Core Competencies Assessment 2007-2008: Area III Courses
New Mexico Institution Name
State Competencies
Assessment Procedures
(Learning Outcomes Being
Measured)
Biology for Gen Ed I &Lab
(NMCCN: BIOL 1111/1113
General Biology I for nonmajors)
1. Students will describe the
process of scientific inquiry.
Students should:
a. Understand that scientists rely
on evidence obtained from
observations rather than
authority, tradition, doctrine, or
intuition.
b. Students should value science
as a way to develop reliable
knowledge about the world.
2. Students will solve problems
scientifically.
Students should:
a. Be able to construct and test
hypotheses using modern lab
equipment (such as
microscopes, scales, computer
The process of scientific
enquiry is presented as
lecture information and
described in detail in class
including the history and
process of scientific
discovery. The history and
processes used in scientific
discovery is presented in
many places during the
semester as compatible
subjects are presented.
Students are expected to be
able to describe the
processes of scientific
thought including
observation, hypotheses
formation, experiment
design, positive and negative
controls in experiments and
alternative hypotheses.
It is emphasized that the
process of science is problem
solving and that the process
can be applied to a variety of
problems. Being in the
department of Natural
Laboratory Science Competencies
Assessment Results
How Results Will Be Used
To Make Improvements
(Optional)
Recommendations/Goals/
Priorities
technology) and appropriate
quantitative methods.
b. Be able to evaluate isolated
observations about the physical
universe and relate them to
hierarchically organized
explanatory frameworks
(theories).
3. Students will communicate
scientific information.
Students should:
Communicate effectively about
science (e.g., write lab reports in
standard format and explain
basic scientific concepts,
procedures, and results using
written, oral, and graphic
presentation techniques.)
4. Students will apply
quantitative analysis to scientific
problems.
Students should:
a. Select and perform appropriate
quantitative analyses of scientific
observations.
b. Show familiarity with the metric
Sciences with faculty of
many research interests, it is
emphasized that the
commonality of the
department is dependant on
scientifically. Personal
examples of problem solving
by the instructor are given as
examples of solving
problems scientifically.
Students are asked to develop
a hypothesis, develop an
experiment to test the
hypotheses, describe the
materials and methods that
should be used in the
investigation, expected
results, conclusions and
further experiments are to be
presented
Students are given examples
of several peer reviewed
articles with special emphasis
on general biology.
After students develop a
hypotheses and a means to
test it they are required to
apply it to a series of lab
activities during the semester.
Laboratory exercises
emphasize data collection
and analysis with quantifiable
parameters that are then
gathered and analyzed with
graph, table and/or discrete
system, use a calculator to perform
appropriate mathematical
operations, and present results in
tables and graphs.
5. Students will apply scientific
thinking to real world problems.
Students should:
a. Critically evaluate scientific
reports or accounts presented in the
popular media.
b. Understand the basic scientific
facts related to important
contemporary issues (e.g., global
warming, stem cell research,
cosmology), and ask informed
questions about those issues.
End – Laboratory Science
statistical analysis. Graphs
and charts are also presented
in lecture and an analysis of
the date presented.
Students are expected to
collect and express the data
from experiments in
quantifiable terms. These
include bar graphs, linear
graphs and tabular forms.
Statistical analysis of data
sets is used to describe data
sets collected from the
laboratory exercises of the
students.
Current topics in science are
presented in class. These
include headline news stories
of specific relevance to cell
and molecular biology. These
articles are discussed in class.
During class discussions
students analyze the scientific
merit of articles, derive the
hypothesis of the experiment
and suggest further
experimentation and
alternative hypotheses.
Area III Assessment completed by
Signature
Phone number
575 538-6227__
Dennis Miller
Printed Name
14 April 2008
Date