2009-10 Assessment of Student Learning Report
Submit completed report electronically to the Office of Academic Affairs
by June 1, 2010
Major (or other aspect of your program) being assessed: Biology
I.
List the student learning goals for the program. (These should be the broad student
learning goals that are embedded in your departmental mission that remain the same
from year to year.)
Goal #1. Be able to write using a common scientific format at an acceptable level.
Goal #2. Learn how to access, use, and cite primary literature sources.
Goal #3. Demonstrate an acceptable mastery of basic biological concepts dealing
with four major areas that include: organismic biology, cell/molecular/genetics,
ecology/evolution, and taxonomy/systematics
Goal #4. Master a set of field or laboratory skills commonly expected of a student
graduating with a major in biology
Goal #5. Will successfully complete a professional experience where they will carry
out research or participate in an internship and report the results of their work in an
acceptable scientific presentation, i.e. research paper, poster presentation, oral
presentation
Goal #6. To be able to present scientific data and information in a format appropriate
for scientific communication.
II.
List 2-3 specific student learning goals in the program that were assessed during
the 2009-10 academic year. (These could either be student learning goals listed in
Section I, or parts of one or more of those goals.)
Goal # 1 To be able to present scientific data and information orally in a public
setting in an acceptable format (from 1o goal #6 above)
Goal # 2 To assess student familiarity and experience with the diversity of micro
invertebrates and Protista as the students enter the biology major. Preliminary
information indicates that changes in the high school curriculum is leaving students
under prepared to appreciate and understand the microscopic world that impacts their
lives and their understanding of biology.
III.
Describe the methods used during the 2009-10 academic year to assess student
learning for each of the goals identified in Section II. (Methods could be exams,
projects, assignments, or other demonstrations of student learning. A brief
explanation of the criteria by which student learning was evaluated is helpful.)
Goal # 1 Student presentations both in class, seminar, and at state/regional/national
meetings will be evaluated by departmental faculty using the departmental
presentation rubric.
Goal # 2 Survey of all entering biology majors addressing the extent and nature of
their involvement with micro invertebrates and Protista prior to matriculating at
Manchester College.
IV.
Summarize the data that was collected. (A few sentences or bullet points.
Examples or data sets may be attached as an appendix.)
Goal # 1
The rubric that we designed is given in Appendix I. Some aspects were modified to
meet the needs of specific courses or assignments. We rated presentations as good to
excellent (grade >85%), fair (75-85%), poor (60-75%) or unacceptable. Results for
several courses are:
BIOL 130 (Intro. to Environmental Studies), 21 students: 18 good to excellent, 3 fair.
BIOL 242 (Vascular Plant Systematics), 12 students: 9 good to excellent, 3 fair.
BIOL 313 (Microbiology), 29 students: 20 good to excellent, 9 fair
BIOL 433 (Intro. Medical Microbiology), 5 students (each did 2 presentations): 7
good to excellent, 3 fair to good.
BIOL 222 (Intro. Molecular Bio.) 36 students: all fell in good to excellent (however,
shorter presentations than classes above).
The most significant problems that we noted were poor use of presentation tools (e.g.
reading Powerpoint slides) and presentations that were not appropriate to the
audience (e.g. excessive or insufficient levels of detail).
Several biology students gave talks at local (Science Symposium, spring research
symposium) or regional meetings (Indiana Academy of Science). We did not use the
rubric for these presentations, but we felt that students would have scored well had
we evaluated them using the rubric.
Goal # 2.
Based on a survey of 117 students in Biology 106, greater than 80 % (more than 52)
of the students had not been provided training in microscopy techniques to observe
live organisms nor had they received training with Kingdom Protista. In order to
provide students essential microscopy skills (drawing to scale and adding scale bars
to drawings) to observe examples of living organisms from the Protista Kingdom, two
separate laboratory experiences were used. First each student received training on the
parts of a compound light microscope, how to calibrate a microscope, and how to
measure organisms by using an ocular micrometer. The second laboratory included a
set of pre-laboratory questions regarding protists followed with a laboratory
experience where the students had the opportunity to use their microscopy skills to
observe nine examples of protists and one microscopic cnidarian. The mean score on
the pre-laboratory exercise was 22 or 88%. The standard deviation was 3.4 with a
maximum score of 25 and minimum score of 11. For the protist laboratory exercise
the mean score was 48 or 96% with standard deviation of 4.8 and a maximum of 50
and minimum of 26. The addition of this new laboratory exercise appeared to be a
good decision. It satisfied a gap in biological training and served as an exercise that
required a demonstration of microscopy skills acquired in a previous laboratory.
The survey and information on grading are given in Appendices 2 and 3.
V.
State your department’s conclusions from the assessment data. (Your
department’s interpretation of the data. Include program’s strengths and areas to
improve.)
Goal #1
Our students have, in general, developed good presentation skills.
Goal #2
Student knowledge of microscopic organisms was weak at the start of the
fall semester. Coverage in BIOL 106 improved their knowledge of these groups.
VI.
Describe how your department will use these conclusions to improve student
learning.
Goal # 1 We will continue to discuss effective means of making presentations in
courses where this is required, emphasizing presentation methods and structuring
content that is appropriate to the intended audience. We will also work closely with
students who are presenting at meetings outside of classes.
Goal #2
We will continue to emphasize biological diversity in the Principles of
Biology class, with emphasis on groups with which students are less familiar.
VII.
List 2-3 specific student learning goals in the program that your department
wishes to assess for the 2010-11 academic year. (These could either be student
learning goals listed in Section I, or parts of one or more of those goals. You may
decide to reassess the same goals or move on to other goals.)
