SPRING 2015 SLO/PLO/ILO ASSESSMENT REPORT
Date: 6/23/2015
Name of Person Reporting: Par Mohammadian, Mike Reynolds
Name of Department and/or Discipline: Life Sciences
1. a. List the courses/certificates/programs your discipline/department assessed
in the Spring 2015 semester.
SLOs:
Human Biological Evolution; Anthropology 101 (3 sections)
Human Language and Communication; Anthropology 104 (2 sections)
Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft; Anthropology 121 (1 section)
Introduction to Biology (BIO003) (4 sections)
ILOs (Information Competency):
Introduction to Human Physiology 001 (2 sections)
General Microbiology 020 (2 sections)
General Biology 1 (BIO006) (1 section)
General Biology II (BIO007) (1 section)
b. For each one, indicate whether the benchmark (standard for student
success) was reached.
SLOs:
Anthropology Courses: The benchmark was achieved in all assessments.
Overall, instructors were satisfied with the student performance and
recommended minor changes. One instructor requested more funds to purchase
videos and models to use in the classrooms. To better capture all criteria a
revision of the rubrics is recommended. The recommendation will be forwarded
to the Chair of the Social Sciences Department since this discipline will be moved
to this Department starting July 1, 2015.
Two SLOs were also revised and approved by the curriculum committee. They
have been entered in the online SLO system under Fall 2015. This information
was communicated to the Chair of the Social Sciences Department.
Life Science Dept.
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BIO003 Courses: Overall the benchmark was reached for all SLOs with the
exception of solving genetic problems (in three sections) and graphing (in one
section). The instructors recommended additional activities in the classroom and
labs to improve these outcomes.
ILOs (Information Competency):
Physiology 1: In one section, the scores were slightly below the benchmark.
The instructor indicated that some students decided not to include any
references and it made it difficult to use the rubric. Also, a closer collaboration
with the library was suggested to create more hands-on and web-based APA
workshops.
BIO006 and 007: The benchmark was achieved for all criteria. The instructor
recommended the help of STEM tutors to assist students in some concepts.
Microbiology 020: The benchmark was achieved in all criteria with the exception
of “Ethics”. The instructor recommended close collaboration with the STEM tutors
and the library.
2. Summarize the major assessment results for courses/programs in your area.
See 1b.
3. Summarize what changes have been made or are planned to be made as a
result of the assessments.
See 1b.
4. Follow up on previous assessments:
(1) If an SLO was assessed previously, compare the results with the earlier
assessments:
(a) Have the recommended changes been implemented?
Anthropology courses: One major change was the addition of the English
028 course as a prerequisite, which contributed to a better outcome.
BIO003 courses: The final lab exam that is used to assess the SLOs is
revised every year based on these outcomes. The outcomes still indicate
issues that are related to the genetic problems despite additional practice.
Life Science Dept.
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ILO: The ILOs were assessed using a different rubric (different compared to
previous semesters) and therefore making it difficult to compare the
outcomes. However, overall it was indicated that the assistance of STEM
tutors and a close collaboration with the library are essential tools for a better
outcome.
(b) Has the follow-up textbox been filled in on the SLO online system?
Yes. There is however a problem with the SLO online system that creates a followup box immediately after the report is submitted. The follow-up report should be
created the following semesters after the changes were implemented.
Those courses that are not taught by the same instructors or not offered every
semester do not have completed follow-up reports. Also, some instructors prefer to
implement the changes over three semesters and the follow-up report is completed
after three semesters.
To prevent any confusion it is recommended to include the follow-up section right in
the report instead of having an additional box.
(2) How have the findings led to improved student learning?
Overall, the changes have contributed to a better outcome.
5. Have the results of your assessments been shared and discussed among the
members of your program? (Provide dates and any minutes of meetings as
evidence. Please also post relevant minutes in the Department Notes section
of the SLO Online system.)
This semester the SLO assessments were discussed at all department meetings
(Life Science website: http://www.lamission.edu/lifesciences/Minutes.aspx) and via
email (attached) on a regular basis. This semester we hold an SLO specific meeting
(http://www.lamission.edu/lifesciences/Minutes.aspx under SLO specific meeting) to
discuss all issues related to assessments and analysis. Major outcomes are listed in
this online document.
6. Have the results of your assessments been shared and discussed with
members of your advisory committee (if vocational program)?
NA
Life Science Dept.
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7. What resource requests are planned as a result of the assessments?
Offering of STEM tutoring services is an essential component contributing to the
student success.
8. Have the assessment results been posted on the online system?
Yes, all assessments are posted online.
Challenges:
The challenges related to the online SLO system listed last semester have not
been resolved:
1) Default number of assessments automatically assesses 10 or 1/3 of the student
population. Instructors, if not realized, only assess the minimum number of
students. It is recommended to change the default number to the maximum
number of students enrolled in the class to provide a thorough and correct
analysis of the performance of all enrolled students. The data can also be used
for disaggregated data analysis.
2) Once a report is submitted a revision cannot be performed without deleting the
entire report. It is requested to make the report edible if corrections are to be
made.
3) It would be beneficial to include the Follow-ups in the SLO assessment page. It
would be easier to complete the report while assessing the SLOs and compare
them to the previous assessments in the main page.
Thank you!
Life Science Dept.
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