Motlow State Community College
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Use of Assessment Results
Fall Semester 2008
Program Title: General Education, University Parallel Major
Course: PSY 1310 – General Psychology I
This course is a study of selected topics in general psychology. Subject matter includes research
methods, biological foundations of behavior, human development, learning, memory, sensation and
perception, and consciousness.
Expected Student Learning Outcomes:
1. Students will understand and differentiate the major historical approaches (theories) in
psychology.
2. Students will know and be able to describe the types and elements of research in psychology.
3. Students will be able to describe the key foundational elements in the biological bases of
behavior.
4. Students will be able to identify the major structures of the human brain and their functions.
5. Students will be able to describe and explain the process of sensation.
6. Students will be able to describe and explain the process of perception.
7. Students will be able to analyze and distinguish the stages of sleep.
8. Students will be able to distinguish the stages of chemical dependency.
9. Students will be able to compare and contrast the major theories of learning.
10. Students will be able to define and describe the process of memory.
Performance Measure(s): Pre-Test/Post-Test
Effectiveness Standard: At least 70% of the students will answer the questions that pertain to the
student learning outcome correctly.
Assessment Results:
Pre-Test Results:
Expected Student Learning Outcome
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Question Number
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9, 10
11, 12
Percent Correct
55.00
58.67
62.83
47.00
34.78
25.50
57.44
71.89
26.36
28.17
Pre-Test Grand Mean Percent Correct = 46.76
Post-Test Results:
Expected Student
Learning Outcome
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Question Number
Percent Correct
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9, 10
11, 12
63.78
84.50
70.83
75.83
69.89
46.17
79.00
78.94
61.20
60.30
Post-Test Grand Mean Percent
Correct = 69.04%
Percent Incremental
Change
+15.96
+44.03
+12.73
+61.34
+100.95
+81.06
+34.53
+9.81
+132.17
+114.06
Grand Mean Percent
Incremental Change =
60.66
Use of Assessment Results:
During the fall 2008 assessment of PSY 1310, 18 sections of PSY 1310 comprising 550 students on four
campuses were assessed. The goal of a 70% aggregate pass rate was not met but the shortfall was less
than 1 percent. The results show that Expected Student Learning Outcomes 1, 5, 6, 9, and 10 were not
met (although SLO 5 was very close to having been met). One common denominator was that these
SLOs (with the exception of SLO 1) tap the biological bases of behavior and students taking PSY 1310
typically have not had any background in neuroscience and this was their first exposure to
neuroanatomy and neuropsychological functioning. These concepts are often challenging even for
academically well-prepared students.
However, looking at the aggregate measures of central tendency (grand mean percent correct and grand
mean percent incremental change) clearly shows substantial improvement in scores between pre-test
and post-test with the overall benchmark of 70% correct being very nearly accomplished, falling short of
this benchmark by less than 1%. The post-test grand mean exceeds the pre-test grand mean by 47.65%.
There was an aggregate 60.66% average improvement of post-test scores over pre-test scores.
Regular and adjunct psychology faculty teaching PSY 1310 will be made aware of aware of these results.
In addition, the following actions will be taken:


Faculty (regular and adjunct) will be instructed by the department chair that their instructional
methodology should specifically address the SLOs for PSY 1310. Reinforcement of instruction
(increased class time on these topics, additional learning exposure, etc.) relative to SLOs 1, 5, 6,
9, and 10 will be recommended.
The department chair and psychology faculty will review the pre-post test questions to ensure
their construct and content validity for measuring the SLO.