SJSU Annual Program Assessment Form
Academic Year 2014-2015
Department: HUMANITIES
Program: LIBERAL STUDIES TEACHER PREPARATION
College: H&A
Website: <SJSU.EDU/HUM>
Program Accreditation (if any):
NONE
Contact Person and Email: Susan Verducci (susan.verducci@sjsu.edu)
Date of Report: June 8, 2015
Part A
List of Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
1. Demonstrate the ability to frame questions and pursue answers to aesthetic, social, cultural and
global problems using interdisciplinary methods.
2. Demonstrate the ability to describe and compare the roles, impacts and ethical implications of
ideas, texts, social movements, contemporary situations, and creations of the human
imagination.
3. Demonstrate skill in written and verbal communication, including argumentation.
4. Demonstrate the ability to identify, select, use, and cite information sources appropriately.
5. Demonstrate foundational knowledge in subjects taught in K-8 schools.
6. Demonstrate understanding of how to engage and support all K-8 students in learning.
7. Demonstrate understanding of how to create and maintain effective learning environments for
K-8 students.
8. Demonstrate understanding of how to plan instruction and assess student learning.
Faculty decided on PLO content and criteria for assessing levels of mastery during the 2011-12
Program Planning process. In the case of courses offered within the department, ongoing
assessment of levels of mastery is monitored by the Liberal Studies Program Coordinator, Susan
Verducci (who teaches several such courses). However, there are many courses that Liberal
Studies majors take in other departments. Therefore, at the beginning of the current program
planning cycle, the Program Coordinator initiated a project of recording grades of Liberal
Studies majors in subjects ranging from the arts to the physical and life sciences to the social
sciences. In other words, since it is not possible to require participation in Liberal Studies BA
assessment of instructors in art history, biology, chemistry, geography, and so forth, we felt we
should at least get a sense of the overall performance (measured by grades) of Liberal Studies
majors in their classes. The coordinator also developed and implemented an exit survey given
to graduating seniors that includes two questions asking students to self-report on the
programs overall effectiveness in meeting the PLOs. The following questions are scaled with:
Strongly agree, Agree, Somewhat Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree.
1) Based on my academic experience at San Jose State University, I believe that:

I can frame questions and pursue answers to aesthetic, social, cultural and global
issues in education using interdisciplinary methods
1



I can describe and compare the roles, impacts and ethical implications of ideas,
texts, social movements, contemporary situations, and creations of the human
imagination
I can identify, select, use and cite information sources appropriately
I can communicate effectively verbally and through writing
2) Based on my experience in the Liberal Studies program, I believe that:





I have strong content and pedagogical knowledge in subjects taught in K-8 schools
I understand how to create and maintain effective learning environments for K-8
students
I understand how to engage and support all K-8 students in learning
I understand how to plan instruction and assess student learning
I recognize the need to stay current professionally through lifelong learning
Applied Knowledge
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Social and Global Responsibilities
Intellectual Skills
Broad Integrative knowledge
PLO/ULG
1. Frame questions/pursue answers
2. Describe and compare
3. Skill in written and verbal
communication
4.
Identify . . . and cite information
5. Knowledge of K-8 school subjects
current
. . . w hist. knowledge
6. Engage/support
K-8 students
7. Create/maintain K-8 learning
environments
8.
Plan instruction and assess learning
Specialized knowledge
2. Map of PLOs to University Learning Goals (ULGs)
x
x
x
x
x
x
3. Alignment – Matrix of PLOs to Courses (Highlighted courses provide data for assessment)
PLO
1
ENG 1A
ENG 1B
ENG 112A
ENG 103/LING 107
PLO 2 PLO 3
X
X
X
X
PLO 4 PLO 5
X
X
X
X
PLO
6
PLO 7
PLO
8
X
2
LLD 108/CHAD 150
EDEL 108E/CHAD 151
HIST 15AB
GEOG 137
GEOG 138
GEOG 139
MATH 12
MATH 105
MATH 106
BIO 21
CHEM 30A
GEOL 103
SCI 110/ENVS 158
CA 177
ART 39/139
ART 138
DANC 148
MUS 10B
MUS 185
TA 131
TA 167
KIN/CHAD 149 KIN177
EDTE 190
CHAD 60
CHAD 67
HUM 85
HUM 160
HUM 185
HUM 190
HUM 119A
HUM 119B
HUM 120A
HUM 120B
HUM 128
AMS 169
AMS 179
RELS 162
RELS 191
HUM 114
RELS 131
RELS 145
AMS 159
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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X
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X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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3. Planning – Assessment Schedule
Academic
Year/Courses
Program Learning Objective
1
Demonstrate the ability to frame questions and pursue
answers to aesthetic, social, cultural and global issues using
interdisciplinary methods.