Goal # 1 (Goal 6 in part I). To be able to present scientific data and information in a
format appropriate for scientific communication.
Goal #2 (Goal 4 in part I). Master a set of field or laboratory skills commonly
expected of a student graduating with a major in biology.
Goal # 3 (Goal 1 in part I). Be able to write using a common scientific format at an
acceptable level.
VIII.
Describe the methods to be used during the 2010-11 academic year to assess the
student learning goals identified in Section VII.
Goal # 1 Notebooks are important records of lab work in many of our courses. Our
goal is to improve student notebook skills with regard to level of detail, drawings, and
inclusion of observations and questions related to the lab topic. This assessment will
be measured with an analysis of specific grades given to laboratory notebooks based
on the grading rubric. We will review our standards for evaluating notebooks, and
the ability of students to produce notebooks that are appropriately structured to be
useful in writing lab reports or studying for lab exams.
Goal # 2 Students will take lab practical exams focusing on commonly used skills
(e.g. pipetting, use of standard curves) in BIOL 222 (Intro. Molecular Bio.) and BIOL
313 (Microbiology).
Goal # 3 We will evaluate lab reports in BIOL 106 (Principles of Biology I), BIOL
315 (Ecology) and BIOL 331 (Invertebrate Zoology) for ability to use standard
scientific paper format and citation of reference sources.
APPENDIX I. Oral Report Grading Rubric for Biology
BIOL 130 (Intro to Environmental Studies)
Section
Problem
-Descriptive
-Key words
-Issues
Exemplary
clearly described the
issue along with key
words integrating
science, politics and
economics
Acceptable
Limited
Not Present
Issue introduced Issue
Problem not
but lacks key
introduced, but introduced
words and two or vague and lacks
three of the
key words and
following points: missing more
than three of the
1.length of time
science, politics following:
problem has existed and economics
science, politics
2. causes,
1.length of time and economics
problem has
existed
1.length of time
3.local-regionalproblem has
global,
existed
2. causes,
4.affect on
environment,
3.local-regional- 2. causes,
global,
3.local-regional5. affect on people,
global,
wildlife, plants
4.affect on
environment,
4.affect on
environment,
5. affect on
people, wildlife,
plants
5. affect on
people, wildlife,
plants
(0-4 points)
(14-15 points)
BenefitsWho
What
All elements
represented and
gives a clear
summary of:
(10-13 points)
Not all elements
represented in
paper. Missing
one or two of the
following:
(5-9 points)
Three elements None of the
missing from the elements present
following:
from the following:
1.what led to the what led to the
issue,
issue, who
1. what led to the
benefited, how was
issue
2.who benefited, the issue justified,
can arguments be
2. who benefited,
2. who benefited, 3.how was the made to continue.
3. how was the issue 3.how was the issue justified,
issue justified,
justified,
1. what led to the
issue
4.can arguments
4. can arguments be 4.can arguments be made to
made to continue the be made to
continue.
continue
degratdation.
degradation
(14-15 points)
(0-4 points)
(10-13 points)
(5-9 points)
Solution:
All components
clearly explained.
Current
1.What are current
approaches or
proposed solutions
(scientific and
technological),
Proposed
Missing one or
two of the
following
components:
1.What are
current
approaches or
proposed
2.how are politics, solutions
(scientific and
science,and
economics involved, technological),
Political
Scientific
economics
3.what is the time
element?
(14-15 points)
2.how are
politics,
science,and
economics
involved,
Missing three of None of
the components. components
explained
1.What are
current
(0 points)
approaches or
proposed
solutions
(scientific and
technological),
2.how are
politics,
science,and
economics
involved,
3.what is the
time element?
3.what is the
time element?
(10-13 points)
Time and presentation quality Time: 7-10 min.,
and well organized
with attractive
slides. Each team
member participates
equally
(5 points)
(5-9 points)
Time: 5-6 min., Time: 3-4 min.
slides not
organized
sequentially
(1-2 points)
Time: <3 min.
(0 points)
(3-4 points)
Total= 50 pts.
Assessment Total and
Comments
APPENDIX 2. Student knowledge of protista and invertebrates
Survey of Principles of Biology fall 2009
During your high school biology experience did you participate in laboratory exercises where
you:
a. Used a microscope________________
b. Calibrated a microscope with an ocular micrometer_____________
c. Viewed live organisms such as
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.
Paramecium________
Euglena__________
Rotifers_________
Amoeba__________
Planaria __________
Nematodes__________
Daphnia_____________
Copepods____________
Grading Rubric for Protist lab:





One point for each drawing (see organism list below) =10 pts.
One point for scale bar on each drawing= 10 pts.
One point for Drawing magnification for each= 10 pts
One point for each of the three questions for the living organisms only. 3 questions X 6
organisms= 18 points (use your judgment if there was some thought given to the answer
provided. If the answer seems shallow or inadequate do not give credit. The questions
are below.
This makes a total of 48 points. Give two points to make the lab worth 50 total points.
List of live organisms to observe:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Blepharisma
Amoeba proteus
Paramecium caudatum
Stentor
Euglena
Hydra(not a protist, but rather a Cnidarian)
1.
2.
3.
4.
List of prepared slides to observe
Ceratium (dinoflagellate)
Volvox
Ameoba proteus
Paramecium caudatum
QUESTIONS:
Provide drawings of each of the ten organisms listed above. Draw large. Make the image at least
½ of a page. Each drawing should include:
1. Drawing magnification (in other words how much larger is the drawing than the actual
organism)
2. Scale bar
3. Describe in complete sentences the behavior of the live organisms.
4. Write at least one question regarding the organism?
5. Write something about this organism that intrigued you.