Institutional Effectiveness Assessment Evaluation Questionnaire
What kinds of assessment processes do you use to determine your area’s effectiveness?
This may include, but is by no means limited to: analysis of course grades, student
learning outcomes analysis, satisfaction surveys, course completion rates, task
completions rates (non-instructional areas), student/employee feedback, focus groups, use
of standard research reports, etc.
Assessment processes utilized by members of the Biology Faculty to determine our
area’s effectiveness include: Pre/Post Test Scores
Open Book Test
Student Evaluations of Faculty
Give one recent example of an assessment process you have used in your area and
discuss the measures (direct or indirect) you chose to determine the effectiveness of the
process. The remainder of the questions will pertain to this example.
One example of an assessment process utilized within the Biology area of the Natural
Science Division is the Open Book Test. In those courses where the Open Book Test
has been used, a section on the major exam administered to students in the courses
is designated as an Open Book Section. Students complete the Open Book Test
prior to proceeding to the closed book questions on the exams.
How did you determine the need for this assessment?
Over the years, the Biology Faculty have been concerned about the low performing
and “at risk” students who enroll in entry level biology courses (Biology 1406 –
General Biology I and Biology 1407 – General Biology II). Many of these students
do not have successful outcomes in these courses. Our concern was that these
students are not reading and comprehending the material presented in the textbooks
and lecture notes. It has been noted that a great percentage of the students enrolling
in these courses are concurrently enrolled in several Developmental courses,
including Developmental Reading. During the Fall 2003 Semester, the percentage
of students enrolled in Developmental Reading, while concurrently enrolled in either
Biology 1406 0r Biology 1407 was approximately 25%. The Open Book Test was
implemented for the following reasons:
a. Many of our students are entering our courses with major deficiencies in
reading and comprehension.
b. Many of our students are ill-prepared for exams because they may not
be reading the textbook.
c. This is one of the measurement outcomes selected by the Biology Faculty to
assess students’ reading skills as part of the Core Curriculum Assessment.
How many individuals participated in the identification of these assessment needs? Were
any of these individuals from outside of your department or area?
Six of seven members of the Biology faculty participated in the identification of
these assessment needs. There were no persons from outside of the department
involved in this process.
How, and from what sources, did you gather the data necessary to support the
measurement activity described above. Did you use any of the standard reports from the
Office of Institutional Research or make request for data from that office?
Four members of the Biology faculty are currently using the Open Book Test as
a section on their Major Exam. Questions are selected directly from the textbook
used in these courses. No other sources are utilized to gather information for
constructing the Open Book Tests.
How long of a time frame did the data gathering cover? A year? A semester? Other?
The time frame for gathering data regarding the effectiveness of using the Open Book
Test varies from one semester to two years. The data collecting time frame depends
upon the length of time the instructors have actively collected data.(One instructor
has compiled data over a two year period. Two instructors have collected data for one
year. One instructor has collected data for one semester).
How were the data compiled (in written report, presentation, charts and graphs? What
types of analytical methods, if any, did you use to determine the nature of the data?
The data was compiled in a written report. This data was shared among members
of the Biology faculty. No analytical methods were utilized to interpret these
results.
What did the final data indicate? Were you surprised by the findings?
Over the course of the semester, the data obtained by those instructors
who recently started using the Open Book Test showed an improvement
in student performance by approximately 10 points ranging from 56%, at the
beginning of the semester, to 67% at the end of the semester. This data was
compared to data compiled over a two year period, which showed student
performance increasing over the course of the semester from 64%, at the beginning
of the semester, to 72% at the end of the semester.
With whom did you share the results of your assessment activity? Was your vicepresident or other supervisor included in the distribution of the results?
The results of this assessment were initially reported to the members of the
Biology faculty, on the Brenham campus. A copy of this assessment information
was given to the Chair of the Natural Science Division. No other persons
received the results of this assessment.
How have you used the results of the assessment activity to make improvement in your
division or area?
Based upon the results of this assessment, the three members of the Biology faculty
who have not implemented the Open Book Test are encouraged to use this assessment
tool as a Core Curriculum Assessment of a student’s reading skills.
What type of follow-up measures have you established to determine if improvements has
taken place? What time frame (following term, one year later, etc.)
Tracking students over a semester/semester basis after they have completed
Biology 1406 and/or 1407, and have moved on to other biology/science courses within
or out of the Division of Natural Science is a way to follow-up on students
(e.g. tracking of students who have completed Biology 2401/2402 – Anatomy and
Physiology I and II, after they have transferred into Allied Health Programs at Blinn).