(Collect data,
Analyze, Discuss,
Formulate plan)
AY 2015-16
Humanities 190
Humanities 85
(Begin implementing
plan for PLOs 6-8)
2
3
Demonstrate the ability to describe and compare the roles,
impacts and ethical implications of ideas, texts, social
movements, contemporary situations, and creations of the
human imagination.
Demonstrate skill in written and verbal communication,
including argumentation.
AY 2016-17
Humanities 190
Humanities 85
(Begin implementing
plan for PLO 1)
AY 2017-18
Humanities 190
Humanities 85
(Begin implementing
plan for PLO 2)
4
5
Identify, select, use and cite information sources
appropriately.
Demonstrate foundational knowledge in subjects taught in
K-8 schools.
AY 2017-18
Humanities 190
Humanities 85
AY 2018-19
Grades in Teacher
Prep Core Courses
Across Campus*
(Begin implementing
plan for PLOs 3-4)
4
6
Demonstrate understanding of how to engage and support
all K-8 students in learning.
7
Demonstrate understanding of how to create and maintain
effective learning environments for K-8 students.
8
Demonstrate understanding of how to plan instruction and
assess student learning.
AY 2019-20
Humanities 185
(Begin implementing
plan for PLO 5)
AY 2019-20
Humanities 185
AY 2019-20
Creative Arts 177
*Grades will be taken from the following courses:
History/Social Science: GE Area D2; GEOG 137; GEOG 138 and HIST 139
Art: All required Art courses taken (Art 39/138/139; Dance 148; Music 10B/185A; TA
131/167; CA 177)
Math: MATH 12; MATH 105; and MATH 106.
English Language Arts: ENG 103 or LLD 107; ENG 112A; CHAD 150 & 151 or LLD 108 &
EDEL 108E
Sciences: CHEM 30A, BIO 21, GEOL 103 and ENVS 158/SCI 110
5. Student Experience
Relevant Program Learning Objectives are listed on the syllabi of many Humanities courses in the
major and communicated verbally to students on the first day of each class. All PLOs map onto
courses across requirements, and a number of Humanities courses align PLOs with individual
assignments in their syllabi. PLOs are also listed on the website. What instructors do in their
courses, however, can be most critical to communication of the program’s learning objectives.
Instructors of the three core courses in the major (Hum 85 – introductory course, Hum 185, and
190 – capstone course) are strongly encouraged to review PLOs and ULGs with their students.
Liberal Studies requirements taken outside the department lie beyond our direct scope of influence.
Although we have made progress with communicating PLOs and collecting data through student
self-reports on the effectiveness of the program in meeting these objectives, we are at early stages
in changing the frequency and way ULGs and PLOs are communicated to students as well as
integrating student feedback into the creation of PLOs.
Part B
6. Graduation Rates for Total Non URM and URM students (entire department)
First-Time Freshmen
Undergraduate
Transfer
First-Time Graduate
5
Fall 2008 Cohort: 6-Year
Graduation Rate
Fall 2011 Cohort: 3-Year
Graduation Rate
Fall 2011 Cohort: 3-Year
Graduation Rate
Program
Cohort Size
Program
Cohort Size
Program
Cohort Size
Program
Grad Rate
Program
Grad Rate
Program
Grad Rate
Total
43
44.2%
30
56.7%
0
/0
URM
13
69.2%
3
100.0%
0
/0
Non-URM
23
30.4%
20
50.0%
0
/0
All others
7
42.9%
7
57.1%
0
/0
7. Headcounts of program majors and new students (per program and degree)
Fall 2014
New Students
Continuing
Students
FT
Admit
Continuing
New
Transf
Total
Total
20
43
157
220
BA
20
43
157
220
8. SFR and average section size (per department)
Fall 2014
Subject
SFR
Subject Headcount
per Section
Course Prefix
Course Level
HUMHumanities
Lower Division
27.0
29.8
Upper Division
19.3
22.6
Graduate Division
9. Percentage of tenure/tenure-track instructional faculty (per department)
6
Fall 2014
Department
FTEF #
Department
FTEF %
7.5
38%
Not tenure-track
12.2
62%
Total
19.8
100%
Tenured/Tenure-track
The following area of this assessment will cover two academic years, as the Program Coordinator and
sole dedicated program faculty member was on sabbatical in 2013-14.
