEO 2420 used a detailed analytic rubric with 7 exam questions directly related to the diverse
cultures learning outcomes. Student point ratings were converted to proficiency levels for the
assessment.
The English department enlisted faculty members not associated with the assessed courses to
evaluate student work, thereby separating the assessment process from grading.
Conclusions and Recommendations
Most concluded that the courses were successful in meeting diverse cultures learning outcomes.
Course topics vary significantly in this knowledge area, and could be expected to address some
learning outcomes more comprehensively than others. Some measures worked better than
others to assess learning.
Most were able to identify several ways to improve the course (e.g., provide more examples and
opportunities for practice, review service learning placements, provide a written study guide,
design a longer case study, provide opportunities for formative feedback earlier in the course, find
ways to generate more interactive discussion, devote time to academic writing and research,
increase variety of pedagogical approaches, incorporate reflection papers or exercises.) In the
department of Social and Cultural Sciences, faculty planned to meet to discuss curricular strategies
that could be adopted.
Some participants in this process suggested that the diverse cultures learning outcomes be
revised. The language for learning outcome #3 was seen as particularly problematic. Increasing
the diverse cultures requirement to two classes, one focused on global perspectives and one on
national perspectives, was recommended to better address diversity. Future assessments should
strive to attain a more precise match between outcomes to be measured and assessment
instruments, and should strengthen reliability by ensuring that norming sessions are conducted
prior to assessment. Class size and teaching support must be considered when deciding what
types of assessments are feasible. Consider adopting a standardized rubric across courses and
types of assessments.
Use of Assessment Results
On 1/27/16, the CCRC voted to accept the report on the diverse cultures knowledge area
assessment. Members met the following recommendations:
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1. To encourage instructors or units overseeing assessment to more
consistently match outcomes to instruments that can meaningfully
measure student proficiency.
2. To encourage instructors or units to follow the best practice of
having norming sessions in advance of assessing student work to
improve reliability.
3. To encourage instructors or units to develop in advance of
assessment rubrics for measurement.
Members noted that these best practices were followed in some but not all instances, and that
regularizing these practices could make the results more meaningful.
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