GENERAL EDUCATION ASSESSMENT REPORT – 2014-2015
Gen. Ed. Category
Natural Sciences
Gen. Ed. Outcome Statement:
Incorporate empirical evidence in the analysis of the cause and consequences of natural phenomena
Approved Courses addressing
this Outcome Statement:
Person submitting this report
(name and e-mail):
BIOL104, BIOL 105, BIOL 131, BIOL 122, CHEM110, CHEM 108 and CHEM 109, CHEM 115, CHEM
116, GEOL 115, GEOL 121, GEOL 122, GEOG 106, GEOG 108, NSGE 100, NSCI 101, NSCI 102, NSCI
103 and NSCI 104, NSCI 110, NSCI 116, NSCI 119, PHYS 221, PHYS 231
M. Hutchens, D. Wright
Date submitted:
Assessment Measurements Conducted During the Current Year
Assessment Tools:
Biological
Sciences
TracDat
data
Physical
sciences
program
offerings
Student achievement of this outcome is measured using
quizzes, exams, laboratory exercises, and laboratory
reports and projects. Data on course level assessment
will be submitted as part of course assessment
activities as described in the course assessment plans
submitted in Spring 2012.
Various tools, including those specific to external
accreditation. Assessment activities have been ongoing
(see 2011 Natural Sciences General Education
report); however, some of these data have not yet been
compiled. Data on course level assessment will be
Summary of Results
As of April 21, 2015:
3 of the 4 Biology courses approved for Natural
Science General Education credit have entered
both assessment methods and findings in
TracDat. Of those three courses, two of them
reported findings that were hovering right at the
target threshold set by the instructor. This
target threshold was, in both cases, that the
class average score on the chosen assessment
instrument would be 75%. The third course
reported a very high class average score (90%)
on the chosen assessment instrument, though the
measurement reported in the “findings” wasn’t
exactly the same kind of measurement listed as
the “criteria”.
The following courses have both assessment
methods and findings related to the Natural
Science General Education outcome:
CHEM108+109, CHEM115, CHEM116,
1 2012 General Education Assessment Report: Natural Sciences
Recommendations
Encourage/remind faculty to
enter assessment data into
TracDat.
Clarify to faculty the primary
goal of assessment so that
faculty can choose useful
assessment measures and data
to enter.
Help faculty find ways to do
assessment in as time-efficient a
manner as possible.
We are continuing to encourage
faculty to enter assessment
methods and findings into
TracDat.
submitted as part of course assessment activities as
described in the course assessment plans submitted in
Spring 2012.
NSCI103+104, NSCI 110, NSCI116. All of
these courses reported findings that exceeded
the target threshold, except for CHEM108+109,
for which the target threshold was that 100% of
the class would perform satisfactorily on the
measurement tool). The findings reported for
CHEM115 and CHEM116 were subsequent to
Action Plans reported in the last assessment
cycle for those courses.
The GEOG courses have not been offered since
the last report from this subcommittee, but
GEOG 108 is scheduled to be offered in Spring
2016.
The remaining courses were missing assessment
methods and/or findings in TracDat.
Externally- Student achievement of this outcome is measured using
ETS test performance for all entering Freshman and
based
exiting Seniors.
General
Education
Assessment
Activities
ETS data as of Spring 2014 shows the same
trend as the previous year’s ETS data: in most
areas, including the natural sciences, students’
raw scores increased from freshman to senior
year, but their performance relative to students
at other universities decreased from freshman to
senior year.
The sub-committee reviewed the methodology
used by ETS to assess proficiency in the natural
sciences and determined that the methodology
used is unlikely to be a valid measure of LSSU’s
stated Natural Science outcome.
Studentbased
General
Education
Assessment
Activities
2 2012 General Education Assessment Report: Natural Sciences
While using an external
measurement tool is desirable
,as the ETS methodology does
not measure our outcome, we
recommend that either:
1) the committee investigate
another external tool
or
2) the committee develop an
improved tool
Course
syllabi
outcome
statement
compliance
Syllabi for Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 courses that
address this outcome statement were reviewed for
compliance with explicitly including the outcome
statement and relevant student learning outcomes.
Fall 2014: 15 of 18 (83%) included this outcome Dean Barb Keller will be
statement; This represents an increase from
informed which course syllabi
44% (8 of 18) compliance in Fall 2012.
do not include the General
Education Natural Sciences
Spring 2015: 13 of 15 (87%) syllabi included
outcome statement and will be
this outcome statement. This represents about
asked to encourage the
the same degree of compliance as in Spring of
appropriate faculty members to
2013, when it was 82% (9 of 11).
include this statement in their
syllabi.
Recommendations
Methods Used for Sharing Assessment Information:
Next Steps:
Additional Comments:
HLC Six Fundamental Questions
1. How are your stated student learning outcomes appropriate to your mission, programs, degrees, and students?
2. What evidence do you have that students achieve your stated learning outcomes?
3. In what ways do you analyze and use evidence of student learning?
4. How do you ensure shared responsibility for student learning and for assessment of student learning?
5. How do you evaluate and improve the effectiveness of your efforts to assess and improve student learning?
6. In what ways do you inform the public and other stakeholders about what and how well your students are learning?
3 2012 General Education Assessment Report: Natural Sciences