Part C
10. Closing the Loop/Recommended Actions
a) Feedback on our last Program Assessment, recommended that a revised schedule for the next
five years be included. See Section 3 of this report.
b) In our last Program Review, one action item encouraged us to explore better outreach and
liaison deeper relationships with community colleges to increase transfers into all our department
majors. We have brought in a new tenure track hire to begin next semester (Fall 2015) that, while
teaching in the American Studies concentration of Humanities, with a doctorate and a specialty in
the history of education will be able to collaborate on this goal through service specific to the
Liberal Studies Teaching Prep major, growing an annual cohort of future teachers majoring in our
department. In the past year, outreach was made to a teaching academy at a local high school
(Independence High) during college application time. A panel of Liberal Studies Students and the
program coordinator discussed their experience at SJSU and answered questions about the
program to prospective college applicants.
c) Actions that the department has taken include the hiring of two new tenure track faculty
members with education as areas of expertise.
d) A special topics course on Education is being offered every Spring.
e) In 2013-14, policy documents were developed for Humanities 101 and 190.
11. Assessment Data
PLO #3 (Demonstrate skill in written and verbal communication, including argumentation) 1)
Data to analyze this was collected from two sections of HUM 100W, Writing in the Humanities.
Sample essays were submitted from the two different instructors teaching HUM 100W, three from
one section and five from the other. The samples were assessed by Prof. Jochim for their basic skill
levels in written communication and persuasive argumentation. All were judged to be at the level
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assigned by the seminar instructors, which selected the students to illustrate the range of rankings
in their courses. Prof. X ranked one student at strong thesis (Exemplary), one at sound thesis
(Accomplished), two at clear thesis (Developing) and one at vague thesis (Beginning). Prof. Y
ranked the three essays numerically, one at 169 (Accomplished), one at 146 (Developing) and one
at 137 (Beginning).
2) An online exit survey was administered to 87 Spring 2013 recently graduated senior Liberal
Studies students. Data was collected from 28 respondents. 75% (21) of these 28 students reported
that they strongly agreed that their experience at SJSU had provided them with written and verbal
skills; 21.4% (6) agreed; and 3.6 12) somewhat agreed.
PLO #6 (Engage and support all students in learning) AND PLO #7 (Create and maintain effective
learning environments):
1) Data was collected and analyzed from course materials of 29 students from the Spring 2015
Humanities 185 class. These course materials include electronic journal entries covering: ability
grouping; homework; play; contexts for learning; ideal classrooms; the physical environment;
“seeing” two students; and classroom procedures. A total of 209 documents were examined for
student understanding of how to engage/support students with differing needs and abilities and
how to create/maintain effective learning environments. An additional 29 lesson plans were
examined for students’ ability to apply their theoretical understanding to practice.
2a) PLO#6 - An online exit survey was administered to 87 Spring 2013 recently graduated seniors.
Data was collected from 28 respondents. 29% (11) students reported that they strongly agreed
that their experience at SJSU met this objective; 36%% (10) agreed; 18% (5) somewhat agreed;
3.6% disagreed; and 3.6% strongly disagreed.
2b) PLO #7 - An online exit survey was administered to 87 Spring 2013 recently graduated seniors.
Data was collected from 28 respondents. 42.9% (12) strongly agreed that their experience at SJSU
met this objective; 32.1% (9) agreed; 17.9% (5)) somewhat agreed; 3.6% (1) somewhat disagreed;
and 3.6% strongly disagreed.
PLO #8 (Plan instruction and assess student learning):
1) 33 lesson plans from 11 Liberal Studies students were collected and analyzed from Creative Arts
177. These students earned an average of 18.01 points out of 20 for these lesson plans. Their
scores were compared to the scores of 54 lesson plans from 18 non-Liberal Studies students in the
same course, who earned an average of 18.6.
2) An online exit survey was administered to 87 Spring 2013 recently graduated seniors. Data was
collected from 28 respondents. 46.4% (13) students reported that they strongly agreed that their
experience at SJSU taught them to plan instruction and assess learning; 25% (7) agreed; 21.4%
somewhat agreed; 3.6% somewhat disagreed; and 3.6% strongly disagreed.
12. Analysis
8
PLO #3 - The assigned work in 100W seems to be covering the required areas to meet this PLO, and
the teachers’ feedback to the students indicates attention to helping them move forward toward
even better responses in written communication and persuasive argumentation.
PLOs 5-8 – The online student survey indicates that students’ perceive one weakness of the
program to be a relative lack of focus on knowledge and skills related to pedagogy in K-8 schooling.
Nearly every comment critical of the program noted the lack of attention to pedagogy embedded in
the curriculum.
PLO #6 – Average scores on journal entries that prompted students to write about supporting and
engaging all students in learning (ability grouping-2.1/3, homework and play-4.6/5; and “seeing”
two students-1.6/2) showed that students are between the emerging and developed phase of
understanding. The 29 lesson plans evaluated required that students show their ability to translate
this theoretical understanding to practice by developing differentiated and multi-layered
instructional plans for English Language Learners and differently-abled students. The average
student score on these lesson plans 14/15 was much higher than the journal entries. This might
suggest a number of things, including that students have a stronger mechanical understanding of
lesson planning than they do of the principles underlying the choices they are making in their
planning.
PLO #7 – Average scores on journal entries that prompted students to write about creating an
environment for learning showed students to be in the developed phase (context-4.5/5; ideal
classroom-9.5/10; procedures-4.8/5; physical environment-4.7/5). Students noted in their
suggestions on how to strengthen the program that they would welcome direct discussion about
classroom management.
PLO #8 – Scores from Liberal Studies students in the Creative Arts 177 class are in the developed
phase of this PLO. Although they seem marginally below the average of the teacher preparation
students from other programs, when a single outlying score is removed from the analysis the
difference disappears.
13. Proposed changes and goals (if any)
No changes in the PLOs themselves.
PLO #3 - In the past, an argumentation exercise was added to HUM 190 senior seminar capstone
classes to ensure that the argumentation skill covered in HUM 100W was reinforced in that
capstone experience, and a closing the loop assessment activity on that modification demonstrated
that graduating seniors demonstrated a higher proficiency in this particular skill as a result. As
perhaps five years have gone by since that check, it might be useful the next time around in
assessing this PLO that we look not only at the level of what is produced in HUM 100W students but
also, for that particular skill of argumentation, at a class of students in HUM 190 as well.
PLOs 5-8 – In the Humanities department, there is currently only one permanent faculty member
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with an area of expertise in K-8 education and thus most upper division courses available to teacher
preparation students’ are not infused with ideas pertaining to K-8 education. This relates to one of
the perennial difficulties of undergraduate teacher preparation in California: meeting student
expectations for courses to provide pedagogical knowledge and skills with the demands of The
Ryan Act, which requires that all undergraduates interested in education receive a liberal arts
education. The professional education many students in our program expect occurs at the graduate
level in California because of this law. We anticipate the department’s recent hiring of two tenure
track professors with expertise in education will infuse educational history and theory into Liberal
Studies students’ upper division courses across the major. This should allow the program to better
meet students’ expectations while complying with the requirements of The Ryan Act.
PLOs 5-8 – One goal for 2015-16 is to collaborate closely with newly hired faculty to examine the
possibility of transforming our required introductory course, Humanities 85: Introduction to
Liberal Education, from a one unit course to a three unit course. This course has the potential for
Liberal Studies students to directly study the UGLs and our department’s PLOs in the light of the
broader aims and purposes of liberal education in a pluralistic democracy.
PLO#6 – Analysis of this PLO points to paying increased attention to providing opportunities for
students to develop and articulate the social, political and educational principles and rationales for
attending to needs of diverse students in departmental courses.
PLO #7 – Analysis of this PLO suggests a need to increase attention to discussing “classroom
management” aspects of creating a learning environment in Humanities 185.
PLO #8 – Continue to provide opportunities for students to practice and hone their lesson planning
skills in Creative Arts 177 and Humanities 185.
Next year, assessment will focus on PLO #1.
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